Quarterbacks Don’t Fall For Invisible Girls (Invisible Girls Club, Book 1)

by Emma Dalton

  He sees his family first and waves both hands. Bailey squeals and jumps up and down, waving that foam finger. Her dad quickly grabs hold of her before she tumbles off the bleachers. “That’s my brother!” she yells. “Bray the Bulldozer!”

  I smile at how cute she is.

  Then Brayden’s head moves to me. I wave and point to my dad. He glances at him for a second before returning his gaze to me, his body growing a little stiff. I give him two thumbs up—he’s got this. He nods before focusing on the game.

  “The crowd is wild,” Dani says. “This is sure to be one heck of a game.”

  And it is, at least for the first ten minutes. Because after that…things just go south.

  “No,” I gasp as I fall down on my seat. Brayden…I don’t know what’s going on but…he’s playing terribly.

  I rub my eyes, certain they’re playing tricks on me. But no, he continues to do a really bad job.

  Coach Papas calls for a timeout. The team gathers and he yells at them, specifically Brayden. My heart hurts as I watch him shake his head, silently scolding himself. He glances at Dad for a second before putting his attention back on his coach.

  “He’ll do better now,” I whisper. “He’s probably just nervous.”

  “Yeah,” Charlie says. “Everything is on the line for him now.”

  “You can do it!” Bailey yells. “My big brother is the best quarterback in the world! Go, go, Bray! Go, go Bray!”

  He looks up at her and waves, though I notice his hand quakes. Wow, he’s really nervous. He just needs to loosen up and shake away the nerves. He’s got this.

  Except…no, he hasn’t got it. He plays even worse.

  His coach calls for a million timeouts and yells at Brayden, even threatens to bench him. Again, I can’t see his face, but his shoulders are slumped, like he’s given up.

  No, he can’t give up.

  Before I can stop myself, I leap to my feet and yell, “You can do it Brayden! You can do it!”

  His head snaps to mine and his body perks up. He nods resolutely to himself before getting back in the game.

  He plays better, but it doesn’t last too long.

  “Darn, what’s wrong?” I glance at Dad and see him shaking his head as he jots some things down. “Oh no. He’s not impressed.”

  My friends look at him. “There’s still a chance for Brayden to turn things around,” Dani says.

  “The game’s almost over,” Charlie points out. “Chefield won.”

  Tears sting my eyes as the game ends. Chefield High is announced as the winner. They all cheer and congratulate each other as half of the stands go wild. As for the Lions? They just look at each other like they have no idea what just happened.

  “What has gotten into you?!” Coach Papas shouts at Brayden. “You played worse than a middle schooler.”

  Brayden says something, but I can’t hear from all the way here.

  “You’d better!” the coach yells. “Because if you don’t, you’re off the team.”

  Brayden stands there staring after him. Then he yanks off his helmet and squeezes it in his hands, so hard his knuckles grow white. He looks up at his family with a haunted expression—like he let them down. No, like he let his dead brother down.

  Then he glances at Dad, who’s writing in his notepad, shaking his head. A hard swallow makes its way down his throat.

  “Look at me,” I whisper. “Please look at me.”

  He turns around and marches off the field.

  My heart urges me to spring to my feet and hurry after him. To hug him and tell him it’s okay—that it will be okay. That it has to be okay. But I keep myself planted on my butt because I don’t know if he’d want me to chase after him. After all, we’re not really boyfriend and girlfriend. Maybe he doesn’t want me anywhere near him. He has his teammates and the cheerleaders and his family. I…I have no place in his life.

  The crowd starts to thin out. My friends and I just sit there, still not believing what just happened.

  “Kara!” A voice calls. “Kara Gander?”

  I peer down and see Dad waving at me. “Let me drive you and your friends home.”

  Even though they live out of the way, Dad doesn’t mind giving them a lift. None of us says a single thing as we drive to their houses. I guess we’re all confused by the game. It’s not until Dad and I are alone in the car that he says, “He has a lot of potential and raw talent, but he’s not what Astor University is currently looking for.”

  “He’s better than that, Dad!” I cry. “Much, much better. Quadruple times better! You should have seen him at homecoming. He was out of this world.”

  Dad keeps his eyes on the road. “Honey, I can only judge him on what I saw tonight with my own eyes. And tonight, he did not impress me.”

  “He was just nervous,” I explain. “This meant so much to him.”

  “Pumpkin, if he falls under pressure that easily, he certainly isn’t a good fit for Astor University. We can’t take a chance on someone so unpredictable. Astor University only picks the best of the best. I’m sorry.”

  “He is the best, Dad! If you would have just come to the homecoming game instead of traveling across the country—”

  “I understand you’re concerned for him because he’s your boyfriend, but it’s a harsh world out there. My best wish for him is that another school sees something in him that we didn’t.”

  There’s so much I want to say. I wish I could make him see reason. Brayden’s performance was not a reflection of who he is or how he plays. Why can’t Dad understand that? Why can’t he believe me when I tell him he’s amazing?

  But I fall back on my seat with a huff because I’m worried I might make things worse if I say another word. I spend the rest of the ride staring out the window, tears gathering in my eyes when I try to imagine how Brayden is feeling right now.

  ***

  I stare at my phone for what must be the hundredth time. Every part of me itches to text him, to make sure he’s okay. But how silly is that? Of course he’s not okay. What if I upset him further by texting him?

  Social media is abuzz with the Edenbury High Lion’s abysmal performance, specifically that of the QB. Some people have even made memes of Brayden’s terrible catches. I wish I could unleash a digital virus that would shut down the internet for good.

  I start composing a text, but then I delete it. Start and delete again. Then I chuck my phone aside. He doesn’t want to hear from the Invisible Girl.

  With a sigh, I climb into bed and try to sleep. But the only thing I see before my eyes is Brayden’s terrible performance and then the look on his face when he looked at my dad. Like he knew at that moment that he shattered his dreams forever.

  I don’t know how, but I manage to fall asleep. The first thing that enters my mind when I wake up is Brayden. And my whole body aches for him.

  I get dressed and make my way to the kitchen. Dad is reading the morning paper. My mouth opens to say something, to try to plead Brayden’s case again, but I force myself to close my mouth. It won’t do any good, and I don’t want to make things worse.

  Dad smiles and offers me some pancakes. As I eat, he chats about many different things, but I can’t listen to this. Dad’s chatting happily like everything is all fine, when my boyfriend’s world just fell apart. Okay, fine, my fake boyfriend, but I still care for him as though he’s my real boyfriend.

  Then it dawns on me that I’ve been looking at this all wrong. He might not see me as his girlfriend, but he does see me as his friend. I’m probably the only one who understands how he must feel right now because he and I concocted this plan together. I know how much was riding on his performance last night, and I know what it means that he blew it.

  After I’m done eating, I tell Dad I’m going out and race out of the house. I call an Uber and ride to his house.

  “Please be home,” I mutter as I ring the bell. “Please.”

  No one answers. I try the bell again and knock. Shoot, maybe I sh
ould have texted him that I was stopping by.

  I’m about to leave, but then I hear footsteps. Slowly, the door opens a crack and a head peeks out. Brayden’s head.

  I try not to gasp. Brayden looks…not so good. His eyes are bloodshot, his hair is a mess, his clothes are wrinkled like he slept in them, and his body is bent over like he’ll collapse from dejection.

  “Brayden,” I whisper.

  He squeezes his eyes shut. “Kara, sorry, I’m not really in the mood for company…”

  “Can I talk to you?” I ask. “Please.”

  His eyes slowly flutter open and he nods, widening the door so I can enter. It doesn’t look like anyone else is home. He leads me to his room and we sit side by side on his bed. At any other time, I might hyperventilate that I’m actually in Brayden Barrington’s room. But I don’t feel even an ounce of excitement. Just pain for what the guy I care most about must be feeling right now.

  “How are you?” I ask. Then I hit my forehead. “Dumb question. Sorry.”

  He doesn’t say anything, just stares at the spot in front of him.

  “I wanted to text you last night, but…”

  He still doesn’t say anything. It looks like he might just die from disappointment, and that kills me. What can I say to make this guy feel better? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

  “What did your dad say?” his gruff voice asks.

  I bite on my bottom lip. “It doesn’t matter.”

  His head lifts to mine. “It does. Whatever it is, however harsh it is, I need to know.”

  “I don’t know, Brayden.”

  “Please, Kara? And please don’t sugarcoat it. I know I messed up big time.”

  I sigh, tearing my gaze away from him. “He said you’re talented and he sees a lot of potential, but you’re not what Astor University is looking for.”

  A heavy, heart-wrenching breath escapes his mouth. “What else?”

  “Brayden…”

  “Please.”

  “Okay. He said Astor University can’t take a chance on someone unpredictable like that. That it’s a harsh world out there and Astor University only takes the best. He wishes you the best and hopes another school will see something in you that he didn’t.”

  He pinches his eyes shut. “It’s over. Darn it, it’s over.” He scrubs his hand down his face. “Everything I worked for all my life, down the toilet because of one sucky performance…” He takes in a deep breath and releases it. “I guess I have no choice but to hope another school recruits me. But after my crappy performance, I doubt any school would look at me ever again. I don’t know what happened. I…I was just so nervous. Felt so much pressure. I…I guess I caved.” He hangs his head. “Darn it.” He lifts his head and tries to smile at me, but fails miserably. “Thanks for all your help, Kara. You’ve been so kind and supportive to me throughout all of this. Sorry I wasted your time.”

  “You didn’t waste my time,” I try to tell him, but his head isn’t here.

  We sit in silence for a long time. I know I’m not helping by staying here. As much as I wish I could suck out his pain, the truth is that I can’t. Brayden has to deal with this on his own.

  “I’ll see you,” I whisper as I get up and make my way to the door.

  The one thing I want to do is help the people I care about. And I’m powerless to do anything to help Brayden. I hate this feeling of being powerless. When my mom was sick in the hospital, I was powerless to do anything. I just sat there and watched her wither away until she was gone.

  At the door, I look back at Brayden and find his body still bent over like a question mark, dejected, hopeless, lost.

  I won’t stand by and be powerless. I won’t. I march back over and say, “No, Brayden. We’re not giving up.”

  His head springs to mine.

  “You’re the best quarterback Edenbury High has ever seen. You’re going to be recruited by my dad and you’re going to Astor University.”

  “But…”

  “I don’t care what it takes,” I continue, my voice firm and full of hope. “I’m not giving up on you. We’ll do this, Brayden—together. We’ll show my dad how lucky he’d be to have someone like you for his school. I mean, we’ll have to figure out what to do about your nerves, but the point is that we’ll do it together. I won’t stand idly by and watch your dream go up in flames. I won’t.”

  He just stares at me, totally dumbfounded. Then he shoots up from his bed and throws his arms around me. “Why does it feel like you care more about me than I deserve?”

  I internally sigh as I melt against his body. Tell him, my voice urges. My heart begs. Tell him how you feel. Now is the perfect opportunity to lay all the cards on the table. To bare your heart and soul.

  No, I can’t do that. The only thing that matters right now is Brayden. He needs to focus on football, not some girl who has a massive crush on him.

  I step out of the hug and smile at him. “One thing my mom taught me was that it’s never too late to chase your dreams. If you want something, you have to go for it. Never give up.”

  For the first time since the game, I see a smile on his face, and his body is no longer bent over. “You’re right,” he says. “I can’t give up now.”

  I nod. “You focus on being the best quarterback you can be, and I’ll work on my dad. I promise you, Brayden, I won’t ever give up on you.”

  He wraps his arms around me again. “Thank, you, Kara. Thank you so much. I can’t remember the last time someone believed in me this much.”

  “Now all you have to do is believe in yourself.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Brayden has a troubled look on his face when I enter the movie theater Sunday afternoon and find him leaning against the wall. Even though we promised not to give up, he’s still broken over what happened on Friday. It’s hard to have hope when everything seems hopeless. I wish there was something I could do. That’s why I invited him to watch a movie with me. To help take his mind off things, to take a break from life for a few hours.

  “Hi,” I say as I face him. “You okay?”

  He shrugs. “I’m trying to be.”

  I place my hand on his arm. “We’ll convince my dad to give you another chance.”

  He forces a smile. “Hope so. Have you chosen a movie?” He tilts his head to the poster across from us. “That looks good. A comedy is what I need right now.”

  “Of course.”

  We pay for our tickets, popcorn, and other snacks, then settle down in the theater.

  “Thanks so much for this,” Brayden says as he puts his drink in the cup holder. “It means a lot that you care. You’re a very special person, Kara.”

  My cheeks heat up. “You’re special, too. And you’ll live out your dreams. I know it.”

  He nods. “Thanks. It’s just a little hard. Seeing the disappointment on my parents’ faces. They’re not upset with me, of course. They’re just worried.”

  “I’m really sorry. I hope this movie takes your mind off it for a little while. Movies always help me forget my problems.”

  “They do for me, too.”

  The lights dim and the movie begins. I don’t watch comedies often and am pleasantly surprised at how funny this is. Like crazy funny. Not the corny or silly kind, but pure laugh-out-loud funny. Brayden, me, and the rest of the people are rolling in our seats.

  My hand is on the armrest the whole time, but during the movie, Brayden places his hand on mine and I feel warm and cozy and tingly all over.

  “Sorry,” he quickly says, removing his hand. I want to tell him to put it back on, but of course I don’t. Today isn’t about me, it’s about making him feel better.

  He’s laughing a lot, which makes me laugh, too. And when the movie is over, we take a stroll around the nearby park, discussing our favorite moments from the movie.

  “Thanks for putting me in a good mood,” he says. But then his face changes as it must dawn on him that he’s exactly where he was two hours ago. “So much for th
at. I’m sorry for being so negative and down.”

  I shake my head. “No, don’t be sorry. I just wish I knew what to say to help.”

  “You’ve done so much, Kara. I really appreciate you wanting to convince your dad to give me another shot, but I don’t know…I guess I don’t want to get hopeful and then be disappointed.”

  “I understand.”

  He plows his hand through his hair. “I love hanging out with you, but is it okay if I walk alone?”

  “Of course.”

  ***

  I plop down on the couch with a sigh. I feel so down, so helpless. Because Brayden’s so frustrated with himself. And there’s nothing I can do about it. I feel so bad, like I’m taking on his problems. It’s not like I mean to do it, I just care about him so much. My crush? It’s turned into love. I’m in love with him. Not just infatuated. I’ve fallen deep and hard for this guy. And I can’t stand seeing him so broken.

  But other than try to cheer him up, there’s nothing I can do. It’s not like I can hold a gun to Dad’s head and threaten him to watch Brayden play again. I know I promised Brayden I would do whatever I could to convince Dad to give him another chance, but I still have no clue how I’ll do it.

  Dad shifts from his seat on the recliner and I glance up. I didn’t see him there reading the paper. I’m so distracted with Brayden, it’s swallowing me up whole. I know it’s not healthy. I just care about him so much.

  “Hi, sweetie. How was the movie?”

  I sigh as I remember how excited and happy Brayden was, then how quickly that morphed into gloominess.

  “Was good.”

  Dad watches me for a little bit with concern. “You’ve been walking around the house like a ghost the past few days,” he says.

  I shrug. “I know and I’m sorry. I just…”

  He nods. “It’s Brayden. You feel bad for what happened.”

  I sigh again. “It sucks. He’s such a good player and just had a bad day. You saw him play at the one game he played badly. The universe has an odd sense of humor,” I grumble. “If only you could have seen him at the other games. You would have been floored.” I grab a cushion and hug it tightly to my chest, biting hard on my lip so I won’t cry. Life is so unfair. And I have absolutely no idea how to convince my dad to come to another game. Does that mean I made Brayden a promise I can’t keep?