me again, pushing
everything I tried to ignore through my mind.
“I’d really like you to go now.”
After a moment, he nodded and left. The door fell shut. The
room fell silent. And my heart fell back out of my throat.
# # #
“You’ve reached the middle of nowhere. Leave a message after
the beep.”
BEEP.
“Rachel, it’s me. Seriously, call. Life is insane and things
with Chris are even weirder and this guy Luke is going to crush him and he’s
arguing with me and wants Chris’s spot on the team and…” I lowered my voice
feeling really stupid. “Rachel, he can see me.”
I waited, wondering how soon she’d get this message. When she’d be able to call me back. A girl needs her best
friend in times of absolute emotional chaos. Hopefully, that call would come
soon… like, nowish would work.
“Okay then. Call me. K?”
# # #
The phone dinged three times in a row. My heart stutter-stepped
as I reached for it even though I knew it was probably Rachel this time.
Party was lame
Wish we could have
hung instead
The brownies made me
think of you
I grinned at the screen, knowing exactly what he meant. Each
evening, as the kids headed out, Chris would bring over a loot of caf brownies while we waited for the
“I’m-so-sorry-I-hit-traffic” everyday parents to show up.
I hated missing the party, but part of me loved the idea
that he was thinking of me while he was there. While he was
with her.
Another ding.
Stay away from Parker,
Okay?
And a little jealousy never killed anyone… of course, the
fight for the spot on the team might.
Chapter 8
To say I wasn’t looking forward to evening tryouts was an
understatement. Between having to watch Chris mastermind this year’s power
couple and facing Luke after humiliating myself in the art room, I was pretty
much done. I contemplated lacing my Nikes and running until exhaustion downed
me. I thought I could make it through at least two towns, maybe hit the third
before my legs gave out.
My short-term plan would be to then lie in the road until
someone ran me over.
Instead, I stacked the binders on the table and waited for
the team. Tonight Coach might start giving me notes. I hoped he didn’t tell me
who he was naming tryout captains so I didn’t have to lie to Chris and claim uninformedness .
I’m not sure I had that in me anyway.
“Hey.”
The little hairs under my ponytail leapt like springtime
crickets. Only one guy started every conversation like that. As if I had tons
of guys seeing me, let alone chatting me up.
Without turning around, I said, “I don’t want to talk about
it.”
The breeze ruffled stats pages as I flipped through the
binder looking for the session 5-Evening roll call. Already guys had begun
dropping out.
“Okay.”
Wow.
Mr. Pushy was backing off? I glanced at him over my shoulder
and he gave a small shrug. “I know when something’s none of my business. I’ll
stop. I’ve said everything I had to already. So…”
So, what?
“Thanks,” I said, when he didn’t
finish his thought.
“Parker!” Coach’s voice cut across
the field to where we stood, argument diverted. “Are you going to join us or
sit on the bench and chatter like an old woman with the stats girl?”
“See ya .” Luke sprinted toward
midfield, pulling his socks over his shin guards as he went.
My gut felt wrong for a moment. Like I’d made one of those
big mistakes you didn’t know how to fix, only I didn’t
know what the mistake was. Luke was on the field with the guys. Chris was
looking at me with some type of new, deeper interest. I was where every girl in
school wished she could be… if not hanging with the Rah- Rahs ,
that is.
“Welcome to your last free ride, boys.” Coach slapped his
clipboard against his leg as he circled the group stretching on the ground.
“Tonight, we’re gonna run till we’re done. The bottom
ten can sleep-in tomorrow while the rest of us continue with
everything I tried to ignore through my mind.
“I’d really like you to go now.”
After a moment, he nodded and left. The door fell shut. The
room fell silent. And my heart fell back out of my throat.
# # #
“You’ve reached the middle of nowhere. Leave a message after
the beep.”
BEEP.
“Rachel, it’s me. Seriously, call. Life is insane and things
with Chris are even weirder and this guy Luke is going to crush him and he’s
arguing with me and wants Chris’s spot on the team and…” I lowered my voice
feeling really stupid. “Rachel, he can see me.”
I waited, wondering how soon she’d get this message. When she’d be able to call me back. A girl needs her best
friend in times of absolute emotional chaos. Hopefully, that call would come
soon… like, nowish would work.
“Okay then. Call me. K?”
# # #
The phone dinged three times in a row. My heart stutter-stepped
as I reached for it even though I knew it was probably Rachel this time.
Party was lame
Wish we could have
hung instead
The brownies made me
think of you
I grinned at the screen, knowing exactly what he meant. Each
evening, as the kids headed out, Chris would bring over a loot of caf brownies while we waited for the
“I’m-so-sorry-I-hit-traffic” everyday parents to show up.
I hated missing the party, but part of me loved the idea
that he was thinking of me while he was there. While he was
with her.
Another ding.
Stay away from Parker,
Okay?
And a little jealousy never killed anyone… of course, the
fight for the spot on the team might.
Chapter 8
To say I wasn’t looking forward to evening tryouts was an
understatement. Between having to watch Chris mastermind this year’s power
couple and facing Luke after humiliating myself in the art room, I was pretty
much done. I contemplated lacing my Nikes and running until exhaustion downed
me. I thought I could make it through at least two towns, maybe hit the third
before my legs gave out.
My short-term plan would be to then lie in the road until
someone ran me over.
Instead, I stacked the binders on the table and waited for
the team. Tonight Coach might start giving me notes. I hoped he didn’t tell me
who he was naming tryout captains so I didn’t have to lie to Chris and claim uninformedness .
I’m not sure I had that in me anyway.
“Hey.”
The little hairs under my ponytail leapt like springtime
crickets. Only one guy started every conversation like that. As if I had tons
of guys seeing me, let alone chatting me up.
Without turning around, I said, “I don’t want to talk about
it.”
The breeze ruffled stats pages as I flipped through the
binder looking for the session 5-Evening roll call. Already guys had begun
dropping out.
“Okay.”
Wow.
Mr. Pushy was backing off? I glanced at him over my shoulder
and he gave a small shrug. “I know when something’s none of my business. I’ll
stop. I’ve said everything I had to already. So…”
So, what?
“Thanks,” I said, when he didn’t
finish his thought.
“Parker!” Coach’s voice cut across
the field to where we stood, argument diverted. “Are you going to join us or
sit on the bench and chatter like an old woman with the stats girl?”
“See ya .” Luke sprinted toward
midfield, pulling his socks over his shin guards as he went.
My gut felt wrong for a moment. Like I’d made one of those
big mistakes you didn’t know how to fix, only I didn’t
know what the mistake was. Luke was on the field with the guys. Chris was
looking at me with some type of new, deeper interest. I was where every girl in
school wished she could be… if not hanging with the Rah- Rahs ,
that is.
“Welcome to your last free ride, boys.” Coach slapped his
clipboard against his leg as he circled the group stretching on the ground.
“Tonight, we’re gonna run till we’re done. The bottom
ten can sleep-in tomorrow while the rest of us continue with
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