teams and situations."
Wyatt felt his
face heat up, and he mumbled, "If you look at it like a puzzle, it's
pretty easy."
Both Allyssa and
Mandy smiled at him with what looked like pride in their eyes. He understood it
from Allyssa, since they were going out now, even if they only had one date
lined up, but what was it doing in Mandy's eyes? He was reading this all wrong,
right? That wasn't pride, but simple politeness. That was all he could see that
fit.
"Well,
anyway, we'll be there," Allyssa said. "And you and Alex are more
than welcome to join us after the game wherever Wyatt decides to take me."
She gave him an eyebrow wiggle while she said it, and he realized the date
really would be more than just the football game. That was fine; he really did
like spending time with her, and he liked ice cream, too.
"I
wish," Mandy said with a frown. "Alex has been talking about a keg
party after the game. I hate those. A bunch of people getting drunk and acting
stupid isn't my idea of fun. Maybe if Alex wasn't one of those idiots …"
She looked down at
her hands on the table, and her bottom lip quivered. He wished he could go over
and comfort her. Not like he'd have the guts to do it, even if it was just the
two of them, but he doubly couldn't do it now with Allyssa here. She wasn't his
actual girlfriend yet, but no doubt she would be in the not too distant future.
It only took a few
seconds for Mandy to pull herself together. "Sorry. Didn't mean to bring
everyone down. Maybe we should get to studying."
PART THREE - FOOTBALL GAMES
CHAPTER NINE
MANDY
That Friday night,
Mandy and Luci sat in the stands with a group of her soccer teammates and some
of their boyfriends. Alex and the rest of the Orange Grove Stingers were going
up against the Yorba Rancheros, and the crowd was rocking. Literally at times,
as the bleachers were shaking beneath the excitement.
Yorba had the ball
for only the second time, and they were already down 16-0. Even more
impressive, there were still ten minutes left in the twelve minute-long 1st
quarter. The opening play of the game had been an 80-yard touchdown pass from
Alex, and the second touchdown had only taken two plays: a 30-yard pass,
followed by a 40-yard scramble by Alex. He had also run both two-point
conversions in himself. So not only was the Yorba defense unable to defend
against his throwing arm, but they couldn't tackle him, either. The last couple
of years, Coach Kraft liked to keep the starters in for the entire first half
of the game in blowouts, but if this kept up, Alex might not play much past the
first quarter.
Jill, one of her
soccer friends, leaned over. "I know it's not college competition, but he
looks like he could be starting at Michigan right now."
"The coach
told him that if their junior quarterback goes pro after this season, Alex will
almost certainly be the starter next year. He has to earn it during summer
practice, but that shouldn't be a problem."
"That's so
cool," Vanessa, another friend and teammate, said.
While Yorba's
offense was on the field, they caught up on their first week of school. She had
classes with some of the girls, and they all had Sports Conditioning sixth
period, but none of that really gave time for proper chats and gossip sessions.
As they talked, she kept one eye on the game and the other on the lookout for
Wyatt. She tried to tell herself she wanted to see Kareem and Allyssa, too, but
that was a lie. Yes, it'd be a bonus, but Wyatt was her true goal. She
shouldn't think like that, especially now that he officially had Allyssa, to
say nothing of her being with Alex.
But Alex really
had been a jerk lately. They'd talked a little bit today, as opposed to the
nothing yesterday, but it hadn't been anything important. They needed to have a
serious discussion about his recent behavior, but she didn't know how to bring
it up. That was so unlike them. In years passed, she'd have no trouble talking
to him about anything. Were they drifting
Wyatt felt his
face heat up, and he mumbled, "If you look at it like a puzzle, it's
pretty easy."
Both Allyssa and
Mandy smiled at him with what looked like pride in their eyes. He understood it
from Allyssa, since they were going out now, even if they only had one date
lined up, but what was it doing in Mandy's eyes? He was reading this all wrong,
right? That wasn't pride, but simple politeness. That was all he could see that
fit.
"Well,
anyway, we'll be there," Allyssa said. "And you and Alex are more
than welcome to join us after the game wherever Wyatt decides to take me."
She gave him an eyebrow wiggle while she said it, and he realized the date
really would be more than just the football game. That was fine; he really did
like spending time with her, and he liked ice cream, too.
"I
wish," Mandy said with a frown. "Alex has been talking about a keg
party after the game. I hate those. A bunch of people getting drunk and acting
stupid isn't my idea of fun. Maybe if Alex wasn't one of those idiots …"
She looked down at
her hands on the table, and her bottom lip quivered. He wished he could go over
and comfort her. Not like he'd have the guts to do it, even if it was just the
two of them, but he doubly couldn't do it now with Allyssa here. She wasn't his
actual girlfriend yet, but no doubt she would be in the not too distant future.
It only took a few
seconds for Mandy to pull herself together. "Sorry. Didn't mean to bring
everyone down. Maybe we should get to studying."
PART THREE - FOOTBALL GAMES
CHAPTER NINE
MANDY
That Friday night,
Mandy and Luci sat in the stands with a group of her soccer teammates and some
of their boyfriends. Alex and the rest of the Orange Grove Stingers were going
up against the Yorba Rancheros, and the crowd was rocking. Literally at times,
as the bleachers were shaking beneath the excitement.
Yorba had the ball
for only the second time, and they were already down 16-0. Even more
impressive, there were still ten minutes left in the twelve minute-long 1st
quarter. The opening play of the game had been an 80-yard touchdown pass from
Alex, and the second touchdown had only taken two plays: a 30-yard pass,
followed by a 40-yard scramble by Alex. He had also run both two-point
conversions in himself. So not only was the Yorba defense unable to defend
against his throwing arm, but they couldn't tackle him, either. The last couple
of years, Coach Kraft liked to keep the starters in for the entire first half
of the game in blowouts, but if this kept up, Alex might not play much past the
first quarter.
Jill, one of her
soccer friends, leaned over. "I know it's not college competition, but he
looks like he could be starting at Michigan right now."
"The coach
told him that if their junior quarterback goes pro after this season, Alex will
almost certainly be the starter next year. He has to earn it during summer
practice, but that shouldn't be a problem."
"That's so
cool," Vanessa, another friend and teammate, said.
While Yorba's
offense was on the field, they caught up on their first week of school. She had
classes with some of the girls, and they all had Sports Conditioning sixth
period, but none of that really gave time for proper chats and gossip sessions.
As they talked, she kept one eye on the game and the other on the lookout for
Wyatt. She tried to tell herself she wanted to see Kareem and Allyssa, too, but
that was a lie. Yes, it'd be a bonus, but Wyatt was her true goal. She
shouldn't think like that, especially now that he officially had Allyssa, to
say nothing of her being with Alex.
But Alex really
had been a jerk lately. They'd talked a little bit today, as opposed to the
nothing yesterday, but it hadn't been anything important. They needed to have a
serious discussion about his recent behavior, but she didn't know how to bring
it up. That was so unlike them. In years passed, she'd have no trouble talking
to him about anything. Were they drifting
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