Page 292 of Small Town Firsts

Zach answers her before I can. “Girl, go. I’ll keep our Emmy company.”

Stella’s pink-glossed lips tip up into a huge smile. “Be back soon!” She practically skips away, giddy as can be for her first college football game experience.

“Feeling a little overwhelmed?” Zach asks. He is way too perceptive for my liking. “Let’s sit.” He weaves through the crowd, leading me to a cluster of chairs.

Or I’m not hiding the anxiety clawing at my skin as well as I thought I was. “Maybe a little.” I scan the area, looking for Stella. Sure enough, she’s having the time of her life with the cornhole guys.

A particularly muscled specimen currently has his front molded to her back under the guise of helping her with her toss.

Judging from the megawatt grin she’s wearing, she’s loving every second, the shameless little flirt.

“You want me to grab you a drink? Water, Coke?”

“Water would be great,” I say, even though I’m not particularly excited about Zach leaving me on my own.

Maybe I’ll just offer to tag along...

But before I get a chance to offer, he cups his hands around his mouth and shouts, “Yo! Renski!”

In the blink of an eye, a ginger-haired guy pops up out of seemingly nowhere. “Yes?”

“Get the lady and me a couple bottles of water.”

“On it!” He gives a jaunty salute before hustling away in search of our drinks.

“How’d you manage that?”

Zach bounces his shoulders and smiles. “Must be my award-winning personality.”

“Must be.”

“Back!” Renski hollers, a condensation-covered water bottle in each hand. “Need anything else?”

“Nah, we’re good, my man,” Zach says, politely dismissing him.

“Thank you,” I call after his retreating form.

Without looking back, he flashes a peace sign our way over his shoulder.

“Now, drink up so we can calm those nerves and get you in the Wildcat spirit.”

I shake my head and crack open my bottle of water, sipping from it slowly.

Zach does his best to entertain me, but eventually, I send him off to have fun. Just because I’d rather sit and chill doesn’t mean I want to be a wet blanket for my friends. They should still have a good time.

Plus, this is prime people watching if there ever was any. All walks of student-life are here and en masse. It’s crazy the way everyone sort of meshes together in a big show of school spirit. Stoners, jocks, nerds—people who wouldn’t be caught dead together in high school—are all here.

I’m deeply invested in the Stella-cornhole saga when my phone buzzes in my pocket. After my unexpected and supremely unwanted exchange with my mother earlier, I’m hesitant to check it again.

Another alert buzzes through, and I decide at the very least I can set it to silent.

But when I check the screen, the messages are from an unknown number.

Unknown

Why do you look so miserable?

Unknown

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