When the game ended, we gathered up our things. Kinsley and Harper stopped by to talk to me, so I didn’t catch up to my dad and the Nashes for a few minutes. They’d gone to the field to wait for Cooper. Even though my father wasn’t making an exception to my grounding tonight and I had to go home instead of out to get ice cream, I still wanted to congratulate Cooper on the game.
“Don’t bother waiting,” Ms. Nash told me. “A scout from San Diego State is talking to him. He’ll be even later than usual.”
I perked up. “A scout? That’s good news, right?”
“Depends on what the scout says,” Ms. Nash said, but she was beaming. It was good news.
When I got home, I texted Cooper congratulations and asked how things had gone with the scout. I figured he wouldn’t answer until tomorrow. Everyone he knew was probably asking him about it.
He answered me after a few minutes.
Cooper:The scout said he was impressed with my performance, he’ll keep an eye on me, and he hopes to see me in an Aztec uniform one day.
Me:What does that mean? A scholarship?
Cooper:I have no idea.
Me:You didn’t ask in a roundabout way?
Cooper:I don’t do roundabout. He said he wanted films of me playing, though.
Me:Oh, I have some!
Cooper:You’re so not funny
Me:San Diego State will want you. Everyone wants you.
Cooper:Everyone?
The problem with texting is you can’t tell a person’s tone of voice. Was he flirting or calling me out for hyperbole in my encouragement?
I decided to go with flirting.
Me:Everyone. I especially want you.
He took a long time to answer. I saw the dots going and stopping.
Dang. He hadn’t been flirting. Now the conversation would be cringey.
I hurriedly wrote:
Don’t stress out about a scholarship. Plenty of people go to college without one and lead happy and productive lives anyway. Worst case scenario: you get to be a normal person and become an orthodontist.
Cooper:An orthodontist is the worst-case scenario?
Me:You obviously never had to have braces.
Cooper:Nope
Me:Lucky
Cooper:I want you too, Mads. Goodnight.
I knew he was just writing that in case our parents checked our texts. But really, what a way to sign off.
My feelings toward him were changing, I realized. And that wasn’t a good thing. He liked Dahlia. She was beautiful, sophisticated, and popular.
She was the one he wanted.
