Page 64 of Even in the Rain

I laugh out loud at that one, because I never thought I’d find common ground with Silas Carmichael on anything.

My reaction earns me a free platter of fries.

“See, Caroline gets me.” Silas leans across his girlfriend to pass me the loaded plate.

“I do.” I smile. And then, more quietly, I say, “But, I don’t know… it could still be fun, right?”

“Depends on your definition of fun,” Silas says. His lips are quirked up in the barest hint of a grin, though. I’m starting to realize that, at least when he’s around Jackie, Silas is more bark than bite.

Once we hit the bleachers, the atmosphere kicks up another five notches. Panama, by Van Halen blasts from the surround speakers and the cheerleaders are already front and center, doing their thing. Two-thirds of the crowd is a field of burgundy and white. So obviously I was right about the Titans’ team colors. And I sort of fit in with my jeans and burgundy hoodie. Except while most other people’s hoodies have SANDY HAVEN TITANS emblazoned across the front, mine says SAVE THE AXOLOTI (my favorite marine animals after jellyfish). And because they’re an endangered species and definitely in more dire need of recognition than some high school football team, I don’t feel one bit bad about bucking the trend.

I follow Maggs up the steep steps of the bleachers. We pass Zoey and Lisa and they both smile and wave as I walk past. They’ve said hi to me a couple more times since that night on the boardwalk, but it still throws me every time.

The high is short-lived though, when Declan Siverns calls out, “Did you skip out early on Ocean Club to come cheer on your crush, Fish Girl?”

He screams loud enough that a bunch of people around us turn and look at me and I can feel the color flood my face.

“Eat shit, Squidward,” Maggs throws back, sounding even more badass than Silas. And I am envious of how automatic and easy her retort is. I’m pretty sure, given the slightest motive, Maggie could chew up a guy like Declan and spit him out in three seconds flat. Because while I see someone like him as threatening, Maggs just sees him as a nuisance.

The expression on his face is priceless. My expression is probably just as priceless.

Maggie stops halfway up the steps and I follow as she shuffles along to the middle of the row. The field is lit up with mile-high floodlights, and the silhouettes of the trees in the woods beyond the stadium are black against the purple and orange-streaked sky. It’s my favorite kind of fall night.

We Will Rock You by Queen starts blasting on the speakers, and the crowd erupts in cheers. I’m guessing this is some ritual countdown song to the start of the game.

“Okaaay, then,” Maggie says as everyone gets to their feet and starts doing the stomp hand-clap thing to the beat—because this is all new to her, too. We look at each other, shrug, laugh, then both get to our feet at the same time. And even though I would have sworn a couple months ago I would never be the girl who would stomp and clap along to the prelude song of a high school football game, I am into this. I don’t feel like Fish Girl right now. I just feel like… me.

And I feel excited.

I am excited for a high school football game.

“Hey! I’m here!” Jackie appears suddenly beside me, pink-cheeked and loaded down with large sodas for each of us. We take the drinks, and she settles in beside me, just as the guitar riff kicks in and the giant screen on the scoreboard lights up. The cheers escalate even more.

The screen flashes into a closeup shot of a guy’s head in a football helmet. He takes the helmet off to reveal a head of damp dirty-blond waves. All the girls in the crowd let out a squeal so loud, I actually glance around in shock for a second. The figure shakes his head in slow motion, sending water droplets flying to the corners of the frame… then looks over his shoulder. And the squeals from the fans reach deafening levels as the camera zooms in on familiar caramel eyes and a trouble-filled grin.

Jackie elbows my side, and I arch my eyebrows at her. Because this is insane. We both burst out laughing. Right in sync with on-screen Sebastian, whose lips curl into a wide smile that fills the frame. And just when I thought the surrounding screams couldn’t get any louder, they do.

The song ends, and the music switches to Jungle, by X Ambassadors at the same time as the video cuts to a longshot of Sebastian throwing a long pass. Then to a closeup of Xavier Rockwell pumping his fist in the air. And while the rest of the crowd screams and cheers, I hear Maggie grumble beside me, “Oh, Puh-lease…”.

The video switches to a longshot of one player scoring a touchdown. Then another closeup of a different player. The team in a huddle. Another closeup. Wide shot. Closeup. Wide shot… The montage continues like this for the next couple of minutes, until the music transitions into a short instrumental section and the screen flashes to another clip of Xavier fisting an over-sized water bottle, helmet off, breathless and sweaty and smiling wide. The clip goes into slow motion as he extends his arm and sprays the water in an arc onto his nearby teammates, then back and forth into the cheering crowd… then right into the camera.

Maggie makes a gagging sound. “Like his royal highness didn’t already think he was the center of the universe… Let’s plaster his cocky face on a freakin’ jumbo-tron, for God’s sake.”

I laugh as the screen goes black. The music picks up again, loud and pulsing in the autumn evening air, and the players come running through the tunnel, onto the field.

The screams around us swell to a roar, and while I haven’t quite morphed into the screaming and hollering superfan yet, I am clapping right along with them. The butterflies in my stomach flutter and thrash when my eyes land on the player with a large white eighteen emblazoned on his maroon jersey and the name MURDOCH in bold letters beneath that.

The game goes by in a blur. By the third quarter, I already know the words to most of the chants. And I sort of understand the rules of the game.

I do know Sebastian is amazing out there; truly focused for once. No tics or twitches. And never distracted… just totally in the zone. A leader. And larger than life, just like he always is. The boy shines on that field and his teammates feed off his unwavering energy.

The Titans win twenty-seven to seventeen.

And I’m no longer a football virgin.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Seb

---