Page 50 of Bump and Run

“John and I are hitting the liquor store on the way home. Want to follow us? We might need help physically unearthing the store from the ground and dropping it into our backyard.”

I lick my lips, tasting what remains of Eliza’s cherry flavor. “Actually, there’s something I have to take care of real quick but I’ll meet you at the house after.”

Ty stares at me with suspicion but he says nothing of it. “All right. I’ll see you there.”

I close my locker and bolt outside into the quad.

“It’s Junior!”

My feet barely hit the sidewalk before the screaming starts. Fellow students rush at me, their faces painted with school colors.

I pause, immersed in the strange glory of it all. I accept the high-fives and the selfies with various girls that can’t keep their hands off of me.

Holy shit.

We won one game. One game.

The crowd chants my name and my face turns red. I push through them, grinning like a madman and listening to them scream my name over and over again.

I could stand here and take this all night but there’s only one voice I really want to hear screaming my name right now.

Luckily, the crowd doesn’t follow me very far. They’re all too eager to get a piece of every player that walks out of the athletic center, collecting selfies with them like novelty shot glasses.

I pause outside of Talon Hall and rush around to the back entrance instead to avoid suspicion.

It’s quiet inside. I guess the celebration hasn’t reached this place yet. Or they just don’t care. Neither would surprise me given how nonchalant Eliza is about the whole thing.

Voices touch my ears, a sudden uproar of laughter echoing from the auditorium. I pull the doors open and step inside. It’s a small group hanging out by the stage, Eliza Pierce herself among them. I sit down in the back row, deciding to watch her from afar just like I did at her audition.

There’s something about the way she is around other people that’s different than the way she is around me but I can’t put my finger on what. She’s always beautiful and confident and well-spoken but… maybe it’s her eyes; those shimmering blue pools of light that almost seem to twinkle when she looks at me.

“Bye, Eliza. Bye, Grant.”

My lips twitch as the others excuse themselves, leaving her and Grant alone on the stage. I stand up as they leave and walk down the aisle towards them as Grant rattles off about the upcoming theatre showcase.

Finally, Eliza notices me. Her teeth instantly clutch her bottom lip and her cheeks take on a rosy tint.

Grant’s eyes shift towards me and he grins. “Hello there.”

“Hey,” I greet.

“Grant, I’ll text you later tonight, okay?” Eliza says to him, her eyes just barely leaving mine.

He flashes a slow, knowing grin and grabs his backpack. “All right.” He clears his throat. “I’ll see you guys later.”

Eliza continues to stare at me as Grant hops off the stage. He passes me with quick strides and pats my shoulder on the way, but it’s less a friendly gesture than it is one of warning — kind of like a big brother sizing up his little sister’s date.

I wait for him to leave and we linger in the silence together.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, already knowing the answer.

I smile. “We won.”

She rolls her eyes. “Is that what all that screaming out there was about?”

“It was a good game.”

“Was it down-to-the-wire exciting?”

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