Page 15 of Saving the Halfback

I wasn’t running with them, but I felt it. The chanting, the camaraderie, the adrenaline. I moved to the edge of my seat, egging the guy on. I didn’t know who he was, but I wanted him to make it. As if we all held some sort of power that we were transferring to him, the guy moved faster, pushed himself harder, until he was finally at the front of the line and able to slow to an easy, steady jog.

Ethan was next. For such a big guy, I had expected him to move slow, but I should’ve known better. Ethan had never been the kind to fall behind. He had always worked hard to make sure he was just as good as, if not better than, anyone else. He made it to the top of the line quickly, his long legs giving him an advantage.

Chase was right behind Nolan, not even breaking a sweat when he sprinted, his muscles pumping, his hair moving in the wind.

“You’re drooling,” Hadley’s voice snapped at me.

I hadn’t even seen her come down to the field, Emma and Katie, her two friends, in tow. I sighed and decided not to give her the satisfaction of looking at her. I was focusing on the practice, which wasn’t exactly difficult. More than half the football players were panty-dropping hot. Maybe I was drooling a little, so sue me.

Hadley scoffed and began whispering loudly to Emma and Katie, something about Chase, which I really had no interest in listening to.

A few parents were making their way to the bleachers as well, watching their kids practice. One man sat a few spots down from me.

Nolan was sprinting next, and he made his sprint look like an easy jog, overtaking the line and ending in front again. He brought the team back to where the coach stood, and they all spread out, stretching out their limbs while Coach talked with them. There were three other coaches on the field, none of whom were teachers I recognized. I wasn't even sure if they were teachers at all.

It wasn’t long before the guys were grouped and moved around the field. Some got their gear on and were working on tackles, others were throwing the ball, and others were running through an agility course. Nolan and Ethan were together, working on a handoff. I focused on them, watching the fumbles as Coach instructed them through it.

“Come on, Nick,” the man on the bleacher near me said under his breath. He was obviously a parent, even though he sat away from the other parents. He had dark hair and broad shoulders, a typical-looking sports buff. I bet he was one of those parents at little league games who had to be benched or kicked off the field for arguing with the ref.

Nick. I looked around the field. I didn’t know all the players, but I knew most of them. There was no Nick on the team. I shrugged it off.

“Goddamn it, Nick,” he said again, just as Nolan fumbled the ball from Ethan. I looked over at him again and realized he was staring directly at Nolan and Ethan. When he turned back to sit on the bleachers, I caught a glimpse of his face. He had a striking resemblance to Nolan.

After a few good handoffs, Ethan and Nolan went to join the other groups. Coach ran everyone hard, but as time went on, Lachlan seemed to be gaining energy, not losing it. It was entertaining to watch him and another player dance their way through the agility course like it was nothing to them. Even Nolan found it amusing, calling out to them and hyping them up. Soon, they were going head-to-head, trying to one-up one another, but Lach was damn fast. He must’ve been holding off during his sprint that morning because he could take everyone, twice over.

Coach called everyone in, and he must have told them to get their gear on because they all broke off to do just that.

“Why are you here?” Hadley asked, moving down from the bleachers to stand near me.

I frowned at her. “I’m watching the practice, just like you and like all the parents over there.” I waved to the other bleachers, where half a dozen parents now sat, watching their kids.

“Yeah, well, you don’t have a boyfriend here. Are you seriously so desperate for Nolan that you have to stalk him here too?”

I ignored her and pulled Nolan’s Jacket closer around me. Even though it was warming up outside, I still felt comfort in it. Like it might somehow protect me from Hadley. From the corner of my eye, the man I was fairly sure was Nolan’s father glanced atme before turning back to the practice. I shrank down, wanting to hide.

“Hadley,” Emma whispered.

“What? Everyone knows she was all over him during class too. Poor guy can’t breathe.”

I was pretty sure Nolan was avoiding her for that exact reason, and it wasn’t like anyone noticed me in classes. I kept my focus on the practice in front of me. It looked like they were going to scrimmage, almost like a mini game.

Coach jogged over to me. “What do you think so far? Think you can keep up with them?”

Only one thing came to mind about what I’d seen so far. “It sucks sitting on the bench. I want to be on the field.”

Coach chuckled. “You’re a good kid, Bailey. The team is going to scrimmage next. You remember Mark from yesterday? I want you to watch him and Lachlan. Lachlan is number thirty-three, Mark is number four.” Coach pointed. “Those are positions I can see you going into, based on yesterday. However, nothing is permanent. If you’re not comfortable with either, we have other spots.”

“Okay.” I nodded. Coach took off back toward the field. He was doing his best to accommodate me, which told me just how desperate the team was for more players.

“Oh my god, seriously?Youare joining the team? Wow, stalker much?”

My heart was hammering in my chest when I turned to face her. I wasn’t sure what I was going to say. I didn’t want to be confrontational, but the comments were becoming too much. “Hadley, seriously, I didn’t talk to you before. I don’t care what you have to say now.” There.

“Yeah, because you know it’s true.”

I rolled my eyes. No matter what I said, it would never get through her thick head. I may as well give up now. I watched thescrimmage intently, keeping an eye on Lachlan and Mark. Again, Ethan and Nolan fumbled the ball.

“Fuck’s sake, Nick!” the man next to me called as he jumped up and stormed off the field toward the parking lot. No one on the field seemed to hear him.

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