Relief floods me. I don’t expect women to fawn over me or always be interested, but Hannah’s been asking questions and giggling every time I’m in the room, making me work to gain distance to avoid the offer of a date proposal I’d have to decline which would likely have me packing for another set of reasons. “The kicker?”
Hannah nods.
Ethan’s a sophomore, and likely won’t ever start. He has a goofy sense of humor and mostly sticks with the other two kickers on the team. “Yeah, sure.”
“Would you maybe introduce me to him?”
Hadley takes another drink of her coffee, peering at me over the top of her cup.
“He’ll want to go out tonight.” I point at her and then Hadley. “If you guys go to the game, you could come out with us.”
“Where are you going?” Hannah asks.
I shrug. “Does it matter?”
Hannah turns to Hadley. “Will you go with me?”
Hadley lowers her coffee and raises her eyebrows, looking as shocked by the turn of conversation as I am. “Um, yeah.” She nods.
Something too similar to victory warms my chest.
Chapter9
Nolan
Itake a hit from my inhaler before handing it to Coach Baskins, our running back coach. He shoves it into the fanny pack too snug around his waist and straightens his Dark blue Knights baseball cap. It’s new. Every home game, he starts with a new hat. Nobody mentions the superstitions that fill our locker room before every game as though acknowledging them might curse us or cancel out the good luck born in the delusion.
It's our first game of the season and being here at home in Bia Stadium. The crowd’s cheers are so loud, they’re discernable over the music pouring from the speakers. We knew tonight would be a packed house, the stadium sold out even before Camden had a winning team, but over the past several years, the energy has built like a bonfire as we’ve gained the attention of national TV news and are now referred to as the team to beat in our conference.
Beside me, Hudson slides his helmet on.
“You ready, Captain?” I ask him.
His eyes are shaded from the helmet and visor as he meets my gaze. This is our third year playing together, and we’re like a well-oiled machine, knowing each other’s movements and steps as well as our own.
We’ve spent the day here at the facility, studying tape, going over plays, and contingencies, and being pulled out for interviews.
This feeling, the energy, the anticipation—it’s something I never tire of.
Coach Krueger is in front of us, the barrier between the cheerleading squad and the team. He listens to someone talk into the headphones the staff wear because they can’t hear over the raucous crowd and the marching band that’s currently playing out on the field.
A cheerleader named Janelle looks at me and smiles brightly. Her blond hair is pulled back into a high ponytail, glitter all over her face. Her eyes are a similar shade of blue as Hadley’s, but her makeup makes them more pronounced. She winks and turns her cheek, where my jersey number’s prominently on display.
It’s an invitation, an offer to hook up tonight.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell if people are interested in me for my role on the team, or just me. With Janelle, I know it’s because I’m a starting wide receiver. She dated one of our starters last year before he graduated.
It’s a hard pass.
Krueger shifts, becoming a barrier between her inquiring gaze. He turns his head, saying something to one of the cheer squad members and then something more to Coach Peters who nods, his mouth set with a firm scowl.
“Go! Go! Go!” Kreuger calls as the banner in front of the tunnel drops. The cheer squad races out to take the field. The coaching staff goes next, then we’re at their backs, running out onto the field where the crowd is already on their feet waving signs, banners, and flags as we stream out onto the AstroTurf, taking a full lap, as we kick-off the first victory of the season.
I glance out at the stands, wondering if Hadley came and where she might be sitting as we stop beside our team bench. Baskins sets his hand on my shoulder to get my attention.
“You need another hit?” he asks, reaching for my inhaler.
I shake my head.