Until the End (Sea Breeze #9)(16)

“And make him hate you? I don’t suggest it. And Dustin Falco never gets in trouble. The Falcos are good people. Their dad owns Falco Construction. I’ve met his mom. Really sweet. She came in the office last year to drop off some pain medicine for Dewayne when I was working in there third period.”

Okay, fine. Just because Rock and Preston slept with every woman on earth didn’t mean Dewayne did. I was being judgmental again. Ugh. I wish I didn’t do that.

“Okay. You’re right. I can see him, anyway. He’s fine.”

A pretty redhead walked up to them, and Dustin Falco slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. Not sure I liked that, either. That seemed way too familiar for eighth graders.

“You sure he’s Krit’s age?” I asked as he kissed the girl’s head.

“Yeah, I’m sure. That’s Sienna Roy. She’s Dustin’s best friend,” Riley explained.

How did she know this? And they so didn’t look like friends. “How do you know all these people?”

She shrugged. “Small town. I’ve gone to church with Sienna Roy most of my life.”

Davey walked up the steps toward us, drawing my attention off my brother. Davey had gone to get “rations,” he had said. I had to hold my side because I couldn’t not laugh. He was carrying three nachos and cheese, three hot dogs, three bags of cotton candy, and what looked like an assortment of candy piled on top. There were bottles of soda sticking out of both his front pockets. I assumed he had one more in a back pocket.

“You buy out the refreshments?” Riley asked, standing up and taking things from his hands.

“Not exactly. But I tried,” he replied.

I took the items she handed me, and we managed to fit them around us. There was no way we were going to eat all this, but I knew Krit and Green probably would. I was going to save Krit a nachos and cheese and a cotton candy. He’d be up to check in soon enough.

“Whatever we don’t eat we can give to the bottomless pits Trisha brought with her,” Davey explained.

“Thank you, Davey. You didn’t have to buy us all this food,” I told him. I knew his parents were generous with him and gave him spending money so that he didn’t have to work a job and could focus on getting into Yale. Still didn’t mean I expected him to do something like this.

He winked at me. “I got two hot dates tonight. I must feed them well so they’ll come back with me again.”

Smiling, I reached for a hot dog and took a bite. It had been a long time since lunch and I was hungry. I wasn’t going to turn this down.

Before I could finish the hot dog, people jumped to their feet and cheered. I heard hoots and hollers. Different players’ names were shouted from the stands. I watched in fascination as they shook little pom-poms on sticks. Riley reached down and pulled me up.

“They’re running out onto the field. Show some school spirit,” she yelled over the noise. I chewed up the last bite and let her pull me to my feet. She was going to have me yelling for another reason if she tugged any harder.

I saw above the heads in front of me and through the shakers as a football player ran through a large paper banner that said WE ARE #1 in the middle of it and had players’ names all over it. I couldn’t tell who was who from here. They all looked alike to me.

Riley cupped her hands over her mouth and called out something I couldn’t hear. Stomping started, and the players looked up at the crowd and did fist pumps.

“Number ten,” Riley called out to me.

“What?”

“He’s number ten,” she repeated.

I knew who she meant, but I still asked. “Who?”

She rolled her eyes at me and laughed, then looked back out at the field.

After the other team came out, Mr. Presley, the music teacher, sang the national anthem. Then the crowd screamed again before we could all sit back down.

Once everyone was settled again, I searched for Krit’s blond head. He had moved to the fence, closer to the players. He was okay.

Then I gave in to the urge and looked for number ten.

Covered in pads, he looked even more solid and massive. His helmet was in his hands as he sat on the bench. When the guys took the field and Rock was left behind, the crowd started booing. Rock didn’t look back at the sound. He didn’t encourage it. Just kept his attention on the field.

“PUT IN TAYLOR!” and “LET THE ROCK PLAY!” were just some of the things being shouted from the stands.

“Coach is going to make everyone angry. Wonder if he survives five minutes of playing time before he puts Rock in.”

“LET MY BOY PLAY!” a voice called out, and I turned to see a balding man with a beer belly scowling at the field. He looked nothing like his son. He was shorter than Rock, and he looked like he didn’t take care of himself. His hair needed washing, and his shirt was faded and stained.

Turning back around, I looked out at the field. That man reminded me of the kind of men Fandora brought home. Did Rock have a bad home life? Was this man a good dad?

“They say he missed practice Wednesday. Wonder why?” Riley said, stuffing her face with nachos.

“Krit missed the bus. He brought him home,” I told her before I could stop myself. I just didn’t want her to think he’d missed practice because he didn’t care.