the sideline.
He slaps a few high-fives as he ambles past the players who are already seated. I want him to look into the stands so I can wave and give him a thumbs-up, but someone else calls his name.
His head whips in the direction of the cheer squad. A sexy, lopsided grin pulls at his lips and he turns to face the girls. Two of them are leaning against the fence, all flirty, as they call something to him. He shouts something back and one of them tips her head back, her shiny ponytail swinging over her shoulder as she laughs.
I scowl, not immune to the jealousy ripping through me.
“You’re not his girlfriend,” Amy whispers in my ear. “He thinks you’re after Mack, remember?”
I whip around to face her, my scowl deepening.
She raises her hands. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s your plan. I’m only stating the obvious.”
My face crumples and I look back at the cheerleaders with their perfect ponytails and little skirts. “Maybe I need to become a cheerleader.”
I glance over my shoulder in time to see Amy’s eyes bulge. “Are you kidding me? No offense, sweetness, but you can’t really dance.”
“Yes, I can.”
“In your pajamas, on your bed when you’re goofing off, but come on, Tori. You…” She sighs, no doubt hindered by my sad expression.
She wraps her arm around my shoulders and gives me a tight smile. “You don’t need to dance to win over Colt Burgess. Forget the cheerleaders. I bet none of them have met him in a meadow this week.”
Her wink and encouraging words wipe the frown off my face. I grin and mouth, “Thank you,” before turning back to the girls. Colt is still calling out to them, looking all flirty and gorgeous.
Doubts scour me while I reassess my plan and wonder how I can become more like the girls he wants to be with.
#10:
Vanilla
Colt
I’m pumped after the game.
42 - 12.
You can’t get a better start to the season than that. The guys are all on a high as we lumber through the grass and set up around the bonfire Benson and his friends are building.
The isolated field at the back of Mr. Riley’s farm will soon be humming with students, all buzzing and excited after such a strong win. I grin at Tyler as he grunts and places the keg down.
I drop the Solo cups next to him and chuckle. “You have to be grateful your uncle owns the liquor store.”
“Dude, it’s the world’s best Christmas present.”
We laugh and pump fists. Mack slaps me on the back, pushing me away from the keg so he can snatch a cup off the ground. “Nice running tonight, Trig.”
I nod at his compliment. “The line found me all the right gaps.”
“Yeah, made easy by sloppy defense.”
“I know, right? They were all over the place.”
“It doesn’t help that their coach is a geriatric.” Finn and two of his linemen, Darius and Will, appear behind me.
We all laugh. I take the cup from Mack and wait until all of us are holding one.
Raising his in the air, Mack shouts, “To a great start for what will be the best season the Nelson Raiders have ever seen!”
“Yeah!” Tyler slaps his cup against mine, spilling beer over my hand.
We gulp back the brew and laugh, still pumped from our triumph. It’s going to be a good night. It’s going to be a good year!
I swallow down another mouthful of amber liquid and try not to think about how quickly it will fly past. Soon, I’ll be facing the inevitable upheaval of the current Nelson Raiders disintegrating as we all go our separate ways. Except for Mack. He’s already had a verbal offer from the Boise State Broncos. He doesn’t have to worry about grades and play time like I do. He had a great season last year and the offer came in over the summer. His dad played quarterback for Boise State back in the day, which no doubt helped. The scouts have been watching him for a long time now. I’m not jealous or anything. Okay, I totally am. If only it came that easy for me. All I can hope is that after the summer,
He slaps a few high-fives as he ambles past the players who are already seated. I want him to look into the stands so I can wave and give him a thumbs-up, but someone else calls his name.
His head whips in the direction of the cheer squad. A sexy, lopsided grin pulls at his lips and he turns to face the girls. Two of them are leaning against the fence, all flirty, as they call something to him. He shouts something back and one of them tips her head back, her shiny ponytail swinging over her shoulder as she laughs.
I scowl, not immune to the jealousy ripping through me.
“You’re not his girlfriend,” Amy whispers in my ear. “He thinks you’re after Mack, remember?”
I whip around to face her, my scowl deepening.
She raises her hands. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s your plan. I’m only stating the obvious.”
My face crumples and I look back at the cheerleaders with their perfect ponytails and little skirts. “Maybe I need to become a cheerleader.”
I glance over my shoulder in time to see Amy’s eyes bulge. “Are you kidding me? No offense, sweetness, but you can’t really dance.”
“Yes, I can.”
“In your pajamas, on your bed when you’re goofing off, but come on, Tori. You…” She sighs, no doubt hindered by my sad expression.
She wraps her arm around my shoulders and gives me a tight smile. “You don’t need to dance to win over Colt Burgess. Forget the cheerleaders. I bet none of them have met him in a meadow this week.”
Her wink and encouraging words wipe the frown off my face. I grin and mouth, “Thank you,” before turning back to the girls. Colt is still calling out to them, looking all flirty and gorgeous.
Doubts scour me while I reassess my plan and wonder how I can become more like the girls he wants to be with.
#10:
Vanilla
Colt
I’m pumped after the game.
42 - 12.
You can’t get a better start to the season than that. The guys are all on a high as we lumber through the grass and set up around the bonfire Benson and his friends are building.
The isolated field at the back of Mr. Riley’s farm will soon be humming with students, all buzzing and excited after such a strong win. I grin at Tyler as he grunts and places the keg down.
I drop the Solo cups next to him and chuckle. “You have to be grateful your uncle owns the liquor store.”
“Dude, it’s the world’s best Christmas present.”
We laugh and pump fists. Mack slaps me on the back, pushing me away from the keg so he can snatch a cup off the ground. “Nice running tonight, Trig.”
I nod at his compliment. “The line found me all the right gaps.”
“Yeah, made easy by sloppy defense.”
“I know, right? They were all over the place.”
“It doesn’t help that their coach is a geriatric.” Finn and two of his linemen, Darius and Will, appear behind me.
We all laugh. I take the cup from Mack and wait until all of us are holding one.
Raising his in the air, Mack shouts, “To a great start for what will be the best season the Nelson Raiders have ever seen!”
“Yeah!” Tyler slaps his cup against mine, spilling beer over my hand.
We gulp back the brew and laugh, still pumped from our triumph. It’s going to be a good night. It’s going to be a good year!
I swallow down another mouthful of amber liquid and try not to think about how quickly it will fly past. Soon, I’ll be facing the inevitable upheaval of the current Nelson Raiders disintegrating as we all go our separate ways. Except for Mack. He’s already had a verbal offer from the Boise State Broncos. He doesn’t have to worry about grades and play time like I do. He had a great season last year and the offer came in over the summer. His dad played quarterback for Boise State back in the day, which no doubt helped. The scouts have been watching him for a long time now. I’m not jealous or anything. Okay, I totally am. If only it came that easy for me. All I can hope is that after the summer,
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