Dad laughs. “I’m ready. You hungry? Want to get dinner?”
Sutton steps away from our dads, slips her hand in mine. I swear one of her psychology classes is mind reading because of the understanding she portrays. She squeezes my hand and murmurs, “Never kiss me in front of my dad again.”
“Tough luck, baby. I’m addicted to those lips.”
THIRTY-EIGHT
COOPER
A few dayslater I’m on Pinterest after practice. I’ve never been on Pinterest before. Heard of it, but have never gone down the rabbit hole of recipes and outfit ideas.
My sisters and mom have used it. Pretty sure Jaxon’s found all of our past Halloween costumes on the app too. Plus, this felt easier than having ‘How to ask your best friend to be your girlfriend?’ in your recent internet searches.
Chase and Jaxon are walking back into the main part of the locker room, towels wrapped around their waists, hair damp from their showers. I was supposed to shower twenty minutes ago, but I’m lost on this stupid app.
“Come here. I need help,” I request.
They sit next to me. Chase at least grabs a pair of shorts from his stall behind us, but Jaxon leans into me, not a care about his towel or what’s up for show-n-tell.
“Whatcha doing?” Jaxon asks, peering at the screen. He shakes out his hair, droplets scattering everywhere. “Ooo. I’ve been waiting for you to ask me about this.”
Truthfully, I’m surprised he hasn’t tried to input himself. He’s never been shy to share an idea or what’s on his mind. At first I wondered if the distance I’ve put between us at the startof this season, school year even, was finally starting to affect us. Jaxon’s always happy, and I didn’t want to drag him down on my bad days, but it’s people like him, opening up, that make those bad days good.
I turn to face him, green puppy eyes, and ridiculous frosted tips. He’s always reminded me of a golden retriever, even more so now that his light brown hair is tipped in an English cream.
Jaxon, with extreme flexibility and dexterity, reaches around himself to snag his phone. In two swipes, he’s opening the app, and taps on a board that is labeled ‘How to Get the Girl.’
“Seriously?” He nods, wide-eyed and enthusiastically. “Who are you trying to get?”
Chase snorts.
“You have no room to talk.” Jaxon flicks him in the head.
“What am I missing?”
“Nothing,” they say hastily in unison.
We go through Jaxon’s board. Veto flowers and writing on paper. Overdone. I veto a similar tactic, but with her favorite drink. He suggests I lie naked in her bed, I veto that too. Chase is quick to veto before I can even finish the idea of using a Jumbotron at a game or showing up at her apartment with a boombox. We bounce around getting Dr. Manning involved or her sister, but that idea deflates.
Jaxon keeps scrolling while I take a shower. More and more of the team joins in, and when I return ten minutes later they are all huddled around my locker…with no good ideas.
“You’re overthinking this, dude. Just ask her out,” one of the freshmen say.
“And that’s not boring?”
“This isn’t prom or a wedding proposal,” someone else chirps.
“But—” I’m about to tell him how I didn’t get to ask her to prom.
Jaxon presses a finger to my mouth. “Stop overthinking it. Have you been on a date yet?”
“Our practice one.” That didn’t feel very practice, nor did I consider it a practice one.
Besides being caught up in Sutton, we’ve both been caught up in school and hockey. She’s prepping for an internship interview and final revisions on her paper. I’m focused on conference play next week. We spend time together, but we haven’t been out on a date-date.
“There you go.” He claps as if he’s solved life’s greatest mystery. He does have a point, though.
I’m throwing on a pair of jeans and a Bears sweatshirt. When I reach into my bag to grab my socks and shoes, a bracelet falls out of the pocket I tucked it away in before showering.
