“No one has any idea how that works,” Anastasia muttered next to me, then laughed.
“As long as you cheer when our team scores a goal, you’ll be fine.” Imogen gave me a reassuring smile. I relaxed into my seat as the girls conversed quietly, actually making an effort to include me, and I was surprised to realise that I was actually having a good time.
“Selfie,” Anastasia suddenly announced, and I automatically shrank back in my seat. “Stop hiding. You’re in this.” She gave me a severe look, then a tiny smile. “We do it before every game. It’s tradition. If we stopped now and the team lost, it would be our fault.”
“Superstitious, much?” Emmeline piped up, vocalising my exact thoughts.
“We can’t take that risk,” Anastasia said. “Anyway, smile!” She held her phone out, and we all leaned in together as she snapped a photo. “Mind if I tag you?”
“N-no,” I managed to say. Anastasia Egerton taking selfies with me? Had I been dropped into some parallel universe?
“Done,” she said a couple of minutes later. “While I’m on here…” Her fingers flew over her phone screen, swiping across to my profile. “I see you’ve been hanging out with Cassius Drummond. If you ever feel like introducing us, I’d owe you one.” She gave me a bright smile, flashing her teeth.
“Is this why you invited me? Because of Cassius?” I stared at her suspiciously.
“No. No it wasn’t.” Her immediate, emphatic denial made me feel a little better, although I still couldn’t quite suppress the twinge of uncertainty. “He’s just…”
“Insanely hot? The sexiest man to ever roam the streets of Alstone?” Imogen supplied.
“Exactly.” Anastasia nodded in agreement. “Have you seen him?”
“He’s gorgeous,” Emmeline added.
“Okay, okay, I get it.” I laughed.
Whatever anyone else was about to say was forgotten as the stands started filling up around us. Music blared through the speakers around the stadium, and the atmosphere became electric, buzzing with anticipation. I realised I was actually excited about this. Why had I avoided coming for so long?
“I didn’t realise so many people would be here.” I stared around me, at the almost full stands. Even the stands across the other side of the football pitch, where the away team fans sat, was full.
“It’s not always this busy. But this is the championship quarter-finals, and Highnam Academy are kind of our biggest rivals, I guess, so everyone wants to be here.” Imogen flashed me a grin, then turned to greet another girl who had sat down behind us.
“I see that.” Pulling out my phone, I took a couple of photos to send to Lena, then sat back, waiting for the players to make an appearance. My nerves returned, as thoughts of Carter invaded my mind.
Someone dropped into the seat next to Imogen, and I turned when I felt, rather than heard, her small gasp of surprise. Xavier had taken the empty seat, and he sprawled out in it, his long legs taking up all the space in the aisle. He and Imogen stared at one another in silence for a moment, and although I couldn’t see her face, I could see his gaze grow softer as he looked at her.
Breaking their connection, he looked around her to me. “You made it. Now for the finishing touches…” He reached down to the bag at his feet that I hadn’t noticed until that point and pulled out a bundle of fabric which he handed to me. “Put this on.”
I stared at him, confused. “Huh?”
“You want to match the rest of us or not?” He gave me a huge grin, and I unfolded the fabric to find a football shirt in the team colours.
“I have to wear this?”
“You don’t have to, but we’re all in the team colours. See?” Imogen pointed to herself, then to Anastasia, and I realised they were wearing black and green, the school team colours.
“But you’re not wearing an actual football shirt, though,” I pointed out.
“That doesn’t matter. Just put it on over your jumper. It’ll probably be really big on you,” Xavier told me. As they looked at me expectantly, I sighed.
“Okay, I’ll put—” Lifting the shirt, I noticed the huge number 7 on the back. “Hang on, this is Carter’s number, isn’t it?”
Xavier gave me a suspiciously innocent look, then shrugged. “That was all I could get hold of on short notice, sorry.”
I wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not, but I pulled the shirt over my head, knowing that they wouldn’t let me get away with not wearing it, and there was no way I was going to cause a scene. Xavier was right, it was huge on me. It was the team’s winter shirt as well, meaning it had long sleeves, which I could at least pull down over my cold hands. Even though I shouldn’t allow myself to hope for anything after Carter’s silence all week, I couldn’t help the nervous, excited feeling fluttering in my belly at the thought of me wearing a shirt with his number on.
And then, there he was. The music cut out and a voice was announcing the teams, and they filed onto the pitch, Carter leading the way for Alstone High, the captain’s armband on his bicep. My stomach flipped, and I couldn’t look away. He didn’t look at me, not once, and I couldn’t help my disappointment, but I reminded myself that it was only to be expected.
The pre-game stuff passed in a blur, as my whole focus shrank to Carter. I watched as the teams shook hands, and my eyes stayed on Carter, watching as he made his way down the line of players with practiced efficiency. The coin toss came next, and then suddenly, the whistle was being blown and the game was starting.