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“Did it look as good as it felt?” I ask him as we jog off the field, another six points added to our score.
“I’ll let you decide for yourself based on his reaction,” Cameron says, pointing toward Toby, who is now sitting by the water cooler, his helmet on the bench next to him as he chews on his mouthguard like a rabid pit bull.
“Damn, I should have watched. It must have been good,” I say.
Cameron laughs and we slap hands as we cross over the sideline and leave Toby to stew on his own.
I didn’t expect everything to magically turn around in my favor. Toby went back in for more running plays the next set of downs, and he led one more scoring drive before the game was done. But Orland Homan, the recruiting coordinator for Penn, did stick around after the game and ask to talk to me and my father separately from Toby and his dad. And Jake gave me knuckles on his way out of the locker room.
* * *
“It’s not an offer, but it is interest.”
Those are the last words my dad said before heading out for date night with my mom. He repeated them about a dozen times after our meeting with Penn. While I’m sure he wanted to keep me grounded, I think he was also reminding himself to not get carried away. Still, he was proud, and seeing him proud mademeproud.
Things were beginning to feel tangible and within reach. It was exhilarating, but at the same time, it was all so terrifying. Interest is not an offer, and interest isn’t going to get me the kind of money I need to be able to afford a school like Penn. I need more games like today’s, and I need to convert more Jakes into Camerons and Theos.
I slip into the archive room after everyone else has arrived, and there’s a beer in my hand within seconds. It’s not quite the speakeasy-style whiskey and bourbon from the last few parties, and that’s primarily because I’m too chicken to swipe more liquor using my dad’s access key. I crack the can open and take a big gulp, glad I took my mom up on her offer to whip me up some dinner before she and my dad left.
A few guys congratulate me on my game as I wind my way through the desks toward the back of the room where Theo and Cameron are laughing about something. Lily and Brooklyn are huddled on the old leather sofa, and Morgan is nowhere to be found. I edge toward my friends while I scan the room one more time, then pull my phone out to check for a text from her. Nothing.
“Dude, if you keep throwing the ball like that, we might not be a joke this year. Shit, we may get a trophy out of this or some shit,” Cameron says. His red eyes and half-awake demeanor clue me in to how high he is, and I wonder how Theo lives with him.
“Thanks, man,” I say, bracing myself for his oncoming hug. He holds on to me a little too long, and I start to worry he’s sleeping on me or working this into a slow dance when he laughs in my arms.
I back away and screw my eyes up, a little worried that he’s about to be sick or something, but then I notice his gaze locked on something behind me. I follow the direction of his pointing finger.
Fucking Toby Sullivan standing in the middle of our secret.This is bad. This is really bad.
“Shit,” I grumble a second before Theo does behind me.
“Maybe he won’t come talk to us,” I say, trying to reason my way out of this nightmare. Theo laughs, then lays his hand on my shoulder as he steps up beside me.
“Dude, we are the entire reason he’s here. At least,youare.” He pats my shoulder a few times before picking up his beer and ambling his way through the haphazard clustering of desks toward our unwanted guest.
I put my beer to my lips and tilt my head back, draining it completely and leaving the can behind. I’m going to need some sort of buzz for this conversation, and I don’t have time to get on whatever cloud Cameron’s floating on.
“So, this is where you moved things. Classy. Respectful too. I get it,” Toby says, earning a hard stare from Theo. I glance down to catch his fist tightening at his side while he calmly holds his beer with his other hand.
Theo’s sister died after a party in the woods. I guess that’s what prompted Welles to completely close the campus and enforce strict security for the late hours. Morgan told me the only reason we were able to drive in and out late the other night was because my father’s truck has a faculty sticker.
“I don’t think you’re on the guest list,Tobes. Sorry, but we have a strict policy,” Theo says, circling his finger as if to suggest Toby simply turn around and leave. But Theo’s right. That’s not happening. Because he came here for me.
Theo sets his beer on a nearby desk and inches into Toby’s space, his chest puffing up as he nears his face until they’re almost nose-to-nose. I have my own battles with Toby, but for Theo, this moment is about his sister. And something in my gut tells me Toby is itching to push my friend over the edge. Before that can happen, I step between them and strong-arm Toby backward a few steps, not fast enough to knock him down but with enough force that he gets my point.
“All right, that’s enough,” I hiss. My eyes lock with Toby’s. He blinks to look over my shoulder, lunging forward to fake Theo out, but nobody is fooled. I put my palm on his chest and our gazes lock again.
“Let’s get this out of the way,” I say, nodding my head to the side, to the far corner of the room away from the people having a good time.
Toby hovers for a moment, a front I recognize quickly because that’s how the guys back home always intimidated people instead of having to get into an actual fight. Knowing he’s not going to demand I fight him right here and now, I roll my eyes and leave him standing alone as I head to the back of the room. I slide up to sit on a metal desk and wait for him to finally join me. He only lags a few seconds. He leans against an opposite desk and folds his arms, his T-shirt sleeves cut short to accentuate his biceps. It makes him look like a cartoon.
“How do we get past this?” I offer first, figuring if I wait for him he’ll choose to stare at me and flex his jaw all night.
“I don’t think we can.”
I appreciate his honesty, and maybe he’s right. But I have to try. If I want any shot at all, I need to get the guys behind me.Allof them.
I nod slowly.
