“Nope.” Becky shakes her head, her smile widening. “I’m here to pick you up.”
“Pick me up?” I scrunch my nose up in confusion. “What for?”
“For the game, silly!”
I scratch the back of my head. “Umm, I didn’t realize I was going.”
“Everybody’s going.” She waves me off. Apparently, “everybody” includes me too. Becky takes me in from head to toes. “Although you might consider changing into something with more school spirit.”
More school spirit? Is she high? I blink, but nope, she’s still here, looking at me expectantly.
“I didn’t realize that was a thing.”
Becky tsks. “Seriously, you’ve got so much to learn. C’mon, time’s a wastin’.” Becky pushes past me and enters the house.
“Becky, I’m not…”
But before I can think to protest, I’m interrupted yet again, this time by my aunt.
“Who is it, Katherine?” Aunt Mabel comes out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel.
Sighing, I look at Becky, who’s standing by the door, smiling extra wide. “Aunt, this is Becky, one of my classmates. Becky, my aunt Mabel, although I’m pretty sure you both know more about each other than I do.”
“Kate!” Mabel chastises, looking stunned by my blunt comment. “I’m sure she…”
“Oh, don’t worry, I totally agree with her. But it’s so nice to see you again, Ms. Adams. How have you been?”
“Good.” Mabel nods her head. “It’s been lively since the girls came to stay with me.”
“I’m sure it’s exciting to have them here.”
“Of course, I always asked Mary to bring them, but…”
My whole body tenses at the mention of my mother. I can see Mabel give me a side glance as if she noticed it too. Thankfully she lets the subject go. “Anyway… What are you girls up to?”
I open my mouth, but Becky is faster. “Today’s the first game of the season, so I figured Kate should come with me to see what this town is all about. Plus, there will be a little get-together after the game. Nothing too wild.”
“The first game, right. It completely slipped my mind.”
Slipped her mind, right. I want to roll my eyes. Since I’ve come here, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mabel watch TV, much less watch sports on TV.
“I don’t mind staying here and helping you with dinner; I know you have a lot of work…”
“No, no.” Mabel shakes her head. “Becky is right. You girls should go. Have fun.”
“But, Pe—” I try to protest, but Mabel isn’t having it.
“Go and have fun, Katherine. We’ll be okay. Hell, I’m not even going to cook. We’ll order pizza. More time for me to finish my work.”
I look between the two of them, finding two pairs of hopeful eyes staring at me.
“Are you sure?” I ask, still hoping that maybe, maybe, she’ll change her mind. But Mabel just smiles and gives me a little pat on my shoulder.
“Positive. Have fun, but be home by midnight.”
EMMETT
The crowd screams as we run on the field. There isn’t anything quite like the first game of the season. The grass seems greener, the year full of possibilities. Friday night lights shine brightly, illuminating the stadium, and every step I take is in tune with the blood pumping through my veins.
“This could be our year,” Miguel murmurs next to me. His eyes are taking in the scene, too, trying to memorize it for eternity.
This will be something we’ll remember once we’re older. The smell of freshly cut grass, the roar of people, the adrenaline rush going through our bodies as we’re stepping onto the field, playing the game everybody loves as much as we do.
“It could be,” I agree.
Our team’s solid, but Bluebonnet High hasn’t won a State Championship in years. But maybe, just maybe…
“Don’t get all mushy now,” Nico says as he punches me in the shoulder. “Let’s get out and make these assholes remember who we are.”
“For once, you’re right, Nico.”
“I’m always right, you jackasses just don’t want to admit it.”
Miguel shakes his head. “He’s an idiot.”
“True, but there is something there. One game at a time.”
Miguel looks to the stands. “You might want to make this one count, though.” He tips his chin forward. “It seems we have company.”
I look up and see Becky sitting in the last row, her usual seat, but what’s different this time is that she’s not alone.
“She actually did it,” I mutter, shaking my head. She actually fucking did it.
Kate is sitting next to Becky and laughing at something she said. Her head is thrown back, ponytail swaying. She’s the odd one out, the only one sitting in a black shirt in the sea of purple and gold, but it doesn’t matter.
She’s here.
Not because she likes the game.
Not because she likes you, either, a little voice reminds me.
Yet, she’s here.
Just then, the announcer says it’s time for the national anthem. Kate turns toward the field, her eyes instantly finding me. She lifts her hand in a small wave, and I wave back.
“Dude, you’ve got it bad,” Miguel chuckles, shoving me.
I shove right back. “Like you’re one to talk.”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” Miguel looks away, which makes me chuckle harder. We all stand on the sidelines.
“Yeah, right, keep telling yourself that,” I mumble quietly.
Whatever he thinks, I’m not dumb. I can see there is something going on between Miguel and Becky. I’m not sure what or how it’ll unfold, but I’m interested to see how things play out.
John glares at us. “Are you done talking shit? We’ve got a game to win.”
Today he’s more unbearable than usual. This year will be one royal pain in the ass if he continues sulking because he’s warming the bench.
“We know, we’re going to play in it,” Miguel shoots back instantly.
John huffs, standing a bit taller. Like that’ll change anything. “Just don’t screw up the game.”
Miguel glares at him. “We never screw up the game; that’s why we’re starting.”
John mutters something, but Coach glares at us, making us all shut up.
The national anthem starts playing, and I try to get back to my game day mindset, pushing all the other things back and concentrating on what’s about to happen on the field.
Once the song ends, the team captains go out on the field for a coin toss. Our opponent, St. Lewis High, wins the toss, and they opt to receive.
I put my helmet on.
It’s game time.
Miguel and I run onto the field, with the rest of the defense team behind us. St. Lewis’s offensive guys do the same on the other side of the field, some of them smirking knowingly as we meet on the line of scrimmage.
Smug assholes.
Miguel plays the position of the defensive end, meaning he’s first in the line, right in front of me.