Page 107 of Foolish Games

I smile serenely at my parents in the audience, like I didn’t even see it. Dad holds both hands in front of him to give me two thumbs up. Despite my agreement with Robert that he doesn’t have to attend these things, he’s sitting right there with them. He knows when I need the morale boost.

The moderator is going over the rules now, so I put aside my personal dramas and focus on the round ahead. But just as we’re about to begin, the doors to the auditorium burst open, and a flood of about a dozen people swarm in, half of them holding hand-drawn signs on poster boards tucked under their arms. I spot Lexi and Billy immediately, and my heart surges in my chest.

I can’t help but think of Sebastian, even though I know he’s not going to be with them. Even when things were good between us, I told him no one comes to these. He came to my violin recital a month ago, and that was all I expected of him.

Which makes me suspicious about why these people are here. I’m frozen in terror that they’re going to hold up signs calling me a slut or something. They’re not exactly fond of me right now either. They all take their seats, and my heart sinks further.

No Sebastian.

But just as the doors are about to close, one last figure steps into the opening. My throat closes.

It’s him.

He’s holding up a sign over his head that reads, “Forgive Me.”

I start laughing, tears blurring my eyes.

But the competition starts before I can think of what to do.

Sebastian sits, grinning his fool head off. The first time I get a question right, the whole crowd of them cheers and claps, jumping up and down like we’re at a football game and I just scored a touchdown.

Sebastian turns his sign over and holds it up, whooping as he waves it around. It reads, “I Like Big Brains (and I cannot lie).”

I try to focus and not laugh out loud every time they hold up signs. The moderator scolds them a few times, but about halfway through, my brother starts cheering with them, pumping his fist in the air whenever I buzz in to answer. By the time it’s over, even my parents are getting a little rowdy—at least by Quiz Bowl standards.

It’s hard as hell to concentrate, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Finally, we enter the final round, tied with Ridgedale’s team. I groan inwardly when they announce the topic is pop culture and we watch our lead slip away. At last, we’re tied up when we reach the final question. Even Sebastian’s section has gone silent. I spot Billy sitting on the edge of his seat, nearly vibrating with excitement, and Lexi beside him, her eyes shining as she waits for the final question. Sebastian’s hands are clasped under his chin as he stares at us like he can will our win.

“For the round,” the announcer drawls. “What band replaced lead vocalist David Lee Roth with Sammy Hagar in 1985?”

I hit the buzzer so fast it just about shoots off the table. “Van Halen,” I blurt, silently thanking Sebastian and his grandpa music.

“Correct,” the moderator says. I can barely hear him over Sebastian’s whoop of triumph.

The whole row of his friends in the back start dancing and shaking their signs that say everything from Lexi’s simple one reading “Go Vivienne” with stars drawn in marker around the edge, to Billy’s illogical one that reads, “Shake what ur mama gave U” and has a badly rendered drawing of a brain on it.

Before it can sink in that we won, Sebastian comes bounding down the aisle like an overeager puppy and jumps onto the stage. For one moment, I think he’s going to grab me, but instead, he plucks the mic from the moderator, who looks as confused as the rest of us.

“Vivienne Delacroix, I fucking love you,” Sebastian says, turning to me. “I’m sorry I lied, and yes, that makes me an asshole, but if you’ve never loved something enough to lie to keep it, you’ve never seen your true worth. But I see it. I see you, Viv. I see every nerdy, stubborn, obsessed with your reputation, people-pleasing, perfectionistic part of you, and I think it’s fucking perfect already. You’re perfect. You’re worth everything. And I’d lie all over again if that meant I could keep you for one more day.”

The whole room is frozen in shock. Chaz looks like he’s going to have a heart attack on Sebastian’s behalf because he can’t imagine making a fool of himself for anyone, no matter how much he loves them. But he’s never had the kind of love worth making a fool of yourself for. I feel my eyes welling with tears, and I can’t even begin to say all the things I want to say to Sebastian. That loving him is scary, but that it’s a million times better than loving someone safe. That he makes me bolder, and wilder, and more myself, no matter what anyone thinks. I needed that, even when I didn’t know it, even when it was uncomfortable. He made me grow and see things differently and change into a better version of me.

Before I can say any of that, the moderator holds out a hand and demands the microphone back, spluttering that Sebastian can’t be there.

“Think about it,” Sebastian says into the mic. “We belong together, Viv. I know it, you know it, and now the whole world knows it.” He waves to the TV camera, then hops off the stage and goes back to his friends while we get our trophy.

I’m dying to talk to Bash, and I keep checking to make sure he hasn’t left without my answer. What if I don’t get a chance to tell him I feel the same?

When we finally leave the stage, my parents pull me into a group hug with Robert. “That had to be the most exciting Quiz Bowl I’ve been to,” Dad says.

“Can I have a minute?” I ask.

Robert glances up the aisle to where Sebastian is standing with his sign held in front of him like a sandwich board. “Go on,” he says, rolling his eyes.

“You’re okay with this?” I ask.

“Nah, but I’ll learn to live with it. Or kick his ass again.”

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