Page 82 of Sporty Girls Don't Fall For Loners

She rubs the spot. “It hurts a little, but I’ll be okay.”

Mr. Ortiz walks down the aisle to make sure everyone is fine, apologizing for that. Some of the kids either don’t care or didn’t even notice. They were having too much fun.

“Want to continue listening to music?” I ask Zoey.

“Okay.”

We chat a little, but mostly listen to my playlist. At the back of my mind, I wonder if I should have chosen songs she would have enjoyed more, but she seems to like these.

Why am I obsessing over this so much? It’s not like me at all.

“Attention, students,” Mr. Ortiz calls. “We’re a few minutes away from school. Please make sure you collect all your things and take them off the bus.”

Zoey removes the earbud from her ear and returns it to me. “Thanks for sharing your music with me.”

“Sure. You never told me your favorite genre.”

She shrugs. “I guess I don’t have a favorite either. It’s like I’ll listen to whatever I’m in the mood for.”

“Looks like we have something in common.”

Her smile is sweet. “You’re right.”

We gather our things and then the bus pulls up in front of the school. It’s like a stampede as everyone pushes to get off. Zoey and I remain in our spot as we wait for everyone to leave. No sense in getting crushed trying to get off with the crowd.

Once the path is clear, I slip out of the seat and motion for Zoey to go ahead of me. She thanks me, hauls her apple bag with her, and we get off the bus.

The two buses from the other group are now pulling up as well and an exodus of students pours onto the sidewalk.

“Zoey!” Rylee, Mia, and Mason rush over to us. Her friends fling their arms around her.

“Did you guys have fun?” Zoey asks them.

“Tons of fun. You?”

Zoey holds up her bag. “Probably overdid it with the apples.”

Mia laughs as she also holds up her bag. “Same. I think Halmeoni will appreciate them.”

“If you need more, we have tons,” Zoey offers.

“Thanks. But only a few. I’m sure Ally will love to try another one of Liam’s recipes.”

They manage to squeeze a few more apples into Mia’s bag. Then all four of them chat for a bit, including me in their conversation. We talk about our day and share funny stories that happened.

Ally also joins us. “Looks like I’m making lots of apple pie,” she jokes.

Slowly, the students start to get picked up, or go to their cars, or take the city bus home.

Even though classes were canceled today, the extracurricular activities are still scheduled. Ally tells Zoey she’ll wait for her to be done with football practice, and I help her carry the apple bags to her car. She’ll stay in the teachers’ lounge and grade papers. When she asks if I want to join her, I reassure her that I’m fine.

I go to the football field and sit in the bleachers. Zoey runs onto the field after changing into her gear and as soon as she sees me, she smiles and waves. I wave back.

Some kids are a little tired after the long day, but Zoey seems to have an endless supply of energy. I tell myself it’s because she’s a positive person who’s always looking at the good things in life, but I wonder if—and this might be crazy talk—she’s excited because I’m watching her.

But that’s silly. We’re just friends.

She catches my eyes every so often as the team practices, and each time she either smiles or waves. I feel something strange in my heart, something that’s never happened before. I have no idea what it means, but I like it.

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