Page 18 of Quarterback Crush
And yet, the irony was that this thing with Maya totally was an act. I’d asked her to be my fake girlfriend, but for something that wasn’t supposed to be real, I was hyped to the max. How did that work? I had no idea, but my adrenaline was soaring like it does during the national anthem before a game. Yeah, I couldn’t understand it. Was it the thrill of doing something deceitful, the act of revenge that had me pumped? That had to be it—what else could it be?
Our training session was one of the best we’d ever had. Coach Gregor had us in the zone—every single team member giving it a hundred percent. Beating St. Martin’s would keep our championship title dreams alive and no one wanted that title more than me. Except maybe Coach Gregor. He was retiring at the end of the season and wanted to end his career on a high note.
The cheer squad finished before us, and I became impatient for Coach to wind up practice. I didn’t want Maya getting bored while waiting for me. My heart rate escalated as Coach prolonged his closing talk, all stuff we’d heard a thousand times before.
I inadvertently sighed, causing Coach to pause and stare in my direction.
“Am I boring you, Blackwell?”
I had to think quickly. “No sir,” I said, “but you hammered us hard today and I think”—I scrunched up my nose as I sniffed the air—“everyone could do with a shower.”
“Make it ice cold,” Coach snapped back with a smirk while the team laughed.
“Of course,” I said with a nod, knowing I wouldn’t bother till I got home—a blast of body spray would have to do. The anticipation of seeing Maya, of driving her home had me speeding to the locker room, then out to my car where I hoped she’d be waiting.
Maya was standing with Rose, another cheerleader. “Hello ladies,” I said with a swagger of confidence. Maya turned pink while Rose smiled shyly. “Do you need a ride, Rose?”
“Oh no. No. Not at all. My Dad’s on his way. Thanks for asking though,” she said, her cheeks also turning red.
“Of course,” I said, secretly happy, but I would have given her a lift if she needed one.
“See you tomorrow, Maya,” Rose called as she moved over to the pick-up zone.
Maya waved and picked up her tote bag. “How was training?”
“Great,” I said. “Sorry you had to wait. Coach wouldn’t stop talking. How was your training?”
“It was good,” she said, grinning as she buckled herself in.
“Awesome.”
We chatted about Friday’s schedule, the game being played at a neutral ground which meant we would stay after school for a pre-game meal before taking the bus to Naperville Stadium, thirty minutes away.
“Is the team pumped?” Maya asked.
“Sure is.”
“My Dad says you’re the best quarterback the Owls have had in years.”
I took my eyes off of the road ahead to glance at Maya. “Yeah? He said that?”
“Uh huh.”
“You talk to your Dad about football?”
She smiled and nodded. “Dad used to be quarterback in junior high. But he got a concussion and then couldn’t play again. His football career was basically over before it begun.”
“That sucks,” I said.
“But it’s okay,” Maya said. “Because of that injury, he took up track and field and he became the discus champion of Bourkeville High. A fact he likes to remind us of regularly.”
I chuckled. “That’s pretty cool.”
“Yeah, it is,” Maya said, flashing me a smile that sent my heart rate accelerating.
“Hey, have you thought any more about our date? Like, what you want to do?”
Maya shrugged. “No, just whatever you want. I don’t mind.”
