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“Wow.” My grandma fans herself with a smirk. “Why haven’t you made him yours yet, Ryn? He’s already letting you drive his truck.”
Dear lord. “Baylor is just a good friend who happened to be there when we found my car.” Not a lie. Key to a good story is sticking to the truth as often as possible. “He didn’t need the truck, so he let me borrow it for a little bit.”
The bleachers around us have filled up while we were debating my relationship status and the game is just about to start. I grab a blanket and throw it over our laps and Rayne cuddles deeper into my side. She’s still so small, even as she grows taller every time I see her. I don’t think she’ll get the same height Kanyon and I got. “And what about you, my little ray of sunshine?” I ask her. “How’s the fifth grade treating you?”
“It’s the same,” she answers. “I can’t wait until I’m older like you guys and I can be in high school and play sports.”
“Oh yeah?” I ask, surprised. Rayne has always been more about reading, coloring, playing dress up with her barbies than wanting to get sweaty or be outside. “What sport do you want to play?”
She taps her little chin as she thinks about it. “Maybe cheer,” she says, pointing to where the cheerleaders are running out with their pom poms. “I like their skirts and pom poms,” she admits, making me and my grandma chuckle. “But maybe volleyball too. Did you know Grandma watches old videos of you from when you were in high school?”
The admission earns her a harsh hush from my grandma and a tug on my heart. There are times I miss the sport, the camaraderie with my teammates, the adrenaline of a match, but not enough to have regrets. “Hmm,” I hum as if I’m thinking. “Maybe we could get you on a team or some dance classes and see which one you like more before you make a choice.”
Her eyes light up in excitement. “I can do that?”
I nod and Isla gives me an unsure look over my grandma’s shoulder, but I wave her away. I wouldn’t have offered it to Rayne if I wasn’t positive it was something I can pull off. “Let me look into it and find some good programs.”
She bounces in her seat, wrapping her arms around my waist and squeezing tightly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. You’re the best, Ryn.”
I kiss the top of her head. “So cheer and volleyball, huh?” I’ll dedicate some time this weekend to looking at some options for her age range. Finding a good cheer program that worked on dance and tumbling would be the best bet for her. And maybe starting her off in a non-competitive league for volleyball. She might not like it so much when there are balls flying at her face.
“Oh, look,” I say, drawing her attention back to the field where the cheerleaders are now stretching out a banner with a flying eagle around the word homecoming. “The players are going to start coming out.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, the crowd is on their feet, cheering for the Eagles as the football team breaks through the banner and makes their way to the sideline.
My pride for my little brother grows with every play on the field I watch. I haven’t seen him play since the end of last season and I can’t believe how much he’s grown. You would never guess he’s one of the youngest players on the field as he leads his team with each play, keeping a cool head and throwing great passes to drive the ball down the field. By half time, the Eagles are up by six points, and my chest feels almost painful at how much progress I’ve missed.
Isla leans over my grandma to reiterate my thoughts. “I can’t believe how good he is now.” My grandma nods, her own pride shining in her eyes.
“He practiced all summer,” she tells us. “Emailed coaches about what drills to work on, studied playbooks. He really loves it and couldn’t wait to get back on the field.”
“Our little Kan is growing up,” Isla coos, and Rayne giggles.
“I’m going to tell him you said that.”
The homecoming halftime show starts and I mostly tune it out until a familiar name is called. “That little shit,” I exclaim as Kanyon accepts the rose from the ASB president as the sophomore homecoming prince. The smirk I can see from all the way over here tells me everything I need to know.
Rayne bursts into giggles. “He was so excited to surprise you.”
That punk. I can’t help but laugh, jumping to my feet to cheer for my stupid ass little brother. He looks so odd up there with the rest of the homecoming court. The majority of them are all dressed up in suits and simple dresses. All except one of the senior boys, who is also on the football team, two cheerleaders, and the freshman who wears the band uniform. Kanyon and the senior boy are covered in sweat and dirt that just doesn’t match the glitz and glamor of the others.
The girl at his side squeals and pushes him away when he tries to hug her, making him laugh. He looks younger, happier, lighter. A weight lifts off my chest, making every long day worth it. For him to have this.
As he and the other player leave back to meet their team, I pat my grandma on the shoulder, no longer caring about the rest of the presentation. “I’m going to go to the restroom. I’ll be right back,” I explain, sliding past her.
Her hand catches mine, her wide eyes looking around the crowd before releasing my hand and shaking her head. I pause, waiting for her to say whatever was on her mind but she seems to have talked herself out of it. “We’ll be here,” she says with a tight smile that pronounces the wrinkles on her warm face. Hernormally lively blue eyes looking abnormally dim despite the festive occasion.
I shake off the weird feeling and rush to the bathroom, not wanting to miss the start of the second half. Thankfully, the line is short with most people still watching the homecoming procession. Checking the time, I walk out of the bathroom and realize the game should be starting back up soon. In my haste, I don’t see the body walking past me until too late. My steps stutter as our bodies collide and hands wrap around my shoulders to keep me from falling.
“My bad,” I apologize, looking up before taking an abrupt step back.
His cheeks flush as he runs his hand over the back of his neck.
“Jason?” I ask, surprised to see him here. We aren’t far from campus, but far enough for this to be weird. I don’t recall any Lockes in my grade and I have a pretty good memory.
He coughs, clearing his throat and slipping his hands into his pockets. “My friend’s sister is on the court. He—umm— asked for me to come with him.”
“Small world,” I respond, looking at the crowd around us and he shuffles on his feet.
“Yeah, we actually sat behind you,” he admits and I cross my arms over my chest. “I didn’t realize you and Baylor Levine were dating.” His laugh is tight and awkward.
