Chapter 10
Danny
Fifteen Years Old
“Stop rushing me! I’m almost d-done!” Gracie shouts through the walls of her house.
“Hurry up, we’re going to miss the bus!” I yell in response.
I tilt my head in curiosity as she runs out onto the porch, where I sit and wait for her.
She looks different today. Her lips are shinier and fuller.
Her eyelids have glitter on them, making the purpley-blue colors in her right eye even brighter.
The rest of her appearance, I recognize, with the exception of the curves she got over the summer.
I’m still getting used to those. I try my best to ignore the way Gracie’s body looks, but her tight blue jeans and fitted Dashboard Confessional T-shirt are making it hard not to stare.
I rub my eyes, prying them away from her for a moment. “Is it rushing when I walkie-talkied you over an hour ago to start getting ready?”
“This never would’ve happened if you’d just stayed over yesterday,” she huffs. “You’ve spent the night b-before the first d-day at school every single year. It’s not my fault I slept through my alarm.”
“My mom has been looking for me earlier and earlier each morning. It’s like she has a tracker on me or something,” I lie through my teeth. Thank God Gracie isn’t as good at sniffing out my lies as I am with hers. The simple truth is that it’s getting harder to just “spend the night” with her.
After dreaming that we slept completely naked in her bed last night, I woke up with flushed cheeks and a hard-on. No way can that happen when I’m with her. Eventually, she’ll catch on that it’s not just morning wood… It’s her. I have to get ahold of myself for the sake of our friendship.
We’re almost to the bus stop when I notice the door closing. “Wait for us! We’re coming!” I shout at the driver, who thankfully hears me over the chatter and reopens the door. Gracie catches up, and we grab a seat together.
After school today, I’ll kick off my high school football career with my first varsity practice.
I pull a copy of the playbook out of my backpack and start reviewing my routes.
The diagrams blur a bit, and I shake my head, closing the binder.
Something in my body feels different than my usual nerves, but I’m sure it’s just first day jitters.
Camp went well over the summer, but now, I’ll have more people to impress.
Winfield High is known for their athletics, and the Boosters pour money into the football program.
As the “star receiver” of the Titans, I’ll be expected to perform on and off the field.
My heart races when I think about it, but the end result will be worth the grind.
I just need to bring my A-game, land a D1 offer, and make it to the league.
I crafted this plan with Gracie when we were ten, and the most important part is bringing her along with me.
She can go to vet school wherever I play football and open up her own practice wherever I get drafted. It’s basically set in stone.
I turn toward Gracie, who is finally relaxed and calm in her seat.
“Hey, you’re coming to my first practice later, right?”
“Like I have a choice,” she teases. “Your mom is my ride home.”
I pretend to be offended before mumbling, “I’m actually kind of nervous.”
Gracie leans closer to me, eyes wide in surprise. “Danny. Colleges were scouting you in junior high. You’re amazing at what you do, and everyone is going to love you.”
Her words make me feel better, like they always do, but I still have a sinking feeling in my stomach. “Do you think you could walk with me to the field after school?”
She gives my hand a little pat. “Of course. I’ll meet you at the library after my last class. Hey, fact for a feeling?”
My eyes soften. “Sure. Let me think.” My facts are almost always sports trivia. “Here’s a good one. When you get three strikes in a row while bowling, it’s called a turkey.”
Gracie laughs. “Why’s that?”
“Back in the olden days, the winner of bowling tournaments won a turkey.”
“Pretty straightforward, then.”
I return her smile with a crooked one of my own. I’m feeling some nervousness still, but it’s much better than before. “So, what’s your feeling?”
Her smile grows all the way up past her cheeks, causing her eyes to squint. “I feel like you’re going to crush practice today.”