The ride to the stadium was crazy. Storm and Molly came in Storm’s car to collect Micah and me. The boys had gone in early so they could practice before the game.
We were all excited and terrified at the same time. I could see from the girl’s expression that Storm and Molly appreciated my outfit.
“Damn girl, you look smoking.” Micah’s eyes had just bulged out of his head, but it was short-lived. As soon as he saw Storm in the driving seat, he snapped into guy mode and started flirting with her. She looked cute with her black hair in braids, denim cutoffs, and a tight pink tee, and she wore brown scuffed cowboy boots. Storm could easily have cheered for the Dallas Cowboys; she had that exact look. Molly also wore cowboy boots, but complemented them with a white fitted sundress, a mixture of innocence and sin.
Storm was still on edge even though she tried to hide it. Her father would be at the game. It was the mayor’s role to say a few words and give the winning team their trophy. I wondered if she had seen him at all since Thursday night; possibly not: hence the discomfort.
I’d taken the photograph of her dad receiving his college award, the one where he was the spitting image of Phoenix. I knew I’d have to show Nix for him tobelieve it. I didn’t classify that as me stealing it. I had every intention of returning the picture once I used it to convince Nix. I still wasn’t sure whether to tell him at the afterparty or back home. Mayor Summers would be at the game to support both teams, and so I knew I needed to be careful. The last thing I wanted was for anything to blow up at the game, especially after I’d given Storm my word that I wouldn’t say anything about her father’s infidelity.
When we got to the game, we handed in our tickets and made our way past the VIP entrance. Storm was the one responsible for that.
The air was thick with excitement as we found our seats. They were pretty much courtside, if that’s what you call them. Our seats were on the bleachers just behind Phoenix’s team, the Epic Eagles.
The roar from the crowd was like a living beast that vibrated up into the sky as people cheered and banged their feet against the bleachers. The stands were a sea of color, and the stadium lights lit up the field into a sparkling emerald stage, one where only the elite would take center.
The game was an important one, as it was the last chance to make the playoffs in January.
I glanced at the scoreboards, which showed HOME and AWAY; the Epic Eagles Vs the Varsity Vipers. The two teams were evenly matched.
As the players jogged out onto the field, it was one blur of motion. I sat with Micha, Molly, and Storm just behind the Eagles Coach. He looked tense as he watched his players exit the tunnel onto the field.
I squinted, enjoying the sound of the crowd. They were cheering and singing, and everyone was up for the fight.
As my eyes scanned the grass, I found the only athlete I was interested in, forty-seven, Phoenix Carter.
Nix’s old jersey felt comforting wrapped around my body, and we all wore warrior paint on our cheeks in the Eagles' colors.
As Phoenix moved alongside his teammates, from the set of his shoulders, I could see he was focused with an intensity, stating he was ready for the chaos of the competition. He was all hard edges, no give, no quarter, and no mercy on the field. The boy wasn’t good for my mental health; he looked that good, strike that, he wasn’t good for any girl’s mental health.
I clutched my hands to my chest as Nix drew closer, his eyes locking onto mine. He flexed his shoulders as he noticed me, his gaze eating me alive through his helmet. I grinned as he cut me a nod of acknowledgment, and we all whooped! Excitement and validation pumped through me as Molly gave me a knowing look.
As I glanced to the other side of the field, I could see the opposition warming up, my focus locked on their running back. He matched Phoenix in build, and a surge of protectiveness flared in my chest.
As the players gathered around, the coin was tossed, and being true gentlemen, the Eagles deferred the choice of who would take the ball first to the opposition.
The Vipers chose to receive the ball first. My eyes narrowed as the boys started to get into position for the snap. The running back’s body language suggested he was a confident fucker. As I jumped up and down in front of my seat, I smiled. He may be big, but he was about to have my Phoenix hand him his ass.
My focus had been back and forth between Phoenix and the man whom I believed to be his father. Mayor Summers would be the one to award the trophy to the winning team at the end of the game. He was standing at the other side of the field, but I could still see the resemblance to Nix. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed it before. He must be feeling much more relaxed, having received the results that Nix’s half-brother wasn’t his child. Well, guess what, buddy? Wrong fucking child. I wondered what Phoenix would say when I told him. Probably laugh in my face.
You could be wrong?But I doubted that.
Mr. Summers was standing on a raised platform, and after saying a few words, something about a charity donation, the boys were off.
During the first half of the game, our opposition's defensive line was like a wall of muscle, each collision a thunderous testament to their will. Helmets crashed against each other with sickening thuds, shoulder pads crunched, and bodies slammed into the turf with a level of aggression that made the ground tremble. Reed was unmatched as a quarterback as he barked orders at his teammates, clearly pulling rank.
I joined in with Storm and Molly as we yelled our heads off, as did the college cheer squad. I found it interesting that Storm had stopped cheering. Considering she’d been the cheer captain at the Heights. Why had she chosen Psychology? Wasn’t that all about how the mind worked and shit?
Just before the whistle, we pulled into the lead at 20-12.
The boys went wild, fist-bumping each other, jumping on each other's backs, and dishing out man-pats. Helmets were removed as they jogged to the sidelines, some pouring water over their heads, others guzzling it from plastic bottles.
“Save my seat. Back in a sec,” Storm said, fluffing her hair as she made her way past the spectators on our line.
“Where’s she going? She took a pee before the game started.”
Molly grinned and flicked a glance across the field to where Reed was making his escape from his teammates. Interesting. I’d asked myself why they didn’t just go public about their relationship so many times, and I had yet to have an answer.
I moved away, telling Molly I needed to stretch my legs as she stuck her nose into her cell. No guessing as to who she was messaging.
