Page 37 of End Game

Not that Frank has mentioned any of that to me, considering we’re not talking as much as we used to. He’s been a little more standoffish since I told him as gently as possible that I only liked him as a friend. That wasn’t an easy conversation for me, but I’m glad it’s out there.

“I think that’s the reason he’s been so big on the yoga sessions. He focuses on his upper body, specifically his shoulders.”

“Yeah. It sucks. He’s definitely not playing today.” Sienna’s face visibly brightens. “But you can wear Cooper’s number. He’ll be out on the field.”

“I won’t look stupid with two numbers on my face?”

“Absolutely not. You’ll fit right in. No one will really notice, because we’re all going to be painted up like crazy.” Sienna definitely is. She even drew a little dolphin on her cheek, and it turned out really good.

I borrow one of Sienna’s shirts with a dolphin on it and do my hair into two braids, tying the ends with some ribbon she has. We are completely decked out in school colors, and she even drags me outside and makes us take photos that she posts to her stories.

“Okay, let’s go,” she says once the photo sesh is over.

We walk over to the stadium along with a big crowd of people that grows and grows as we get closer. The weather is perfect. The sky is crystal clear, and there’s a breeze coming in off the ocean, making the air cool despite the intense sun. Anticipation ripples in the air, and as we enter the gates, I can hear the college band playing. I can feel the thundering drums deep inside me, ratcheting up my own excitement to the point that I’m clutching Sienna’s arm as she drags me through the sea of people.

“Are we sitting in the student section?” I ask her.

“No. Coop hooks me up with better seats. It’s called the friends-and-family section,” she tells me.

She wasn’t lying when she said the seats are better. We’re in the lower section sitting right on the fifty-yard line on the home side. I glance around as we settle into our seats, both of us clutching giant UCSM-Dolphins-themed soda cups. Sienna sets hers carefully into the drink holder to her right, and I do the same.

“This stadium is nice.”

“It’s practically brand new. It opened up a few years ago, right when Coop started.” She grabs her drink and takes a big sip. “It’s actually pretty cool.”

It’s huge and filled with so many people. I can’t believe how many there are here to watch this game.

“I haven’t been to a football game since high school, and those were always no big deal. Our football team sucked.”

“You haven’t been to a college game? Or an NFL game?” When I shake my head, Sienna rests her hand against her chest, as if she’s offended. Or shocked. “Well, you haven’t lived then, have you, Everleigh Bailey Olmstead?”

I should never have told her my middle name. “That’s a mouthful.”

“Hey, it’s your name,” she teases.

As we wait for the game to start, we chat with the people sitting nearby. Sienna seems to know a lot of them, but she told me that it’s her third season in this section, so it makes sense.

The announcer starts talking, his booming voice practically commanding us to watch the field, and then there’s a blast of sound that makes me jump in my seat. Smoke fills the air from unseen fog machines, and then the team is running out onto the field, the roar of the crowd deafening as they make their appearance.

I jump up with Sienna and scream until my throat aches. She’s grinning. I’m grinning. Caught up in the moment, and the game hasn’t even started yet.

The team gets into formation out on the field and runs through some stretching exercises. I spot Nico immediately, thanks to now knowing his jersey number, and I watch him like some sort of salivating stalker. He looks good in the black uniform, but he looks good in almost everything he wears. This isn’t a surprise.

“They look great,” Sienna murmurs, and I realize she’s staring at them much like I am. Now I don’t feel so bad.

Right before the game begins, Sienna dashes off to buy popcorn, and I remain in my seat, soaking up the moment. Being here, the excitement for the game to start making the air practically vibrate, I feel like I’m a part of something real. Before I came to Santa Mira, I was just going through the motions. Living my life and taking it day by day, but not really paying attention. Working toward the moment when I could leave my old life and begin a new one.

I might’ve had a few roadblocks thrown at me in the beginning—and they were major problems, I’m not trying to downplay them—but everything is finally settling in. School is going well, I have a job I like and a place to live, and I’m slowly rebuilding my wardrobe. I’ve made a couple of friends. I’m hosting yoga classes at my new house, and I get along with my roommates.

I might even have a crush on one of my roommates.

Fine, there’s no might about it. I do have a crush on Nico, and it’s so dumb. But it’s also kind of fun because I can’t remember the last time I had a crush on someone. I’d been with Brad for so long, I forgot how that feels.

The nervous anticipation of seeing Nico and hoping he smiles at me. The butterflies in my stomach when he does actually smile just for me. The sound of his voice. It’s low and deep, and sometimes when he says my name, or even better when he just calls me Ever, goose bumps rise on my skin.

I’ve got it bad. I play it off with Sienna because I have no idea if she’ll run and go tell Nico I have the hots for him, which would be incredibly embarrassing. I’ll just sit over here and savor my crush on my own, thank you very much. Because that’s all it can ever be.

A silly crush.

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