I relented as he pulled me out of the line and out of the sight and earshot of the other people at the game. He reached up and pushed the hood back a little, but not all the way, just enough for me to see his steel gray eyes.
“Val,” I murmured. His hand was still clenched around my arm. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Why haven’t you been responding to my calls or texts?” His voice was a tone I was unused to. Rough as opposed to its normal silk. “How did people find out about us?”
His eyes had a crazed, far-out look that was frightening. “I guess a student saw us at the last game. I’m just trying not to get us in more trouble. I have to go, we can’t be seen together.” I turned to walk away, but Val’s grip on my arm tightened and pulled me back to him. “That hurts. Let me go.”
“Don’t make a scene,” Val growled at me. He wasn’t the man I knew. “I know you’re lying to me.”
My heart skipped a beat. “What?” Had he somehow found out about Colin and I sleeping together? Did Colin tell someone? He wouldn’t talk to Harlie again after how she fucked it up the first time, right?
“You’re dating Colin Undinger.” He yanked me closer to him. “The principal told me that Colin was able to confirm it, that’s how he explained that we weren’t sleeping together.”
I tried to claw Val’s hand off of me. “I don’t know anything about that. Let me go.”
Val leaned down until his face was centimeters from mine. His skin was paler than I’d ever seen it, and he radiated a forcefulness that made me feel like a gazelle cornered by a lion. “You had better think twice about stepping out on me. You’re mine.” His words weren’t endearing or protective at all, they were possessive; obsessive.
My throat was tight and I felt like I was about to cry. I was the most afraid I’d ever been in my entire life. “I-I didn’t. I love you. I wouldn’t cheat on you.” I could already feel tears gathering in the corners of my eyes.
Val’s look of psychotic rage dissipated, and the more serene expression I was used to found him. It was forced out, though, like the Hulk trying to put his human shirt over his mutant body. “Good.” He released my arm, though I could still feel the pain of the tight grip stinging against my skin. He rubbed a hand across my cheek. “Get some rest tonight. You’ve missed a lot of tutoring this week, and you owe me for all of the trouble you’ve caused.”
18
Colin
Checking my voicemails had been a mistake. Ordinarily, we weren’t allowed to have our cell phones out in the locker room during games, even if it was halftime, but Coach Nash gave me a pass due to my special circumstances. Recently deceased parents, staying with a family that wasn’t my own, the sudden influx of responsibilities I had to take on; there was more than one reason for me not to be able to ignore my phone for multiple hours in a row. Today happened to be one of those days where something did come in while I was playing the first half of the game, but I wish I hadn’t checked. My parent’s lawyer called to let me know that we needed to figure out what was going on with all the stuff my parents had left me in their wills and my aunt called because she’s going to be back in Orchard Mesa and wanted to discuss my plans for my parents’ restaurant. I was being pulled in all these directions a teenager was never meant to be pulled in. Throw all of these things in with how things had gone down with Tatiana earlier in the week and you’ve got yourself a regular distraction cocktail.
I was trying to keep my emotions in check, not wanting to get benched again, but as I was slipping my phone back into my bag and getting ready to go back out, Coach Nash approached me.
“Undinger, how’ve you been feeling?”
It was amusing that, even when he was coaching a football game, he could never really turn that school counselor part of him off. “I’m doing okay.”
“You’re playing better, but I can see you’re still out of sorts.” I must have shown my displeasure with the statement, because Coach Nash put his hand on my shoulder. “Relax, kid. After that touchdown, even if I wanted to pull you, I’d get a trash shower from the crowd. No, I just want to make sure everything is okay. I know that you’re probably feeling like you don’t have anyone to talk to and I want you to know, I’m here to help. I’m your counselor and your coach, but I’m also your friend. If you want someone to talk to, I promise anything you say stays with me.”
I thought about the way things were piling up and his offer sounded good as gold. “That’d actually be really helpful, Coach.”
Coach Nash nodded. “Good. After the game we’ll chat with the Marquettes and then go grab a bite, sound good?”
I nodded. The idea of being able to actually talk to someone about all of the bullshit I was experiencing rejuvenated me a bit.
I was glad I wasn’t being benched again, and it showed in my gameplay. I didn’t get anything even close to my touchdown play from the first half, but by the fourth quarter, the opposing team had tied up the game. The final quarter of the game was a tit-for-tat game of advancing the ball a handful of yards and then turning it over. We’d each ramped up our defenses in preparation for pulling a victory out in the fourth quarter, and we sent the game into overtime. We just needed one good play, so I called an audible against Coach Nash’s wishes, and tried for a hail mary. It worked, though by the skin of our teeth, and got us the points we needed to secure the victory. Everyone went wild, and when I looked over at the bleachers where the Marquettes were sitting, they were all on their feet cheering, even Tatiana. For a second, I felt like our eyes met, but then I started thinking about the impossibility with my helmet and decided it was just wishful thinking.
After I finally managed to work my way through the sea of people congratulating me on my gameplay, Coach Nash and I approached the Marquettes outside the field. Tatiana was sitting in the car with her headphones in. She glanced up at me when I approached the car, but quickly averted her gaze. I didn’t know where to go from where we’d left things. I’d gathered from our blow up that Tatiana said things she didn’t mean when she was hurt, but did she really think that sleeping with me was a mistake? All up until she said that, I was about to count that as the best day of my life.
Coach Nash explained to the Marquettes that he was going to be taking me out for a bite to catch up. The Marquettes were very open to the idea, but made sure that’s what I wanted and I assured them that I did, and then we parted ways with Coach Nash promising not to have me home too late. We drove to a greasy burger joint near school that most of the students and staff loved to frequent. We placed orders for burgers and fries, the typical bro-talk meal, and then found a booth and sat down.
“Alright. Are you going to make me ask you weird counselor questions first?” Coach Nash asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t have the energy for that. Shit’s rough right now, Coach.”
“Well, start at the beginning.” He took a fry and popped it in his mouth.
“Like, with my parents dying?”
He shook his head dramatically. “No! I know that part!” I chuckled at how uncomfortable the question made him and he smiled. “Oh, there’s a smile. I’ll take it. Alright, rephrase. Start just after the beginning.”