I promised I would.
But I didn’t want to texthimjust yet. Not with all the nerves in my stomach bouncing off the walls.
I wanted tomove. Todosomething.
And when Coop caught up with me in the parking lot and raised an eyebrow, I just blurted it out.
“You going to the game?”
He shrugged. “Was thinking about it. You?”
I hesitated. Then nodded. “Yeah.”
He opened my driver’s side door for me like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Then let’s go.”
It wasn’t until we got to the stadium that I saw Archie waiting at the gate, leaning against the fence like he’d been born to look both expensive and slightly dangerous in school colors. Not that he looked bad in the purple. Archie didn’t look bad in anything.
“Look who showed up,” Coop said.
Archie gave a slow smile. “Couldn’t let you two go unsupervised.”
“Is that what this is?” I said. “Chaperone duty?”
Archie stepped aside to let us through. “Think of it more as quality time with my favorite girl in glitter territory.”
I rolled my eyes, but my cheeks warmed anyway.
The stadium lights buzzed overhead, slicing through dusk with blinding force. The stands were already packed—students, parents, teachers, the marching band, and at least three local news cameras. Homecoming weekend was going to be here soon, and we were getting closer to the playoffs. Maybe. Pretty sure we were. It usually meant heightened drama. Honestly, I only paid any kind of attention cause Bubba and Jake played.I really didn’t get football at all. Friday night lights meant someone was going to cry before the fourth quarter.
Probably me, if my heart didn’t calm the hell down.
We found seats near the top of the student section, just high enough to see everything but far enough to avoid the accidental pom-pom injuries and class reps throwing out free school merch.
Coop handed me a cold soda. Archie settled his baseball cap on my head. Neither said a word about Jake.
I was grateful.
I leaned forward on the bleacher, chin on my knees, watching the game start. Jake was on the field, helmet on, shouting something to the offensive line. He moved like he never missed a day. Like the world hadn’t tilted sideways earlier that week.
Maybe that’s what made my stomach twist. Becauseminehadn’t leveled out yet.
“Is it weird being here?” Coop asked, voice low enough that I almost missed it under the roar of the kickoff.
I didn’t answer right away.
Then: “Yeah. A little.”
“Still glad you came?”
I glanced sideways at him, even as Archie bumped my knee with his, letting me know he was there.
“Yeah,” I said. “I think I am.”
The crowd cheered as Jake’s pass landed with surgical precision into the receiver’s hands. First down.
I watched him for a moment longer, breath caught somewhere between guilt and relief.
Then I leaned back into the night and let the game unfold in front of me, flanked by two of my best friends who weren’t asking anything of me and felt like my best friends again.
