CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Friday night football. It wasn’t so bad when Elan was with me, but tonight he’s with Gianna. I don’t look over. I don’t want to invade their privacy, their first date. I want him to be comfortable with her. I almost didn’t come tonight so he wouldn’t worry about hurting my feelings.
Ella’s smirking at me while she cheers.
I just flip her the bird and Audrey laughs.
“What a bitch. Enjoying my awkward moments, and, if I’m honest, my pain.”
“You’re okay, though?” Isla asks.
I nod. “I’m fine. I hope they work. I really, really do.”
“Oh, new play,” Audrey interrupts.
Lenny’s been throwing to Brent a lot and handing off to Carlos when he isn’t throwing to Brent. Lenny’s good. Really good. He always hits Brent right between the numbers.
“He’s outstanding,” I mutter aloud absently.
Brent takes off at a run, he keeps running and running. Is Leo really going to throw that far? Will Brent catch it? With all that coverage? At the last second, Brent abruptly changes direction and Leo lets the ball fly.
“Holy shit! Omigod, omigod! He’s going to catch it! Oh no! Look out for fifty-seven! Oh shit…” I’m jumping and screaming and holding on to Audrey’s arm like a lifeline. The ball descends through the air and into Brent’s arms like it was always meant to be there. Another twenty steps and he’s in the end zone.
The extra point is good, putting the SBA Rebels up by fourteen.
I sit down, staring blankly at the field. That was intense.
Isla and Audrey look at me and laugh. “You alright?”
“That was… incredible. I mean, I knew Leo was good, I just didn’t know… wow.”
“He got hit pretty hard after he lofted the ball,” Isla informs me.
I stand back up and look out at the field. “He’s not hurt?”
“Not bad enough to leave the field, but you can bet that one hurt. They also get a penalty, the other team, but it doesn’t matter because we scored already,” Isla continues.
“I see. He’s going to be bruised pretty good. Where’s his blocking?” I ask in a near-shout.
Isla laughs. “Calm down. They’re getting a pretty good ass chewing from the coach. Look.” She points and, sure enough, one of the coaches is laying into those players pretty good.
“Good. Lazy asses.”
Audrey snickers. “Who knew you were so into football?”
“Not me,” I admit. “I didn’t really pay attention last week.” Not with Elan next to me.
“You don’t say,” Audrey adds.
“I do say. This is pretty exciting. Your guys are working it out there,” I tell them.
“They are,” Isla says all dreamy-like.
“So, now it’s the other team’s turn to try to score, right?” I question. I’m pretty ignorant as to the ways of football. Audrey and Isla have been teaching me. I, novice that I am, thought they were calling it the “in zone” when they were saying “end zone.” They snickered about that for a while. I don’t know why that was funny. In zone fit just as well as end zone, maybe even better.
“Oh no,” Audrey mutters.
“Don’t tell me,” I reply. She doesn’t need to. I already saw Ellen making her way toward me before Audrey said a word. I sigh. “Here we go.”
