Page 72 of Wallflower

I loved…so much about him.

And that scared me.

CHAPTER 13

I hated to admit it.

But I was actually starting to like soccer.

Wait, back up and put an asterisk beside that.

I liked watching Dare play soccer. There was something in the way he moved that made it all so effortless, though I could tell it wasn't. The people around him didn't look that way. They often tried to do the same things he did.Triedbeing the key word there.

The guy could do anything with a soccer ball.

Case in point, right at this moment, Dare was dribbling the ball down the field. He passed to Ty, who was hot on his trail. Ty went to pass, but some player on the other team knocked him down—looked like a foul to me, but what did I know about the rules of soccer?—and a second guy intercepted the ball, taking off in the opposite direction. It looked like no one could stop him. He was too far ahead. I remembered him from the first half because he was the top scorer for the other team. The kid was wicked fast, and he had a clear shot to the DHS goal.

But Dare chased him down.

Not only that, just as the other player was about to take a shot, Dare stole the ball back with a slide that defied the laws of Physics. He went down onto his hip with one leg extended—but was back up the next instant, jogging in the other direction, the ball now firmly under his control.

Dartmor's player looked dumbfounded.

It took the kid a moment to get his head back after that. But by then, it was too late.

Dare only needed that slight hesitation. He and Tyson passed the ball back and forth, again and again, until the net was right there. Either of them could've taken the shot. But Dare let his best friend do the honors.

The ball went in with a whoosh, and the crowd went wild.

Tyson and Dare did this chest bump/hug combo. The game resumed, but after that, it was another blowout.

Dare, Tyson, and Jovonte came over to us at the end of the game. Smiles ate up all of their faces.

"What's the verdict, flower?" Dare said as Gigi and Estelle showered Jovonte with praise.

"On what?" I asked.

"Was it just luck last time"—his brow raised—"or do you think I have a future in the sport?"

Tyson scoffed as I rolled my eyes.

Just to mess with him, I tilted my head side to side. "Eh, I'd say your chances are fifty-fifty."

Dare groaned. "A little harsh there, Vi. You could at least tell me how good I did."

"I don't want to embarrass you with compliments," I said. "I know how humble you are."

Tyson barked out a laugh. "Embarrassed? Humble? This guy?"—he pointed his thumb at Dare—"Yeah, right. We've been best friends forever, and I don't think anyone's ever described him that way."

I nodded. "On second thought, he is a bit cocky. All the more reason to withhold flattery."

"And I know how sarcastic you can be," Dare said back and then spoke to Ty. "Despite the good girl act, she's actually quite the smartass."

"Why, thank you," I said not even taking offense.

"My pleasure."

Tyson laughed again and pointed between the two of us.

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