Rory
each of her teammates, one by one. “We can do this. It’s less than three minutes, and all I’m asking of you is to do your
absolute best.”
“Heard,” Carlos said.
“We got this,” Layla put in.
Rory’s hands shook as she put her right palm down in the center of the circle. Jacob put his hand on top of hers, warm and
steady, and she smiled over at him. Then Gwen and Carlos and Layla and Maya and Dahlia and the rest of the team. The gymnasium
erupted in cheers as the Shrewsbury team finished its routine. It was go time.
“Lumberjacks on three, ready? One, two, three! LUMBERJACKS!”
They flung their hands in the air, and then the doors to the gym opened. “You’re up, Woodmont,” one of the event’s organizers
said. She had a headset on and held an iPad in one hand, the door with the other.
“Let’s go!” Rory cheered.
She led the team out onto the mats at the center of the floor, overwhelmed by the sheer number of people in the stands. No
matter how many times she did this, the crowds always felt larger to her. A lot of the younger squads had stayed after their
trophy ceremonies and were gathered in the bleachers, making pockets of blue and yellow or green and white or purple and gold.
She saw Willow’s Woodmont Middle School team members front and center with their trophy at their feet, and sitting just next
to them was Jacob’s family. Jacob’s parents, Lindsay, and Chad were on their feet. Ford was looking at his phone.
And next to Ford were her mom and Owen. She was so glad they were able to make it. Her mom had her phone up and ready to record
the whole thing for her dad.
“Go, Rory!” Owen cheered, jumping up.
Rory’s mom stood up, too, and touched her fingers to her lips in a half air-kiss.
Rory grinned and took her spot in front of Jacob. He leaned toward her ear from behind and whispered, “It’s go time. We got
this.”
Rory nodded, her heart full. She’d never felt more ready to cheer.
What felt like days later, though it was only a couple of hours, Rory and the squad awaited the announcement. She knelt on
the mat at the front of squad, clutching hands with Layla on one side and Gwen on the other, Jacob and Carlos behind them
and the rest of the girls gathered around. The MC had announced fifth, fourth, and third place. There were still five teams
left, but it was between Woodmont and Shrewsbury. It had to be.
“And in second place we have . . .”
Layla squeezed Rory’s hand so hard she swore she felt a pop.
“The Shrewsbury High School Falcons!”
Next to them, the Shrewsbury team freaked out, jumping up and down and running over to grab the second-place trophy. They
put on a good show, but Rory knew the sting of coming in second, and she knew they were feeling it. She looked at Gwen, then
at Layla. Was this really happening?
“And now, please join me in congratulating this year’s championship team in the small varsity coed division . . . the Woodmont
High Lumberjacks!”
Rory launched to her feet and hugged her two best friends, jumping up and down in their arms. Then she turned and hugged Jacob and Carlos, and the squad gathered around her in a group hug.
They all ran over to claim their massive trophy, confetti and balloons raining down from the ceiling all around them.
Rory grabbed the trophy, thanked the MC, and raised her prize above her head before passing it off to Carlos.
Then she turned around to look for Jacob and was unsurprised to find him standing right behind her, supporting her, having her back. Just like a good partner always should.
“You did it, oh captain, my captain,” he said with a smile as the crowd continued to roar around them and their teammates
jostled and hugged and jumped up and down.
“We did it, soccer boy,” she said, her heart all aflutter.
And then she stood on her toes, pulled him close, and kissed him.
The second the trophy ceremony was over, Rory and Jacob ran for the parking lot, Rory shoving her arms into her red-and-gold
varsity jacket as they ran. It had gotten a lot colder out, and she glanced over at Jacob in his shorts and soccer jersey,
wondering how he wasn’t shivering.
“Congratulations, Woodmont!” someone shouted after them.
“Thank you!” Rory shouted back, her voice cracking.
She was giddy. So giddy she could barely contain it.
They’d won. They’d actually won! And she and Jacob had kissed, and it had been the most mind-blowing kiss of her entire life.
It had left her wondering what she could have possibly been thinking being with Tucker for so long.
Those kisses with Tucker were nothing. Kissing Jacob was something.
They had taken pictures for about five minutes before she and Jacob gave the trophy over to Carlos to take back on the bus
with the squad. They had a game to get to.
Jacob had changed into his soccer uniform in the bathroom. She was impressed by how quickly he could change clothes. She was
also impressed that he was even thinking about playing soccer for an hour and a half. As soon as this adrenaline wore off,
she was sure she was going to want to pass out.
He paused at the passenger side door of his truck and held it open. “Captain,” he said with a nod.
She threw herself into his arms for one more triumphant hug, and then kissed him long and hard on the lips. Her whole person
was filled with fireflies. She couldn’t believe she actually got to do that now. “We won,” she whispered.
“We sure did,” he replied with a grin.
“Now let’s go get another one.”
She smacked his chest once, then got in the truck. It was exactly 6:54. They could make it with a little time to spare. Jacob
walked around to get behind the wheel, the whole truck shaking as he slammed the door hard. He put the keys in the ignition
and turned and . . . nothing happened. He paused, took a breath, and tried again. Nothing. Not even the odd trying-so-hard-to-start-up
sound Rosie had made last night at the stoplight.
“No. No! Not now!” Jacob shouted, his breath making clouds inside the cab.
“What is it?” Rory rubbed her freezing hands together. “What’s wrong?”
Jacob tried again and again; there was nothing. He leaned forward, placing his head against the steering wheel for half a
second, then sat up again and looked over at her. “She’s dead.”
“No. Dead? Like dead dead?” Rory said.
“I think so,” Jacob replied. “Shit. We were so close.”
“Call your parents! They can drive you!” she said.
“They already left,” he told her. “Chad had to get to a birthday party.”
“Ugh!” Rory got out of the truck and looked around. Was it possible her mother and Owen were still here somewhere? This could
not be happening. She’d promised Jacob he’d get to his soccer game. He’d told the coach he’d be there. He couldn’t just not
show up. He might get thrown off the team for good this time. She was about to text on her family’s group chat when she heard
her mom’s voice.
“Rory? Is everything okay?”
Rory started and turned around. Her mother and Owen were standing right behind her.
“No! Oh my gosh, I’m so glad you haven’t left yet. Jacob’s truck is dead. We’re supposed to be running to his soccer game
in Bergen right now. Is there any way we can take him?”
“Yes, of course.” Rory’s mother turned to look at Jacob. “You want a ride, kid?”
“Are you serious?” Jacob said.
“As a sold-out box office,” she replied. “The show must go on!”
“Heck yes!” Jacob said.
“Let’s go!” Owen cheered, giving a little jump with his heels kicked up behind him.
“Wow, someone got into the cheerleading spirit,” Jacob said.
“Grab your stuff!” Rory’s mom said, then turned to head over to her car.
“Mom,” Rory said, catching up to her mother and grabbing her arm. “I know you were probably hoping to get over to the theater,
so I . . . I really appreciate this. You barely even know Jacob.”
Jacob and Owen walked past them, Jacob toting his duffel bag, and the two of them got into the Graham family car. A cool breeze
tugged at Rory’s hair, and it barely moved thanks to all the hair spray she’d unloaded into it that morning.
“Well, he’s important to you, so he’s important to me. Though you’re really going to have to catch me up on what happened
with Tucker one of these days.”
“It’s a long story,” Rory said. “Actually, it’s a short story. He just didn’t deserve me.”
“That’s my girl.” Her mom pulled her into a hug, and Rory closed her eyes, pressing her cheek into her mother’s shoulder.
“We gotta go! Waze says fifty-five minutes!” Owen shouted out the window.
Rory and her mom broke apart and ran for the car.