Page 34 of Third and Ten

He nods and sets the heart back down on a shelf.

“Which is a good thing, since our plan involves more than just talking. It’ll make things less awkward later if we have to resort to PDA to get Tenley’s attention,” I add, because I can set the bait, too.

He turns abruptly and narrows his eyes at me. “Wait, you’re not actually going to kiss Loren…in front of everyone?”

I grin. “I’d never lead her on. Lo understands this is about getting Tenley to notice me.” He glowers at me as I’m unable to stifle my laughter.

“Right. I just…I wouldn’t want you to compromise your standards or do something out of character for Tenley’s sake,” he mutters.

“Sure,” I return, laughing louder now.

The bell rings, and Blake stomps over to the board and erases the last few student blurbs, just to make it clear he’s displeased. Then I punch him in the shoulder as we walk out to the gym.

The pep rally goes over the same as the last hundred or so I’ve attended, with the exception of Tenley’s presence ruffling me, of course. I wave at her from the gym floor when she takes her place in the bleachers, and she shoots me a polite smile before hiding behind a group of other parents. I puff out my cheeks and force out a breath as I stare longingly in her direction until Ethan approaches.

“I’m sorry, Coach, I’ve been trying to throw your name around in front of her. She’s just…too busy, I guess.”

A couple of other guys pat me on the arm as they pass on their way to the student section. “Don’t give up, Coach JD,” Tate says. I must be making my Coach Thirsty face again to warrant their pity.

“Thanks for trying, E,” I say, trying to ignore my wounded pride. “I haven’t forgotten about my half of the deal, though. Group project next week?”

“Yeah?” He glances over to the side where Caidence is gathering with the rest of the cheer squad. She smirks at him and fluffs her ponytail, and I swear the kid’s got actual hearts in his eyes.

I tap him in the chest. “Yep. And your class has been too noisy lately, so it looks like I’ll be assigning partners myself.”

“Just the two of us? I don’t know,” he panics. “What if she thinks I’m a loser?”

“No, no, I’ll help,” I reassure him.

“You will?”

“Yeah, just make up some excuse to call me about the project if you get too nervous.”

He nods excitedly and offers me a fist bump. “Dude. You’re, like, a way better wingman than me.”

“Yeah, I’d hope so, since I’ve probably kissed a few more girls by now,” I say with exaggerated condescension.

He gives me a playful shove and darts out of my reach. “I’m going to ignore that one, Coach Thirsty!” he yells, taking the bleacher stairs two at a time. I glare daggers at him as he chuckles at my expense.

Blake joins me again as we watch the rally, and I worry he’ll give me more flack when I get called to the floor to make a speech. But he looks surprisingly proud when I glance over to catch his expression.

Then Loren sidles over to me toward the end, making it a point to ignore Blake when he tries to resume their usual banter. “Introduce me when she passes, then follow my lead,” she instructs, attempting to lean up and get closer to my ear. I nod, and we station ourselves near the exit so I can catch Tenley on her way out.

I clear my throat when she approaches, and Loren places her hand on my forearm, turning to face me as if we’ve been having an intimate conversation. “Oh, hey, Tenley,” I call as she walks by. “How’s it going?”

She stops reluctantly, as if she’s been hoping to avoid me. “Hey, Coach. Everything’s fine, thanks.” Then her focus darts to Loren, and I swear her composure falters for a second before she forces a polite smile.

Loren takes her cue. “Oh, my gosh, Tenley? Is that you?”

Tenley’s eyes widen in recognition. “Loren? Wow…it’s good to see you.”

Loren opens her arms, and I’m surprised when Tenley readily embraces her. “I thought I’d heard you were back in town,” Loren says over Tenley’s shoulder. Then she turns to scold me playfully. “It almost sounds like the two of you’ve been hanging out without me.”

I shrug, glancing coyly at Tenley. “We run into each other pretty often, you know, because of Ethan.”

“Ugh, I’m totally jealous. We should definitely catch up, Ten,” Loren proposes, settling in at my side. I swallow hard, unsure of what I should do next. Then I feel one of Loren’s petite hands curling around my elbow, so I lift my arm slightly, making sure it’s in Tenley’s line of sight.

“I’d love that,” Tenley replies with a more earnest smile. She looks back and forth between us. “You look amazing, by the way,” she blurts out. Then she cringes as if she hadn’t meant to say it out loud. “I mean, you haven’t aged a bit.”

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