Page 53 of Away Game

We watched as West called out for the coin toss, and we lost. SDU called offense, and we were off to a shitty start. I had a feeling it would be the theme of the day.

Conley didn’t do too horribly, but SDU’s defense had his number and wouldn’t let him get the ball down the field. We lost spectacularly by twenty-one to three. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to continue coming to games if they were all going to end with us losing and the entire team’s morale down. Even though I knew I couldn’t help that I’d got hurt, I still felt like I’d let my team down now that they were left with Conley as their QB.

After the end game speech, I decided to wait out in the car for West to drive me home. I knew I could drive if I really had to, but it would be a pain to do with my left arm. I was also trying to figure out what to say to Oz now that I’d told him I wanted to talk to him. I knew if I wanted to, I could talk about how the doctor's visit went and about Dani, but I knew the longer I waited, the worse it would be, so I was going to suck it up and do it tonight.

Lost in thought, I didn’t even notice West approach the SUV until he opened the back door and threw his bag into the backseat. When West slid behind the steering wheel, he looked as defeated as I felt. Without a word, he took me in before he started the engine and drove us the short distance back to the football house.

West headed up the stairs, while I stayed downstairs, pacing the area from the living room to the kitchen and back again. Once my roommates started to slowly file inside and fill the house, pressure built in my chest, knowing Oz would be home at any moment.

I moved upstairs, knowing there would be far fewer people up on my floor. If West heard, it would be fine, and hopefully, Maverick would hit The Bar for dinner since his room was right next to mine.

Slowly, I stripped out of my clothes. It seemed to take forever, but with my mind solely focused on that, my anxiety started to diminish until someone knocked on my door.

Standing in only my athletic shorts, I called out. “Come in.”

Oz’s blond head peeked in before he walked inside and flopped down on the bed. “Dude, why are you being so weird?”

My jaw tensed. “If anyone is being weird, it’s you,” I shot back as I leaned against the wall by my door. “Is everything okay with Dani?”

“She’s fine,” Oz looked off to the side, and I knew he was lying. I wasn’t sure what he was hiding, but I wasn’t going to push it. If I had to guess, it probably had something to do with that fucker Dean. Oz still hadn’t told me about it, but before today I didn’t want him questioning me.

“Good, I’ll be sure to text her or give her a call. I haven’t checked on her since we got here.”

Oz nodded. “She’d like that. I would have invited you, but I needed to hit the road, and you had your appointment. What did the doctor say?” His fingers tapped along his leg.

Looking down at my sling, I bit the inside of my bottom lip. “I’m out for the rest of the season, and if I do as he says and baby the fuck out of my shoulder, then I should be good for next year.”

He sat up and shook his head. “Fuck, man, that sucks. I know it’s still raw, but you’re going to be fine. If you need anything from me, I’m here. You know that.”

“Thanks, man,” I swallowed thickly. I wondered if he’d feel the same after I told him I was…

“Did you eat yet because I’m starved? I can heat us up something to eat downstairs if you want.”

“I could eat,” I said, even though I wasn’t hungry from the nerves that had settled in my stomach.

“Once I eat, I’m going to pass out until Sunday. What do you want with your chicken?”

“Surprise me,” I replied. Our options were limited, and I didn’t care.

He stood and clapped his hands together. “I’ll be back in a few.”

Pulling out my phone, I looked through my email, trying to get my mind off what was going to happen once Oz was back with our food. When he walked in with chicken and rice, I was happy to have a few moments to figure out how I was going to start.

Chewing his food with furrowed brows, Oz asked, letting me know I was out of time. “Why aren’t you eating?”

“Do you count West as a friend?” I asked without looking up from my plate as I moved my food around with my fork.

Sitting his fork down, Oz sat up straighter. “I know you don’t like him for whatever reason, but he’s a good guy, and he’s always been cool to me.”

I looked up at him and then promptly looked down. “What if I said I like West, and we’d grown closer?”

“I’d say, cool, now maybe we can all hang out more.” He shrugged as if it was no big deal.

“And if I said I like him more than you do?” I felt like an idiot pussyfooting around it.

Oz laughed. “I’d say give me what you’re taking.”

“Funny,” I grumbled. “I’m serious, Oz.”

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