KYLE

“Okay, bring it in,” The coach boomed across the field. I unclipped my chin strap and yanked off my helmet, sucking in a lungful of fresh air.

“You’re looking good out there, Stone,” one of the guys clapped me on the back and I followed him to the gathered circle. I recognized some of the faces: guys from teams we’d played before, others from the football camp circuit. I should have been pumped, ready to prove my worth and show the supervising staff and Trojan alumni that I was a serious contender for a red and gold jersey.

But I was restless.

“I’m impressed,” he started. “You’ve worked hard, listened, and worked as a team. I don’t have time for showboaters. You’re here to learn, improve on your skill, and get a taste of what it’s like to play college ball. Now get out of here and get cleaned up.”

I walked back to the locker room with a few of the guys I’d played with earlier in the day. “Shit, that was intense,” one of the guys—Darius—said, rubbing his shoulder.

“What did you expect, man?” Another guy chimed in and Darius shrugged, wincing in pain. The guy had taken a hard sack on the field.

“Quit bitching,” I said. “We’re all here for one thing, right? Keep your eye on the prize.”

“Easy for you to say, Stone,” someone hollered, and I glanced around to see a familiar face. “Word has it you’re a sure thing. Guess having a fat bank account is worth more than skill these days.”

My feet ground to a halt and I spun around. “What did you say?”

Aaron Meiter, a rising star out of Long Beach, and tipped to be the next first-string quarterback for The Trojans, flashed me a shit-eating grin. “You heard me.”

“Chill, Aaron. We’re all friends.”

“It’s okay, D. I’m intrigued to hear Meiter’s theory.” Anger vibrated through me. Usually I would have let his shit talk go, but that was before.

Before my perfect life had been ripped out from under me.

He cocked his head, sending his buddy an amused look. “Must really suck to know people only pay you any kind of attention because they want a piece of the Stone-Prince pie. You might get a place on the team next year, but you won’t have earne—”

I lunged forward ready to tear his head from his body, but strong arms went around my waist, hauling me back. “Don’t give him the satisfaction, man. The guy needs to learn there is no I in team.” Darius refused to let me up as I tried to shirk him off, my hardened glare pointed right at Aaron.

“Me and you, Meiter. On the field. Any day of the week.”

Darius groaned behind me, but I was too far gone. If Coach and the rest of the supervising staff weren’t still out on the field, I would have suggested a little one-on-one right then.

I was good, I knew that. I didn’t need some piece of shit like Meiter’s validation. But the beast was itching for a fight. And I didn’t like the insinuation that I’d bought my way here. I’d earned it like everyone else. Football was my life, had been since I was just a kid and Dad gave me my first ball.

He stepped closer, the air crackling with tension. “It’s on, Stone. It’s. On.”

A chorus of groans followed, but I didn’t break our stare off. I wasn’t scared of a douchecanoe like Aaron Meiter. Eventually, his buddy shoulder checked him, and they walked off, taking the bad atmosphere with them.

“You shouldn’t egg him on, man.” Darius rubbed his jaw. “I’ve heard some crazy shit about him.”

“He’s just blowing smoke up his own ass,” someone else piped up. “He’s good, sure, but so are the rest of us.”

“We’ve got your back, Kyle, man. But Coach won’t stand for any shit on the field.”

“Thanks, D,” I said, some of the tension leaving my body. “Come on, let’s get back to the dorms, I could eat a horse.”

The guys snickered, and we headed in the direction of the building we’d been assigned to. Darius was right, I couldn’t let Meiter get the better of me, but rational thinking wasn’t exactly my strong suit lately. So I’d just have to do what I did best: Take my anger out on the field.

~

A GROUP OF US WENT to the student center cafeteria to eat. It was a big sprawling place, and I soaked it in, imagining what it would be like to be here next year. All I’d ever wanted was to play football in college. I didn’t mind classes, but my heart lay on the field. There was no backup plan for me. I wanted a one-way ticket into the NFL. That was the end game. Sure, I knew the chances were slim, but there was no room for doubt. I had to keep my eye on the prize.

And until recently, I’d been doing just that.

Laurie and football.

I didn’t want or need anything else. As far as I was concerned, that was it for me.

“Yo, Stone, you going to eat those fries?” Darius reached over to my plate and I smacked his hand away, pulling the tray closer to my chest.

“Never come between a guy and his fries, dude.”

He smirked at me and held up his hands. “It’s all good.”

I cocked my brow and sent him a smirk of my own. “It is now your hands are on their own side of the table.”

“I wonder where Meiter and his crew are at,” someone said, and my head snapped up.

“Don’t know, don’t care.”

“He’ll be gunning for you tomorrow, you know that, right?”

“He can bring it,” I said with a dismissive shrug. “I don’t need to prove myself to anyone except Coach.”

“Damn right.” Darius agreed, and I tipped my head in appreciation.

“What’s your story anyway, Stone? You got a girl back in Wicked Bay?”

A bolt of pain shot through my chest and I blanched. “Y- yeah.”

“You don’t sound so sure.” He gave me a pointed look.

“Laurie, her name’s Laurie. She’s the best thing that ever happened to me.” I don’t know why I said it, but I did. Maybe it was to reassure myself or convince Darius that things were fine, but the words sounded all wrong rolling off my tongue.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t the best thing that ever happened to me, because she was. But it was the fact I needed to say it at all.

“You won’t be saying that when you get to college, man,” one of the guys piped up. “My brother is a sophomore at UCLA and I went to stay with him a couple of times. College girls are something else, you know what I’m saying.” His brows danced. “And they love jocks. Eat that shit right up.”

“If that’s what floats your boat,” I said stuffing a cold fry in my mouth.

“The whole world is at our feet, man, and I for one, intend to enjoy every fucking second of it.”

“You think you’ll survive the long-distance thing?” Darius drew my attention away from the schmuck who wouldn’t stop talking.

“She’s applying to USC.”

“Shit man, that is serious. I mean what if it doesn’t work out and you have to see each other, and she gets a new guy? Yeah, I’m not sure I could handle that.”

My fries threatened to make a reappearance. Why were we even talking about this? We were here to play football, not dissect each other’s personal lives.

“Nice, D, real nice,” I choked out, trying to school my features. But his jaw clenched.

“Sorry, man, that was a shitty thing to say. I just mean, well, we’re still young. College is still a year away. Things change. People change.”

I pushed my tray forward and shoved my chair back, shooting upright. “I’m going to head back to the dorm, I’ll catch you guys tomorrow.”

“Kyle, come on, I didn’t mean—” But his words rolled off my retreating form as I cut across the half-empty cafeteria and made my way back to the dorm.

I didn’t blame Darius, he was a good guy. He’d had my back with Aaron Meiter, but I didn’t want to sit around and be reminded of all the obstacles that lay ahead for me and Laurie... if we made it as far as college, that was. Because right now, with things the way they were, I didn’t even know if we’d last the year.

Digging in my pocket, I pulled out my cell and lingered over Laurie’s number. The urge to call her burned through me. I just wanted to hear her voice, for her to give me a sign things were going to be okay, but in the end, I chickened out and called Lo.

“What happened?” she rushed out.

“Why do you automatically assume something happened? Can’t I call to say hi?”

“No, not lately.” I heard the smile in her voice. “My default reaction is set to ‘what the hell did he do now?’”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Cous. It means a lot.”

“What can I say? I try.”

“Well you’ll be relieved to know, this is just a courtesy call.”

“Okay, I think.” There was shuffling and then her voice got distant, but I heard her say, “It’s Kyle.”

“Rick’s there?” Of course he was there. The two of them barely spent a night apart.

“He says hi.”

“You’re not naked in bed, are you?” I shuddered at that visual.

“Kyle! Do you have to do that?”

“Do what?” I feigned surprise, shouldering the door to the dormitory we’d been assigned for the duration of camp.

“You know exactly what.” She chided. “Listen, did you want something? I’m kind of in the middle—”

“La la la la,” I sang as I made my way to my room.

“Homework, Kyle. I’m in the middle of homework. God, is your mind permanently in the gutter?”

“Pretty much.”

“Well, this has been enlightening. I have things to do so unless you have something important to tell me...”

Inside the room, I hit the light and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Have you spoken to her?”

Silence met me, and my heart started pounded against my ribcage. Why wasn’t she replying? Why wasn’t Lo reassuring me that Laurie was fine... Why wasn’t she—

“She’s... okay.”

“She is?”

“What do you want me to say? She’s locked herself away, crying all day over you?”

“That would be a start.”

“Kyle, seriously?”

“Shit, no. I didn’t mean that. I just...”  I couldn’t find the right words to begin to describe how hard this was.

“I know,” Lo said. “Listen, Laurie is holding it together. She won’t tell me anything, like a certain someone else I know, but I respect your right to privacy. If either of you need me, you know where I am. Okay?”

I clammed up at that. Lo wasn’t stupid, she knew there was more to things than either of us were telling her. And I hated keeping her out of the loop. Rick too. But it was the only way.

“I’ll let you get back to your homework.”

“Oh yeah, me and algebra have a date for two lined up. Things are going to get really, really hot—”

“Ew, you freak! I’ll text you tomorrow, Cous.”

“I can hardly wait,” she sighed down the line. “And Kyle, do me a favor? Hurry up and fix whatever it is that needs fixing, ‘kay?”

The lump in my throat doubled in size and I swallowed hard. When I didn’t reply, Lo said bye and hung up. And I loved her for it. She didn’t push or demand answers. She didn’t threaten to go to my dad or tell her dad. She just accepted that it was something I needed to figure out. But that was the problem.

I didn’t know how to fix it.