Page 92 of Campus Heat

33

Ethan

The field at Endicott was colder than I expected, but it did absolutely nothing to calm my nerves. The wind rustled across the stadium in sharp gusts. The bleachers were rattling and the Highlanders’ banners were slapping against their poles. The gray sky made the turf look darker, and it was still slick from the rain that had passed through earlier. We jogged through the warmups, cleats squeaking and breath visible in the chilly air.

I rolled my shoulder as I stepped out with the rest of the guys, but I wasn’t preparing for the game. I was trying to dislodge the stone that had made a home in my chest, but it wasn’t working because the second I reached the sideline, I saw her.

Elizabeth was standing with the cheerleading squad. Her gorgeous body was wrapped in her Havenport jacket. Her hair was pulled into a loose ponytail that bounced with each movement she made. And there was something clutched in her hand. A granola bar, of course…

She spotted me almost immediately, and her face softened into the small smile she always gave me before a game. It was that exact smile that always made my nerves disappear, but today was different. Instead of helping, it just made everything worse. She came toward me and my heart did a little flip, but I didn’t give in. I couldn’t, so I turned around, hoping she’d get the point.

I grabbed my helmet from the bench and walked straight past her, acting like I hadn’t seen her at all. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the confused look that flashed across her face as she slowed to a stop, with the granola bar still hanging loosely in her hand. My heart squeezed in the cavity in my chest, but I kept walking anyway.

“Ethan!” Cam said as he jogged up beside me and tossed me the ball. “Are you alive?”

I caught the ball automatically. “Yeah man. I’m good to go.”

Cam squinted at me. “Are you sure? You kinda look like someone just told you puppies aren’t real.”

“I’m fine, dude.”

Cam didn’t look convinced at all, but the whistle blew before he could argue. I knew he wasn’t wrong, and I needed to get my shit together quickly, but it was easier said than done.

“Warmups! Let’s go,” Harris said with a clap.

We lined up across the field, running our normal passing drills. I dropped back and planted my feet before firing the ball toward Cam, who was running a short slant. The ball sailed high. Cam jumped up and barely tipped it with his fingers before it bounced away. As he landed, his gaze moved to me, and he stared for a good long moment.

“What the fuck, dude?” He asked, and his annoyance couldn’t be more clear.

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. “It must’ve been the wind.”

He slowly looked around the stadium and raised his hands. “There is no fucking wind!”

“Let’s just run it again.”

Cam shook his head but jogged back into position without protesting it. Across the field, the Endicott players ran aggressive tackle drills to the point where their pads were slamming together in full thuds. Unlike ours, their sideline looked sharp and energized. I tried to focus and failed miserably, then the whistle blew. It was game time.

Bundled-up spectators slowly filled the stands, and their voices blended into a low roar as the teams lined up for kickoff. We received first.

“Let’s go!” Cam shouted in the huddle. “It’s the first drive. Set the tone.”

I clapped once. “Trips to the right and slant options. Are you ready?”

“Break!”

We lined up, and there was a snap. I dropped back, scanning the field as Lucas cut across the middle. Cam broke right, and for just a moment, the play looked perfect. That was until my grip slipped on the damp ball. The pass wobbled, and Lucas reached, but it bounced off his hands. Of course it has to be incomplete.

Lucas jogged back, shaking his head. “Try aiming a little lower, man.”

I nodded. “Yeah, that was my bad. I’m sorry.”

The next play started, and I managed to hand off to Dylan. An Endicott linebacker burst through the line and wrapped him up almost immediately. For the third down, I called another pass play. There was a snap, and I stepped back. My eyes flickered to the sideline without meaning to, and I saw Elizabeth standing there. She wasn’t doing anything special. She was just standing there, watching me.

The hesitation lasted less than a second, but it was enough. The defensive end slammed into me just as I released the ball. The pass fell short. Punt team.

Cam jogged past me and asked, “Are you good?”

“Yeah,” I mumbled.