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The electric excitement that ripped through everyone in the away side’s bleachers was definitely my kind of high.
The final score on the board blared a solid 40-34 win. Rachel’s cheer blended in with mine, both sounds lost in the crowd as the team celebrated on the field. The perfect way to end the night, and the perfect end to a busy, crazy second week of school.
My feet ached from standing the entire night, and I stretched my arms overhead. Clattering filled the air as people started making their way toward the exit, the metal bleachers echoing from each footstep. “That was such a good game,” I said, shuffling through the crowd with Rachel clasping my upper arms. “A little too close for comfort, but they came through.”
“How epic would it be if we had a no-loss season?” Rachel asked, jostling me excitedly. “We’d go to playoffs!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “This was just the second game, Rach, but I like where your head’s at.”
It wasn’t unheard of for Brentwood to make it in the playoffs—up until two years ago, the team made the cut for five seasons straight. Brentwood making it to the playoffs, especially for our senior year, would be absolute insanity. I could imagine the Babble articles I could write.
But thinking about the playoffs and the football team had me thinking of a certain ex-player, one who would be missing out on such a huge accomplishment.
The crowd dispersed as we moved toward the parking lot, headlights flashing in the dark sky as car after car began pulling out. Rachel squeezed my arms once more and then let go. “I chugged my slushy too fast,” she told me, taking a step backward. “I don’t think I’ll make it home. Can you wait here for Reed while I run to the bathroom really quick?”
“By myself?” I scanned the busy parking lot. “I’ll come with you.”
“You can head to the car once he gets here,” she said, waving me forward. “He’ll be ticked if he has to wait on us, so this way you can distract him.”
I opened my mouth to protest further, but she took off in a jog toward the outdoor bathrooms, leaving me in the dust at the edge of the sidewalk.
I wrapped my arms around myself as person after person walked past me toward their cars, carrying their stadium seats under their arms. There were a few football players, too, but none of them were Bobcats—after away games, Coach Gardner corralled the players onto the bus as quickly as possible, trying to avoid the bombardment of people trying to talk to the team.
It was strange to think that this time last year, Reed was someone that people tried to pull aside and talk to. It was kind of funny—as diehard of a fan as I was, I couldn’t recall him playing for the life of me. The only thing I could remember was Mr. Manning yelling from the sidelines.
I winced, tapping my phone against my opposite hand. The email sat like a ticking bomb in my inbox.Please email me back once you’ve received this so I know it didn’t go to spam.
Tomorrow, I’d start on his website redesign.It is just a job, I reminded myself.And once it’s done, you never have to think about it again.
Except the last time I listened to that mentality, it hadn’t really worked in my favor.
My phone began chiming in my pocket, and I hurried to fish it out, peering at the screen.Speak of the devil.
“I had to park all the way in the back of the lot,” Reed said as soon as I put the phone to my ear. “I think I can see you on the sidewalk.”
I lifted my head, but couldn’t see anything beyond a kaleidoscope of headlights and taillights. “Wait, where did you park?”
“Walk straight,” he said. “You’ll see me.”
“Rachel’s in the bathroom.” I glanced behind me toward where the public outdoor restrooms were, only to find a long line stretching from it. About three-quarters from the front stood Rachel, doing a teenager-rendition of a potty dance. “Or, well, she will be in probably five minutes. The line’s long.”
“You’re going to stand on the curb waiting for her, then?”
I hesitated, rubbing the edge of my sneaker against the concrete.You can distract him.“Um, no. I’ll come now. My feet are killing me.”
Reed didn’t hang up as I started in the direction he’d instructed me to go, instead letting out a soft breath on the end of the line. “Good game?”
“Great game. Landon threw the ball with seconds left, and Connor was waiting for it in the endzone. I swear, I think he made a deal with the devil for that playing arm.”
Reed’s snort was loud in my ear. “I’ll tell him you said that.”
“You should’ve come to watch and support them.” I stuck to the very edge of the parked cars, keeping an eye out for any cars that decided to reverse. “Theywereyour teammates for all those years after all.”
“It would’ve been weird to just watch the guys play,” he said nonchalantly. “Do you see me yet? Straight ahead?”
I squinted, looking for the silver sedan, but there were streetlights in the lot, leaving the area drenched in darkness. “Uh…”
A pair of headlights in the back corner of the parking lot flashed their brights on and off twice, drawing my attention to it, and a second later, I spotted Reed rising out of the driver’s seat. He had his cell phone pressed to his ear, eyes directly on me. “Now?”
