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“I’ll pick you up early,” he said. “And I’ll take you home after school. Okay?”
I marveled at his take-charge attitude, nodding continuously. Or until he stilled my head with his lips. It started with a gentle brush of the top of my head as he seemed to find delight in the scent of my hair. Those lips then skimmed my forehead, leaving a kiss in three distinct places. While trying to keep my lungs filled with oxygen, his nose flicked mine, his eyes staring into mine like they contained the secrets of the universe.
By that stage the anticipation that his kiss was imminent had my veins coursing with adrenaline, and when his lips met mine it was like a jolt of pure happiness.
We floated in our own bubble, Cullen and me, the kiss as sweet and soft as a marshmallow, and if he was the King of Covington, I certainly felt like I was his Queen.
––––––––
Iwas anxious beforethe Country Club dinner, mainly because Coach Mercer would get to see Cullen and me together. It was well known that Coach thought relationships were a distraction, that study, sports and school should be the sole focus. He’d always been kind to me and appreciative of the job I did for the Chargers, but this was uncharted territory. Now, I might be deemed the enemy, the one to lead Cullen off the path.
And yet, the thing was, in no way did I want to hinder Cullen’s destiny. I loved football as much as he did, as much as Coach Mercer did. I wasn’t here to foil the plans of a lifetime; I wanted Cullen to succeed as much as he did. In whatever he chose to do and wherever he chose to do it.
I’d taken Mom’s advice and worn the pink floral wraparound dress with ankle boots. It wasme,she said. I’d originally tried on one of Kenzie’s short black dresses, strapless and tight, and though Mom said it fit perfectly, she grimaced and persuaded me to wear either my yellow halter dress or the pink one I was wearing. Other than curling my hair into loose waves, Mom applied a little blush to my cheeks and a clear gloss to my lips. She was sure Cullen wasn’t a fan of eyelash extensions or heavily lined eyes. Again, she reiterated thatit wasn’t me.According to her, part of my appeal was my natural beauty, and I didn’t need to act older than my age or dress more sophisticated.
Cullen had arrived early to pick me up. While Mom styled my hair, he’d been with Sawyer in the den. We’d had time for a game of Jenga before it was time to go, and Sawyer rode with us, though he offered me the passenger seat, climbing into the back of Cullen’s car. To me, that meant he was accepting of our relationship.
I was pleased that we weren’t at the same table as Cullen’s parents, but the Mercers were inundated with people wanting their attention, so there was no need for me to stress. I’d probably overthought the whole thing, and really, Coach likely had more pressing issues than his son asking the Water Girl to dinner.
And that was revealed during the speeches. Coach was welcomed to the stage, looking quite handsome in his suit jacket, a fair cry from the usual caps and tracksuits we were used to seeing him wear. Cullen had clapped quite conservatively, shifting in his chair as if he was nervous. Beneath the table, I reassuringly placed my hand on his thigh, and he squeezed it back.
“This year,” Coach said, “it was all about achieving our goals, chasing the improbable dream. And we did that. Good grief, it was the hardest I’ve ever worked, ever pushed a team. And as much as we reaped the rewards, I discovered a lot of other things.”
“Isn’t it funny?” Coach said. “You want the best for your kids. We all do. We take their dreams and run with them. We want to promise them the world, believe they can do it all. What parent doesn’t want that for their child? Achievements? Success? Awards?” He paused dramatically. “State championship titles?”
Heads around the room bobbed up and down, accompanied by a low murmur of agreement.
“The Covington Chargers won the state championship, the title belongs to them and that’s something that will always be theirs. And we’re here tonight to celebrate that. Boys, supporters, coaches and trainers, I congratulate and thank you for your hard work, your dedication, your effort.”
A round of applause rang out around the room allowing Coach to take a sip of water. But he wasn’t finished. “Now, we were never afraid to stipulate our goals. This journey was always going to be a hard road, there were no short cuts, no magic wand to get there faster. And even when we got there, there was no promise of the championship title—we still had to work for it. And that’s why I couldn’t be more proud of our boys. They persevered. Hey, I remember that first year when we were zero and twelve. Second year, two and ten. Last year, four and eight.” Coach pumped his fist in the air. “This year unbeaten.”
The crowd clapped enthusiastically. I remembered those stats, those years when losing was normal and a win was unlikely, when mantras were recited like multiplication tables, from memory with little belief.
“Yes, it’s a credit to the boys that we were able to turn the results around. Enormous praise to them.” Coach paused and his tone lowered. “So, as the season comes to an end, I want to reflect on a few things. Not just the title. You see, I thought that the title would be the measure of our success. That winning it would be the ultimate, the reward. The scholarship offers would come in for our boys, and hey, even my own career would get a boost. That college coaching positionIdreamed about would come my way.” Coach’s gaze tracked across the room, his eyes roaming from boys to parents to school staff, slow and pensive. “But the last few days I’ve learned a lot and I was given a new perspective.” Coach’s eyes seemed to stop at our table, his line of vision falling straight on Cullen. I squeezed his fingers a little tighter. “I always instilled in this team the importance of working together as a team, as afamily.We looked out for each other. And if there’s anything I want our boys to take away from their two, three or four years on the team, it’s that we worked together for each other. Taking those losses was as important as every win. Every loss, every failure helped us to get better,to be better.How we treat each other becomes the most important thing.” Coach stopped and cleared his raspy throat, taking another sip of his water. “I thought I wanted bigger things, a bigger school, a college, that I needed to climb the coaching ranks to be a success, but this season has taught me that the measure of success is in how we do things, not the result. I love this school, I love this team, and apparently the feeling is mutual.” Coach looked down to the table of school dignitaries. “I’ve been asked to stay on as Head Coach, and I’m proud to say that I have accepted the position.”
A cacophony of whoops and cheers filled the room, people rising to their feet to show their appreciation. Cullen seemed stunned by the news, clapping loudly before placing his arm around me and pulling me to his side.
“Didn’t you know?” I asked.
He shook his head, a spark of emotion in his eyes.
Coach cleared his throat and tapped the mic and waited a second for everyone to settle back down. “Thank you,” he said, “but now that you know I’m hanging around, I think this is the time to recognize our amazing seniors, those who have been alongside me this whole journey, the ones I’ve watched grow from boys into men. And who I’m going to miss very much...” He looked back to our table with a smile, “but whom I expect are going to be quite happy to see the back of me.”
Everybody laughed, and Principal Porter and Mr. Hurcaz joined Coach on stage. The seniors were called up and I watched proudly as Sawyer, Tennessee and Cullen were presented with certificates. I especially watched keenly as Coach shook Cullen’s hand, surprised when he pulled him in for a hug. Coach Mercer had always been guilty of being harder on Cullen than the rest of the team, almost a reverse favoritism so he couldn’t be accused of preferential treatment for his son. Probably no one else noticed but the display of affection warmed my heart, sending me misty-eyed. I blotted my eyes with my napkin, quickly picking up my phone to take some photos. It was an end of an era, Sawyer, Cullen and Tennessee standing together, knowing they’d played their last game of high school football.
“Are you okay, Sierra?” Millie asked from across the table, her phone in her hand. She slid around the chairs and plonked herself next to me, putting a comforting arm around me.
“It’s just sad,” I said, holding my voice steady. “Sawyer, Tenn and Cully having played their last game together. And next year they’ll be gone.”
She leaned closer and brought her cheek next to mine. I held her hand, but couldn’t control my twitchy mouth or my tear ducts. I snatched up the napkin again, willing myself not to weep in public.
“Hey,” Millie whispered. “It’s only November. None of us are leaving just yet. You can’t get rid of us that quickly!”
I managed a smile, but that was the thing about living in River Valley. There was only a community college here, so it was inevitable that everyone left town to study. And one day I would too. It seemed my future was closer than I thought.
“Thanks Millie,” I said, composing myself as the boys received another round of applause.
The boys returned, each with a goody bag crammed with products. Sawyer rifled through it like a kid with a Christmas stocking—excited by the protein bars, energy drinks, cap, headband, wristband, tank top, drink bottle and vouchers from various sponsors and colleges.
