Dare You to Kiss the Quarterback (Rock Valley High Book 1)

by Lacy Andersen

  “I’m not going to sit here and argue with you about everything you said.” I chewed on my inner cheek, wishing he’d react so that I could get a feel for what he was thinking. Any blip would’ve helped. “But I just had to tell you that the Collin Preston I knew was far from broken. Sure he has scars, but he’s a good guy. A decent guy. A guy who loves his foster family and loves his dad, no matter how much crap he’s been through. And no matter what he says, he was my friend and I miss him.”

  He looked up at me just then, his eyes red. Tension lined the muscles of his face and he looked about ready to bolt out the driver’s side door. I smiled sadly at him, knowing that I couldn’t force him to see what I saw. Collin didn’t see much potential in himself, but to me, he could be anything. He had so much talent, on and off the field. Not to mention, a confidence that could be unnerving, and a solidly good heart.

  “Anyway, the last reason I’m here is to invite you back to Rock Valley High on Friday for the centennial celebration.” I dug a flyer for the event out of my back pocket and handed the folded paper to him. He slowly unfolded it and stared down at the wrinkled page. “Please come. I want you to be there. It would mean a lot to me.”

  He pressed his lips together, but didn’t give any sign of whether he would show up. I tried not to let that get to me. I’d done everything I could. Now, the ball was in his court.

  I turned the door handle, but couldn’t get it to open. Pressing against it with my shoulder, I grunted and tried to force it. No luck. So much for my dramatic exit.

  I glanced over at Collin, my face warming. “I think I’m trapped.”

  “That door’s broken,” he said, a hint of a grin on his lips. “You have to come out this way.”

  He slid out the door and I followed after him, hardly daring to look him in the eyes. I’d said a lot just now and my head was still processing it all. Collin had been so quiet, it was unnerving.

  When I finally stepped out of the cab, I glanced up at him to find him watching me with an intense expression in his eyes which made my stomach drop right to the ground.

  “Audrey...” He swallowed and his face turned red.

  “Will you come on Friday?” I whispered. “I want you to see my performance. Please say yes.”

  “I don’t know if I can...”

  I looked down at my feet, fighting off the disappointment. This whole trip might’ve been a waste of time. Collin didn’t want to come back. He’d made himself perfectly clear. This was his new life.

  With a grim smile, I looked back up at him one last time. My eyes scanned his face, trying to memorize every little detail. The arch of his nose, the height of his cheekbones, the way his lips curved, the exact brown of his eyes. I seared it into my brain as if this were the last time I were ever going to see him again.

  “I’d better get back to school before they notice we’re gone,” I said, backing away slowly. My heart had had enough for one day. Any longer in Collin’s presence and it was going to shatter.

  His frown deepened and he rubbed a hand over his chin. “Yeah, you should go.”

  I started back toward the parking lot when the sound of him saying my name made me freeze.

  “Audrey, I—”

  “Collin?” A tall man came walking around the corner of a crushed bus, his dark gaze taking in the two of us. “What are you doing out here? Mrs. Rink needs a status on her Cavalier.”

  “Dad.” Collin came up beside me, his shoulder bumping mine. “I was just taking a short break. This is Audrey, from school. She stopped by to say hi.”

  His eyebrows raised as he took in my appearance. Extending a hand, he held it out for me to shake. “Hi, Audrey. I’m Tom.”

  I shook his hand and stared up into his face, immediately seeing the resemblance to his son. He and Collin seemed to share the same bone structure and square shape of their jaw. He had grizzled wavy hair and a short trimmed beard. With his broad shoulders and big hands, he looked like a guy who could’ve also dominated on the football field. While his eyes were a bit lighter brown than his son’s, they had the same warmth when he smiled.

  He wasn’t at all what I’d expected. To be honest, I’d been picturing Collin’s dad as a sort of fairytale monster. The kind that stole kids out of their beds at night. Not this man, with the kind and wearied gaze that made me think he’d lived a hard life.

  “It’s nice to finally meet one of Collin’s friends,” he said. “I was beginning to worry he’d made them all up.”

  “He has lots of friends, Mr. Preston,” I said, glancing at Collin. “Friends who love him. They’re all waiting for him at school, hoping he’ll come back.”

  Collin’s gaze met mine and he looked away.

  Mr. Preston shifted his stance, rubbing his hands on his flannel shirt. “Well, I’m sure that’s true, but Collin has decided to come work at the station with his old man, full-time.”

  “I know.” I smiled sadly up at Mr. Preston. “But Collin is so talented. I’ve never met anyone like him. You should hear him sing. Or watch him play football. He’s amazing. I just hope you don’t let him forget that.”

  Mr. Preston stared at me, his expression darkening in thought, while Collin watched the ground. I said my goodbyes to both of them and began walking away, eager to put as much space between us as possible.

  My time here was finished. Either Collin showed up on Friday or he didn’t. I couldn’t control him. But there was one thing that was more clear to me now than ever: even after all I’d been through, my heart still wanted what it couldn’t have.

  Maybe some things really couldn’t change.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  It was almost time to begin. I peered out from behind the make-shift stage set up on the edge of the football field and my stomach did a flip. The Rock Valley High stadium had never been so full. Every seat was taken and some folks had even spread out along the grass in their lawn chairs. The concession stand lines went clear back to the other side of the stands and wrapped around the stadium. News station cameras had been set up on the track that wrapped around the field.

  The centennial performance was about to start and then our boys would play their final district game that would qualify them for state. Tensions were high. I could feel it in my bones.

  “Are we almost ready?” I asked, turning to face Trina. She had a makeup brush between her teeth and had just finished spreading some sort of sparkly goop all over my cheeks.

  “Almost.” Her words came out muffled. “One more thing.”

  Spinning to grab a small black mask off the ground, she pulled it over my head and placed it into position. Stepping back, she clapped her hands and grinned. “Audrey, you look fabulous. You’re going to rock this thing.”

  I gritted my teeth and made a nervous face. “Is Mandy still in position?”

  We peered around the stage to see the cheerleaders warming up on the track. In the middle of them stood Rascal the Bandit, his furry ears flopping as he waved at a few kids calling his name. It was strange to be over here, watching my mascot without me in it. In order to make this plan work, someone had to take over my job so that no one ruined our plans. Mandy had been a trooper. She’d only complained once about smelling like wet dog. Other than that, she’d gladly pretended to be me.

  “There’s Principle Styles,” Trina said, pointing to a man in a gray suit marching onto the field. “The performance is just about to begin.”

  That was my cue to hide. Trina ran off just as the cheerleaders came running towards us to ready themselves for their big dance number. Black curtains hung around the entire stage base, making the perfect place to hide. I crouched behind them, my thighs burning, as Principle Styles quieted the crowd and began to thank everyone for coming. Savannah was barking orders at the younger squad members, tension high in her voice. I shook my head and held in a laugh. She had no idea she was in for a shock of a lifetime.

  It seemed like Principle Styles was settling in for a long introduction, so I crept toward
the front to peek at the crowd. I’d been checking every few minutes for the last hour, hoping against hope to find someone sitting out there.

  I didn’t have a problem finding Mom and Lexi. They sat about halfway up the stands. Dad was there, too, a few rows to the right with his new wife. He’d asked me last night if he could bring Marie. I still had some trouble even hearing her name, but I supposed that I should start making an effort if we were going move forward.

  Mom had been better about it, too. Since our coffee date, she’d agreed to go to a counselor. She was making real progress on wading through her emotions since the divorce. We were starting to settle into our new norm as a two-part family. As hard as it was, I could finally see some healing.

  But the one person who I really wanted to see was nowhere in sight. Collin hadn’t come. I tried not to let the overwhelming wave of sadness affect me too much. Even without him here, I still had to do this for myself. I wasn’t going to be afraid anymore. This was my life. My time. And I was going to follow my dreams.

  “Now, ladies and gentlemen, I want you to put your hands together for the Rock Valley High cheerleading squad,” Principle Styles announced to the sound of raucous applause.

  I squeaked and hurried back to my mark. Through the curtains, I could see my fellow squad members in their pleated skirts and white tennis shoes, their pompoms rustling. Music began to play throughout the field, a loud pop tune with a bass that shook the ground.

  “All right, ladies, don’t let me down,” Savannah was yelling over the music. “Let’s do this!”

  Two glitter cannons went off as the cheerleaders pranced onto the stage. Although I couldn’t see them from my hiding spot, I knew they were going through the dance Savannah had choreographed. I could see every step in my head, envision the grand toss at the beginning. All of the cheerleaders were on stage. This was it.

  Slipping out from my hiding spot, I smiled when I saw my old mascot costume waiting for me. Mandy had taken off the head and was panting, sweat dripping down her face.

  “I don’t know how you do this,” she said, blowing a loose strand of hair out of her face. “I will never make fun of you again for surviving this death trap.”

  “Thanks.” I grinned and hugged her. “And thank you for doing this for me.”

  She looked me up and down, her smile widening. “This was so worth it. You look amazing, Audrey. Seriously. I can’t wait to see the look on Savannah’s face when she sees you.”

  “Then better get around the stage, because my entrance comes soon.”

  I listened hard to the music, making sure I still had a few moments. My big reveal would come at the end, along with another round of glitter cannons and fireworks. I had no doubt that Savannah had planned it that way so that I could fully cement my humiliation in front of the entire town of Rock Valley. Little did she know, that wasn’t in the plans for today. We were almost there.

  “Ladies and gentlemen.” Savannah’s voice rang out over the stadium, causing my heart rate to speed up. This was my moment. No chickening out. “Get on your feet for Rascal the Bandit!”

  I ran up the steps to the backstage just as the cannons and fireworks went off. The music was almost deafening up here, but I held my own and waded through the smoke machines. As I walked through the middle of the squad, the eyes of my teammates began to pop. They gasped and waved their pompoms in approval, causing the nerves to bounce in my stomach.

  Savannah was the last one to see me. I strutted to the front of the group in the raccoon costume Trina had altered for me: a black bodysuit with a furry tail, black and white striped tights, and high heeled boots. The top of the outfit had a fur-lined hood with cute little ears on the top. Trina had given me a black nose and a matching black mask to wear around my eyes. She’d spread sparkles nearly everywhere else and added sequins to the costume to really make it pop. It was night and day compared to the old mascot.

  Strangely enough, dressed in my new raccoon outfit, I’d never felt so alive. The crowd ate it up as fireworks continued to shoot off on either side of the stage, spraying sparks onto the ground. Everyone loved it. At least, most everyone...

  Steadying myself, I turned and prepared to face Savannah’s wrath. She was staring at me with her eyes wide and her red painted mouth hanging wide open. I don’t think I’d ever seen her speechless before in our seventeen years. Her state of shock didn’t last long. Snapping her jaw shut, she brought the microphone back to her mouth and turned to the crowd with a smile.

  “Looks like someone got a makeover. I’d like to introduce our new Rascal the Bandit!”

  I moved closer to her, fully expecting to get a few scorching glances. Instead, Savannah dropped the microphone and spoke out of the corner of her mouth, “Nice play, Cousin.”

  “Like it?” I looked down at my striped tail and grinned. “I thought we needed a little upgrade.”

  “It’s pretty cool,” she admitted, nodding her head. “I approve.”

  I breathed out in disbelief, wondering if the world had just been turned on its head. Never in a million years had I expected to hear that from Savannah. Not even today.

  “By the way, those pearls look good on you,” I said, glancing down at the familiar shiny strand around her neck. The strand I’d slipped into her locker early this morning.

  It hadn’t taken me long to realize that Savannah needed them more than I did. And that Grandma Ivy had meant for them to be hers all along. I’d kept them for several years and now, they had a new home.

  “Thanks.” She clasped the strand in her hand and smiled softly at me.

  For a moment, it was like we were back in Grandma Ivy’s kitchen: music blaring, dancing, and the smell of fried food in the air. I returned her smile, feeling as if a hundred pounds had been lifted off my shoulder. It had been years since I’d seen Savannah truly look happy, like she did today. And seeing her smile at me like that was worth it.

  “Hey, Audrey?” Savannah said, turning to look at me.

  I raised my eyebrows and waited for her gushing thanks. “Yeah?”

  “You missed your cue.”

  My eyes darted back to my fellow cheerleaders as the music changed and they shifted into the next dance sequence. I was supposed to be in the middle of them, showing off my raccoon moves. With an amused laugh, I pulled Savannah into a tight side hug. She stiffened beneath my arms at first, but then wrapped her arms around me for a quick embrace. And then we were off, rejoining our team for a final breakdown and cheer.

  All the while, I rejoiced in my new found confidence. No longer the beaten down, loser inside of a decomposing mascot suit, I’d found my new me. All that was left was to show the world the music inside of me.

  My heart hammered away like a jackhammer. I couldn’t wait. If only Collin could’ve been here to see me shine.

  I wasn’t going to be afraid anymore.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  My fingers wrapped so tightly around the neck of my Gibson guitar that I was pretty sure it was going to crack. After the cheerleading performance, I’d taken my place behind the stage once again. The Glee club had to perform first and then it was my turn to solo.

  Watching Mrs. Banks walk up on the stage to introduce me was incredibly nerve-wracking. This was it — the moment I’d been waiting for my entire life. I should’ve been ready to burst through the gate with literal fireworks.

  Instead, my heart was heavy.

  This wasn’t just my song. It was Collin’s too. And now I had to perform it without him. It didn’t feel right. He should’ve been here.

  “Get it together, Audrey,” I mumbled, shaking my head. “If you want to be the next Taylor Swift, you can’t let a broken heart get in the way. You’re strong. You’re fearless. You’ll get through this.”

  “I’d say talking to yourself isn’t a good sign,” said a deep voice behind me. “But hey, what do I know? I was the one crazy enough to let you walk away.”

  I spun around to see Collin leaning against the stage
as if he were posing for a shot in GQ, his dark brown eyes watching me closely. The left side of his mouth was curved in the tiniest hint of a teasing grin. He wore the bottom half of his football uniform and a white tank top that showed off his muscular arms.

  I blinked my eyes about ten times to make sure he was real. Yep, still there. Collin Preston in the flesh. My heart lurched in my chest.

  “You’re back,” I exclaimed, the outburst sounding more like an accusation than a fact.

  He nodded, his grin dissolving into something serious. “I’m back.”

  I shook my head dumbly. Was this real? Was he here to stay? Instead of voicing any of the millions of questions bouncing around in my head, I glanced down at his cleats.

  “You’re wearing your uniform.”

  He nodded again and took a step closer. Every bone in my body ached at his nearness. “After you left yesterday, my dad went and talked to Coach Goodwin. He agreed to let me back on the team, with the promise that I’d do everything I could to catch up with my school work. And I’m moving back in with Tripp and Gina for the rest of the year.”

  His dad had talked to the coach? And now he was moving back in with the Kingsley family? It didn’t make sense. He’d seemed so set on Collin working with him at the garage. What had changed?

  “Why?” I asked, my voice sounding small.

  “Let’s just say, you made a big impression on my dad,” Collin said matter-of-factly, moving closer until there were only twelve agonizing inches that separated us. I gulped, feeling a flush start on my chest and work its way up my neck. “For the first time, we actually sat down and talked. I told him how much my family, school, football, and this performance meant to me. And then I told him about you.”

  My lungs refused to work as he reached out and tenderly touched my cheek. Grief poured into his face and he leaned down slightly to look me in the eyes.

  “I told him what an idiot I’d been. How I’d built a wall around my heart when Mom died and how I’d used it as an excuse never to get close to anyone again. But you broke through, and I did the one thing I do best — I lashed out. I pushed you away. I thought I was saving you, but I did the very thing I was trying to avoid. I hurt you.”