Page 65 of Catch Me

Jules and I tried to circle back around and find Coach earlier to figure out what his doctor said, but we couldn’t find him. Hopefully, he’s keeping Reid’s head in the game and not what’s going on around him. If he’s even able to play at all.

As we’re walking up the sidewalk, a figure moves in behind us, “Excuse me, bitches,” she says, then pushes between Jules and me. I watch her blond hair flip back and forth in a ponytail and the skirt of her cheerleading uniform swish back and forth.

Jules and I stop walking right then and there, causing people to divert around us.

“What the fuck?” Jules hisses under her breath. “Is she seriously being allowed to cheer at the game tonight? After all that?”

Sasha turns, smiling glaringly white teeth. “Tell your boyfriend I say hi as they take him off the field,” she calls back, waving at us.

I step forward, but Jules holds me back. “She doesn’t know,” Jules says, lowering her voice. “She has no idea.” She points to the side of the school. “Look, here comes Miss Higgins.”

Jules and I move closer, then watch as Miss Higgins intercepts Sasha near the entrance to the field.

We pull ourselves off the path and watch. It doesn’t take long for a self-satisfied smirk to cross my face.

“What?” Sasha screams.

Miss Higgins looks around nervously and says something else under her breath.

Sasha doesn’t even listen, she lets go on a tirade of epic proportions. “I’m the best cheerleader out there. Hell, I’m the best thing that ever happened to this school, you can’t take me out. That’s ridiculous.”

Someone clears their throat behind us. Jules and I turn to see Mr. Dade walking Mr. and Mrs. Pontine up the walk toward Sasha. We catch a snippet of what he’s saying to them. “Like we discussed in my office, I’m going to have to enforce your daughter’s immediate expulsion and barring from the grounds while the matter is looked into. If it’s found unwarranted, she can come back to campus immediately.”

“It will be found unwarranted,” Mr. Pontine says in that same haughty tone his daughter has.

“Until then,” Mr. Dade says, “there’s nothing I can do.”

“Come on, Sasha,” Mrs. Pontine says as they get closer. Sasha looks over, her eyes bugging out of her head. Her mother gestures for her to come to them. “We’re going.”

Sasha’s mouth drops. “No, Mom. This is the biggest game of the year. Plus, Mr. Dade,” she says, finally seeing him. “Reid Parker is playing out there when he shouldn’t be. His doctor’s note was falsified. Ask Dr. Campbell.”

“We’re aware of the predicament Mr. Parker is in,” Dade says casually. “A separate physician reviewed him before the game and approved him for play.”

“What?” Sasha shrieks. Her voice must be going hoarse from all the squealing.

“Don’t speak anymore,” Mr. Pontine tells her, pulling his daughter by the elbow. “We’ll be in contact,” he says over his shoulder to both Miss Higgins and Mr. Dade.

Sasha’s face is flush. Her parents lead her away awkwardly. People have stopped to look at the scene, but as if by kismet, she happens to meet my eye. I wave and smile at her, wishing I could tell her she bit off more than she could chew.

She sneers at me and looks away, obviously taking the advice of her father and keeping her mouth shut.

Jules envelops me in a hug. “Holy shit. That just happened.”

“I know,” I say, barely able to believe it myself.

“And Reid was cleared!”

She takes my hand, and we run toward the stands together to get a good seat. This is one game we won’t want to miss.

* * *

Reid playsthis game even better than the last. I scan the stands for the scouts, but don’t recognize them, so instead, I spend every ounce of energy cheering him on. The cheerleading squad is a mess tonight, which makes me laugh. It seems like no one knows what to do when the queen bitch isn’t around. Not even Miss Higgins.

As the clock ticks down, signaling the end of the game, I don’t know how Reid could’ve done anything differently. If Warner’s doesn’t want him after this, they’re blind. They’re stupid. They’re just plain morons.

Jules tries to slip away when the game ends, but I make her come stand with me by Brady’s memorial as the team celebrates their victory. I’m not really doing it for me. I’m kind of doing it for Cade. If it were me who just had a hell of a game in front of a bunch of college scouts, I’d want the girl I liked to be there afterward.

I’m positive we won’t see them until after they get out of the locker room, but I’m wrong about that. Jules nudges me, and I look up. Reid’s running toward me, his helmet in his hand. There are two dark slashes under his eyes that help keep the sun at bay during his games, but they don’t take away from how handsome he is. He runs right to me and doesn’t stop. He drops his helmet and picks me up, holding me high in the air. After looking at me for a few moments, he pulls me to him. “I know what you did for me, Briar, and I’m never going to forget it.”

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