“Oh, we do,” I explained. “But we’re also embracing it this year.”
“Right.” Mya frowned. “So which one do you want?”
“Want?” I spluttered, almost choking on her insinuation.
“Well, yeah. I mean it makes sense why she’s here.” Mya pointed at Hailee. “But what I can’t figure out is why you’re here if you’re not crushing on one of—”
“There is no crushing,” I rushed out, a little too quickly. “I so happen to enjoy the odd game of football. Even if the whole institution is whack.”
“So you’re in denial.” Her brow went higher.
“I’m not...” The argument dried on the tip of my tongue. “I just want to support Cameron and the guys.”
“The guys? You mean Asher and Jason—”
“Well, well, if it isn’t Chase’s girl and the sassy one.” Thatcher’s friend, the one he’d called Gallen appeared, his predatory gaze fixed right on me. “Looking good, baby.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” I blurted out.
“I came to see the game, what else would I—”
“Is Thatcher here?” Hailee was as white as a sheet.
“You didn’t think I was going to let Gallen here have all the fun, did you?” Thatcher rounded his friend and narrowed his eyes on Mya. “Who’s the new girl?”
“No one to you,” she retorted, folding her arms over her chest.
“I didn’t know Ford had taken to slumming it with hood rats.”
“You can’t say that,” I shrieked, stepping in front of Mya, shielding her from Thatcher’s superior smirk. “You don’t even know her.”
“I have eyes, sweetheart.”
People were watching now. Even the hot dog guy was gawking at us instead of doing his damn job.
“Just go,” I lowered my voice, my eyes pleading. “You’re making a scene.”
Thatcher edged closer, taking the air with him, until my breath caught in my throat. “You’ve got balls; you know that, sweet thing? I was planning on playing with Chase’s girl a little more, but perhaps I’ll play with you instead.” His hand snaked out and brushed the side of my neck, eliciting a violent shudder inside me.
“Get your fucking hands off her.” Mya stepped up beside me, anger rolling off her. “Before I scream.”
Thatcher’s head whipped over to her and a twisted smirk graced his deadly expression. “Screaming only makes me hotter, baby.”
Smacking his hand away, I stepped back, pulling Mya with me. Gallen smirked, making no disguise of the fact he was blatantly eye-fucking me.
Bile rushed up my throat. These guys were pigs. Worse than anything I’d ever witnessed from Jason and the team, and that was saying something. They didn’t look like guys who wanted to have a little fun with us. They looked like guys who wanted to humiliate us.
To hurt us.
“Come on,” Hailee said, her voice quiet. “We should go.”
I pulled Mya away, trying to ignore the two sets of eyes biting into my skin. “Do I even want to know?” she asked as we abandoned hot dogs and melted into the sea of people.
“Oh, that was Lewis Thatcher, the quarterback and alpha-jerk of the Raiders rivals, The Rixon East Eagles.”
“I’m sorry I asked.” She half-laughed. “So when you said Rixon takes football very seriously, you really meant—”
“As serious as a heart attack.” My lips curved in a tentative smile. “It can get kind of crazy. There is no love lost between Jason and Thatcher.”
“And here I thought moving to some small town in the ass crack of nowhere was going to be boring.”
“Hey,” I protested. “Rixon isn’t in the ass crack of nowhere.”
“It isn’t the city either. But I’m glad Principal Finnigan stuck us together.” Her expression softened, something I suspected not many people got to see.
“Me too. Come on.” Linking arms with her and Hailee, I pushed all thoughts of Thatcher out of my head.
We had a game to win.
“Holy crap, this is invigorating.” Mya grinned beside me as we watched our offence celebrate a touchdown. Their sixth of the game.
“What did I tell you? Hate the players, don’t hate the game.” Flashing her a wink, I chuckled, bouncing on the balls of my feet, waving my hands in the air like a crazy person.
Hailee was quieter, her eyes zeroed in on Cameron as he fist-bumped his teammates before jogging off field.
It was the fourth quarter and we hadn’t seen Thatcher and his friend again. But we’d watched the Raiders kick the Falcons ass all over the field. Our fans, although four times smaller than the home fans, were louder, hungrier, and the buzz in the air was electric.
“Almost there,” I squeaked, grabbing Hailee’s hand and squeezing.
I knew how important it was for her to be here for Cameron after everything they had been through.
The final whistle went and our tiny section of the bleachers erupted. Even Mya was on her feet, hooting and hollering as the high of the win settled deep in our bones.
It was weird. Throughout high school I’d never been part of anything. I wasn’t in band or on the cheer squad. I didn’t get invited to parties or to join the debate team or compete for an athletics club. I had Hailee and our simple lives—hanging out at The Alley, gate-crashing the odd party, eating our body weight in ice cream at Ice T’s—and it was enough.
Until I wanted more.
Until I wanted to soak up every experience I could in senior year and experience all the things I’d never gotten to because we’d been outcast by our peers all because of Jason and his stupid grudge against Hailee. But here, cheering on the team, I felt like I belonged.
As soon as the players disappeared off field, we all filed out of the bleachers and into the parking lot where the team buses were waiting. The second Jason appeared, leading the team out of the Falcons’ building, a huge round of cheers greeted our heroes. The guys split off, searching for their friends and families among the gathered crowd. Cameron and Asher made a beeline for the three of us, while Jase chatted to Coach Hasson and his father. I pretended to listen to Asher as he recounted every play and pass, every tackle and sack. Really, I was watching Jason. His tight expression as his father gripped his shoulder as he talked animatedly with the coach.
“Fee, baby, what’s got your...” Asher craned his neck around, the sparkle in his eye dimming. “Oh.”
“Sorry,” I gave him my best smile. “You were saying?”
“Well, I was about to invite the three of you to the party at my house tomorrow...” I hated the dejection in his voice but there was no use in trying to fix it. He’d seen me looking at Jason, and I knew he knew how I felt.
Even if I’d never told him.
“You like to party, Mya?” Asher slung his arm around her shoulder, and I swear a small growl formed low in her throat. “Message received.” He edged away, shooting her a lazy grin. “But seriously, you should come tomorrow. My place is the only place to party. Hailee will be there, right, Hails?”
“I guess.” She shrugged, glancing up at Cam who was too busy staring at her with such emotion I was pretty sure he hadn’t heard a single word Asher had just said.