Page 23 of 3rd and 4
“STATE!” The student section puts their heart and soul into that reply.
“WHO’S HOUSE?”
“OUR HOUSE!”
“WE ARE?”
“STATE!”
The band begins marching onto the field, the music reinvigorating me. I shake my arms and legs and blow out my breath hard and fast. By the end of the first song, the crowd is finding their spirit. The first notes of “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” brings an excited grin to my face. I run 10 yards, build up momentum, and leap into Addy’s arms. He catches me, lifting me over his head. We pause, then he spins me as he tosses me in the air and catches me. Hands on my waist, he holds me vertically in front of him, my back to him. He lifts me up, releases me, dropping his hands in front of him and my foot lands perfectly in his cupped hands. I’m airborne a few seconds later, twisting as I fly through the air and into the waiting arms of Eva and several other cheerleaders. The crowd goes nuts.
12 minutes later, our half-time show is over and we’re clapping and yelling and running off field for a quick break before the third quarter begins. Addy runs up behind me and lifts me up easily, placing me on his broad shoulders. I smile, still clapping and yelling.
In the tunnel, Addy’s hands squeeze my bare thighs. He arches his neck and looks up at me with a sexy grin. “I love you.”
“I know.” I tease and awkwardly bend down to kiss him. “More than there are stars.”
The locker room is animated, to say the least. But no one talks about the video. Not even in hushed tones. As if by unspoken agreement, we’ve all decided to pretend it doesn’t exist. We have a game to finish and then we can get down to it.
During the fourth quarter, Jillian and Lindsay are quietly escorted from the field by uniformed police officers. I swallow hard, watching them be led away. I don’t know what to feel asthey disappear inside the tunnel. I shake it off and get back into the game.
The countdown begins and we happily cheer as the clock winds down. It hits zero and the student section is deafening. Addy rushes over, picks me up and tosses me high into the air. When he catches me, we’re laughing and smiling and our lips meet, teeth clatter, but neither of us care.
I shower fast, wanting to talk with Jenna as soon as possible. Addy meets me in the hallway and as we approach Jenna’s office, the door opens and Lilly steps out. “Hey, I was just coming to get you two, come on in.” She stands aside to usher us into Jenna’s office. It’s cramped now, with Jenna, Lilly, Addy, me, Coach Beiler, and Brody Zeigler from security.
“Brody.” Addy holds his hand out to shake as he greets him. He does the same to Coach Beiler. “Do you know—” Brody holds his hand up to stop Addy.
“Sit.” Addy takes a seat in front of Jenna’s desk and pulls me onto his lap. I don’t fight, needing to feel him close.
“Daya. I know we haven’t officially met. I’m Coach Beiler.” I nod with a closed smile. “How are you?”
“Tired.” I answer honestly. “Violated. Pissed. A little hungry.” Everyone chuckles though I’m serious. Cheering is a hell of a workout and builds an appetite.
Beiler’s eyes widen, “Ah!” He pulls two protein bars from his back pocket. “Here you go. Until you’re able to get a real meal.”
“Thank you.” Addy and I thank him then eagerly dig in.
“Jenna?” I prompt after I swallow the first bite. She looks to Brody.
“I spoke with the jumbotron operator.” The way he clenches his jaw, I’d guess he did more than talk or at least wanted to.“Apparently, he’s easily swayed by blowjobs.” Lilly smacks him on the arm, but he just shrugs. “Shaye claimed it was a birthday video for her bestie on the squad.”
“Shaye?” I’m not surprised. “How did they get it in the first place? How’d they get in my room?”
“Jillian planted the camera in your closet after telling your roommate she wanted to surprise you for your birthday.”
I gasp. “My birthday is in June. I wondered why my roommate wished me a happy birthday a couple weeks ago. When I told her it wasn’t even close to my birthday, she looked puzzled but said she must have heard it wrong.”
“Lindsay took your key card from your bag during a workout and replaced it before it was over to retrieve the camera.” Addy draws me into him, both arms holding me tight to him, his chin on my shoulder. “Campus security and police are looking for Shaye.”
“How did…how do…it’s been a couple hours at most, how do you know all this already?”
Brody smirks, “It’s amazing how quickly you can lose a friend when faced with a lengthy prison sentence.”
Lilly sits in the empty chair and rests her hand on my arm. “Lindsay and Jillian have already been arrested. They started talking immediately. This is a serious matter. They filmed you two without consent. Then tried to distribute that footage at a nationally televised football game.”
“They didn’ttry.” Addy snaps. “They succeeded.”
Lilly’s eyes soften. “They did.” I pat Addy’s hands on my belly; it’s not Lilly’s fault. “They also confessed to breaking into your locker and stealing your belongings.”
