The new Rock Valley football field was a recent addition, thanks to a generous donation from descendants of the town founders who still owned much of the buildings and land around the area. Shiny steel stands had been set in stadium formation to look down upon a bright grassy turf. The new electronic scoreboard stood just behind the yellow goal posts, flashing the starting time.
Just ten minutes until game time.
“I can’t believe you’re putting up with this,” Mandy said as I joined her and Trina behind the bleachers for a quick break. Ripping my raccoon head off, I poured half a bottle of ice cold water over my hair and then guzzled the rest. “Why don’t you quit?” she asked.
“You know why.” I coughed and sputtered up the last gulp, feeling it trickle down the wrong pipe. “My mom wants me to follow in her footsteps. This will give her something to be happy about.”
“Audrey, you can’t be responsible for your mother’s happiness.” Trina, always maddeningly calm, placed the palms of her hands together and fixed me with a sorrowful expression. “She wouldn’t want you to torture yourself for her. If this isn’t what you want, don’t do it.”
They didn’t understand. Both of their parents were still together. Their families whole. They didn’t know what it was like to have your family torn apart, little by little. My mom was barely holding it together. Lexi wasn’t making it any easier. I had to do my part, before the little I had left fell apart, too.
I pushed my wet bangs out of my face. “Guys, I made a commitment and I’m going to do this, even if it kills me. I’d appreciate a little support here. Isn’t that part of the best friend rule book or something?”
They exchanged glances, looking unsure, but then both nodded solemnly. My heart lifted just the tiniest bit. Those were the besties I knew and loved. I threw my arms around their necks and squeezed, thankful that in all of this mess, I could still count on them.
“Ew, you smell like wet dog,” Mandy cried, plugging her nose as Trina squealed. “Don’t rub off your scent on us.”
Yep, those were my best friends.
Suddenly, I felt the heavy sensation of someone staring at me. Looking over my friends’ shoulders, my gaze fell on the crowd slowly filing in through the stadium gate. Sure enough, a man stood watching me. He was of average height, with short and brown curly hair, a square jaw, and a pair of brown eyes that matched my own. Standing beside him was a blonde and curvy woman sporting a navy Rock Valley High t-shirt. Instantly, a sour taste filled my mouth.
“Did you know your dad was gonna be here?” Trina asked beside me, looking in the same direction.
I shook my head. Dad was the last person I’d expected to show up tonight. I hadn’t seen him in weeks. Refused to attend his joke of a wedding. Had even blocked him on my phone. He shouldn’t have been here. The moment Mom saw him, all of my hard work would be undone.
“Guys, give me a second,” I said, as he left his new wife by the concession stand and walked toward me.
“Sure,” they echoed, making a quick exit in the direction of the student section.
My stomach turned as Dad neared. I could feel his gaze taking in the mascot costume and my sweaty, red-faced state. He didn’t say a thing about them. Instead, he paused about five feet away and cleared his throat quietly.
“You haven’t returned any of my calls, mija.”
I stared up at the darkening sky, tears suddenly burning at the corners of my eyes. Why couldn’t I keep myself together whenever he was around? It was like I regressed back to a toddler, needing my special blankie and a warm cup of milk.
“I saw you returned the studio equipment I sent for your birthday,” he continued when I didn’t say anything, his voice low. “Marie thought you might want those to record some of your music. But if there’s something else you want, just tell me.”
“What I want is my family back.” I finally met his gaze. There was so much pain in my glare that it felt as if I could scorch him from the face of the earth with just a single blink. I hoped it stung.
“I am your family, kiddo.” He took a step closer, his thumbs hooking on the loops of his jeans. “And I miss you.”
“You don’t get to miss me.” I inhaled a breath through my teeth. “You left us, remember?”
“No, I never left you. I never left Lexi. There’s a difference.”
“No, there isn’t.”
“Let’s not do this...” He was looking around now, as if afraid someone was going to see. “Not right before your big game.”
I couldn’t help it. My voice rose in volume. “I. Don’t. Want. You. Here.”
“Audrey—”
“And I definitely don’t want her here.” I pointed at Marie watching us from the concession stand. “You need to leave. Before Mom gets here and you ruin everything.”
“Please, kiddo.” He took another step toward me, hand extended as if he intended to pull me into a hug.
I shrunk away, feeling tears form in my eyes again. I’d rather die than cry in front of him. Crying was a sign of weakness and I couldn’t afford to be weak. Not when Mom needed me to be strong.
“Is there a problem here?” asked a deep voice.
We both looked over to see Collin Preston, fully decked out in his pads and game day uniform. He held his helmet under his right arm and his left arm posed on his hip as if he were some kind of super hero. His dark brown eyes were glued to my father, his lips pulled down into a deep frown.
I groaned. As if this day could get any worse, Collin was getting an inside look at my family’s dysfunction. Not to mention, he now had a front row seat to my perfect replica of a hot mess in a raccoon suit. Lucky me.
“We’re fine,” Dad and I said at the same time.
“You don’t look fine.” He was looking at me now, his eyes flashing. “Audrey, do you need me to escort this guy off the premises?”
What was he, my bodyguard? I shook my head, feeling utterly turned upside down.
“No, my dad was just leaving.” I sent a pointed glare in his direction. “Weren’t you?”
“Sure.” Dad held his hands up in front of his chest. “We’ll leave. But just know that I’ll be there for you when you cool down, mija. I miss you.”
Yeah, right. He had his new wife to keep him entertained.
Still, as he walked away, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness. Only a year ago, both of my parents would’ve shown up to support me. They would’ve sat in the stadium, called my name, and cheered like the rest of the parents. Maybe even waved an embarrassing sign with my name on it. Of course, if they were still together, I wouldn’t be stuck in this mascot costume in the first place.
“That was brutal.” Collin stepped next to me, his eyes trailing my father’s retreat. “And I thought I was the only one with dad issues.”
I glanced up at him with his perfect hair and godlike pose in his uniform. Sometimes it was easy to forget that Collin was a foster kid. He seemed so perfect and arrogant. Like he had the whole world falling at his feet.
“The game’s about to start. I’d better get back,” I said, snatching my raccoon head off the ground. This was definitely a moment I’d like to pluck from my brain and never think about again. Hopefully, he did the same. “Don’t want to miss my chance to make a few more kids cry.”
After a long pause, Collin threw his head back and laughed, his white teeth glimmering in the sun. I chuckled along quietly, feeling oddly pleased at myself for making Collin Preston laugh. It was a pleasant sound. One that I wouldn’t mind hearing again.
He put his helmet on and winked through the face mask. “You’re funny, raccoon girl.”
“The first joke’s free. Next one, I’ll have to charge you.”
I wished I could stuff a sock in my mouth and silence myself, but apparently my ability to shut up had spontaneously combusted.
He laughed again, louder this time, and gave me one last lingering glance before running off to join the rest of the varsity team waiting to rush the
field. I watched him go, not entirely hating the view. That had been a surprising interaction with Collin. I never would’ve guessed he was the sort to interject himself in the problems of the lesser people. Maybe there was something different about him.
But my musings on that matter were cut short by the screeching of my name in a decibel only dogs could hear. Savannah stood in the place where my father’s new wife had just abandoned moments ago. She wore a mask of rage, her lips twisted as she beckoned me to follow.
“Get out here, Audrey, the game’s about to start,” she hissed.
That was my cue. Dropping the raccoon head over my own, I jogged to her side and ignored her whispered threats as we joined the rest of the squad. The football team had already rushed the field and now it was our job to pep up the crowd with a few sideline routines. Mom and Lexi were already seated in the stands and sharing a box of popcorn. Every few seconds, Mom would wave at me like a maniac and Lexi would bury her head in her hands. I waved back, and allowed myself to thoroughly enjoy the look of pride on my mother’s face.
I was right. It hadn’t mattered if I was in a skirt or a costume, having a daughter on the Rocky Valley cheerleaders made my mom happy. If I croaked in this smelly suit, at least it would be worth it.
The game started and then all I had to do was jump about and occasionally wave at the crowd. It didn’t take much brain power. Which probably was a bad thing because I found my attention wandering back toward the field, where Collin stood on the side line watching the defense play. Number 27. Hard to miss with his tapered waist, muscular arms, and commanding presence. He had his hands on his hips, his attention thoroughly on the field, and my eyes glued to his shapely back.
Try as I might, I just couldn’t figure him out. Bad boy jock with an infamous reputation with the ladies. Now a knight in shining armor for the school’s ridiculous mascot. It just didn’t make any sense. What did he get out of helping me?
“Heads up!” called a voice.
Collin had already turned to look in my direction before I realized that warning had been intended for me. By then, it was too late. A football smacked me hard on the side of my raccoon head, making my own head ring like a bell. I collapsed to the ground in a heap, my raccoon limbs flailing.
I was Rock Valley road kill.
With my cheeks burning, I jumped back to my feet as quickly as possible. Maybe, no one saw. A girl could hope. But that hope was soon crushed when the sound of raucous laughter poured from the stands.
Everyone had definitely seen that.
“Are you okay?” one of the cheerleaders asked out of the corner of her mouth as she raised her pom poms in the air.
“Yeah, just fine,” I said, breaking the cardinal rule of silence for all mascots and earning a withering glare from Savannah.
Still, my stomach was tangled in knots so severe that I thought I was going to collapse again. And when my vision finally cleared, I could see half the football team still laughing at me. Front and center stood Collin, with what looked like something that resembled concern for me printed on his face. It was a shocking contrast to his buddies around him, who didn’t seem to care that I’d nearly been brain damaged thanks to their massive lack of athletic skills.
Collin took a step toward me, as if to rush to my side and my chest burst with hope for the fate of all jock-kind. Maybe not all of them had to play the roll of the jerk. Collin had surprised me today. Defended me against my father. Maybe they weren’t all that bad.
But instead of coming to my rescue, Collin froze on the sideline next to his buddies, his eyes narrowing in confusion. I wasn’t sure what was going on inside that helmet of his, but the wheels were obviously turning. The sound of a whistle must’ve broken his concentration though, because he suddenly shook his head and turned back to watch the next play begin, forgetting I even existed.
So much for a knight in shining football pads.
It was official. I was done being the laughing stock of Rock Valley High.
That centennial performance was going to be mine on Monday. And then they’d all see what they were missing.
Chapter Six
Mrs. Banks must’ve been a ninja in another life, because every time I saw her in the hallway at school on Monday, she’d disappear into thin air. And it wasn’t like her purple hair blended into a crowd. She should’ve been easy to find. But no, whenever I followed her around the corner, she’d be gone. And I would be left grinding my teeth, waiting for my chance to ask her for the centennial spot.
It wasn’t until the very end of the day did I finally find her sitting in her classroom, reorganizing sheets of music. With my Gibson guitar strapped over my back, I marched right in and planted myself in front of her.
She didn’t even look up. “Yes, Audrey?”
“What do I have to do to convince you I’m right for that performance slot?” I asked, taking my guitar off my shoulder. My fingertips tingled, already itching to perform the chords. “I’ll play you something new, right now, if that’s what it takes. I need this. Please.”
Her lips quirked with an amused smile and she glanced up at me. “I can tell you this, I’ve never had a more persistent student.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” I pressed my lips together and bounced on my feet. “That means I have the drive to make you proud.”
She put down her music and finally gave me her full attention. “Oh, Audrey, you already have made me proud. And I know you’ll kick this performance right out of the park. Which is why I have, in fact, chosen you.”
“Are you serious?” I felt like screaming and doing cartwheels around the choir room. Instead, I squealed as quietly as I could manage and hugged my guitar to my chest. “You won’t be sorry, Mrs. Banks. I promise.”
This was the best news I’d heard all day. After the humiliating experience at the game last week, I could finally start focusing on something I wanted. Something that I’d needed for so long. This performance was going to be the highlight of my high school experience and very possibly, the launching of my music career.
There was so much I needed to do. Comb through the songs I’d written over the summer, pick the best parts, and create a song that would truly capture the struggle and triumph of our town’s founders. I needed to start practicing. Play with some chords. The centennial celebration was only two months away.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I threw my guitar back over my shoulder and moved toward the door. If I hurried, I could find an empty classroom and strum through a few ideas before cheerleading practice.
“Wait just a second, Miss Black.” Mrs. Banks held up her hand, halting my retreat. “There’s one more thing we have to talk about for the performance.”
I shuffled back toward her, although my heart was already out the door.
“Tell me, what do you know about the founding of our town?” Mrs. Banks asked in a calm tone, oblivious to my nerves jumping around in my stomach.
With a sigh, I looked up at the ceiling and tried to recall my elementary education. “Um...well, I know that Sarah Good was a single woman who travel west to buy land and start her own farm.”
Mrs. Banks nodded solemnly.
“She found the land she wanted,” I continued, “but no one would let her buy it. It was illegal for women to own property.”
“Exactly.” She tilted her head. “Continue.”
“And that’s when she met the widower, Captain Adley. They arranged a deal to get married so that she could buy the property she wanted and his daughter would have a mother.” My eyes went all starry and I bit back a grin. “But then they fell deeply and madly in love.”
“That’s right. So you can see that it’s a love story?”
I nodded. I’d known that all along. That was why I was salivating to write about Sarah Good and Captain Adley. There was so much to work with.
“That is why, after much thought, I have decided to change up my original idea about the centennial performance,” Mrs. Blackwell sa
id. She put her hands behind her back and drifted toward the upright piano we used during choir practices. “I think this should be a duet. That way, we can properly capture the emotion behind both Sarah Good’s story and the Captain’s.”
A duet? Disappointment hit me over the head like a hammer. My mouth fell open as I tried to think of an argument that would change her mind. I was a solo performer. I couldn’t write songs with another person. It wasn’t fair.
“Are you sure about that?” I asked when my voice finally returned. “I can do this by myself, I know I can. If you’ll just give me a shot—”
“I’ve already chosen your partner. He auditioned this summer as well and I was very impressed.” Mrs. Banks looked up at the clock on the wall. “In fact, he’s supposed to meet me here so I can give him the good news. He’s a bit late, but we can give him a few more seconds and then I’ll introduce the two of you.”
I threw my chin up, feeling utterly hopeless. I’d seen the other boys in choir. None of them had the capacity or maturity for such an important undertaking. There was no doubt that she’d probably paired me with one of the tenors who were shooting spit-wads across the room last week when Mrs. Banks’ back was turned. Just when I thought things were starting to look up, she had to go and throw a wrench in my plans.
“Mrs. Banks, I know this is a love story,” I pleaded, following her into her office in the back of the choir room. “I can do this without a partner. Really.”
She chuckled and shook her head. “I’ve already made up my mind, Audrey. Besides, the two of you are going to sound beautiful together. I have no doubt about that. Just try and give it a shot.”
She was hopeless. I sunk into a chair, slouching in utter misery, as she rounded her desk.
Dare You to Kiss the Quarterback (Rock Valley High Book 1) Page 4
