“Serendipity.” His head bobbed.
I waved my arms around us. “This is serendipitous. Same place, same time.”
“J.K. I’m back,” Brooklyn said, dropping onto the bleacher in front of us again. She looked at Stilts. “My friend Tally thinks you’re cute. She wants to know if you’d like her number.”
I guffawed and cuffed him on the shoulder. “There’s serendipity and then there’s Brooklyn.”
She glared at me. “Don’t act like we’re friends. We’re not friends, okay? Not anymore.” She snapped in my face. “Or did youforgetwhat you did to Anna?” Then without missing a beat she said to Stilts. “Do you want it or not?”
Stilts glanced at me, his right brow raising in a slow arch.
I nodded. Tally was a good person. When she’d moved to Seddledowne in tenth grade, she’d been pregnant. But after placing her baby for adoption, she’d worked incredibly hard to thrive again.
He scratched his eyebrow. “Yes?”
“Good answer. You do. Tally is quality.” She held out her hand. “Phone.”
He reached into his pocket and handed it to her. Fifteen seconds later she was done.
She pursed her lips and hopped to a stand. “See ya later, Harry Blotter.” She cackled as she walked away. “The Boy Who Blanked.”
I shook my head, laughing. I didn’t know what else to do.
“Man, she’s something else,” Stilts said. “Freaking terrifying."
“She’s loyal.” I bumped his shoulder with mine. “This is perfect. You get in good with Tally and you can get her to put in a good word with Anna.”
He grunted, staring at Tally’s number in his phone. “I hate this part. Do I wait two hours, two days, or go for it now like an overeager fool?”
I turned to glance in the girls’ direction and caught Anna watching me. Her gaze darted off to the left but my insides erupted in hopeful fireworks. Tally waved. Brooklyn flipped me the bird.
I turned back to Stilts. “Overeager fool. Maybe by the time the game is over you’ll get up the guts to talk to each other in person.”
“Hi, Blue.”
I swiveled my head in the other direction to see Christy and Holden. I hopped up, grinning. “What’s up, P. Thorn?” I went in for a hug, which she was totally up for. I forgot how tiny she was.
“It’s A.D. Dupree now,” Holden said, pulling me in and pounding me on the back.
“A.D.?” I said to myself trying to figure out what that stood for.
She tilted her head, smiling. “Athletic director, remember?”
I honestly didn’t, but I nodded anyway.
“You don’t.” She laughed. “It’s okay. It happened right when you left.”
I pointed to my head. “Things are coming back in random, chaotic order. There’s no rhyme or reason to it.” Just then a four-inch long scar on her arm caught my attention. “I remember that though.”
She held up her arm for inspection. “Yeah. That day is seared into all of our memories.” She leaned into Holden looking safe and happy.
I stretched, popping my back. “How are you guys?”
Holden beamed. “Good. Really good. Our littles are with Granny and Gramps.” He nodded in that direction and I looked to see a slew of Duprees up by Anna. His mom and dad waved, a blond kid on each lap. I waved back. Holden grinned. “We watch all your games.”
“Likeall,” Christy laughed. “He won’t let us miss any.”
“You’re fun to watch and it’s cool that we actually know you.” Holden slid a possessive hand around her waist. They were always like that. Very pro-PDA couple. It made me happy to see they were still going strong.
