Rival Love

by Natalie Decker

  “Caleb, shouldn’t you be in precalculus?” he asks while glancing up at the clock on the wall then back over at me.

  I nod. “I need to talk to you though. It’s about the funding, and all the stuff on the news.”

  His eyebrows rise, while his mouth puckers in the corner like he’s sucking on some sour candy. It’s a face I’m used to him making when it comes to me and my curiosity about things he thinks I’d have no interest in. School funding or anything school-related is probably setting off the alarms in his head. And I don’t mind, because up until now I didn’t care about school-school, just sports, friends, and parties. Books, studying, and whatever fundraisers were going on, yeah, that part of it had never interested me.

  “Let me get this straight, you’re not in class because you want to talk about what’s been going on with the superintendent embezzling funds? Am I getting this right?”

  I nod again. “The school seems to think the rest of the athletic and school functions will be cut if they don’t get a good amount of funds really fast.”

  My uncle takes a seat at his desk and sighs. “It’s unfortunate but yes, that’s true. Some of the music and drama programs will be cut down to one production this year, instead of the usual two they have every year.” I walk over to one of the lab tables and hop up. “That’s one of the reasons I’ve been going to so many teacher meetings this week. But why does this matter worry you so much? You know baseball won’t be affected by the cuts.”

  “It’s Skylar. Mr. Chamberlin and Mr. Keegan seem to think that she’ll be able to save those programs by playing sports here.”

  “Well, that’s news to me. Did Skylar tell you this?”

  I shake my head. “No, but she told Lance. I’m worried what would happen if she says no and others find out.” Because that black eye she had a while back will probably be nothing compared to what she’ll be looking like or coming home with. I shudder at the thought.

  My uncle starts to pace the area behind his desk. “Skylar is very strong-willed. Erin told me this, and I can see it. But she’s also got this spark to her when she swims and plays softball. It reminds me of you. I can’t see her giving up on sports forever. Let alone being responsible for taking it away from a whole group of kids.” He shakes his head. “No, Skylar is not like other teens. Not by far. She’ll make the right choice. And whatever her choice is, we’re going to support it.”

  “Why do you keep saying she’s different?” Besides being smart, and working hard, I don’t get his need to keep telling me how different she is.

  “Do you know once a month she works at the homeless shelter feeding the poor? Or that she hangs out at the youth center on Thursdays to play games with the kids down there?”

  I shake my head. I didn’t know any of this stuff about Skylar. Maybe I’m wrong about her after all, and she’s actually closer to sainthood than I thought. “So you think she’ll say yes?”

  He smiles. “I believe she will. Now, I think you’ve missed enough class already, and you should probably be on your way back to precalculus.” He scribbles a note and hands it to me.

  Back in the hallway, I slowly walk to class. Well, take the longest way possible is more like it. Let’s be realistic, I’m not in a rush to go to precalculus. What I am in a rush to do is talk to Skylar. Before I realize what’s going on, I am outside her physics class.

  I peek in the window of the door, and scan the class. Everyone is wearing long white lab coats and clear plastic glasses on their faces. My eyes land on Skylar as her long hair falls forward while her body hunches over a project in front of her. Her slender hand pushes the strands back, exposing her forehead. I notice her eyebrows are scrunching together which is an indication she’s frustrated with something.

  Her stare leaves the table, and goes to the door. I motion for her to come out into the hall. At first, I’m not certain she sees me. And it’s causing my own frustration to spike, because I can’t very well make a scene outside her class. People will see and talk. And that’s the last thing I need on my plate right now.

  I’m about to give up when the door to her room opens. As soon as the door closes, she looks around and then starts down the hall. “I thought we’re supposed to pretend like we don’t know each other,” she says while we round the corner.

  “I know. This couldn’t wait though. I know about what happened this morning.”

  She stops and pivots. “I see. So, what do you want?”

  “Nothing much. I was just curious why you didn’t say no.”

  “Oh.” She chews on her lower lip, which makes her look sexy as hell. “I tried to. But then everyone kept talking. And the more they talked the more my own thoughts settled in.” She shrugs. “Can I be honest?”

  I smile. “Always.”

  “I don’t want this kind of responsibility. I mean, when I was in the office today, all they kept saying was how other people would be punished, and basically when they see me, they see dollar signs.” She frowns. “It made me sick. I’m not a freaking showboat. But that’s how they’re painting me. And that’s when I said no.” She shakes her head and wrinkles her nose a little. “Coach Grim guilt-tripped me, as soon as she mentioned college and my future…it hit me all at once. I love swimming and softball so much that, if I were truly honest with myself, I can’t physically give them up. And that’s selfish, isn’t it?” She drops her gaze. “Caleb, my school pride means everything to me, but now, I don’t know.”

  I rest my hand on her shoulder. “You aren’t selfish, Sky. This situation sucks, yeah, but haven’t you punished yourself enough? You’re in a school where a majority of the population hates you. None of your friends talk to you, do they?” She drops her head. I use my other hand to lift it up so I can see her gorgeous eyes. “I think it’s safe to say you shouldn’t have to make any more sacrifices.”

  “Why do I feel so weak then? Why do I feel like either way this will be a losing battle for me?”

  “Because it is. Look, if I had to start over at Harris Academy, I’d be screwed up. No one would want me there. It’d be a bitch of a time trying to prove my self-worth, and to beat out people who already have claims on the positions I’ve been playing for over four years. Yeah, that would totally suck. So, believe me when I say I understand. You’ve got your work cut out for you, but Sky this is you. Not the whole Bobcat stuff, but challenges. If you’re anything like me, you love challenges. Reaching goals, breaking records, it’s a total rush. This is your challenge.”

  She smiles. “Caleb, you’re right.” She smacks my shoulder. “Thanks. I gotta get back. But thanks for helping me see this from another angle.”

  “Anytime.”

  Chapter 31

  Skylar

  After school, I make my way to the pool. No one is in the small front desk area, so I proceed with caution into one of the small offices that holds the sound system to the pool deck. I continue past a computer desk and toward the door leading to the poolside deck. Am I ready to do this? Crossing this threshold will change me forever. I know this. Frozen in place, my eyes land on the handle of the door. Just a simple turn, that’s all it requires. Why can’t I do it?

  Laughter from behind me causes me to snap out of my own thoughts and back into reality. It’s Amber. I can tell from the high-pitch cackle that it’s her. “Oh, that troll had the nerve to ask me if Max and I wanted to ride in a limo with them. Who the hell does she think she is, rubbing her relationship with him in my face like that?”

  Don’t get me wrong, I despise Amber for the shit she’s put me through, but I kind of feel her pain. It’s exactly what Mia and Kevin did to me at my place of work, rubbing my nose in their relationship. As for Caleb—again, not a fan of Amber, but she seems better than Danielle any day of the week.

  “You know what’s funny to me? Caleb has never been the relationship type. Everyone knows this, yet he’s dating that.”

  “I know.” One of her friends chimes in.

  Footsteps approach. My heart
pounds radically against my ribcage. I’ve got to get out of here quick. I start to close my fingers around the handle and turn. The handle doesn’t budge. I jiggle it. Nope. It’s locked. “Did you guys hear something?”

  “Hey, y’all! Don’t we have land warm-ups today?” I hear a familiar voice call out. Kayla.

  “Yeah, Kayla. Go through the office and see who’s back there, will ya?” Amber commands.

  “Sure,” she says in a chipper voice. I need to hide, but where? There’s a closet, but it’s locked. There’s a desk with an old desktop computer sitting upon it. I can’t squeeze behind the chair though because it’s a compact desk. Maybe if I was the size of a toddler I’d fit where the printer sat, but that’s not the case at all.

  Kayla is entering. I hurry over and snatch her up from behind, closing the door with my foot while I cover her mouth with my hand. I walk her over to a chair and whisper, “Kayla, I’m not going to hurt you, but you can’t tell anyone I’m in here. I have to see your coach. That’s all.” She whimpers a little and I mentally curse. “Kayla, I’m going to let you go, just don’t scream. Okay?”

  Her head dips a little and I release her. She spins around, her eyes wide, and she snaps, “Skylar! What the hell are you doing in here?”

  “Coach Grim spoke with me today. I came to give her an answer.” I’ve got no clue why I’m telling her any of this. She cowers by the door staring at me in disbelief. I raise my hands up. “I’m not trying to start trouble, I just need to give her my answer and be on my way, that’s all. The door’s locked though, and I heard Amber and I’m not in the mood to deal with them. Not today.” I drop my hands and hang my head.

  “Okay.” She finally says.

  I look up and she nods. “You’ve got to do something for me though.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Is it true? Are you really good at swimming?”

  I nod.

  “Good. You’re going to work with me. Deal?”

  “But I…” I have work, my own training to do, and Lance’s tutoring. And I’ve got to avoid this team until the coach says it’s time. Kayla stares at me and says, “Well…”

  Feeling trapped, I nod. “Okay. But this has to be on my terms, and no one is to know about it. Got it?”

  She sticks out her hand and smiles. I shake it and smile back. “I’ll be right back.” She disappears. I take a seat in the swivel chair and sigh. What have I gotten myself into?

  Coach Grim appears in the office, with Kayla trailing behind her. The door closes and my whole world seems to tip. This is it. My hands start to shake while my heart thuds. “You’re one of them, Skylar,” Sam’s voice echoes in my head. “Anyone can see how much you love this,” Coach Grim’s words flow through. I shake my head and stare at the ground. “I’ll do it. But I’m not training with them. Not yet. They don’t trust me, and honestly, I train better away from negativity. So when it’s time, I’ll join the team practices. Until then, I want my own hours, an hour before school for dry-land exercises. I need free swim times, two hours every day except Thursdays and Sundays. I’ve got places to be those days.” I glance up. “Do we have a deal?”

  Coach Grim smiles. “Yes. We’ve got a deal.”

  “Kayla is the only one who practices with me.”

  Coach Grim nods again. “That’s a great idea. I’ll set up the arrangements. Be ready Tuesday.”

  I nod. Then I stand and walk out of the office. Kayla runs after me. “Does that mean I’m training with you and not them?”

  “Yeah.” I wave at her and head to my car but she follows with a bag full of stuff.

  “I hate to ask, but can you give me a lift home?”

  I smile. “Yeah. Come on.” I glance over at her as she gets into my Mini Cooper. “Don’t tell anyone you know which car is mine.” I am not about to tell her it’s a gift from my father for missing so much of my life. I mean, who wants to listen to a bunch of daddy issues? And besides that, Kayla and I only talk in English class so that doesn’t really make us best friends.

  She runs her fingers along the seat. “My parents are getting me a car after graduation. Until then I’ve got to get straight A’s and stay out of trouble.”

  I nod then start the engine. “Have you been in trouble?”

  “Eh. Not really. I kind of dated a bad boy in Cali, but he got picked up for selling drugs and my parents moved us a couple months later.” I look over at her and she shakes her head. “Sometimes I don’t know why I was even with him.”

  “I think the same thing about my ex.”

  We smile at each other.

  Once we’re outside her house, Kayla turns to me and says, “Thanks for the ride.”

  “Yeah, no problem.”

  She starts to step out and then twists herself back into the car. “Um, so we’re going to be spending a lot of time together.” I must be giving her a funny look ‘cause she smiles and says, “And I know this is already starting out weird, but do you wanna hang out?”

  “Like now?”

  She shrugs. “Sure.”

  I’m about to pass, but Lance’s words stop me: “It wouldn’t hurt to make some friends.” So I say, “All right.”

  “Um. Okay. Park your car and come inside.”

  I do and follow her inside her two-story brick home. A woman with short, blondish-brown hair greets us as we enter. “Hi, honey. You brought a friend! And who’s this?”

  “I’m Skylar Fletcher, nice to meet you.” I stick my hand out to her.

  She shakes it and smiles. “Nice to meet you. Kayla, honey, how was practice?”

  “It was good.” She chews on her lower lip. “Where’s Kai?”

  “He’s at a friend’s house. Were you girls going to go to the game tonight?”

  I’m about to say no but Kayla says, “Yeah we were. We’re going to go get ready.”

  She starts to dart for the stairs and I follow, feeling like maybe this wasn’t a very good idea after all.

  ***

  After I swing by my house and change my clothes, I head to the game with Kayla. My stomach knots all over again. I feel as if I’m going to throw up any second. “Kayla, this isn’t a good idea.”

  “What are you talking about? It’s fine. We’ll sit in my special spot. No one will bother you there.”

  “Where’s your special spot?” I’ve got a terrible feeling she’s going to point to a tree, or worse—the visitors’ section. I can tolerate the tree, possibly, but the visitors’ section is definitely off-limits, just like the home side is.

  Kayla points up to the press box. She hands me a badge and puts one around her own neck. “People might know you up there, but no one will bother you. Plus, I want you to meet my dad. He’s the new announcer.”

  We hurry up the long stretch of stairs leading to the press box. She opens the door and motions for me to step through. I do, and my nerves begin to ease. “Daddy! This is Skylar. She goes to school with me.”

  A man with salt-and-pepper hair flips a microphone attached to a headpiece upward, turns slightly in his chair, and nods. “Hello. Come grab a seat.” He maneuvers around an old man and a younger guy that I’ve never seen before and points at two empty swivel chairs in front of the long table overlooking the field.

  “Thanks.” I do as he says and take a seat next to Kayla. “So, is this where you sit at all the games?” I whisper.

  She nods. “Yeah. Pretty cool, huh?” I laugh and nod. She has no idea how much she’s made my day. She nudges me. “Want something to drink?”

  “Sure. Thanks, Kayla.”

  “And here is the starting lineup for tonight’s game. On the Delmont High Bobcats, we’ve got…number seven, Caleb Morgan. Number five, Derrick Rivers. Number fourteen, Lance Bradshaw,” Kayla’s dad announces into his headset.

  Kayla gasps and turns, chewing on her straw, gazing out the big window of the press box. She sits down beside me and sighs like she’s floating on a cloud somewhere far off to fairy-tale land. I nudge her. “Oh my God,
you’ve got a thing for Lance.”

  “What?” Her eyes are wide. “No. I just…”

  “Wanna make babies with him,” I whisper then begin to giggle when her face turns bright red.

  She shakes her head and laughs. “No. No. He’s really sweet, and so freaking cute. But it’ll never happen. He’s got no idea who I am.”

  “Do you want him to?”

  She looks over at me. “I don’t know. I mean…he’s Lance, I’m just some dork who transferred here.”

  This girl needs a major confidence boost. “Well, I think you’re the tits.” She blushes. “If you wanna get Lance, you should really let me help you.”

  She nods. “Okay, what do we do?”

  Chapter 32

  Caleb

  I feel different running onto the field tonight. This is not only the homecoming game, it’s the last really important game. The final showdown between him and me. Who’s the better quarterback, who’s the best team? It all becomes final tonight.

  Lance hits my shoulder in the huddle and screams over the bands battling each other off. “Dude, you okay? You look a little off.”

  “I’m fine. Just thinking.”

  “Don’t do too much of that. You’ll fuck yourself up.”

  We grin at each other. Derrick screams, “We’re the champions here tonight, boys! Take no bullshit! Give it to them, and give it to them hard!”

  The sophomores and a couple of juniors yell, “Hell yeah!”

  Lance and I take a knee in the middle of the circle. “Whose house is this, boys?” Lance starts.

  Everyone screams, “Ours!”

  Lance continues, “Who’s going to go home crying?”

  “They are!”

  “That’s right, boys. We’re going to show these dogs who their fucking master is tonight.”

  He turns to me and I laugh. It’s my turn to speak, but the words that have been running through my head disappear. The only ones that seem to stay are hers. “I want everyone to do a few things for me tonight: play with your hearts, trust one another, and pay attention to the things that are working. If something fails, eliminate it from the playlist. It’s the only way we’re going to take these guys down.”