“I heard about you and my mom in the grocery store the other night.” Simon’s helmet made it difficult to see his expression.
“What did your mom say?’
“Nothing.”
“Huh.” Mitch didn’t even rate a discussion at her house? He found that disconcerting.
“When did you guys start dating?” Simon asked, a little too casually.
Mitch sighed. He glanced around, noted Davey on the field, and stepped closer to Simon. “Look, your mom is helping me out of a jam. I was trying to discourage one particular lady from—”
“Oh, I get it.” Simon nodded. “Davey’s mom was all over you again, huh? You know it’s not his fault.”
“I know that.”
“He’s embarrassed at how she keeps throwing herself at you. But then, she did that to your brother too. He just ignored her.” Simon snorted. “He’snot that nice.”
“No shit.”
After a pause, Simon added, “What you’re saying is my mom is blocking for you.”
“Yeah. And she’s good at it, so don’t screw it up.”
“What do I have to do with it?”
Probably not smart to mention their deal to the kid. Mitch shook his head. “Don’t be that problem teen who makes his mother nuts. I need your mom focused on running interference for me.”
“You know, you could just start dating some chick and make it easier on yourself. You’re showing as too available. Either that or start acting more like Coach Deacon to get some breathing room.”
“Are you seriously giving me advice on how to act with women?” During a high school football game? From a fourteen-year-old? Talk about surreal.
“You seem like you need the help.”
“I don’t.” He paused. “Not exactly.”
“Uh-huh.” Simon glanced at the field. “Let me ask you something.” The boy paused. “If a girl acts weird around you, is that real? Or like, she’s just faking to get you interested.” Simon looked at him again.
Mitch stared at the kid, nearly eye-to-eye. “Wait. Is this about your mom?”
“Huh? She was acting weird?”
“Never mind.” Mitch felt stupid for saying anything, but he’d been dying to know what he’d done wrong with her. “So, who’s the girl?”
The team nearly fumbled but recovered for a first down. After he stopped yelling, he turned to Simon again.
“She’s a friend of mine. Or at least, we used to be best friends. Now she’s acting all strange with me. Like, maybe she’s menstrual or something. I don’t know.”
“That’s dangerous territory.”
“I know.” Simon sighed. “I just don’t get how we’re suddenly not as close as we used to be. We were best friends. I accidentally saw her getting changed over the summer, and she wigged out. Acted all different. Now she’s normal again, except she’s wanting me to hook her up with some loser. I don’t get girls.”
“Join the club. They don’t get any easier.”
They watched the offense tank the next play. Rocco wasn’t helping.
Mitch grabbed Simon by the jersey and yelled to Paglitelli. “Sub!”
Paglitelli nodded, and Simon went in.
