Page 94 of Catch
I keep having to remind myself that he only thinks of us as friends. Friends who fuck, but still, friends.
A friend who makes me laugh like no one else and drives me crazy in the same breath. A guy who makes me want so bad that I can’t imagine going a day without kissing him.
Ethan’s surprisingly sensitive too, dropping off snacks when I confess I have a craving for chocolate dipped potato chips. Not to mention the constant texts, video calls, and pics we share on the daily.
And now that the biggest competition in college sports is about to unfold on campus, I’m going to be spending even more time with him. Unfortunately, all of it will be spent either volunteering or competing, so our sex life is on hold.
Maybe that’s a good thing. It’ll give me a breather to get my growing feelings under control.
And there’s no better distraction than a major event. Today is Welcome Day and the campus quad is buzzing with hundreds of students decked out in their college colors. Ethan and I, along with Dane and the rest of the welcome crew, stand on the makeshift stage, surrounded by school banners fluttering in the breeze. We’ve got our tablets in hand, our mics ready, and our Sutton ambassador T-shirts on so we’re easy to spot in the crowd.
Dane’s phone buzzes and he glances at it before motioning to me and Ethan.
“I’ve got to prepare for the opening press conference with the president,” Dane explains. “I’ll leave you guys in charge here if that’s good with you?”
“We’ve got this,” Ethan confirms.
I nod in agreement, even as the nerves in my belly take flight. Dane gives us each a hug and heads off the stage and into the crowd.
Ethan taps his mic and holds his hand up.
“Alright, folks, welcome to Sutton U and the National College Athletic Competition launch day! Phew, that was a mouthful, am I right?” He laughs, and the crowd claps in return. “Are you excited?”
The clapping gets louder, and shouts ring out as the students gather around the stage.
“I said, are you excited?!” Ethan shouts and points at the crowd.
This time, the response is a resounding roar that carries over the quad.
“That’s what I want to hear! My name’s Ethan Walker, and I’m one of the student ambassadors for the games. I’m proudly representing the Sutton U hockey team, so you’ll be seeing a lot of me this week. I’m joined by my partner in crime, Jett Hawthorne, who’s a member of our elite rowing crew. Give him all the applause, please!”
I stand by Ethan’s side and wave to the crowd.
“Any questions about this week’s activities—what’s the schedule, where do I go, and where the best parties are at?—just ask us,” Ethan continues with a smile. “We’re gathering this week to compete for important college standings, but we’re also here to have fun and make new friends. And since today is Welcome Day, that means we’ve organized lots of games to break the ice, and trust me, you’re going to have a blast. Let’s get this party started!”
I look around and spot Archie, Finn, and Hudson waiting at the front of the stage. The rest of the Crew and the Cougars are interspersed among the crowd, some as participants, some as volunteers.
“First up is name-tag switch!” I announce. “Use your phone to scan the code on the tag you received in your welcome bag. You’ll get a clue, a fun fact, or a photo about the person whose name is on that tag, helping you find your match. Are you ready? And… go!”
The quad erupts into motion as students scan tags, call out names, and claim victory when they find their matches. It’s wild and chaotic, but in the best way. Judging by the smiles I see, we’re off to a good start.
When it looks like all the matches are found, we move on to a photo scavenger hunt.
“Snap a photo with someone from another college, a mascot, and a team. First team gets a special prize!” I call out.
Phones are out in a flash. I spot a group trying to convince a Wildcat mascot to join their pyramid, and another team dragging our namesake Cougar into a selfie. I can’t wait to see the pics on our school socials. After the winner’s declared, we pause for a refreshment break. Thankfully the weather’s cooperated, and while the breeze is cool, the sun is shining warm and bright. All in, it’s a perfect fall day.
After everyone’s recharged, it’s time to wrap up the morning session.
“Alright, now, this is the event you’ve been waiting for… the mascot showdown! And it’s all about showing your school spirit!” Ethan encourages. “Each mascot has ninety seconds to show off their best, or most unhinged, dance moves. Crowd applause decides the winner! Are you ready? Let’s see what you’ve got!”
The mascots take to the stage to bust out their moves, and there’s a clear winner from the start. It’s none other than a… banana. Yep, a banana who twerks so hard he nearly loses his peel. The mascot’s moves are hilarious, and the crowd loses it. They’re not the only ones. Ethan and I are laughing so hard we’ve got tears running down our faces.
“We have our winner!” I call out.
After we award the prize, we break for lunch. Ethan and I quickly scarf down a sandwich and do the rounds of the quad to get to know the visiting students. There are so many names and faces to remember, tons of selfies, and plenty of laughs too.
The afternoon session kicks off with a classic game, the ultimate rock-paper-scissors tournament. There’s plenty of friendly trash-talking as the game winds down to the two finalists. The champion, a hockey player from California, is crowned the winner, then it’s back to getting students moving again with the ultimate frisbee contest. Some throws are wickedly accurate, others go careening off course, but everyone seems to be having a great time. It turns out to be the most popular game of the day and is fiercely competitive.
