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I spun around and gave out the remaining flowers to a group of seniors who strolled down the hall. Stuffing the plastic wrapping in the nearest trash can, I finally answered Navin, just as Eric and Phillip strolled up next to us. Neither of them talked, assumingly having heard Navin’s question and waiting for my answer.
“Not aiming for any girl,” I acknowledged, leaving it as indefinite as possible. They didn’t need to know who I was crushing on at the moment. If he found out, it would be all over the Fairy Godmother within minutes. Navin wasn’t known for his secret keeping, unless it was about himself.
I opened my locker, but he took a hold of it, staring at himself in the door mirror. He fluffed his dark hair and patted his brown cheeks. Then he blew himself a kiss and winked before backing away.
Used to it by now, I ignored him and exchanged the books I needed for class. The bell was going to ring any minute, and I had to make it to the other side of campus before then.
“Not just any girl, huh? Are we talking about a specific one then? Are you trying to get back together with Cindy?” Eric asked, standing behind me with his arms crossed.
My gaze flickered up to a picture taped to the inside of my locker, of me and Cindy at Homecoming a few weeks ago. Arm in arm, we looked great together. But only we knew what happened at the dance.
While we loved each other, we knew we were better off as friends. We had technically broken up the week before, after only being back together for like two weeks. The number of times we had been together and broken up over the years was well past what I could count. Most of the time, no one really knew if we were together or not, us included. It was a complicated relationship, but we both agreed that it was the last time.
She was currently talking to Austin now, and I… well, I had my sights set on Una. Someone I had an eye on for years, but couldn’t do anything about.
“Nah, only trying to be a good guy. You know, make people smile. You should try it.” I slammed my locker shut and faced Navin.
He stared at me suspiciously. I tried to keep my face as neutral as possible and not think about Una.
“Something is up with you. I’m not sure what it is, but I’m going to find out,” he said, scanning me from top to bottom.
I shrugged and started walking. All three of them followed behind. “Good luck. I’m like a vault, man. In the zone. In the game. You won’t get anything out of me.”
Navin nodded, but took off down the opposite hall as soon as the warning bell rang. I needed to hustle to get to class.
“Well, that was weird,” Phillip commented in a low voice as I passed him.
I didn’t answer. Keeping secrets from my best friends was difficult, but not impossible.
And there was no way I was breaking the promise I made to Una.
Chapter 18
Una
“No thank you,”I said again, dropping my backpack by the garage door and pulling open the refrigerator doors. The inside was sparse, but at least we had some root beer on hand. It went great with the single pack of chips we had on the counter next to the fridge.
“Una, please. Scott has been sick with mono for a week. We need someone to tape the practice drills and scrimmages so we can look over and see where we need to tighten up and fix things. It’s only one afternoon. Besides, I know you hang out around the bleachers anyway.” Dad leaned a hip against the counter, staring me down.
His dark brown eyes matched mine perfectly, as did the down turned shape of our lips. I also got my height from him—on the taller side for women, but the shorter side of men at a whopping five foot nine inches. We were exactly the same height and had been for almost two years now after I hit my last growth spurt.
I popped a chip into my mouth and washed it down with a swig of my soda. “Ever hear of tripods?”
The frown on his face told me I pushed a little too far.
With a sigh, I stared straight at him. “Is there honestlyno oneelse you can ask? Not a single other person at Fairview-Teller High School can do this job? You’ve never asked me before. Why now?”
Dad swiped the half-eaten bag of chips out of my hand and shoved a few between his lips before replying. “Because you told me to stay away. You said you didn’t want anyone to know you were my daughter, so I pretended as if I didn’t know you. It would be weird to have you in the stands with the camera if I didn’t know you, right?”
The blow to my gut was swift and painful. I almost reached down to see if the knife in my back was real or not.
Did he really have to phrase it like that? Saying it in the same way he told me to stay away from his team? His players? It had been such a simple promise not too long ago, and I already broke it.
He held onto his end of our promise for years.
I was a horrible daughter.
Which meant I had to agree. I had to step in and help him when he needed me. If I didn’t, the guilt would eat me up inside, especially knowing I was already going against his wishes by being with Charlie.
