The crowd calms down through the next play, and when it’s back to our turn, I can’t keep my eyes off Zayden and Mason as they pass back and forth, outplaying the opposing team with an ease that comes from years of playing together.
Parker – another brilliant player, although I don’t know him personally – gets the ball and makes a run for it. He quickly throws it to Mason before getting slammed into the ground, and Mason slices through the defence, executing another massive run down the field. I feel giddy with happiness when he slides across the line, the crowd screaming so loud it actually makes me wince.
‘Far out!’ Nora comments, shaking her head. ‘He’s bloody amazing!’
‘I know.’ I grin, feeling my cheeks grow hot.
After the team finishes jumping all over each other in excitement, he swings his gaze to me, smiling. I smile back at him as he jogs to position. His eyes drop to my chest, and the colour drains from his face. He stops running, causing the person behind him to slam into him. My stomach hits the cement at my feet when I see his expression. I look down, reading Kai’s number in a striking white, branded right smack in the centre of my chest. Zayden frowns at Mason, following his line of sight, and the slight curve of his mouth flattens. My insides shrivel under the scrutiny, and I mentally berate myself. I knew this wasn’t a good idea.
Kai rams his elbow into Mason’s side, nods his head towards me and says something over his shoulder before jogging away, looking happy with himself. My cheeks flare with unbearable heat as I realise that was his plan all along. To mess with Mason.
Because he knows how we feel about each other.
The tension is high for the entire first half, and the tight feeling stretching across my chest only seems to increase as each minute inches by. All of a sudden, Mason is off his game. He went from playing powerfully to fumbling the ball and being tackled, when he’s usually notorious for slipping right past other players’ outstretched hands. I can’t help but feel the blame rests heavily on my shoulders. The first game of the season, ruined by me.
‘Shit,’ I say. ‘I’ve just cost them the game.’
‘Quit being dramatic,’ Nora says softly. ‘You accepted a jumper because it’s cold. It’s not a big deal.’
‘Yeah,’ I mumble, picking furiously at my nails.
‘Seriously. If Mason wants you to wear his, he needs to man up and ask you out.’
‘It’s not that simple, Nora.’
She offers me a sympathetic smile, touching my shoulder. ‘I know. Sorry.’
When the game ends, they’re up by four, thankfully, but the fun atmosphere has died down. For me, at least.
Nora and I make our way back to her car quickly, since Zayden told me last minute that we’re hosting the after-party. I already dread tomorrow’s post-party clean-up, having done it far too many times. But I can’t think about that right now, or what kind of mood the boys will be in after the game.
Within the hour, the house is full. I weave through the groups, joining Nora and Cami at the beer pong table.
‘Who’s next?’ shouts a guy I have never seen before, gesturing to the beer funnel in his hand.
‘Me!’ Cami volunteers.
‘Pause,’ Nora says to the two boys at the other end of the table.
Cami strolls towards the guy as everyone claps and eggs her on. She drops to her knees – thankfully someone thought to put a plastic tarp over the carpet – and the guy begins to pour a steady stream of beer into the funnel. She flips the nozzle on the side and the liquid disappears so quickly that I blink, and it’s gone.
‘Goddamn,’ one of the guys mutters. ‘I think I just met my future wife.’
Nora giggles, and we exchange a look as we clap and whistle, praising Cami.
‘New record to beat!’ beer-funnel guy hollers, and there’s a loud whoop from the dude who made the wife comment.
‘Relax!’ Cami says, gripping my shoulders and gently shaking me. ‘Loosen up. It’s a party!’
I offer her a weak smile.
She thrusts a cup into my hand and I take it, downing the contents. It’s my first drink of the night, but I don’t feel like partying. I just want to make sure things are right with Mason.
Neon lights swing around the room, lighting up at least fifty faces I don’t recognise. I assume they’re all people from school. I always wonder how word gets out about a party, but I suppose when one of the footballers is throwing it, everyone hears about it.
Feeling jittery, I continue to scan the party, constantly assessing whether anyone is doing anything damaging to the house or our things. Surprisingly, everyone seems pretty tame. I see two girls from my class making out against the wall, with everyone ogling them. One of the girls bumps into a photograph of me and my mum. I turn away. I’m not going to look at that picture the same again.
‘If I get this in, you have to kiss me on the lips,’ the guy at the end of the table comments, and I desperately try to remember what his name is. He has a charming, confident smile on his face, focused on Cami as she narrows her eyes at him.
