by Lily Roberts
My suspicions were confirmed as we pulled into a parking spot beside a familiar grill; Sizzling Sakura’s. Confused, I followed the pair out of the car and into the restaurant. “I didn’t think this place did to-go orders,” I said.
“It doesn’t,” Denise replied between giggles.
“Then why…?” My question was cut short as soon as the two opened the doors for me. Standing in the center of the restaurant was none other than Sydney Burton, surrounded by the entirety of the football team. They were all dressed in winter sports attire, makeshift numbers sewn onto their shirts as they seemed to be split up by color. “What’s going on?” I turned to Denise and Cooper for an answer, only to find them stripping off their coats and wearing the same uniform. They just smiled, gesturing back to Sydney.
She took a step forward, then another, a bowl of something held out in her hand. As she got closer, I realized she was holding a bowl of fried rice, the top covered in fried calamari bits. I blinked slowly, looking back up at her face as the sweetest smile crossed her face.
“Can I interest you in one more bet, Scott?” Sydney asked.
One more bet.
This was the only thing I could think of to keep Scott around long enough to talk. One more game of kickball, with the football guys, Cooper, and Denise, split between the two of us to make up equal teams.
Oh, but he was so mad at first.
His gaze flipped between all of us, the red in his face rising with each passing second. “Sydney, what is all of this?”
I took a deep breath, determined to stick to the script. “Before you leave, Scott, I want one more bet. One more game between us; I wanna know who’s the best kickball player. I know you do too. Just because we’re buddies now doesn’t mean we can’t still compete.”
Scott let out a groan. “Seriously? Is that all you can think about?” He ran his hand through his hair while shaking his head. “Did nothing I said over the phone get through to you? This is exactly what I wanted to avoid; we just keep falling back into this awful pattern. I’m not going to play your games, Syd.”
I gritted my teeth, reassured by the thumbs-up Denise shot my way. “Look, I get it, Scott. We’re both pretty messed up when we’re around each other. I get you want some space; that’s not what this is about. I just…” I sighed, letting my wall down a bit so I could take on a more genuine tone. “I want something fun to remember you by. I want to go back to our breakout moment. The time when you literally almost broke my nose. Not the fight we had in your room, not the phone call; I know you feel the same way.”
His expression softened. I knew he did.
“Think of it as one last, good memory, before we part ways,” I explained. “Not just with me, but with all your friends, here.”
Oh, I could tell he was mulling it over in his head. Trying to tempt me out, figure out the angle I was shooting for by doing all of this. But there wasn’t anything to feel out. Not really, anyway. This was my last chance to connect with him, one last chance to tell him how I really felt. And, if he was determined with this path of his, I could at least be satisfied with my last moment with him, be satisfied that I at least gave it one more go.
Finally, Scott began to nod, his fingers stroking at his chin. “All right, fine. But this doesn’t change anything; just one more game so we all leave on good terms.” With that, he extended his hand toward me, to which I took it and gave it an earnest shake.
And like that, the game was on.
The bet was simple enough; it would be a first-to-five game, loser being forced to eat the entire bowl of calamari fried rice. I already knew Scott didn’t like them, but just to prove I hadn’t tried them and gotten used to the taste, I popped one of those bad boys into my mouth before we left the restaurant.
Pretty sure he knew I wasn’t a good enough actor to replicate a convincing retching noise.
So, the plan was set, the game to take place on the emptied football field. The guys and I had spent all morning heating up the grass, removing frost and slush to make sure we could safely run across.
Damn, I put a lot of work into this. Maybe if I had put some of this effort into our relationship, we might be in a better place now. Nope, I couldn’t go there. It was what it was. I had Cooper on my team, who volunteered to be the first pitcher. Playing football for as long as he had translated really well over to kickball—he got at least two strikes on one of the safeties before they managed to pop the ball into the air. Everyone scattered across the field to catch it, one guy managing to just barely wrap his fingers around it before it bounced and hit the ground.
“And so it begins,” I muttered to myself as I readied to try and catch the ball on first.
Scott’s team managed to get two runs on us before someone got the last strike-out. I made my way to the kicker’s mound, tensing slightly as I watched Dinesh take the pitcher’s plate. “I’ll roll it slowly for yah, babe,” Dinesh winked as he underhanded the ball my way.
“No, don’t--!” Scott called out as a smirk crossed my face. With the power of multiple years in soccer, I easily punted that bitch waaay across the field, easily making it around all three bases before someone even managed to gather it up into their arms.
“Aw, sorry, babe,” I chuckled while passing by Dinesh. “Guess you should’ve rolled it a bit quicker, there, sport.” I cast a quick glance towards Scott, a familiar fire lit behind his eyes. Ooh, he was pissed, now. One hundred percent motivated to beat my team’s ass into the ground.
My team managed to get a one-point lead before Cooper got tagged. The cycle kept continuing, with guys running and tagging others out, keeping our points pretty close. It was two-to-three, three-to-three, still three-to-three, then Denise pulled am amazing rally and managed to pull Scott’s team up to four points. One of his guys got pegged, though, and we managed to score another home run.
It was all tied up. My team’s turn in the outfield.
I was up to pitch this time, delighted to see Scott taking his place. Looking around at the rest of my team, everyone gave me the subtlest of nods, making it known that they still knew the plan.
Now, all I had to do was pitch it just right.
I rolled it forward, trying to force it to the left so Scott had no choice but to punt it right where I wanted it to go. He reared back and let it fly, soaring right over me as Cooper went after it.
And then I went after Cooper.
“I’m sorry, Scott!” I began as we both ran towards first base. “Everything you said over the phone—you’re right!”
“This isn’t exactly the time to be apologizing!” Scott snapped back, foot stepping onto first base as he turned to round second. I followed after, watching as some of the football guys stood in Scott’s way in an attempt to slow him down.
“This is the only time I can!” I cried back as the pair of us duck and wove around the lumbering masses. “It’s the only time I can’t get stuck in my head and say something utterly stupid!”
One of the bigger guys stood right in the way, leaving Scott to slide foot-first underneath while I wove around him. Offering my hand, I managed to catch Scott’s hand and pull him back to his feet, our pace remaining consistent as he stumbled to his feet.
“You’re not supposed to help me, Squid!” Scott snapped as his foot smacked wetly against second base. The ball soared over me, caught by one of the fielders and aimed to hit third as we rounded towards it. “I don’t need you on my back! I don’t need you reminding me how shitty I was in the past!”
“But I want to be with you!” I yelled back, chest practically burning at this point as I tried gulping down air between each sentence. “I—I’m sorry I kept you in that box. I’m sorry I made you feel like shit, or wasn’t ever clear with you. That’s why I’m doing this, here and now! That’s why I’m killing myself to keep pace! Well, not killing myself but working harder than I thought I’d have to.”
Someone dove towards Scott to try and knock him off his feet, so I gave him a shove to the
back. He flew forward, managing to hurtle over the would-be tackler before sliding across the mud. I rushed forward as well, grabbing his hand and using the momentum to spin off and get us back on track. Just like when we were on the ice together.
“We’re awful together, Sydney!” Scott cried out, barely managing to keep his footing as we stumbled over third base. “We can’t just forget about our past! I—I don’t know if I’ll hurt you or not!”
The ball flew my way, my fingers wrapping around it before I pulled it into my chest. “It can’t be any worse than these last few weeks,” I gasped out breathlessly, arms extending to try and hit the ball against his back. This was the last stretch; the last bit until Scott crossed over home. Until he got on that bus and I’d never see him again. “This started as one, stupid rivalry over one, stupid game, but the truth is,” I let out a ragged cry, legs feeling like fire as I tried to reach him, tried to close the small gap between him and I. “Th-the truth is—S-Scott, you drive me crazy in all the best ways! I meant that kiss on the ice, and—and--!”
I completely lost my footing. It was a too-slick patch of mud that sent me flying forward, the ball soaring across the air as the ground quickly climbed closer. I shut my eyes, waiting for the stinging sensation of my nose crunching against the ground, only to feel a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist. Scott turned his body completely, back hitting and sliding across home base as we both collapsed into a heap, clawing for air as it refused to go down and stay down in our lungs. Everyone else ran towards us, a series of shouts and calls complete nonsense in the background as the thundering sound of Scott’s heart overtook my senses.
Scott pushed himself somewhat upright, panting heavily, eyes wide while a mixture of sweat and mud smeared across his hair. I stared back, blinking furiously as my hand went to grab his. It should’ve felt cold, muddy, but all I felt was warmth as our hands intertwined. “Scott, I d-don’t want you to go.” Tears sprang in the corner of my eyes, but I didn’t care who saw. “I won’t stop if you if you gotta, but I can’t stand it if it’s because of me. If it’s because I pushed you away, because I never said what I wanted to. I don’t want to be scared and…regret n-not knowing what could’ve been.”
Scott blinked furiously, his free hand going to wipe my face free of tears, only to stop and start snickering. “S-Sorry, I—your face is, um…”
He was so uncomfortable right now. I don’t know if I’ve ever cried in front of him. But it was like a damn had broken, a rush of emotions tumbling out and unable to be put back. “Oh, aren’t you listening t-to me? Scott, I like you. I like like you. Way more than I thought possible.”
Scott looked like I’d hit him upside the head with a brick. “I-I…” He gulped down some more air and swore. “Ah, fuck it.” He suddenly leaned in towards me, lips pressed against mine as time itself seemed to stop. I reflexively tried to pull away, some deep instinct telling me to stop. But, this time, I ignored it, pushing myself forward and draping my arms around his neck. Shuddering, cold, and muddy, I sat across the Scott Sawyer’s chest and practically shared oxygen with him, in front of anyone and everyone who bothered to pass by.
“Sydney! Scott! Are you two--?” Denise stumbled towards us first, mouth immediately shutting as the giddiest smile crossed her face. She immediately turned on her heel, waving furiously to the others to hang back. “They’re fine, folks! Nothing to see here! Just give ‘em some space, would yah? It’s kind of sweet and gross at the same time.”
Finally, our lips disconnected, the rush of the world coming back to us as Scott and I simply stared at each other. “I-I—uh—th-that was,” Scott rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, a nervous laugh slipping out of his throat. “Y-You’re not drunk this time…are you?”
I stared at him for a solid second before breaking out into giggles. “N-No. But, I might be a little sick.”
Scott looked confused, following my finger as I pointed underneath him. His head was perfectly rested on home plate, the kickball rolling past us uselessly. He turned back, the widest, stupidest smile spreading across his lips.
“Hey, don’t think this is over,” I laughed breathlessly. “When you get back from Whitecap, we’re so getting a rematch.”
Scott gave me a bemused smile. “Whaat? Who’s going to Whitecap? I don’t remember saying anything of the sort.”
My stomach practically burst with the amount of butterflies I was feeling. With a delighted squeal, I practically threw my entire weight down onto Scott’s chest, lips pressed back onto his as the world faded out once more.
For once in my entire life…I didn’t mind losing a game. Not if this was the end-result.
Epilogue
“Scott? Scoooott?”
I let out a groan, rolling over in my bed while I reached for the table my phone was charging on. Sleep overtook common sense as I slid my phone over, thumb tapping furiously to try and turn off an alarm that didn’t exist. Someone’s finger poked me lightly in the back, causing a shudder to run up my spin. “A-Ah!” I rolled over to my side, face-to-face with a grinning Sydney just across from me in bed. “Jesus, Squid, could you not?”
“Not my fault you’re a pain to wake up, Scotty Dog.” Sydney stuck her tongue out with a smirk, leaning in close for a quick, good-morning kiss. “Come on; Mary’s gonna be here in an hour or so.”
I let out a loud groan, grabbing a pillow and covering my face with it. “Can’t we pretend we’re sick or something?” I let out a help as Sydney tugged on my ear, fully pulling me in an upright, sitting position.
“You are not skipping out on greeting Cooper’s little sister,” Sydney scoffed. “Now, throw something quick on and let’s go; I wanna be at the front lot before Coop and Denise get there.”
Another sigh slipped out as I begrudgingly lifted the blankets up and over our bodies. Not to my surprise, Sydney was already dressed in a pair of yoga pants and a tank top; I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d been up since dawn. “I thought she came in at nine?” I asked.
“Yeah, but you should know better than anyone that the Bloodhound tends to run…wonky,” Sydney said. “Plus, it’ll be nice to actually catch up with everyone. Feels like its been ages since we all sat down and talked.”
I laughed, throwing over an orange tee-shirt and working on slipping a pair of cargo pants on. “We literally met up a few days ago after practice for some adult Sandy’s.”
“You know what I mean,” Sydney insisted. “School’s been really kicking Denise’s ass, and I’m not fairing much better.” She let out a sigh, hand draped over her head as she flopped back down onto my bed. “I simply do not know how I’m going to survive until the next semester.”
I laughed, scooting back towards the bed before flopping similarly down beside her. “Oh, how will your poor, 4.0 GPA survive.”
The smile on Sydney’s face positively filled me with life. We just took each other in for a moment in silence, slowly scooting closer and closer together until our noses were practically touching.
Then, my phone started buzzing on my pillow.
Sydney smiled playfully, reaching across my body to grab the phone. “It’s Cooper. They’re wondering where we’re at.”
I scoffed. “Dude,”
“It is!” Sydney laughed, trying to dart away as I lunged after her. “Noo, just trust me on this!”
“I trust you about as much as I can throw you,” I scooped my arms underneath Sydney’s body, easily sweeping her off her feet and spinning around the room. “Now, surrender my damn phone, woman!”
“What’s the magic word?” Sydney cackled, constantly holding the phone just out of my reach.
I scowled playfully, leaning in enough so my lips caught hers by surprise. Her eyes widened, but fluttered shut, arms wrapping around my neck as the phone lazily hung behind my back.
Yeah. I quite liked using this magic word.
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Acknowledgments
Thank you! All of you, who guided and read my first book, who cherished and got exited on all the Scott and Sydney’s news. Writing was always a dream of mine, always so far or my reach but now I can say that it’s because all of you that gave me courage, and now, I’m here with my first book! (mind blown). This romance family has accepted and helped me so much I truly can’t thank you enough, but I’m sure going to try. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU and a million more thank yous.
And of course, what kind of daughter will I be if I didn’t say how grateful and blessed, I am to have my mother, thank you for your words of encouragement and pushing me to follow this dream of mine. Love you Momma.
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