by Zoë Marshall
“I would make time for that no matter what,” Cole replied, still mesmerized.
“You should go for it. She’s obviously into you.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Were you not here during that whole interaction? There were practically sparks flying all around you two.”
“Seriously?” Cole asked.
“Yes. Seriously. Now, aren’t you glad we stopped by here?”
“Glad doesn’t even begin to describe it.”
SUTTON WAS RUSHING to get to her creative writing class when she dropped her purse. “Shoot.” She began to lean down, but before she could get it, a tall figure picked it up and handed it to her.
“You should be careful. I hear there’s a wild purse bandit in the area.” His words were like a deep, rich silk. Sutton stopped in her tracks, unsure of how to respond. “My name is Jesse,” the tall man added.
“Thank you for sparing me from the bandit. I’m Sutton.”
“That’s a beautiful name. I’ve never heard it before.”
“Thanks,” Sutton blushed as she put her purse back over her shoulder.
Jesse was about as tall as Cole, but with a smaller build. He had medium-length blond hair, styled in that attractive just-out-of-bed way that Sutton loved. His crystal blue eyes were intense as he held her gaze. He was tan, but a natural kind of tan. She wondered if he might be from California too, but she was far too mute to ask at the moment.
Sutton was running particularly late for class, which might have been a first for her, but she wasn’t even thinking about it.
“Where are you headed in such a hurry?” Jesse asked.
“Class.”
“Let me guess: English class?”
“Yeah … how did you know?”
“You’re holding a Creative Writing textbook. I put two and two together. I’m a very intelligent guy.”
“Apparently,” Sutton replied playfully.
“I don’t want to keep you. But I’m afraid there is a toll to pass me.”
“And what might that be?”
“You have to let me give you my number. Choose to use it or not to, but I am required by law to give it to you.”
“I’m not much for law-breaking, so I suppose I have no choice.” Sutton pulled the phone out of her purse and handed it to Jesse.
He programmed his number in and handed it back to her. “Now you may pass. I hope you decide to use it.”
“It was really nice meeting you.”
“You too, Sutton. Now, run along. Best not be late to class.”
“Thanks.” Sutton rushed off without turning back around, though every fiber of her being was screaming at her to. She wished she had told him she needed a picture to save as his contact photo. That way she could stare at it for hours later. Oh well. His image was burned into her brain permanently anyway.
AFTER AN ESPECIALLY long English class, for which she luckily was right on time, Sutton returned to her dorm room and was happy to see Ava at her computer—a rare sight. “Oh my god, Ava. I met God!”
“Huh?”
“I met the cutest guy in literally the history of the world.”
“Tell me everything,” Ava responded excitedly, getting up from her desk and sitting on Sutton’s bed.
“His name is Jesse. He’s funny and charming and oh my god he’s perfect!” Sutton sat next to Ava on the bed, still beaming.
“Tell me you gave him your number.”
“I didn’t. But he gave me his!” Sutton squealed excitedly. “Should I text him?”
“God, no. You just met him.”
“Yeah, I mean … it was a couple hours ago.”
“Sutton, you have so much to learn. No, you can’t text him for at least a few days,” Ava replied, somewhat sternly.
“But I want to see him again.”
“Slow down, eager beaver. Guys tend to lose interest quickly, especially guys in college. You need to make him think about you for a while first.”
“But—”
“No buts.”
“Fine. So, what have you been up to?”
“I was just doing a little social media stalking. Jeff and that stupid girlfriend of his posted tons of pictures. Gag.”
“Hold on a second–girlfriend?”
“Oh my god, I forgot to tell you! So, that day I was drinking Mimosas, and you were hanging out with suicide-cult guy? I received this text from a mysterious number. Jeff was already thirty minutes late to meet me. The text was, ‘Jeff’s girlfriend is in town this weekend. He’ll call you next week.’”
“No way.”
“Yes way. As far as I knew, I was the closest thing to a girlfriend Jeff had. So, naturally, being incredibly tipsy and irritated, I texted Jeff. I asked him if he was having fun with his girlfriend,” Ava continued.
“No.”
“Yes. And guess who texts back?”
“Who?”
“His girlfriend!” Ava said, throwing her hand in the air. “So then we had a little text exchange. She asked who I was and I told her I was Jeff’s study partner for chemistry. She told me Jeff wouldn’t take chemistry to save his life and that my name was saved as ‘Ava,’ so she knew I was lying.”
Sutton leaned forward. She loved Story Time with Ava.
“She asked what I was doing texting her boyfriend,” Ava continued. “At that point, I figured it was best to quit while I was ahead, so I stopped responding. I feel like such an idiot. And now they’re posting pictures all over Facebook and I just want to punch him in the face.”
“I’m sorry. Men can be pretty shitty sometimes.”
“Whatever, it was a temporary lapse of sanity. A couple more days and it’ll be like Jeff, who?”
“That’s the spirit. Are you going out tonight?”
“I was thinking more of an ice cream and Netflix kind of night.”
“Could you use some company? I’ll need someone to confiscate my phone so I don’t text Jesse.”
“It would be my pleasure to act as your impact control consultant.”
“Luckily I’ve got two pints of ice cream in the freezer already,” Sutton replied, happy that she was going to spend a night in with Ava for once. The constant partying was exhausting at times.
“Fantastic. That means I don’t have to put on real people clothes. Have you talked to Cole lately?”
“Not really,” Sutton replied quietly.
“Why’s that?”
“I don’t know. Things have been a bit weird with us since the visit.”
“It’s not easy keeping friendships while going to different colleges, especially friendships with someone of the opposite sex.”
“I guess. Maybe we were relying on each other too much anyway.”
“You think? You guys were picking each other’s dates, for Christ’s sake. And look what happens when you let that go – you meet God.”
“True. Maybe he’s met his Princess Charming over there.”
“How would you feel about that?”
“I’d be happy for him,” Sutton replied.
“Mm hm.”
“I would!” Sutton tossed the pillow next to her toward Ava and it hit her arm lightly.
“Sure, you would.”
“Seriously. I want him to be happy and I know I’m somehow holding him back from that.”
“Yeah … well, good. I’m glad you’ve figured that out.”
“Enough Cole talk. Time to gorge on ice cream.”
“Absolutely.”
CLAIRE TWIRLED HER hair in a nervous fashion as Cole sat across from her on the bleachers. They had exchanged numbers at the makeshift tiki bar and had been texting nonstop ever since. Cole’s football practice had just ended and, though he was covered with sweat, Claire still looked at him adoringly.
“You were great out there,” Claire said, smiling.
“Thanks. I’m really glad you came.”
“Me too. So, what’s the plan?”
“Well, obviously I’
ll need to rinse off real quick, but I was thinking maybe we could just walk around downtown, sightsee and all that.”
“I’d like that. I’ll be waiting right here.”
“K, I’ll see you in a few.” Cole practically skipped off toward the locker room with a huge smile. He never should have allowed Sutton to control his dating life. The second that stopped, he met Claire. And, in his eyes, she was perfect.
When Cole returned, doused in Abercrombie & Fitch cologne, Claire was talking on the phone. She said, “Okay, talk to you later,” and hung it up as he approached. “Hey you. You clean up nice.”
“And you look beautiful. I don’t think I told you how much I love your dress.”
Claire was wearing a fitted red halter dress with small white polka dots. It reminded Cole of a dress from the fifties or something, a Zooey Deschanel-type ensemble.
“Thanks. Second-hand store. That’s where I get most of my clothes.”
“Nice.”
“Ready to go?”
“Yes, let’s. I’ll drive.”
Claire followed Cole to the student lot and up to his car. He opened the door for her and she smiled widely. “Such a gentleman.”
“I try.” Cole climbed in, started the car, and the two headed downtown. The drive was delightful. The conversation was effortless, like they’d known each other for years. The butterflies in Cole’s stomach were a welcome change from the fear he had been constantly feeling on all of those awful dates, just waiting to see what atrocities he’d be facing next.
They parked in a lot downtown, and Cole got out and once again opened the door for Claire. She put her hand in his and they started walking.
“I’m really glad I met you,” Claire said.
“Yeah, me too. I really enjoy our time together.”
“I want you to know I’m not talking to anybody else.”
Cole was relieved, because he hadn’t expected that. He shrugged, playing it cool. “I mean, you’re welcome to do whatever you want. But I’m totally okay with that. I’m not talking to anyone else either.”
Thus began the first relationship Cole had had in years.
IT WAS A randomly sunny day in Badger. Sutton and Jesse were having a picnic in the quad. Sutton laughed as Jesse told her a story about the time his little sister spilled an entire bowl of pasta on his lap while he had a date over for dinner.
“Tell me it wasn’t marinara sauce.”
“Of course it was. It wouldn’t be nearly as funny if it was Alfredo.”
Sutton was happy, truly happy, for the first time in a long time. Though she hadn’t really spoken to Cole lately, she had finally let someone else in. She and Jesse had agreed to be exclusive, and she was relieved her horrific dating stint was at least on pause for the moment.
“I make the world’s best Alfredo sauce,” Sutton gloated.
“Is that so? Maybe I’ll be lucky enough to get to try it sometime?”
“Of course. I’d love to cook for you.”
“I know this is somewhat taboo to do in relationships, but tell me about your most-recent ex. I’m curious.”
Sutton sighed, but it had been a long time and she was finally ready to talk about it without her eyes filling up with tears. “His name was Aiden. We only dated for a few months.”
“What went wrong?”
“I’m not entirely sure. I guess we just weren’t on the same page or something,” Sutton replied, suddenly uncomfortable talking about it.
“I assume you’re the one who ended it? No one would be stupid enough to break up with you.”
“Actually … he did break up with me. He just sort of … lost interest and disappeared.”
Jesse shook his head. “Some guys are crazy.”
“What about you?”
“Am I crazy?”
Sutton laughed. “No, I mean, your most recent ex.”
“Oh. Well, it’s been a long time. I dated this girl, Seana, for the first two years of high school. We were inseparable. We had been best friends our entire lives, but once we changed the nature of our relationship, she became a different person to me.”
“Yeah, Aiden did the same thing.”
“She cheated on me with my friend. The three of us grew up down the street from each other. I guess they always sort of had a thing. I subconsciously may have realized that, but I chose to ignore it.”
“It’s crazy the lies we tell ourselves in the attempt to be happy.”
“Sure is.”
Sutton looked around at the random groups of people in the quad. The formation of specific cliques fascinated her. It was like high school, where the same certain stereotypes spent their time with similar people. Sutton was always the kind of person who liked to spend time with all sorts of different people. She saw uniqueness in others, and felt that everyone had something different to offer, something different for her to learn.
Jesse reached out his hand and placed it on Sutton’s. She turned to him and smiled warmly. She was finally free of Aiden’s pesky shadow. The sun was shining and it was a new day. She couldn’t help thinking that maybe she would actually be able to love again. She probably had a far way to go though. Aiden had broken her trust and it would take a long time for her to be able to trust someone again.
She wanted to trust Jesse. She wanted to believe all the sweet things he said, and she did, to a degree. But she was going to remain cautious. She couldn’t go through another ordeal like that again.
“Where did you go?” Jesse asked.
“Sorry, I was just taking in the scenery.”
“Yeah, it’s beautiful out.”
“It was raining yesterday. Global warming is weird.”
“It certainly is. Did you want to go out to a movie later?”
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
Jesse stared at her for a moment. “You know, Sutton, you truly are beautiful.”
Sutton turned red and smiled awkwardly, in true Sutton fashion. It was exactly the kind of thing Aiden would have said to her in the beginning, but she wasn’t going to get in her head and mess this up. She was just going to enjoy it.
“Are you a robot, by any chance?” Sutton asked playfully.
“Not last time I checked,” Jesse replied, smiling.
COLE PACED AROUND the locker room nervously. This was going to be his first game in the starting lineup, and his first game not spent mostly on the bench. Claire was going to be watching, so he was especially worried about how it was going to go. Hunter had come to support him as well, which he was grateful for.
“Huddle time!” Coach Jeffries yelled across the locker room. Cole rushed over and joined the herd of excited guys. Coach Jeffries was an extremely muscular guy, but a few inches shorter than Cole. He had been a linebacker on the varsity team at Burlington University several years before, and had been coaching the team ever since he graduated. He was one of those meathead-type guys, with a boisterous personality and a voice to match. He was a no-nonsense sort of guy. Cole respected him immensely.
“This is an extremely important game and I need all of you at your best. The Tigers have been our number one rival team for as long as I can remember and we only beat them about half the time. As you know, I have switched the lineup. We need to try something different. I hope you all memorized the plays, but I have new books for you guys to study in the next twenty minutes. I need you at your best. I need you to prepare mentally. I know you guys can beat them. You just need to set your mind and hearts to it. Do you think you guys can do that?”
“Yes, Coach!” the group yelled in unison.
“Then go look over your books. And Cole, I need to talk to you.”
Cole was instantly worried. What if Coach Jeffries decided to bench him and start someone else?
The guys grabbed their books as they disbanded. Cole stood in front of his coach with his stomach churning.
“Cole, are you ready for this?”
“I think so.”
“No thinking, just doing.
I believe in you, otherwise I wouldn’t have put you in the starting lineup.”
“I won’t let you down, Coach.”
“You have a lot of promise. I knew it during the first practice. You’re a natural.”
“Thank you. That means a lot coming from you.”
“No need to thank me. Just go out there and play your best. I’m sick of losing to these guys. Did I ever tell you why we became rivals with the Tigers in the first place?”
“No.”
“Their coach used to go to school here. We were on the team together and we were very good friends. We got in a huge fight senior year—over a girl, of course. And he began coaching at Chesterfield University the next year. We’ve been competing ever since.”
“Then we will crush them.”
“That’s what I like to hear. Now go study the plays.”
“Okay, Coach.”
Cole grabbed the last book and walked toward the bench by his locker. He sat down and flipped through the book anxiously. This was one of the most important moments of his life. He wished he could talk to Sutton, but he didn’t want to mess up his concentration, seeing as things were so weird between them.
Fifteen minutes later, Coach Jeffries called them all together again. They did their standard pre-game chant and Cole’s heart was racing. Beads of sweat ran down his face as he followed the team to the field. The moment they stepped out of the locker room, they heard loud cheering.
Cole turned to look at the audience and saw a packed crowd on the bleachers. He noticed Claire and Hunter in the front row, and he smiled at them. They both waved and Cole noticed that Claire was beaming with pride. This was his moment. This was the game that would make or break him. He felt the pressure as he took a seat on the bench.
It was the third quarter and the Burlington Mountaineers had a 24-17 lead. Cole was at the top of his game. The team was working perfectly together. They were more in sync than they had ever been and the energy on the field was electric.
Hut-hut-hike. The center snapped the ball and Cole and dropped back into the pocket. He immediately observed the defensive line blitzing, feeling the pressure of the swarm of players. He scrambled, cutting back to avoid a fast-approaching lineman from the opposing team. Suddenly he felt a pop in his knee, and he immediately crumbled under his own weight. He hit the ground as he began to get lightheaded. He heard the crowd gasp, and everything went dark.
