Page 83 of Sporty Girls Don't Fall For Loners

Once practice is done, she comes over to the bleachers and sits down next to me. “That was a great practice.”

“You’re really good,” I tell her.

She turns to me with a furrowed brow. “Thanks, but I think you already told me that.”

“I know, but I mean it. You’re incredible.”

Her cheeks redden. “Um, thanks.” She looks away from me, then at me, then away. Her smile is shy as she pushes some hair away from her face.

“Do you want to have a career in football?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “No. I’m probably going to major in business or finance and help my mom’s charity organization.”

“What’s her organization?”

“It encourages girls to get into sports. You know my mom was the first female quarterback for Edenbury High and her team gave her crap?”

“They did?”

“Yep. But my dad, who was the backup QB, was the only one who was nice to her.” She laughs. “That was the start of their relationship. I’m lucky my teammates accepted me from the start.”

“Why haven’t you…?”

“Hmm?”

“Why haven’t you dated any of the guys on the team? I mean, they seem to like you.”

She bursts out laughing. “Ew. They’re like my brothers.”

I laugh, too. “Yeah, that would be weird.”

“Have you ever had a girlfriend?”

“No.”

She slowly moves her eyes to me. “Why not?”

I shrug. I’d tell her I was too busy trying to survive, but I don’t want to down the mood. “Just never happened.”

“But you want one?”

I shrug again. “Not sure.”

“Oh.”

The silence is so thick it’s nearly choking me. I don’t know why I told her I don’t want a girlfriend when the truth is I would like one. I just wonder if I’m capable of loving a girl the way she deserves to be loved. I mean, my future is so uncertain. I don’t even know if I’ll be in the same town next month.

“Found you guys,” Ally says as she joins us in the bleachers. “How was practice, Zoey?”

As we leave the field and head to the car, Zoey talks about practice. And we also continue discussing our day. I find myself talking more than I usually do. I guess I’ve gotten very comfortable with Ally and Zoey.

It pangs my heart—again—that I’ll eventually leave these people. I know Ally said I’ll always be in her and Zack’s life, but it’s not the same. And I’m not sure I believe her. Once I age out of the system and Zack isn’t my caseworker anymore, I can’t imagine we’ll be close.

But I push those thoughts away and tell myself to be positive. Things are looking up for me now and I don’t want to feel sorry for myself anymore. I want to be happy.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Zoey

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