by Tay Marley
Inside, the lineup was being assembled. The football team had been paired up with a cheerleader each. Emily gripped me at the elbow and dragged me toward the back. “You’re with Austin.”
I stood beside the wide receiver and winced when he shimmied and leaned in far too close for comfort. “How’s it going?”
His black wave of hair looked flat and full of grease, and he made an ugly noise with his nose. I sighed and turned to the side when he arched backward and started ogling my ass.
“Switch,” an authoritative voice rumbled. A hand grabbed my elbow and I almost missed Aria being put in place beside Austin as I was dragged toward the front of the lineup.
Drayton looked stern as we stopped in front of the rest of the group, and I watched him with confusion as he peered behind us and scowled at his friend.
“Excuse me, Drayton,” Emily snapped, marching toward us. “No, you can’t just screw up the placing. I’m the cheer captain. Put her back.”
“Put her back? I’m not a piece of furniture.” I scowled.
“I’m the football captain.” Drayton’s tone was biting. “Get over it, Emily. She’s with me.”
His tone was final, and his expression suggested that she let it go because he was not interested in arguing. It surprised me that Emily wasn’t in place beside him, what with them both being team captains and her mild obsession with our quarterback. There was an uncomfortable quiet in the tunnel as Emily retreated to wherever she’d come from, and I could sense the attention without even turning around. Drayton stared ahead of him and jostled the helmet hanging at his side in his left hand. It was sort of hard to ignore how gorgeous he was.
The silence was soon broken by Maxon. His voice echoed from the concrete walls. “Drayton, I thought you said nothing was going on with you and Cheer?”
His taunting voice caused a series of oohs and aahs, and I felt ashamed to wonder how often I’d been a topic of conversation between them. I was also ashamed of how immature half of these morons were. Drayton rolled his eyes and a small smile danced on the corner of his lips. “Yeah, because I’ve been too busy with your mom.”
“Screw you, Lahey!”
The tension in the tunnel built as we inched closer to game time.
“What’s all that about?” I whispered.
“I’m not really hooking up with his mom, Dallas.” He shook his head.
“No.” I rolled my eyes. “I mean, what was with switching my place?”
“You looked uncomfortable. Austin can be a douche. It’s not a big deal,” he said casually.
I didn’t dispute the fact that his teammate was a bit of a sleaze. He nudged me with his elbow and grinned, gesturing at the tunnel opening. “Ready?”
I looked forward and realized that the freshman lackeys had taken their places in front of the tunnel, holding each end of a large banner that Drayton had the honor of tearing through.
A loud voice boomed through the speaker system, signaling our start.
“Give it up for your quarterback, team captain of the Archwood Wolves . . . Drayton Lahey!”
I jogged out beside him, adopting my preppy persona, following him as he tore through the banner and caused an uproar of praise from the student body.
While Drayton pumped up the crowd with a slow jog, I ran into a front handspring, then a front tuck, and landed with a dazzling smile with my arms outstretched. We stood beside Coach Finn in the middle of the field, Drayton on one side and me on the other, beginning our lineups. He grinned, his helmet hanging from his hand, and I forgot about the crowd as he gazed across at me. His eyes were fast and fleeting, but the moment drew me up short.
The rest of the team and squad followed behind. The girls did tricks of their own or sidestepped with a shake of their hips. It was part of our job to cheer them on with all that we had, so, with each introduction we screamed and clapped, and I pretended to care.
As far as pep rallies went, our school put on an impressive show. Coach Finn riled everyone up. “This season, like the last one, and the one before that, is ours. This team is the heart and soul of varsity football in Colorado.” His voice rose with each passing moment. “Our captain, our quarterback, Drayton, is a true leader with skill and passion that he fuels his team with. And I can promise you, the green field will turn red when we defeat our enemies.” Some of the cheerleaders exchanged concerned looks. Coach Finn knew how to get intense. “The Wolves will show no mercy and we will bring home the championship again and again and again because we are the predators and they are our prey.”
It went on for a long time and no one could claim that Coach Finn didn’t have passion. He was a bit out there, but he believed in his team.
The cheerleaders performed yet another of Emily’s basic routines, which the crowd seemed to appreciate nonetheless. My position was a flyer, and I had to admit that it was one of the parts that I loved about cheering. It was a thrill, and I trusted the spotters even if we weren’t best friends. The girls took their positions as if it was life and death, which it could be if I landed on my neck, so I knew that I was in safe hands. Emily was a flyer too. Thank God, since I might have had to rethink the trust thing if she was spotting me.
After the pep rally, everyone dispersed while they waited for kickoff. That night’s match was being played against Greenbell Valley. Everyone was convinced that it would be an easy win because we’d given them a thrashing last time. Both the players and the cheerleaders had to stay at school between the rally and the game to reduce the risk of people being late. Surprise, surprise, Coach Raeken wasn’t around. But Emily was more than willing to bark orders in place of her mother.
Of course, as usual, Emily had wandered off as well. The squad hung around beside the fence on the tarmac. Some of the girls were leaning over and chatting with their friends or boyfriends. Some were stretching. I was talking to Melissa, one of our base girls. She was tall and muscular as hell.
As it grew dark, kids from Archwood and the rival school filed in to fill the stands. The bleachers were packed with families and students from our school on one side and from the other team on the other side. Enormous spotlights surrounded the green and lit up the field as a soft chant filled the air. There were maroon banners and signs among our side of the crowd. My classmates were repping our colors, and an upbeat tune from the industrial-sized speakers kept the atmosphere alive while we waited.
Melissa excused herself from our conversation so that she could go and have a word with her sister before the game began. I turned around and bumped straight into a hard chest. As in protective-gear hard.
“Sorry, shit, I’m always running into you. Good that you’ve got protection,” I joked when I realized that it was Drayton. He looked at me funny, all gorgeous and brooding. “What?”
“Are you going out with Josh tonight?”
“Sort of. Remember, I don’t do dating. It’s just a casual thing. We’re going to Maxon’s together.”
“No, you’re not,” he snapped. “Not with him.”
“I don’t appreciate that tone, you know.” If he expected me to cower or back down because he was glaring at me like that, he had another thing coming. “And I am.”
“No. You’re. Not.” He said it slower this time, as if he was talking to an idiot.
I glared at him and matched his slow tone. “Yes. I. Am.”
“Why? You say you don’t ‘date’? You don’t come to these parties. Ever. So what’s the deal? Why go now, why with Josh?”
“Again, it’s not a date. I made that clear and there are no expectations. We’re on the same page and also I do go to parties . . . once in a while.”
“Dray!” a helmeted player called from the field, signaling for him to join them.
“Don’t get involved with him,” he warned me. I could have been imagining it, but it sounded like he was pleading with me.
“Why do you care?”
“Because I don’t want to see my best friend get hurt. Again.”
His jaw twitched as he ground his teeth together, a telltale sign of frustration. I was at a loss for words as he turned around and jogged onto the field. What had I been hoping his answer would be? Nothing. I hadn’t been hoping for a thing. I’d be quite content if that conversation had never happened at all.
With a few seconds left on the clock, the team assembled into formation. Drayton stood in position behind center line, and his head moved from side to side as he assessed his team. It was as quiet as a game could be, with only a low thrum of chatter from the crowd and shouts of encouragement coming from either side of the stands.
It was a moment or two before he clapped. None of us could hear what he said, but we could see him pointing at some of the defense, and then four of them moved into a spread. I could see a number of vertical seams that would allow a clean pass, but it was too obvious. Their defense would be all over our receivers.
Drayton gave a subtle nod to one of his running backs. But it wasn’t subtle enough. I couldn’t understand why he was butcher-
ing his play so badly. He rolled his left shoulder, crouched, and then shouted “Hut” to signal the snap. As soon as the ball was in his hands, the opposition went for our receivers. Drayton stepped back, throwing a screen pass to the wide receiver. One of our tallest players, who jumped from an attempted block by a Greenbell cornerback, caught the ball and threw a lateral to a second running back who was rushing toward the end zone.
Using two running backs in one play wasn’t expected, but it must have been planned because the execution was flawless. The left shoulder roll, clever.
The running back, Derek, was almost intercepted, but performed a slick side step, just avoiding the defense, and cleared the last yards until he crossed the plane and brought the crowd to its feet. We finished the game 46-18, and the ball was thrown into the stands. Derek was swept off his feet when the rest of the team ran in for celebration.
Our side of the stands screamed. Coach Finn applauded. We began our winning cheer routine, and I caught Drayton being pulled into the sea of muscle as I was lifted into a liberty stunt. I thought that first play was hopeless, but he was the quarterback for a reason. He knew what he was doing.
The excitement continued but as soon as the last routine was done, I headed toward the bleachers to collect my duffel, which sat beside the fence. I didn’t see the need to go back to the locker rooms when I planned on going home to shower and change. As I wandered down the fence line toward the gate, I checked my cell phone for messages and saw about seven from Gabby and one from Josh.
Let me know when to get you! Great cheering tonight ;)
“Dallas.”
I glanced up and found Nathan leaning on the other side of the fence. His sandy-blond hair was hidden underneath a beanie and his denim-jacket collar was raised around his neck.
“Hey.” I smiled and gave him a teasing punch in his good shoulder. His bad one still gave him flack from time to time. “What’s up?”
“I just thought that I’d say well done and good cheering. All of that.”
I laughed and adjusted the strap of the bag on my shoulder. “What’d you think of that play?”
“Brilliant,” he said, proud. “Good to know that the team is still in good hands since I left.”
He peered around, his expression full of nostalgia. Nathan and I used to come to these games together before I joined the cheer squad. We’d loved watching football together since we were young. First me watching him on the field, and now him watching me. Dad would be proud of both of us following his love for the sport.
I noticed a short redhead with wild curls and little legs. She looked bored, impatient almost. I blinked at Nathan and pointed. “Did you bring a date to a varsity football game?”
He smiled but it wasn’t a real smile. It was a caught-out-bare-teeth-but-wince sort of smile. “You are shameless,” I scoffed with amusement.
“Hey.” He pointed a finger at me. “That is no way to talk to the brother who raised you.”
“Excuse you.” I recoiled. “Nan raised me, and by the time she passed, I was old enough to take care of myself.”
“Well,” Nathan scoffed, shuffling his feet in the dirt as he folded his arms defensively across his chest, “I have nothing to say to that because you’re right. Your boyfriend did well tonight.”
“He is not my boyfriend.”
“You talk about him so much, I figured he must be.”
I do not. Do I?
“I hate you.”
As soon as I got home, I showered and spent time scrubbing the paint off my cheeks. Afterward, I pulled my wet hair into a fishtail braid, leaving loose strands to frame my face, which was red and raw from exfoliant. I smeared a layer of foundation on, brushed on some contour and highlight, and then added a bit of mascara. That would do.
It was still warm enough for a cute little white playsuit. The neckline was tasteful but not totally modest, and the sleeves were long. I sent Josh a text message and sat in the living room while I slid on a pair of strappy heels. The soles were thick and gave me four inches of height.
When I saw headlights pull up outside, I peered out and saw the Jeep. I faltered for a moment, but then remembered that Drayton had his motorcycle back from the shop after having the dent fixed, and he no longer needed to drive the car that he and Josh shared. I locked the house and took care as I went down the front steps.
“You look great,” Josh complimented me as I slipped into the passenger seat.
“Thanks. You too.”
He did look nice with his hair in its usual slick style and wearing a blue short-sleeved button-up shirt and white shorts.
“Good game tonight, right?” He grinned, the streetlights illuminating half of his smile. “I was a little more excited for the halftime though. You looked great getting thrown around like that. Is it hard? I feel like I’d throw up. Like, you go up in the air and don’t even look worried about landing on someone’s hands.”
“It’s about trust. Even if we butcher the landing, our spotters will catch us. They’re vigilant and quick. They have to be, you know? They take the role seriously. I also feel like they don’t get enough credit. Those girls are so strong. The bases too.”
“It looks fun.”
“It’s all right,” I admitted. It was a serious sport, but it was fun—it didn’t hold a candle to dancing, though.
He tapped the volume button on the steering wheel and bopped to an Imagine Dragons song. That was where the conversation lulled, and I stared out of the window for the next fifteen minutes until we were in Drayton’s neighborhood.
When we got to Maxon’s, the first thing I noticed was that it wasn’t at all like Drayton’s. It wasn’t surrounded by the forest or facing the mountains. A white concrete parking lot–sized driveway faced the house, and a roundabout made of trimmed hedges sat in the middle of all of the parked cars. The house itself was huge and had dramatic views of Pikes Peak and the expansive rolling hills of Daniels Park.
We went straight through a living area to the upstairs, following the thumping music. Floor-to-ceiling rolling doors allowed indoor-outdoor living, and we stepped out onto a patio overlooking a breathtaking view. You couldn’t even call it a backyard because the entire thing was one large space with an endless green lawn. Josh led me by the hand down the staircase that wrapped around the side of the house to the heart of the back section. Concrete bench seats wrapped around a stone fire pit. Solar lights illuminated the vast space. Students danced and drank. A dog ran around, and it was adorable.
People goofed around playing touch football on the lawn or playing a game of cards at the long wooden outdoor table under the cabana. I was tempted to send a quick video to Gabby, but that felt cruel considering she couldn’t be here, and she’d be j
ealous.
“There’s a bin over there.” Josh pointed at one of seven industrial-sized coolers that were filled with ice and beer. “Want one?”
“Sure,” I said.
“Want to grab us a seat?”
I looked around and spotted a free lounge chair. Josh dashed off, and as I wandered over to the lounge chair, I was intercepted.
“Drayton,” I greeted him with indifference, remembering the run-in that we’d had before the game.
“I told you not to come with him.”
His cropped hair was tousled, and his fitted T-shirt was agonizing, exposing his armful of ink. Did he have to be so attractive? It just didn’t seem fair.
“I don’t remember giving you the right to tell me who I can and cannot spend time with.” I knew he was mad but I didn’t stop. “What’s your issue with me? Is it the fact that I use Tinder? Because I was clear with him that I’m a casual arrangement sort of person, and he was fine with that. I’m not going to hurt him. I’ve been honest from the beginning.”
Before Drayton could answer, Josh appeared beside me and handed over a chilled bottle of beer. I thanked him and accepted it while appearing as casual as I could and not at all like Drayton and I had just been having a heated moment over the fact that Josh and I were here together.
“Good game tonight.” Josh held his hand out, and he and Drayton shook with a slap on the back.
“Thanks, man.” Drayton smiled. “Have a good night.”
Drayton’s disapproving look pierced me for a fleeting moment, and then he joined his group of friends on the stone bench seats. Becca, a raven-haired girl from the cheer team, sat beside him and rested her manicured claws on his arm, only to pull them back when Emily glared at her narrowly from across the fire pit.
Whatever. I wasn’t going to spend the night dwelling on Drayton. He was being unreasonable. Accusing me of hurting his friend when I had been nothing but up front and honest. Josh and I sat down on a lounge seat and had a drink.
As we watched the scene in front of us, I said, “Drayton mentioned your parents are in Canada.” He nodded, swallowing his mouthful of beer.