Bay leans over. “What is that about?” He nods towards Nick.
“Just teaching Nick some manners,” I say, loud enough for Nick to hear.
Bay laughs. “First you speak Seb, now you’re getting Nick to talk? You are magical, Summer.” Effervescence flows through me at the compliment.
The principal tells everyone to quiet down, and the pep rally begins. Music plays as the basketball coach energizes the crowd with the cheerleaders before introducing the players. Seb is a starting guard and comes out dancing to the music, hamming it up for the crowd. E is a starting forward and gives everyone a shy wave. The cheerleaders do a few routines, and Gabby is fantastic. She’s tumbling and flipping through the air out front with Ana. A few small girls are being tossed up in the air at the back. I think one of them is Stacey.
The music turns down, and the coach presents the senior players with plaques and hoodies, and that’s the end of the rally. Itwasn’t too bad. We wait until the crowd disperses, then I ask the guys what’s next.
Alex responds, as I notice Reesa walking away. The players will stay with their teams until they finish their first game. The rest of the guys want to have lunch since our team isn’t playing until 1pm. I agree and walk with the guys out to Alex’s large charcoal SUV. Alex holds the passenger door open for me, like a gentleman, so I hop inside as Bay and Nick get in the back. I push the button to move my seat forward to give Nick more room and get a head nod when I look back at him.
Alex takes the wheel while the guys debate where to eat. I shift my eyes over to Alex, and he smiles at me and starts driving. He pulls into a parking lot with 3 food trucks. We all get out of the SUV, and I look around. “Good choice,” Bay compliments.
“There is southern bbq, a taco truck, and Filipino cuisine,” Alex informs me. “The tacos are my favorite in the area.”
“Let’s get some tacos,” I reply, smiling at Alex. Bay tells us he’s heading for the southern bbq, while Nick veers right towards the Filipino truck. Alex and I head left. “So, what’s your favorite dish here?” I ask.
“The pulled pork taco. They make everything from the soft taco to the sauce themselves. Really, everything here is excellent.”
We order 5 of the pulled pork tacos. I try to pay, but Alex is having none of it. He pays with his card and leaves a $20 tip. That’s sweet. We step aside to wait, and it only takes a few minutes before it’s ready. Turning around to look for a place to eat, Bay is already sitting at a picnic table, so I go that way and sit beside him. Once Nick joins us, I dig in. The tacos are simply amazing. “Alex, I could eat these every day and not get sick of them. They are so damn good.”
“Glad you like them,” he smiles. The guys talk about the chances of our team winning the playoffs, and I listen in as I devour my twotacos.
I notice Nick has some kind of deep-fried food. It looks like an egg roll, but longer and skinnier. He sees me looking and offers me one. I thank him and take it. Biting down, it tastes similar to a spring roll but with meat. “What is this called?” I ask. “It’s good.”
“Lumpia,” is his response. I quickly finish my tasty lumpia.
I offer to throw out the trash for everyone and drop the trays off. Nick is back at the Filipino truck again when I’m done. I hope I didn’t leave him hungry. I head back to the SUV, hop in the front seat, and wait. He comes over with a bag in his hand and shoves it in front of me when he sits down. “It’s banana.”
“Thank you, Nick,” I say, turning around to smile at him. I’m breaking down his impenetrable walls, slowly but surely. “Oh, I almost forgot.” Setting the bag on my knee, I open my backpack and grab the container of lemon squares and hand them to Alex. “These are my way of paying you back for bringing me the arnica cream and my ticket.”
“Summer, I require nothing in return,” he says.
“I didn’t need you to drive to my house, and I didn’t need you to buy me a ticket, but here we are,” I smile, holding up my hands in a ‘what can you do’ gesture.
That brings a big smile to his face as he opens the lid. “How did you know lemon is my favourite?” He asks.
“Oh, I didn’t, just a happy coincidence.”
He offers a square to each of the guys before taking one himself, and I hear a hum from his throat. “These are exceptional Summer. Thank you.”
Bay agrees, and I get a grunt from Nick. “Glad you like them, and thanks.”
I bite into my lumpia as Alex drives us back to school. The banana is really nice in the egg roll wrapper. I need to try the Filipino truck next time. When we get back to school, the parking lot is almost full. “Wow, that’s a lot of people,” Isay.
“Yes, parents and locals come to the playoffs every year, along with out of town guests. That’s one reason it’s a ticketed event, so the gym doesn’t go over capacity,” Alex replies.
We park and get out of the vehicle as I sling my backpack over both shoulders to keep it secure. Noticing a larger crowd as we walk to the gym makes me nervous, and I fidget with the strap on my bag. I must have slowed down because the guys all turn to me. “Sorry, it’s a big crowd.”
Alex smiles kindly at me. “We are going to surround you when we get inside to prevent people from bumping into you. The school has a designated section for parents and students to sit, which should be helpful.”
Knowing they already have a plan and have my back helps settle the freak-out that was building internally. “Thanks, guys.”
We get to the door and hand Alex our tickets. Bay and Alex stand together in front of me, and Nick takes my back as we make our way through the crowd. I can’t really see much past Bay and Alex’s shoulders, so I concentrate on following them, watching their feet so I don’t trip them up. As we enter the court area and the noise increases. Music is playing from somewhere, with colored lights flashing everywhere. I grab the back of Bay’s shirt as the guys get jostled a bit. Bay reaches back and offers his hand, so I take it. No issues with him either. Cool. His hands are both calloused and soft.
We reach the far end of the right bleachers before we climb, and we stop about halfway up. After a squeeze, I let go of Bay’s hand and lean over to look. Troy is there, sitting in the middle of the row. Alex takes a seat in the row in front of Troy. Bay motions for me to sit beside Alex, then settles beside me. Nick grabs a seat behind us, beside Troy, so I’m surrounded again by the guys. They are the best. I lean over to talk into Alex’s ear. “Is Reesa joining us?”
“No, she’s not a sports fan,” he shakes his head, seeming unbothered by that fact.
