I’ve done soccer and soccer and soccer some more. Thanks to Emily the Evil, I refused all fun things, and regret clawed at my throat. I hated that I missed the senior ditch day, the camping drink everyone did, the concerts and dancing in the rain and hooking up with people from other schools.
It was my final year before going to a women’s soccer team, playing professionally, and forgoing anything fun. I’d played by the rules my whole twenty-one years. The most scandalous thing I’d ever done was accidentally shoplift a WWJD bracelet when I was eight. My mom found out and made me return it, tears running down my face.
“Mallinson,” Vee said, her voice firm. “We’ve all whipped it out.”
“And by it, you mean feelings?” I clarified, buying myself more time.
“Obviously. Our Girl Gang is about trust and making a plan to report updates every week. Yours can’t just be more viral videos on social or working out.”
Viral videos on soccer and working out… for soccer.It was always about proving Emily wrong and demanding a place for myself. Which I did, didn’t I? I could… let go a bit?
“Is that… is that what you all think I do?” I asked, hating how my stomach clenched.
“Um… yes? That is…I mean, girl,” Lo said, her brows furrowed as she stared at me with too much awareness in her large brown eyes.Eyes just like her brother’s.“You’re Mack fucking Mallinson. You kick ass on the field and have a legion of followers.”
“Yeah, but I don’t do anythingfun.I haven’t had my heart broken because I don’t invest myself in dates, not really. I’ve never had a wild night of sex that blew my mind.”
“Shit,” Ale hissed.
“Yeah.” I fanned my face, my skin already reddening. Curse of being pale. I could be mad, sad, or horny, and my cheeks would flush like I ran up four flights of stairs. “Soccer is my past, present, and future, but before senior year takes off… I want to experienceall the shit I missed out on,” I yelled, then immediately clasped a hand over my mouth.
People stared at us.
“You need a bucket list!” Vee’s eyes lit up. “A Summer Playbook of dares.”
“Wait,what?” I sniffed.
“Vee’s right.” Lorelei grinned and released my hand. “You’ve said for years you have no regrets in life, which is amazing because I have like four that I’ll never get over. But anyway. You need to channel that same energy into this! You love a challenge to the point it’s scary.”
“Oh shit, remember the running challenge last year?” Ale laughed. “She almost shattered an ankle just to beat us.”
“I didn’t break anything except all your hopes because I won,” I said, puffing my chest. “But okay, talk to me about this idea.”
“You’re competitive. It’s sexy. If we make a list that you have to do or you’ll lose, it’ll fire you up.” Lorelei grabbed a pen from her purse and used a bar napkin. “I hereby declare this is The Summer Playbook of dares to get you to live wildly before senior year starts. And if you don’t complete this by December, you lose.”
“Whoa, December?” The competitive part of me roared, needing to know the parameters and easiest way to win. “What’s on the list?”
“See, you’re already interested.” Lo’s eyes danced with amusement. “This is gonna be so much fun. As long as you’re game. This is about you.”
They all watched me, their eyes wide and joyful. My heart banged against my ribcage, a continuousthud-thud, thud-thudthat felt like worry. But…there was a speck of excitement. A blip of hope. Would this silly checklist help get me out of this funk?
Vee’s eyes were wide with excitement, and even Mally had stopped frowning as she waited for my response. My friends were going through real shit, and if this list could help them, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Without overthinking, I slammed my hand on the table, saying, “I’m in.”
Whoops and hollers went around the table, and I laughed with them. This felt right. This felt good. Like a bigfuck you, Coach Emily.
A shadow approached the table. Three of them, actually, and my breath caught in my throat at our visitors. Luca Monroe,Callum O’Toole, and Dean Romano. Callum leaned against the table, scanning us with his playful eyes.
“I have aggressive FOMO, ladies. Why are we cheering? I want in, whatever it is.” His face lit up in mischief as he moved his gaze to each of us, slow and cocky.
Callum was gorgeous and a total without-a-doubt playboy. He was loud and crass and flirted with anything and was proud of it. I admired his swagger and confidence, but I didn’t like the challenge in his eyes.
He didn’t capture my attention though. Dean Romano, Lo’s twin brother and our Central State quarterback, demanded it. He wore a simple black shirt and jeans, but the backwards hat and dark brown eyes drew me to him in aggressive kind of way. He stood next to Luca and Callum, but his gaze was elsewhere.
“We’re coming up with The Summer Playbook for Mackenzie.” Lo jutted her chin toward the napkin. “Any ideas, Callum?”
“Is this naughty?” he asked, smirking as he winked at me. “Mack needs naughtier in her life.”
“Not this again.” I shoved my hair out of my face as my skin heated. Like I’d done a million times before, I peeked up to expect Dean to be long gone, but he remained and studied me with his intense gaze. That look always made my skin tingle.
