by McKinley May
Something about that sentence triggers a reaction inside my head. Memories from Halloween suddenly spring to the surface, scenes that were once blurry now clear as day.
"He didn't do anything."
"What?"
"He left." I prop myself up on my elbows, vocalizing the flashbacks as they flood my mind. "We danced for a few songs, talked about school...he asked if he could kiss me at one point—"
Cam makes a possessive sound in the back of his throat, jealousy flaring in his gray eyes. I reach out and grab his hand, pulling him back onto the bed with me.
"—and I said no, of course. And he said okay. No pushing, no rude comments or attempts to convince me...After another song, he said he had class in the morning and had to go. Thanked me for the dance, found his friend dressed like a piece of broccoli, and I watched them both leave the property. That was it."
As the details come back to me, I realize our hasty accusation isn't adding up.
"It doesn't make any sense." I raise a perplexed brow. "If he spiked my drink, why would he just leave?"
"Maybe he realized how fucked-up it was and tried to get out of there. Guilty conscience or something," Cam offers. "Or maybe he's just a sick fuck who gets off on slipping roofies in girls' drinks."
"I don't know." I shake my head. "He wasn't a malicious guy. He told me he's on the Dean's List and has a full-ride academic scholarship. Not saying those prevent you from being a drink-spiker, but he just really didn't seem the type."
"Yeah...I get what you're saying." Cameron scratches the crown of his head. "But if it wasn't him, who the hell was it?"
"Let me just grab my long list of enemies and we can go down the line," I quip. "Figure out which one is hell-bent on ruining my life."
Cameron whips his head towards me, looking incredibly serious.
"Enemies," he repeats in a contemplative tone.
"I'm joking, Cam," I say. "Bad joke."
But he isn't listening.
His curious gaze latches onto mine. "I never asked you, but how did Vaughn find out about us? I'm guessing you didn't tell him."
He lifts a brow in questioning, and I confirm his assumption.
"Did he say who did?"
I nod. "He mentioned a name, but I didn't recognize it. I also didn't think twice about it because there was so much other shit going on at the time."
"What was the name?"
"Some girl named Felicity."
"Shit."
His reaction brings a frown to my face.
"What?" I prod. "Do you know her?"
"No, not really. But she's a Goal Girl."
His mouth forms a tight line.
My brow creases, a "so what" on the tip of my tongue, but suddenly I'm connecting the dots.
She's a Goal Girl.
"Hey, Sydney," Bev interrupts my thoughts. "There you are!"
Cam and I turn her way, watching as she nods her head at Crimson's computer screen.
"You two. Come here," Crimson insists. She closes her eyes a moment, opening them back up with a tight nod. "Yes. Spirit is telling me you need to see this."
We walk over, a still-image of me in my bumble bee costume greeting us.
"What is it?" Cam asks my roomie.
"Footage from the party," she explains as she double-clicks something on the movie-making software. "It's been sitting on my computer for weeks. I finally have a spare moment to edit it."
Oh yeah.
I totally forgot she spent the whole night filming.
She presses Play, and the four of us watch as I pour the Pumpkin Punch from multiple angles. The takes are actually really professional looking, Crimson's talent shining through.
"Who's that?" Bev points at a girl in icy blue who's just entered the frame.
I feel Cam tense up beside me, and my body's doing the exact same.
Julie.
We observe the scene, watching as I lift the solo cup to my mouth for a sip, gasping when Julie body-checks me like it's a freaking hockey game.
"She ran into you on purpose," Bev says.
She 100% did. "I didn't see you there" my ass!
"You didn't tell me about this," Cam mumbles with a frown.
"I forgot," I admit. "I didn't think anything of it at the time."
On the screen, a third of my drink flies out, splashing all over my chest and arm. Julie puts on a concerned facade as she quickly blots a napkin over my damp skin.
"Wait," Cameron says suddenly. He moves directly behind Crimson, bending over as he squints at the laptop. "Zoom in on Julie's other hand," he instructs. "The one that's not wiping up the mess."
Crimson does what he says. The footage plays over again, but this time we're not looking at me. We're looking at her. With stealthy, calculated movements, she drops four pills into my cup.
Silence overtakes the dorm as we watch the clip one more time, making sure we're all seeing the same thing, and we most certainly are.
The video evidence is undeniable.
Julie drugged me.
"Fuck." Cameron curses and stands up straight, furious at what he's just witnessed. "That fucking bitch."
"I can't believe it," I mutter in shock. "She must have seen us together that day at the concession stand."
Cam grabs the back of his neck, tugging at the short strands of hair there before turning his livid gaze on Crimson.
"Back-up that footage," he commands in a gruff voice. "Multiple places. That's our lifeline."
"Of course." She nods, immediately obeying his demand.
"Bev." Cam turns to the girl. "Stay here with Sydney for a little while. I've got something to take care of."
As he heads for the door, a man on a mission, I quickly chase after him.
"Don't you want me to come with you?" I ask. "I could help?"
"No." He shakes his head and emits a deep, guilty exhale. "This is my fucking fault, Syd. I'm the reason for this mess, and I'm gonna get you out of it. You sit back and let me handle things."
"Are you sure?"
"Trust me. I've got it under control," he says with confidence. Large hands come to rest on my shoulders, a look of conviction in his eyes as he gently squeezes. "Don't pack your bags, Baby Blue. You're gonna be at Windhaven for the next three years."
As he leaves the room, determination in his gait, I feel a massive whoosh of relief.
Because I know everything's going to be just fine.
Epilogue
3 weeks later
Florida
College Cup Championship
We knew the final game of the season would be our most difficult to date, and it's lived up to that expectation.
Singleton State has been a tough team to crack.
The first 90 minutes of play were aggressive and fast-paced, but ended in a scoreless game. 30 minutes of overtime resulted in dozens of shots on target, more than a few chippy fouls, but still no goals.
Both teams have left everything they've got out on the field. Now it comes down to this.
Penalty kicks.
We're currently gathered in a huddle, prepping for the shots. The boys are worn-out from two hours straight of strenuous effort, but it's not over yet.
Weston steps into the center of the circle, sweat coating his skin. His hazel eyes shimmer with intensity as he takes on the role of hype-man and begins his pep talk.
"All those early morning field sprints. All those two-a-days in the summer heat. All those teams we freakin' demolished on our way to the championship. None of that means shit if we don't see this thing through. Second place? Who the hell wants that?"
A chorus of "Not me" and "Fuck runner-up!" bounce through the huddle as he continues.
"We're the best team in the whole country—let's make damn sure we go home with that title still intact." His mouth lifts into a half-grin. "And I dunno about you guys, but I'm in the mood to fucking celebrate tonight. Who's with me?"
"Let's finish it!" Liam claps multiple times, riling everybody up.
"Warriors on three." Diego holds out an arm, palm down, and the rest of us stack our hands on top of his. He starts jumping up and down, shouting out the count. "One. Two. Three."
"Warriors!"
Numerous teammates pat me on the back as I tug on my gloves. I'm heading towards the goal when Vaughn jogs over.
"Your time to shine, dude," he says as he holds out a closed fist.
"Ready for it." I bump my knuckles to his, adrenaline coursing through my veins. "Let's fuckin' go, Blue."
"We got this." He nods before heading towards the penalty spot to take the first shot. I go with Singleton's keeper in the opposite direction.
I haven't been tested much throughout the playoffs—Weston wasn't exaggerating about demolishing the other teams. We kicked ass in the early rounds, dominated during the quarterfinals, and embarrassed our semi-final opponent so bad their coach got up and left the stadium during the match.
It's been an easy ride thus far, but V's right. This is my time to show my stuff. This is where my role on the squad becomes crucial.
I know if I can save just one or two of the five shots, we've got a good chance of winning.
TWEEET!
The ref blows the whistle and the kicks commence.
The first three shots for both teams go into the net untouched. Vaughn, Liam, and Weston take their kicks with calm confidence. Singleton's three best shooters are equally successful—there's not much I can do to stop their perfectly-placed goals.
Andre's the first to make a mistake. He hits the crossbar, putting us down in the count, but not for long. I choose the right direction for the next shot, knocking the ball over the top of the goal in an impressive save.
Zion is last to shoot for us. He does a little stutter step, then hits the target no problem. His emotionless expression doesn't falter through the entire ordeal.
Singleton's final shooter walks up and I punch my gloves together.
This is it.
If I get a hand on this one, it's game over.
The guy looks nervous, hands shaking as the pressure of the situation weighs down on him. When his eyes continually stray towards one corner of the net, I grin to myself.
He's going left.
Everything that follows is a fast-motion blur. My hands connect with the black-and-white ball, the roar of the crowd fills the stadium, and suddenly I find myself at the center of a dog-pile with my ecstatic teammates.
We fucking won.
We're national champs for the second year running.
Hats reading College Cup Champions! are handed out to us as friends, family, and girlfriends storm the field. I place my cap backwards over my sweaty hair, watching parents hug their sons and couples exchange congratulatory kisses.
"Cam!"
The voice coming from behind me brings a giant grin to my face. I turn around, laughing as Sydney charges at me full-speed. She looks cute as hell in a blue Windhaven crop top, white denim shorts, and a big Go #1! painted on her cheek to represent my jersey number.
"You did it! Holy freaking crap, I can't believe you guys did it!" she shouts as she leaps into my arms.
Her legs wrap around my middle, arms looped behind my neck as I spin her around in celebration. I feel her heart pounding with excitement, an upbeat rhythm vibrating against my chest.
Just knowing how thrilled she is for our win, how supportive she's been throughout every single round of the playoffs...it makes my own heart pick up speed.
This victory wouldn't feel half as good without her here.
"You are amazing!" she squeals. "Definitely the man of the match with those two saves." She tucks her head into the crook of my neck and hugs me tight. "How does it feel, Mr. MVP?"
"Pretty damn nice."
I palm her ass with both hands, lifting her up a little higher to plant my lips on hers.
After a lengthy kiss, she pulls back with a soft smile. "You deserve it, Cameron."
"Thanks, baby." I return the grin before shooting her an expectant look. "Vaughn got MVP at last year's tournament...I'll take home the title this year. You know what that means, right?"
"What?"
"Next year's your turn to lead the girls' team to sweet victory," I say. "And when you're lifting that College Cup trophy in the air, receiving your most valuable player award, I'm gonna jump into your arms just like this to celebrate."
"Um, ouch!" Indigo eyes lurch towards the night sky as she chuckles. "I think you would end my soccer career right then and there. I can see the headlines now: Collegiate athlete suffers herniated disc from 6'6'' boyfriend's celebration gone wrong!"
"You better start lifting a little heavier at the gym." I squeeze her butt and smirk. "Get these glutes prepared now."
"I'll get right on that," she jokes before a serious expression overtakes her cheery demeanor. "I'm just glad I'll actually be here next year. Crazy to think a month ago I had one foot out the door, a bunch of transfer applications clogging up my computer, and now everything's totally fine."
"It all worked out." I nod in agreement. "Worked out fucking perfectly."
It really did.
After confronting Julie about the pills, she refused to come clean. Even when I told her we had the whole thing on camera, she still continued with her denials, claiming it would take a lot more than some shaky footage to get her in trouble.
The Dean of Windhaven disagreed.
Once we showed him Crimson's video, he had no hesitation whatsoever expelling Julie's ass. Don't know where she ended up, and Sydney and I couldn't care less.
Good fucking riddance.
The women's soccer coach was next on the list to enlighten. It didn't take long—a quick chat with the athletic director, another screening of the video evidence, and everything was cleared up. Sydney's slate was scrubbed completely clean.
Coach Addy was more than relieved her star player could rejoin the squad. So relieved, in fact, that she put her on scholarship starting this coming Spring and not ending until she graduates.
A guaranteed full-ride for the next seven semesters.
Syd was shell-shocked after that badass news.
And now we're here—finals are through, Christmas break is about to hit full-swing, and the two of us get to enjoy it together. No classes, no practices, no petty drama interrupting our much-needed holiday.
"What a way to end the semester, huh?" I say to the beautiful brunette in my arms. "Winning this game was the icing on the cake."
"Definitely." A mischievous smile tugs at her lips. "But you know it wasn't just skill and talent that led y'all to victory, right?"
I raise a brow. "What do you mean?"
She reaches a hand down, pulling my goalie gloves from my waistband.
When she lifts the bright pink objects in front of my face, I laugh. "I was wondering if you'd notice."
"Where'd you get these?" she teases. "They're super cute."
"Some random hoarder-chick. She told me they were lucky, but I dunno." I grin. "Between you and me, I think the girl was a little out there. Brain not firing on all cylinders, if you catch my drift."
"Sounds like it." Sydney playfully slaps my shoulder with the gloves. "I'm shocked you actually wore them! I figured you'd tossed them in a garbage dump months ago."
"If there was ever a time to break these bad boys out, tonight was it. They did their job." I grab them from her grasp and shove them back in my waistband. "I think I'll keep 'em."
"You will?"
"Yup." I nod before giving her an exaggerated perusal. "And I think I'll keep you, too."
Her eyes roll once more, but she's beaming ear-to-ear as I lean in for another kiss.
We've barely locked lips when a loud whistle pierces the air.
"Y'all gather 'round," Coach hollers, waving the team towards the middle of the field. "I won't keep you long."
Sydney jumps to the ground and we join the crowd making a circle around him. Fans, family, and players alike congregate to hear his post-gam
e words.
Bev's on top of Coach's shoulders, wearing his Championship hat and a wide smile. Erika's got happy tears in her eyes as she pulls Diego and Parker into a motherly hug.
Coach holds up a hand to stop the chatter.
"Just give me a few minutes of your time and I'll let you on your way."
Once silence overtakes the group, he begins his speech.
"This team. This squad of hard-working, resilient men. I can't think of any group of guys more deserving than the ones standing here in front of me. You always give it your all, you never quit or back down from a challenge, and I am so damn proud of each and every one of you. Thank you."
Coach pauses for a sec, waiting out the boisterous applause as he continues.
"I'd also like to address the seniors." His eyes bounce towards me, Vaughn, Weston, and Liam. "The ones who were here four years ago when the team was in a, well, we'll call it a rebuilding phase. Those who stuck it out through that not-so-pretty season and went on to three consecutive College Cup appearances. This—" He holds the silver trophy in the air. It catches the field lights, shining in the night sky. "—is for you. I thank you for your hard work and dedication to this program. For giving your heart and soul to this team from the moment you stepped onto campus to right now—your last game as Windhaven Warriors."
Vaughn cups a hand on my shoulder, a bittersweet smile on his face. I watch as Weston socks Liam on the bicep before giving him a fist bump and bro-hug.
The realization that we've just played our final match together as teammates...damn.
It's the end of an era.
"You are outstanding young men," Coach says, his voice cracking at the end of the sentence. He clears his throat, biting back emotion as he gives us an appreciative nod. "I love you boys like sons. Truly."
"We love you, too, Coach."
Clapping starts again, and suddenly a strange sensation surges through my body.
I feel light as fucking air, lost in a state of pure bliss as I glance around me.
Everything I could ever want, everything I could ever need, is right here, right now.
My teammates—my best friends. My brothers.
Coach and Erika—my family for the past seven years. The two people I owe so fucking much.
