“Ladies and gentlemen, please stand up from your seats!” the announcer exclaims, the energy in the stadium building into a roar. “And get ready to welcome this year’s Dickson Dragons to the field!”
We all stomp and scream and hold up the middle finger when Georgia’s fans start booing, and I wrap an arm around Julia to shake her from side to side. She laughs and smiles, though the sound is muted in the noise of the crowd as people start to chant,“BBE! BBE!”
It’s the best of wordplay on BDE—Big Dick Energy—and halfway through last year, I masterminded reworking the phrase to include Blake Boden’s initials.
One by one, the Dickson Dragons players make their way out of the tunnel, escorted by cheerleaders like they’re doing a fucking wedding march. It’s tradition for the first game of the year, and for as amazing as the high of today is, it’s also fucking bittersweet. Scottie sits in a wheelchair spot at the end of the row next to Finn, thankfully watching with a giant smile on her face.
She’s so strong—stronger than the rest of us, that’s for damn sure. I’m really proud to call her a friend and impressed beyond belief that my buddy Finn was smart enough to turn his life upside down for her last year.
If life weren’t so cruel, she’d be down there with Kayla and the rest of the cheerleaders.
I grab the fabric of my navy-and-gold T-shirt and billow it in and out to get some air moving around me. I’m hot and sweaty, and with everyone standing, waiting for the captain of the Dickson cheerleaders, McKenzie, and the quarterback of the Dragons, my good buddy Blake Boden, to finish the line of players and take the field together, the air feels stagnant.
I need game action. I need movement. I need something.
It’s been a little more than a full week since Lexi sent me a cryptic message about her retirement from all things Dickson and the need to fill avery important rolewith someone capable of handling the pressure. I agreed to the terms of complete secrecy—I can’t know the details of literally anything and am in no way allowed to ask questions or tell anyone else Lexi even exists, let alone is texting me cryptic messages—and so far, I have been doing nothing but waiting with a metaphorical sock in my mouth.
Between that and my never-ending quest for Julia’s love, it seems like everything in my life is hovering above me in midair.
Julia reaches over and pats me on the stomach before turning back to the crowd, and instantly, I don’t feel so claustrophobic anymore. With Drew nowhere in sight and my girl smiling beside me, maybe my secret plan to make her love me, as unorganized as it’s been, is finally pulling into its destination—success.
Julia stops by my apartment every chance she gets, and when I return the favor, I’m always greeted by a smile. We spend our evenings together and our mornings together, and two times, I’ve caught her staring at my lips.
If we hadn’t been interrupted by our furbaby son Yoko, I would have taken the opportunity to kiss her both times. As it is, I’m dangerously considering taking the opportunity right now…
Focusing on her mouth, I turn my body gently toward her in the raging crowd, positioning my back hand at her hip and pulling her just a little closer.
Fuck, she’s so beautiful and her mouth is so perfect.
She glances from the crowd to me and falters, but beforelocking her gaze with mine, she jerks her head back to the field on an abrupt swing. “Wait!” she yells. “Is that…is that Lexi? In a cheerleader uniform?”
It takes me a minute to shake off my Julia-focused stupor, but Scottie’s laugh, point, and nod is the final shove I need to turn back to the field.
“Holy shit!” I exclaim, taking in Lexi’s signature blond hair, blue eyes, and the very out of place blue-and-gold cheerleading uniform. She and Boden move toward the center of the field, his clearly shell-shocked gaze locked on Lexi as he walks sideways.
I cup my hands around my mouth and howl, and Julia puts her fingers to her lips to whistle beside me.
Even Finn is vocal, screaming obscenities at the top of his lungs, his obsession over his twin brothers Jack and Travis exercising their right to mingle with the entire female population of our fine university fifteen rows down temporarily waning. I laugh and pull Julia in for a tight hug. The joy of watching this unfold spreads among the whole crowd, their understanding limited until we start explaining it to them.
“That’s fucking Lexi Winslow, dude!”
“Boden and Lexi Winslow!”
It gets louder and louder until it’s a roar, and Scottie starts a telephone chain of information that makes it to me via Julia.
“Scottie says, Lexi bought off McKenzie with a promised invite to Double C to make this happen. Lexi knew she needed to make a huge display to win Blake back.”
A small dagger tightens my chest at the mention of Double C, but I smooth my face to cover it quickly. I want to tell Julia what’s going on—that Lexi approached me about taking over as the president and chair this year—but there’s a strict policy of secrecy I’ve been sworn to.
Still, normally, there are no secrets between us. Normally, I’d tell her anyway.
I don’t know if it’s the sense of propriety stopping me this timeor what, but…I have to believe she’ll understand when I can finally explain it all to her.
“Everyone, please rise and remove your hats to honor America with the playing of our national anthem.”
We’re all already on our feet, but the roar trickles to a hum of mumble as an auburn-haired girl steps up to the microphone in the center of the field and starts to sing.
Blake and Lexi face each other now, seemingly whispering to each other. I’d pay good money to have some spy equipment right now, but without it, I have to settle for making up their conversation in my head.
