18. Sloane
SLOANE
“Are you okay?”
I turn toward my cousin, who’s standing next to me on the sidelines of the football field.
We’d just walked back over from the track where we do one of our routines in front of the crowded home-side bleachers, which are packed tonight with students and parents.
Most of them were standing and cheering rather than sitting, because the Bulldogs were the “team to watch this year” after their record-breaking season last year.
They apparently only lost one game all season last year, their first game, meaning as of today, they had won nine straight games in a row.
The excitement was electric, especially because the team we were playing tonight was one of the school’s biggest rivals.
We are back on the grass, probably only thirty feet from the football team, with our pom-poms resting against our thighs, waiting for the next time someone scores or does something to inspire one of our cheers.
“Yeah, of course. Why?”
“You started half a beat late back there.” She nods to where we were standing before forcing her hair behind her ear. Because her hair is above her shoulders, her hair is down and pushed back by the same blue satin ribbon that is holding my hair up in a ponytail.
“Yeah, I was just in my head about the routine.”
I knew I was late.
I hadn’t expected anyone to notice.
But of course, my cousin noticed.
We started with our backs to the stadium bleachers, meaning we were facing the team, and even though their backs were to us, I thought I saw River turn for a brief second.
My mind went blank for a moment, and I missed the first beat when the music started.
I take a breath, inhaling the smell of nachos and popcorn, but also the grass, the players' sweat, and the night air. It was already the middle of September, which meant that by seven o’clock, you might start to feel a light chill in the air.
She snorts. “Since when. You know it backward and forward.”
The sound of a whistle breaks the conversation, and we step back into formation to do our next cheer, which ends with a few of us doing a back handspring.
On the field, Mack, the quarterback, throws a long pass toward another player in the end zone, and he catches it with ease.
The stadium announcer's voice booms overhead, declaring a touchdown and the current score, and the crowd explodes again.
I barely register any of it.
I was trying my best to focus, but I couldn’t stop my attention from drifting to the sideline.
I’d hoped it wasn’t obvious, the way I kept looking over there.
It was hard to see River from my angle, but every few times, I’d see a flash of his tattoo or the clipboard he was holding, or I’d hear him bark out an order or something to one of the players.
I couldn’t see much of his face at first because he was wearing a hat low over his eyes, but at some point, he turned it around so it was backward, giving me a better glimpse of him.
And for the record, just so fucking hot.
Don’t look at him. Don’t even think about him.
I understood why he ended things. I wasn’t mad… well, that mad. He had to protect himself, and I couldn’t fault him for it.
It just sucked having to see him in class and then also on the weekends at games. It’s like I was going through a sort of breakup? But I was still forced to see him all the time.
“God, did Coach K get hotter over the summer? Fuck me,” one of the girls, Kristen, a senior, says loud enough for me to hear, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
And that! Why was everyone always talking about how hot he was, I swear to God.
Do not engage.
“That’s what I said!” Delaney interjects. “I was really hoping he’d be my biology teacher this year. My cousin has him, though!” she says, pointing at me.
“What’s he like in class? I’ve heard he’s been weird since school started? Like not as cool as usual?” Kristen asks as we start to get back in formation for another cheer.
“Ummm, well, I have nothing to compare it to.” I laugh. “But I think he’s fine, I guess?”
I turn my back on the team, refusing to look at them or their hot coach.
The stadium lights hummed overhead, and when I looked up at the scoreboard, it was starting to glow brighter as the sky grew darker.
The score was seventeen to three with two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Then this game will be over, and I can be done.
A part of me wishes I’d listened to him when he said we didn’t need to see each other more than we needed and that maybe I didn’t need to join the cheerleading squad.
Because the thought of doing this for seven more games sounded miserable.
The game ends with another touchdown, making it twenty-four to three. The stadium erupts with cheers, applause, and excitement as our team earns its second win of the season. I’m grabbing my things to leave when I happen to hear something that catches my attention.
“Uncle River, Uncle Riverrrrr!” I turn my eyes slightly to the side, careful not to draw too much attention to the fact that I’m watching our football coach drop to his knee and scoop up a little girl who ran toward him.
No way. No fucking way.
I’m trying to get over him!
I do not want to see him interact with kids!
I turn my back to the scene unfolding for only a moment before curiosity gets the better of me, and I turn around again.
Now, I see a young boy talking to River, as well as what I think must be his brother and future sister-in-law.
The little girl is still in River’s arms, and it’s obvious how much she adores him.
Do not start, I tell my ovaries that feel as if they’re fluttering.
“Sloane!” I hear from in front of me, and I snap my head toward my name, hopeful that no one is going to have a bunch of questions as to why I’m staring at the football coach interacting with his family.
What I do not expect when I turn around, however, is Mack in front of me with a bouquet of gorgeous red roses. Behind him are ten guys from the team, each holding a large poster with one letter on it that reads HOMECOMING, and an eleventh guy holding a question mark.
My mouth drops open in shock because… he’s asking me?
Besides a few conversations in class and one that was barely anything at that party, we hardly talked, and he wants to take me to homecoming?
I guess we did have one of the earlier homecomings in the county, the first weekend in October, so people were acting fast. This was the third homecoming proposal I’d seen today alone.
He hands me the flowers and grins, showcasing his perfect smile and kind eyes. “So I know you’re new to the public schooling thing, and have never been to a homecoming or prom or anything, but maybe you’d let me show you what it’s like for your first one?”
A crowd had formed, and people were already cheering.
Not that I had a reason to, but this crowd makes it impossible to say no.
I shouldn’t say no, though. I didn’t owe River anything.
He told me we had to move on, and Mack had been nothing but sweet when we talked.
Once there were not a bunch of people, I could reiterate that I just wanted to go as friends.
“Yeah, I’d love to.” I give him a nod, and the crowd around us all begins to cheer.
“I’d give you a hug, but I am sweaty as hell, and I would prefer not to with an audience,” he says low, for only me to hear, and I nod in agreement.
“Uncle River, what’s that!? What happened?” I make out as the crowd quiets and begins to disperse.
Shit. That all happened in front of them.
Does his family know about me?
Wait, they know he met someone on a plane and that we went on a date.
Do they know we slept together?
Do they know that I turned out to be one of his students?
“So you're coming to Sam’s tonight, right?” Mack asks, breaking me from my thoughts, and I hate that I’m not giving him more of my attention after he did this very sweet gesture.
“Yeah, of course. I’m just going to go home first and shower, and then Delaney and I will be over later.”
“I can pick you guys up if you want,” he says while he wipes his face with a towel that was slung around his shoulder.
“That would be great!” Delaney interjects just as I was going to tell him we were good and didn’t need a ride. I don’t glare at her because I know he’s just being friendly, but I don’t need Mack getting the wrong idea about what this homecoming date meant.
Relax, it’s just a ride, and Delaney will be there too.
“Great. And this means I can finally have your number.” He chuckles. “My phone is in the locker room. D, can you text it to me?” he asks.
“I got you!” she says, giving him a high five.
“Alright, I’ll see you tonight.” He nods at me before giving me a playful nudge, and then he’s gone with his lingering teammates trailing him.
It takes everything in me not to look toward the area where River and his family were standing because I wasn’t sure if they were still staring at me.
And more importantly, if River was still staring at me.
“Did you know he was going to ask me?” I ask Delaney while we’re driving home from the game.
“Maaaaybe.” She shimmies as she drives.
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“He wanted it to be a surprise!” She turns her head to meet my gaze. “Are you upset? Do you not want to go with him? Shit… I thought you liked him!” I know Delaney only has the best intentions toward me, and if she thought I didn’t like him, I know she wouldn’t have encouraged him to ask me out.
“I don’t… not like him. It’s fine! I just… I wish you had told me so I’d be prepared. That was intense… with everyone staring at me like that.”