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“All right, then,” my father responds, as though the two of us making plans is entirely normal. “You two have fun tonight.”
“Thank you, Coach Stevens,” Wes replies respectfully.
I simply nod, too surprised to say anything as we head outside into the cold winter air.
“Was I hallucinating back there?” I can’t help but ask as Wes backs out of my driveway. “Or did my dad just offer to run drills with me?”
“Nope, that’s what I heard too,” Wes confirms, smiling over at me. He looks pleased with himself, and I’m immediately suspicious.
“Did you say something to him?” I ask.
“I may have mentioned I thought he should pay a little more attention to what a star athlete his daughter is when he said he regretted missing your game yesterday.”
A lump grows in my throat. “Thank you.”
Wes shrugs. “I was just being honest. No need to thank me.” He pauses. “You were upstairs for a while.”
“Yeah. I was talking to Liam,” I admit.
“I thought I heard some yelling.”
“You did.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Wes gives me a concerned look.
“No,” I respond. After a moment, I add, “I chose you.”
I can feel Wes’s eyes on me. “I’m sorry, Maeve. Sorry you had to.”
“It’s not your fault,” I tell him. “I don’t have any regrets.”
Wes smiles at me as we pull into the parking lot of Alleghany’s mini golf course. It’s twice the size of Glenmont’s, but I’m still amazed it’s even open this time of year. Unsurprisingly, it’s mostly empty.
We’re about halfway through our game when I notice that change. More people start arriving. Alleghany High School students, to be specific. I get my first taste of what it must be like to be Weston Cole as people keep walking past us, trying to appear like they’re not staring. Unsuccessfully.
“Is it always like this?” I ask Wes as one girl passes us for the fourth time.
“Pretty much, and it’s only going to get worse,” Wes cautions me. “Do you want to leave?”
“Not until I beat you,” I inform him.
My burst of bravery falters at the sound of a male voice behind us. “Well, well, well. Maeve Stevens and Weston Cole. I feel like I’m watching one of those unlikely friendship animal videos.”
I turn to see Chris Fields standing with two other guys who I know are on the Alleghany football team.
Wes sighs. “Guess I’m not entirely surprised you three have nothing better to do on a Saturday night than crash my date.”
“Catch up, Cole,” Chris says. “The whole school’s here.”
“Maeve, these are the people I sometimes claim as friends. Adam, Chris, and Charlie.” Wes points to each guy as he says their names.
“Hey, guys,” I greet. Charlie is the one who spoke first, so I focus on him. “What’s your favorite video?” I ask him.
“What?” he replies, looking confused.
“Of the unlikely friendships.”
Charlie laughs. “No idea. My little sister watches them. Why, what’s yours?”
