Page 29 of When You Wish Upon a Wideout

“Sienna?”

“What?”

He wiped his mouth again. “I said, picture them naked. Even Principal Wexman. Besides,” he added before grabbing another cookie, “you can’t mess up a coin toss.”

But let me tell you something, Mom. Beau was wrong.

When the time came for me and Henry to make our way onto the field, I was relieved to find Beau there because he was a captain. He was standing tall, his hands pulling at the neck of his jersey—number sixteen—swaying side to side. I didn’t know what to make of his number choice, but it made my stomach flutter a bit.

“Naked,” he mouthed to me,and I looked at the old referee and grimaced.

I didn’t want the moment to last more than it needed to, so when the ref handed me the coin, I flicked it off in Beau’s direction, and everyone in the entire town learned you can, in fact, screw up a coin toss.

The coin almost pegged Beau in the chin, and when he jutted his head backward, it slipped easily into the opening of his jersey-covered chest protector. His eyes flew to mine, which widened in absolute horror.

The referee fiddled with his hat for a minute, looking around as if he was expecting someone to tell him what to do as Beau pulled at his jersey and equipment. But no coin fell.

The crowd grew silent, obviously confused as they waited for the call.

The ref sighed. “Take it off, son.”

My cheeks must have been a fire engine shade of red when his teammates and the other school’s captains laughed. And so did Henry.

“Shut up,” I whispered through clenched teeth, trying to keep my eyes anywhere except on the warm tone of Beau’s skin or the trail of fine brown hair below his belly button when he pulled his jersey and equipment over his head with the help of a teammate.

After what seemed like an eternity, the coin hit the turf, and I finally let out the breath I’d been holding.

“Heads it is,” the referee announced, and Beau told him they wanted the ball.

I should’ve felt some relief that our school actually won the toss. But Mom,allI could focus on was what was right in front of me—Beau without his shirt and how big he was, far from the kid I used to be a head taller than and chase lightning bugs with at dusk.

Somehow, he made things worse and better when he finally put his equipment back on. “If you wanted to see me without my shirt again, all you had to do was ask.”

It’s dark and cooler now here on the roof, but my cheeks are warm, and there’s this tingling all throughout my body. Ifeelsomething, Mom—even when he’s not right here.

I wish I were brave enough to ask.

Love,

Sienna

chapterfive

“You’re up early.I thought you’d sleep in.”

Sienna yawned. “Emily’s coming over.” Shuffling to the pantry, she grabbed a box of muffin mix from the pantry. “Can’t host a guest with air.”

“Not sure you should risk giving a breastfeeding mother food poisoning.” Henry stood. “There’s a few pancakes left.”

“Very funny. No. Just caffeine,” she said through another yawn, filling her mug before having a sip. “Jesus, Henry!”

“You got home late. I figured you needed an extra kick this morning.”

Sienna put down the mug and went to get orange juice from the fridge, trying to eviscerate the taste. “One more kick and this would be cocaine.”

“How wouldyouknow what cocaine is like?” Grace appeared with her hands on her hips.

Sienna rolled her eyes. “Isn’t that a lot of makeup for school?”

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