Love and Other Goals (Love and Other #1)

Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

M y parents enjoy the rest of the weekend in Brooklyn, attending AOPi events and catching up with Teegan, Amaya, and their families over dinner together. The parents lament about their babies growing up, and the Beefs roll our eyes at their sentimentality while secretly feeling the same.

Sunday morning, we hug our parents goodbye, and Amaya immediately cracks the proverbial whip to get everyone’s noses to the homecoming grindstone. Daily events and competitions this week culminate in the announcement of the winning Greek houses on Saturday before the start of the soccer match.

Teegan and the rest of the showcase performers are off to rehearsal, and Amaya has placed me in charge of the underclassmen pomping our parade float. She’s overseeing progress on the yard display since it’s the first thing to be judged tomorrow. I’m always amazed by Amaya, but I’m prouder than ever to be her best friend, as she has organized and delegated like a boss. If AOPi doesn’t win homecoming, it won’t be for lack of whole-hearted effort.

Aside from briefly FaceTiming Sunday evening to hear about their victory on Saturday, I barely get to speak with Mateo all week. It’s all-hands-on-deck between classes to make sure everything looks perfect. Teegan leads our team of AOPis and AEs in a commanding showcase performance, dancing and lip-syncing their hearts out to roars of applause from the crowd. I only feel a brief moment of awkwardness watching Aaron perform with the OGs before I firmly kick the echoes of dancing together out of my mind.

By the time the homecoming parade rolls around Friday night, I’m exhausted. The last thing I feel like doing is walking a mile behind our float passing out candy, but I know this is the crown jewel on Amaya’s Presidency. So, I let Teegan do my hair and makeup, and I plaster on my rush week fake smile. I encouraged Sofia, Clara, and Luisa to invite Shaista to attend with them, so I’m hopeful to see them along the parade route.

“You knowwww,” Teegan says in sing song as she applies her eyeliner. “The soccer team has their own float, so at least you’ll get to see a certain hot soccer captain at the parade.”

Although I roll my eyes at her, I’ve secretly been banking on the chance of seeing Mateo redeeming the parade exhaustion.

The Greek house pairings are judged by the appearance of the physical float in addition to the level of enthusiasm and school spirit shown by the parade participants. I’m standing next to Liz and some other freshmen girls as Amaya gives the crowd of AOPis and AEs an animated pep talk through a bullhorn. Suddenly, I feel a pinch on my waist.

I turn around to find Mateo grinning at me. He whispers hello and gives me a quick hug before falling back with the rest of the soccer team heading to their float. I’m pretty sure they just get to stand on a trailer and wave to the cheering spectators, as opposed to trying to lead the crowd in organized chants, which is a little bit unfair. Still, I’m smiling as I turn back around to the nudges and hushed squeals of Liz and the other girls around me.

Halfway through the parade, I’m starting to buckle under the torture when I spy Shaista in the crowd along with Sofia and Clara. Luisa isn’t with them, but I’m delighted to see Shaista here, smiling widely as she takes in the parade. I catch their attention, and they wave and loudly yell the cheer our group is shouting. I briefly rush over and tell them to meet me outside of Grow Wild at the end of the parade route if they have time.

We finally reach the end of the route, and there’s a collective cheer and sigh of relief. People are dispersing to get a late dinner or a head start at the AE house party. I look around for signs of the soccer team, but I can’t find their float. I need to make my way through the crowd if I have any hope of meeting up with my ELL students, so I reluctantly head that way.

The disappointment of missing Mateo fades when I see Sofia, Clara, and Shaista talking as I walk up to the gift shop. They see me coming and give me huge hugs, complimenting me on our house’s float.

“It was totally the best one, Lana,” Sofia insists.

“Yeah, your team will definitely win,” Clara adds. This leads to us trying to explain to Shaista through simple English and hand gestures what a homecoming competition is, which then leads to trying to explain what Greek houses are. America really does have some funny traditions.

I sense Mateo behind me before he even speaks because of the look on the girls’ faces. They go from lively conversation to starstruck silence like an F1 driver goes zero to a hundred. I feel Mateo’s left arm around my shoulders as he says, “Hey, Lana. Hi there, girls. I’m Mateo.”

He holds out his right hand, and they literally giggle like school girls as they take turns exchanging handshakes. I can’t really blame them, considering that Mateo’s handsome face and dimpled smile make me want to giggle like a school girl too. I introduce each of them, and they are kind enough to go way overboard in talking up how great of a tutor I am. Like, they are really trying to sell me to Mateo. He just keeps grinning at me as they go on and on about all my positive qualities, and I fight the urge to burst out laughing.

I love these sweet girls.

Sofia’s phone rings, and she answers in Spanish. I assume it’s her parents wanting to know where she’s disappeared to. She’s speaking rapid fire with passionate inflection, and Clara is nodding and giggling intermittently as she listens. Shaista just shrugs at me, and I hold my hands up in an “I have no idea” gesture, making her laugh.

Sofia is oblivious that Mateo is following along with the conversation. He catches her off guard when he interjects in Spanish, evidently demanding her phone because she passes it over to him. He chats for a minute with her parents, and I catch a few words here and there about Townsend and fútbol and my name. Sofia and Clara are positively loving their lives right now.

Mateo finishes talking and ends the call, telling Sofia, “You’re supposed to meet them outside the taco shop so they can drive you home.”

The girls are now really starstruck, and gush about how nice it was to meet Mateo. They’re saying their goodbyes, but Sofia leans over to me and not-so-quietly says in my ear, “ Chica , you did not tell us that you had a boyfriend or that he is sooo hot!”

Mateo is fighting back a laugh as he tells Shaista that it was nice to meet her. I playfully shove Sofia and tell her, “It wasn’t relevant to our English lessons, you goofball.” She gives me one last hug before the three of them head off to meet her parents.

I turn to Mateo with a half-smile and wrap my hands around his waist, angling my neck to look up at his face. “And what exactly was that all about?”

He grins and loops his arms around my back, burying his fingers in my hair. “I guess you’ll have to brush up on your Spanish if you want to keep up with conversations.”

I stick out my lower lip and give him my best puppy dog eyes, making him chuckle. “I’ll never be able to say no to those gorgeous eyes! Sofia was being a little mischievous with her parents, saying they were late meeting up after the parade because they were talking to a hot older guy. I could hear her mom’s classic Latina scolding through the phone, so I explained who I was and why we were chatting. And then she naturally had glowing things to say about you being the best influence in Sofia’s life, so I agreed with her that you’re pretty much the greatest woman who has ever lived.”

Mateo has a teasing smile, but I can tell he’s also being totally serious. I’m still not the best at receiving compliments, despite how frequently he gives them, so I just smile back and then lean my head against his chest. He rests his chin on the top of my head, still weaving his fingers through my hair against my back.

“I’m really glad you got to meet them. They’re such special girls.” I feel Mateo nod his head in agreement.

“I can see why you enjoy spending time with them. It was cool to see Sofia and Clara including Shaista.”

“I know, right?” I say, pulling back so I can look up at him. “They invited Shaista the first week and have been so kind helping her learn the ropes as she’s figuring out school in America and learning English.”

Mateo narrows his eyes thoughtfully as he looks at me. “You know that’s partially due to your influence, right? You’ve been that person for them, so they’re passing it along to someone else who needs the same belonging.”

It warms my heart to think about the chain reaction of acceptance and friendship. I have my mom to credit for my own vision to see the people in need of welcome. I should thank her for that.

We start walking back toward the thinning parade crowd, hand in hand. Mateo offers to give me a ride home, but I have my car here since I’m one of the designated drivers for the party tonight. He looks over at me with concern and says, “Be careful, okay? I’ve heard stories about homecoming frat parties. Not positive ones.”

I squeeze his hand in reassurance. “I will, I promise. It’s not my first frat party DD rodeo.” I glance over and see his still-furrowed brow. “I’ll text you to check in every hour until I get home, okay?”

He looks one part appeased and one part still worried as we arrive on the fringes of the remaining AOPi/AE crowd. Teegan is still here, so she comes over and makes small talk with Mateo for a few minutes before he gives my hand a final squeeze and takes off.

The party at AE is more amped than usual, as everyone is riding high with hopes of a homecoming win tomorrow. We had good showings all week, but you never know what’s going to tip the scales in the judges’ minds. Still, guys and girls are celebrating as though we’ve already won, so Amaya, Teegan, and I stay extra aware.

True to my word, I text Mateo occasionally to check in. At midnight, I send him a text:

Hey. Still doing fine. It’s getting late though, and you need some sleep before the match. How about I just text you tomorrow morning?

Mateo

No

I won’t sleep till I know you’re home safe anyway, so keep checking in

thumbs up emoji

I should have just come with you

I snort trying to picture Mateo at a frat party.

You would hate it

I’ll try to rally some troops to head home soon so you can get some sleep

Luckily, there’s a group of girls who are partied out around 1:00 a.m., so I volunteer to take them back to the dorms. Amaya gives me the okay to head back home after, which I gratefully accept.

Back at AOPi, I park my car and send Mateo a final text to let him know I was home.

Now get some sleep. I’m expecting to scream my heart out at your hat-trick tomorrow

Glad you’re back safe.

You do realize I’m a midfielder. Hat-tricks are typically reserved for strikers like you

Doesn’t mean you can’t do it

I’ll try my best

Despite our late night, Amaya is awake super early Saturday morning. I hear her moving around the room quietly and attempt to will myself back into dreamland, but I’m thoroughly alert for some reason. Teegan could sleep through a dump truck rolling through the room, so I use the flashlight on my phone to dig a pair of sweats and a hoodie out of my drawer.

Downstairs, the house is the kind of quiet that follows a wild party night. Amaya is already sitting with a cup of coffee at a dining table, scrolling on her phone. I hug her good morning and get my own cup of caffeine before taking the seat across from her.

“Whatcha looking at?” I ask, nodding toward her phone screen.

“Oh, just looking at the other sorority houses’ posts of their entries throughout the week. I hate to admit it, but TriAlpha had a really good yard display and float this year. Do you think they had more parade participation than we did?” Amaya asks me.

Amaya and I both appreciate straight-shooting, so I don’t beat around the bush or tell her what she’d hope to hear. “Yeah, I think they did, at least judging by the crowd around their float at the start of the parade. I bet Bailey made the new pledges sign blood oaths to attend after Bid Day, and the OGs always have more participation than the other fraternities.”

She half hums half grunts a sound of reluctant agreement. “I was really hoping we could have a repeat victory.”

I reach my hand out to cover hers. “You pulled out all the stops, Beef. Regardless of whether we win or not, I’m so proud of how well you pushed us to represent AOPi. And all the girls were having fun along the way, so that’s what really matters for house morale.”

Amaya sighs. “You’re right.” She pauses briefly before adding, “I just really like to win.”

“You and me both,” I say with a chuckle.

She clicks off her phone and looks up at me. “You’re going to sit with the AOPis at the soccer game, right?” I nod an affirmative response. She narrows her eyes. “Are you going to wear Mateo’s jersey or our homecoming shirt?”

I hear the question behind her question—is my relationship with Mateo edging out my relationship with her?

I look her square in the eyes. “I’m wearing my AOPi homecoming shirt and sitting smack dab in the middle of the group today. I might be Mateo’s girlfriend, but I was an AOPi and your best friend first. Today is more about celebrating you and our amazing house than it is about Mateo playing soccer, okay?”

Amaya nods acceptance of my answer and stands up. “I think I need to go for a run to work out some of this nervous energy. Wanna come with?”

Running is not number one on my wish list for the day, but supporting my best friend certainly is. Teegan remains blissfully snoozing as Amaya and I change in the dark and lace up our tennis shoes. Amaya was right about nervous energy—she’s a girl on a mission on our run. I’m struggling to keep up after such a short night of sleep, but there’s no way I’ll admit defeat.

Back at the house after way too long of a run, Amaya and I are showered and dressed for the day before Teegan rolls out of bed at 9:30 a.m. “About time,” I tease as she sleepily rubs her eyes. “At least now I can blow dry my hair in here instead of in the stuffy bathroom.”

“Tease away,” Teegan yawns. “You’re just jealous of my superb sleeping abilities.”

I blow my hair dryer in her face, effectively getting her up and moving.

A solid twenty minutes later (cons of having long, super-thick hair), I flip the hair dryer off and check the time on my phone. I see I missed a good morning text from Mateo.

I hope you got enough sleep last night. What time do you have to report to the complex today?

Mateo

10:30. Gives us time to watch some final game film and go over last-minute strategy

I really hope your house wins today

Thanks. I hope so too, mostly for Amaya’s sake

And not at all to defeat Bailey? winky face emoji

Two birds, one stone and all

laughing face emoji

I hope you win too

Scream loud

Don’t I always?

#127 of my favorite things about you

heart emoji

It’s 10:09 a.m., and I know that Mateo will be at least five minutes early to the soccer complex. If I leave right now, I might make it over there before he arrives.

Mateo has done so much to show me how much he values me, so many tangible gestures to affirm my significance to him. I want to show the same effort. Glancing at my reflection in the mirror, I see my hair is wild from being blown dry but not yet tamed by a styling tool, and my face is still totally makeup free. Not how I’d prefer to greet Mateo, but I know my showing up will mean more than my physical appearance.

Grabbing my phone and keys, I dash down the stairs to drive over to the soccer complex. I pull into the parking lot at 10:22 a.m., praying that Mateo hasn’t arrived yet. I’m shutting off the engine just as I see Mateo turn into the lot with Andrès in the truck with him. I wait to see where he parks, then take a fortifying breath before exiting my car and walking over to his.

They get out of the truck, but Andrès spots me first with a grin as Mateo is reaching behind the seat to pull out his bag. “Yo bro, you got a visitor,” Andrès calls to Mateo.

The look of total delighted surprise on Mateo’s face when he turns to see me is worth, well, anything I could possibly give. Andrès takes Mateo’s bag from him and says, “I’ll take this in for you. Just don’t be late or we’ll all get it from Coach.” Mateo slaps his back in thanks as he walks away and then turns to meet me, enveloping me in a hug.

“Lana, what are you doing here?” he says as he pulls back to look me in the eyes. He runs a hand through my hair. “Not that I’m complaining about seeing your beautiful face before the match.”

I smile, my arms still loosely hugging his waist. “I just wanted to show up and wish you good luck. At the match I’ll be lost in a sea of sorority sisters all wearing matching shirts, so I’ll be a little hard to find in the stands.”

He brushes his thumb across my cheek and down the side of my neck, sending a shiver through me. “Please, I could spot you anywhere.”

I know my cheeks are coloring when his lips curl up in his “I love making you blush because it’s adorable” smile, so I give his waist a playful pinch and tell him to get inside so he’s not late. He runs his fingers through my hair one last time, then jogs into the office along with the other guys who are just arriving.

Sitting alone in my car, I can’t stop smiling. Because Mateo started off so far ahead of me in his confidence about his feelings and our relationship, it feels like he’s always being so proactively sweet to me, whereas I’m usually in reactive mode. I feel victorious that I finally got the upper hand in catching Mateo off guard with a display of affection to let him know I’m thinking about him.

A lot.

As in, all the time.

There are much worse things to think about.

The air is tense with anticipation in the basketball arena. All the Greek houses are crowded into the stands in their pair groupings, awaiting the homecoming results. Most people will walk over to the soccer complex to watch the homecoming match, but first we’re all hopefully crossing our fingers to hear the winners announced.

Teegan and I stand on either side of Amaya, arms looped through hers. We all want to win, but Amaya worked her butt off more than anyone to make this a successful homecoming for AOPi. I just hope the judges saw that effort come through.

The president of Greek life at Townsend takes the floor with a microphone and offers generic congratulations to everyone for a great homecoming week. She also talks up our soccer team and their undefeated record ahead of the match, drawing big cheers from the crowd.

“But now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for,” she finally says. “The winning pairing of the 2023 Homecoming Championship is…Alpha Alpha Alpha and Omega Gamma!” The TriAlphas and OGs go wild as Amaya slowly deflates next to me. The full standings flash up on the scoreboard screen, with AOPi and AE in second place, edged out by a mere three points.

All around us, people half-heartedly clap for the victors while consoling each other about our great effort and second-place finish. I wrap my arm around Amaya’s shoulders and Teegan wraps hers around Amaya’s waist. “You still did amazing, Beef,” I tell Amaya. “The standard of excellence for AOPi was next-level this year. ”

Teegan hums affirmation and adds, “Yeah, just sucks that TriAlpha also outdid their high standards this year.”

Amaya huffs a small laugh. “It’s true—can’t control what other houses do or how the judges see things. I am proud of what our house accomplished this year.” She pauses, glancing at us on either side. “Still stings though. Especially to stupid TriAlpha.”

I put my hands on Amaya’s shoulders and look her in the eyes. “Amaya, if you’d rather skip the soccer match and go drown your sorrows in ice cream or slushies or any other form of sugar, Teegan and I will gladly keep you company.” Teegan chimes her agreement.

Amaya’s eyes soften. “That’s really sweet of you, Beef. But I’m not going to make you miss your first-ever homecoming soccer match. Text that man of yours that he’d better make sure they win so at least something good comes out of this day.” She pulls me and Teegan into a hug. When Amaya releases us, she gestures at me and says, “I’m serious—get your phone out and text Mateo right now.”

Laughing, I pull my phone from my back pocket and see that I already have a text from Mateo a few minutes old.

Mateo

Results yet???

sad face emoji We came in second place. TriAlpha edged us out

Mateo sends me a series of Boooo-themed GIFs, making me snort a laugh.

I’m going to need you to secure a W today per Amaya’s orders

salute emoji Amaya’s not one to take lightly. Can’t risk getting on her bad side

You are not wrong

Gotta go out for warmups. See you after the win

Good luck heart hands emoji

Approximately three hours later, Amaya, Teegan, and I are losing our minds in the middle of the AOPi section as the final whistle signals a 4-3 Bobcat victory. Mateo completed his hat-trick with a third goal in the final minutes of stoppage time to clinch the win, and he’s buried under a dogpile of teammates. After each goal he scored, he found my eyes in the crowd with a huge grin. I might have melted if I wasn’t crazy cheering every time.

That night, a crowd of AOPis, most of the soccer team, plus Linh, Reagan, and Samantha hang at a local taco shop, reliving the match highlights over chips and salsa. Amaya is sitting across from me, and I’m flanked on either side by Teegan and Mateo (whose fingers are once again entangled in the lengths my hair, giving me constant goosebumps).

A wave of gratitude crashes over me. I have the best friend a girl could ever ask for, times two. I have a boyfriend who makes me feel valued for who I am and totally secure in how he feels about me. I’ve had an amazing college experience both educationally and socially, finding belonging and connection in Arrow, and yes, I’ll admit it, the sorority sisterhood.

The only thing that could make this better would be if I’d heard back from UC Davis about my application and knew my next step was secure. But I’ve done all that I can on that front, pouring my soul into my personal essay. Just like Amaya said about homecoming judging—I can’t control the other applicants or how the admissions staff see things. Focusing on the life I have right now is my only option as I wait.

And the life I have right now isn’t a terrible thing to focus on. Not one bit.