Was that a slight blush on her cheeks? I opened my mouth to ask her just that, but then Lily called my name.
I grabbed my sheet, read it, and stopped in my tracks.
Benjamin Garcia.
I stood in front of Rachel without blinking for a few seconds before she noticed the expression on my face and practically tore the paper from my hands.
She grinned wide. “You got Ben?”
I glanced around nervously. “Um, say it louder. I don’t think the next town over heard you,” I said with a nervous laugh.
Because her words had definitely gotten some interesting looks from some of the other girls.
Disappointed looks. Jealous looks.
I’d been working with these girls for the past week, and I’d been surprised at how much nicer they all were than the haughty cheerleaders at my old school.
But obviously, it didn’t take much more than a hot football player to bring out some cattiness. I would’ve been more surprised to not get those looks.
Ben really was a universal crush around here. Great.
Rachel went on smiling.
“What?” I asked. “Are these not assigned randomly?”
She shrugged. “For the most part. Only the captain and Mrs. Collins really know for sure, but it’s interesting that you, a newbie, got one of the star players.” She winked. “I mean, what are the chances?” She raised a brow. “Or did fate have anything to do with it?”
I shrugged. Part of me suddenly became kind of suspicious but… nah. “Seems to me like a weird coincidence and nothing more. So I’ve gotta bake him some cookies.” I took the paper with Ben’s name back.
Rachel put her hands on her hips. “I don’t think you understand what this means. It’s kind of a big deal to get a star player like Ben. You’ve really got to go above and beyond. You’ll need to talk to him, you’ll cheer for him when his name is called at pep rallies and games, that kind of thing. And he might ask you to a party here and there. It’s their way of thanking us.”
I blinked back at her. Clearly I didn’t realize what all of this entailed. “Um, I thought I was joining cheer, not the football support squad. Besides, you said Ben didn’t date.”
She grinned and shrugged her shoulders. “You never know.”
But I was more worried about personally cheering on Ben.
The cheerleaders at my old school didn’t do all this stuff. Did they?
Rachel began walking toward the locker room, and I followed her. “We take care of our football players. It might not seem that important, but it makes a big difference in how we come across to other schools, not to mention their own confidence. And we all know boys pretend to be gods out there on that field, but their self-esteem suffers just as much as ours.”
I kinda laughed at that. She had a point.
Still, I felt nervous just thinking about making posters for Ben, cheering for Ben, making cookies and having to hand them to Ben.
As thrilling as it would be to be around him, he intimidated me. Every time I saw him in the hallway or in the lunchroom, his gaze slid right past me. And past most girls.
My friends had been right.
He did not date. He hardly even talked to girls. He seemed pretty quiet in general.
Sometimes he laughed or talked to some of the guys around him, but other than that, he kept to himself. Seemed to spend a lot of time in his own head or getting his schoolwork done. Unlike most of the guys on the football team.
I wondered what he was really like, past that cool exterior.
If I was lucky, maybe I’d find out.
7
On Saturday, I woke up to an empty house.
The note and the twenty dollar bill on the kitchen counter, not to mention the lack of the washer and dryer going, gave it away.
Even though it was just me and Mom, she was usually up early, brewing coffee and knocking things off her to do list.
But this morning, the house was eerily quiet, just the hum of the refrigerator to keep me company.
I picked up the note. Mom’s messy handwriting said:
Had to go in early. Be back by dinner. No time for grocery shopping so treat yourself today :)
Love, Mom
I checked the time on the stove.
11:13am.
It was practically lunch time.
Between cheer practice and homework, it had been a brutal week. I gave a big yawn.
I might need a nap later.
By the time I showered and got dressed, I was definitely ready to eat.
I lay in bed and looked up local restaurants, in the mood for something other than pizza or takeout.
We only had one car between the both of us, but there were some places not too far. Maybe I could even catch an Uber and go into town for a couple of hours, do some window shopping and get out of this empty house.
Lately, Netflix until Mom came home wasn’t enough. Not with all the hours she’d been putting in. I’d hardly seen her all week, and I’d missed her this morning.
I scrolled through a list of places downtown.
A place called Bobby’s Cafe caught my eye. Great ratings, the food looked amazing, and it was in a shopping center.
After texting Mom my plans, I called an Uber.
Several minutes later, my phone dinged with a text.
Mom: Text me every 30 min? Glad you’re getting to explore!
It would’ve been a lot more fun with her, but maybe soon.
On my way to Bobby’s Cafe, I realized I probably should’ve asked Rachel, Audrey, or Nora if they were up for some food and shopping.
Duh.
Way better than the thought of me getting out of the house only to be alone elsewhere.
I quickly texted them.
Just as I walked into the cafe, my phone dinged again.
Nora: Sorry, girl. Working today. Rain check?
Audrey: Can’t today either. But let’s plan something :)
I drooped like a flower but tried to keep my head up. I turned to the menu in front of me.
Bobby’s Cafe boasted well over a hundred reviews for a reason. That much was obvious because the place was packed. I found a couple of empty stools at the bar near the kitchen up front.
Then my phone dinged again.
Rachel: Guess what??
Just as I began texting back, I heard her voice.
“Scarlett!”
I spun around. There she was. I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of her.
She already had a couple of shopping bags in tow.
She came in for a hug with an excited shriek. “Talk about great minds. I’m sooo glad you texted me. Lily promised to go shopping with me today and then she had to bail. SATs or something,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
I giggled. “I’m glad I texted you too. I’ve been so bored at home. My mom’s been working crazy hours. I had to get out of the house.”
Rachel took a seat on the stool next to me, placing her bags on the floor underneath. “Ugh, me too. But I’ve got the opposite problem. My house gets kind of crazy so sometimes I’ve got to escape it because of that.”
A crazy house. I wondered what that was like. My parents had had trouble conceiving me, and no matter how hard they’d tried, they’d never been able to have another baby. So it had always just been me.
Anne back home had always complained about her sisters, but I’d secretly wished I had a sibling to keep me company, even if they did steal my clothes and favorite snacks.
My stomach growled loudly. I grabbed the menu in front of me. “So are you hungry? Because I’m starving.”
Rachel grabbed a menu of her own. “I could eat a horse.” She glanced at me. “You picked the perfect spot, by the way. The food here is delicious, and…”
I was about to ask her and what, but before I could, my attention went elsewhere.
Not the sizzling patties on the grill just a few feet away or the crispy French fries being poured into baskets but the guy who’d
just walked in from the back. The double doors swung shut behind him, and he was wearing a black uniform and apron, but it may as well have been a runway from the way he carried himself.
Rachel continued, but I hardly heard her voice among the sound of plates being set down on the counter and the buzz of the customers. “And the fact that the eye candy here is so perfect you hardly need dessert. Although the strawberry cheesecake here is to die for.”
“Uh huh,” I managed, my eyes still locked on Ben.
Could there be a better looking football player in the United States? I’d only lived here and in Massachusetts my whole life, but if I were a betting girl, my money would be on Ben Garcia.
I mean, how had he not been recruited by Disney or Netflix to star in the next High School Musical or something?
The boy had it all.
Perfectly tousled deep brown hair. A chiseled jaw and defined brows. Topped off with a mouth that gave me goosebumps in that rare moment when it transformed into a smile.
Ben walked past, grabbed a couple of plates, and delivered them all the way down the counter.
I finally tore my gaze away from him, only to find Rachel staring at me with a teasing smile playing on her lips. “Wow, you’ve got it bad,” she said, drawing out that last word.
I scoffed and went back to reading the menu. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
So I’d been totally entranced by him for like…ten seconds. It meant nothing.
Nothing whatsoever.
I cleared my throat and continued studying the menu. It wasn’t long before something there stole my attention. “Oh, this cajun club sandwich sounds amazing.”
Rachel took the bait. “It’s one of my favorites. Make sure you ask for Bobby’s special sauce on the side for the fries.” She made this sound then like just the thought of that had made her die early and go to heaven.
“Welcome to Bobby’s,” I heard. Before I even put down the menu, I knew who it was. I would recognize that voice anywhere. Ben. “Can I get you guys started with drinks?”
Ben waited for me to say something, but I froze like the total dork I apparently was.
Luckily Rachel stepped in just before it turned weird. “Hey, Ben,” she said confidently. Where could I get some of that?
Ben turned toward her. “Hey, Rach. How’s it going?”
“Pretty good,” she replied, a wide smile on her face. How did she do that? Manage to speak coherently while the hottest guy on earth stood right there? “How’s your day going?” Now she turned to me for a second, and I could tell she was wanting me to say something.
Panic filled my insides.
Ben glanced at me too before responding. “You know, work’s work. Pretty busy, though, so that’s good.”
Rachel leaned forward. “So this is Scarlett. She’s new to Jefferson and the cheer squad.”
I gave him a small wave, immediately wondering how lame that was. “Hi,” I squeaked. Okay, why did my voice sound like that??
He gave me a quick wave back. “Hey. Congrats on cheer. I know they don’t just take anyone.”
He actually sounded kind of impressed. That made me grin. “Thank you.”
“How are you liking Jefferson?” he asked. “Sorry I had to run off the other day.”
Now Rachel looked intrigued.
“It’s okay,” I said, my voice finally resembling a normal pitch. “Jefferson’s great.”
He nodded. “Good.” He paused, looking at the menus again. “So…drinks?”
“Um, Coke for me, please,” I said.
“Water,” Rachel answered. “And we’d love your expert opinion. It’s Scarlett’s first time here, so we’re wondering what you think she should try first.” There was that confident smile again.
Ben set down a couple of straws. “You can’t go wrong with the Cajun Club or the classic burger. Just remember to ask for—“
“Bobby’s sauce on the side,” Rachel finished at the same time.
That made Ben laugh a little. “That’s right.”
Rachel handed him our menus. “Make it two cajun club sandwiches then. No onions for me, please.”
He grabbed the menus. “You got it.”
And then he was gone, off to put the order in the computer a few feet away.
Rachel nudged me. “Oh my gosh, I think he likes you!”
I glanced in Ben’s direction, hoping her voice hadn’t carried, but he was busy getting our drinks now. “No way. He was just being nice.”
Rachel shook her head. “You don’t get it. Ben never talks that much. I can hardly get three words out of him whenever I come in here. And he never smiles either.”
“I don’t know,” I said, my voice trailing off. “He seemed like he was just being nice,” I insisted.
Rachel gave me this look like she didn’t think so. “I’ve known Ben since we were kids, and I’m telling you. He’s usually all business.” She paused then her eyes flashed. “And what’s all this ‘Sorry, I couldn’t stick around’ business?”
Twenty minutes later, Rachel and I sat back, completely satisfied. We’d only managed to eat half our sandwiches each, and I was actually sad at the thought of not eating the rest. “I think I just found my new favorite place to eat,” I said with a sigh.
“Tell me about it. Bobby’s sauce and his deliciously evil fries are the reason I’m gonna gain the freshman fifteen before I’m even a college freshman,” Rachel quipped.
I laughed. “Count me in.”
Ben came over with some to go boxes and a large slice of cheesecake. We looked at him in surprise when he set it down in front of us with two forks.
Rachel raised a brow. “We didn’t order this.”
He gave us a quick smile. “I know. It’s on the house. Since this is Scarlett’s first visit here.”
I sat up, never seeing a more perfect image than one of a cute boy handing me cheesecake. “Wow, thank you. Tell Bob I said thanks.”
That made him chuckle. “Will do. Enjoy.”
He set down our check too and left.
Rachel picked up her fork and began chowing down despite complaining of being super full just a minute ago. “Yeah, he definitely likes you.”
I took a bite of cheesecake too, going for a big chunk of graham cracker crust. It was my favorite. “I don’t know why you keep saying that.”
Rachel glanced at the cheesecake then looked at me. “The boy just brought over free dessert. Which again, is not a thing here. Birthdays, yes. First visit? No.” She gave me a wink. “Unless he thinks you’re cute, that is.”
I went back to eating some more of the cheesecake, but I couldn’t help but smile.
Ben was just being nice. No way would he have any reason to like me. Especially not when he supposedly didn’t date.
As we boxed up our food, though, I couldn’t help but look over at him.
Was it me or had he been looking at me too?
He picked up several empty plates off the counter and went through the black double doors.
As we walked into the first store, Rachel turned to me. “You should’ve told him that he’s your football player this season,” she said.
“No, thank you,” I replied. “That was awkward enough as it was.”
Rachel led me right over to the junior section. “Who knows? Maybe he’ll end up being yours in more ways than you think this season.”
“Rachel Vasquez,” I said, giving her a playful push. “You are the worst.”
8
The first football game of the season rolled around faster than I was ready for.
I’m not sure who was more nervous.
Me or the varsity football coach.
While he paced back and forth during a nail-biting first half, I fought to not throw up at the thought of the upcoming half-time show.
Once again, I asked myself: WHAT HAD I BEEN THINKING?
The beginning of the game had been easy enough, but even that had almost turned into a disaster.
<
br /> When the guy at the mic announced Ben’s name and number, I did a round-off. Round-offs were easy. I could do them in my sleep, but I’d stumbled as I’d landed. Thankfully, everyone had been too busy cheering on our star wide receiver to notice my not-so-great stunt.
Performing was not anything new for me, but this football game had me more anxious than ever. Maybe because pulling off a cheer routine consisting of dance, cheering, and stunts was a whole different ball game.
And while at a ball game!
Before, I’d always performed in front of parents, on stage, before a panel of professional judges.
Tonight, a loud crowd of peers, parents, and who knows who else would be the judges.
Would they cheer us on? Clap? Start booing if I seriously flopped?
My hands went to my roiling stomach. I’d been too nervous to eat before, and I was glad.
The last thing I needed was to throw up on the field in front of everybody. Not the kind of start I wanted at Jefferson.
Rachel came over and handed me a couple of Mentos. “Here. I remember my first half-time show well. These’ll settle your stomach. Helps me every time.”
I took them and popped them in my mouth. “Thanks.”
Lily began the next cheer, and I joined in, pasting a giant minty smile on my face. The crowd must have had well over a hundred, hundred and fifty people tonight. They were loud.
But we were louder.
The sound of instruments practically made the earth shake. Nora, in her band uniform with her drumsticks in hand, gave me a small wave, and I waved back and smiled.
A few minutes later, the whistle went off, signaling the end of the first half. I glanced at the scoreboard. We were down two points.
The boys came in from the field. I found Ben once his helmet came off. He shook the wet hair away from his forehead. Was it me or did time slow down when he was around?
Sweat dripped down his forehead. He wiped it away with his forearm. Pretty soon, he was following the rest of the team into the locker room. I forgot to blink for a few seconds, admiring the feat of engineering and ingenuity that was a pair of football pants.
I snapped back to attention. Lily screamed something about getting out there and in formation.
Falling for Ben & Other Impossible Things (Garcia Brothers Book 1) Page 4
