Complete Nothing (True Love #2)(54)
“Do you like him?” Lauren demanded.
“And now, your Lake Carmody Rams!” the PA announcer shouted, his deafening voice blasting through the speakers.
Our team ran out onto the field, flanked by Casey and the cheerleaders and their huge flags and pom-poms, and I jumped to my feet with the rest of the crowd, saved from answering. Saved from telling her that Keegan and I had texted that morning and decided to meet up by the gym after the game, which I kind of still couldn’t believe I’d agreed to, since it used to be my ritual with Peter. But, I’d reasoned, if there was any locale tailor-made for Peter to spot us together, it was next to the gym after the game. And his friends would see us too, which would make the jealousy that much more potent. So I’d agreed. Me and Keegan. Together. For everyone to see.
We jumped up and down and shouted as the cheer squad launched into the fight chant. I raised my fist and screamed along with Mia and her friends, but I could feel Lauren eyeballing me the entire time. Silent. Just watching.
Which, of course, made me blush even harder.
“And now, please join the Lake Carmody marching band as they play our national anthem,” the PA announcer said, suddenly somber.
The trumpet began its tune, and everyone sang at a whisper, like they always do at these things. I scanned the team in front of us and found Peter instantly, the MARROTT spelled out in big white letters across his back. His hair stuck out over his ears from removing his helmet for the anthem, and the back of his neck looked red, as if he’d already been working out for an hour. My heart pounded as my eyes flicked from him to Keegan, and I wondered what he was thinking. Was he angry at me for last night? Angry at Keegan? Probably not. Knowing him, he was probably 100 percent focused on the game. He’d think about me and Keegan later. If he even bothered.
And then I had the most horrible thought. Maybe True’s plan wasn’t working. Maybe what had happened last night hadn’t made him jealous, but irrevocably angry. Maybe he was never going to speak to me again.
Right then, Peter turned around and scanned the bleachers. My breath caught with anticipation, hardly daring to hope that he was looking for me, hardly daring to think of anything . . . and then he found me. And he stared. He stared right at me for the whole rest of the song.
“He totally still likes you,” Lauren said as soon as the anthem ended and everyone began to cheer. “Or likes you again. He re-likes you.”
“Guess that True girl isn’t as crazytown as she seems,” Mia added.
“Maybe not,” I replied, my heart slamming around inside my chest like an out-of-control wrecking ball. “See? Peter and I will be back together in no time,” I said, looking Lauren in the eye.
She arched one eyebrow and I looked away, feeling nervous and hot, guilty and confused, as Keegan and a couple of his teammates walked to the center of the field to shake hands with Peter and some of his teammates before the coin toss. Sometimes having a best friend who knew me as well as she did was not entirely cool.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Peter
I was supposed to be watching the game, but I was watching Claudia. It didn’t seem like she was rooting for Keegan, but it was hard to tell. I mean, she was sitting with the Lake Carmody fans, wearing her booster ribbon, so even if that * was the new love of her life, it would have been awkward for her to cheer for him. But still. Every time our defense came up with a big play, she cheered, and they were playing awesome. It was almost halftime and we were up 24–10. They hadn’t killed the guy yet, but then the game was only half over.
She was so pretty, Claudia. Sitting there with the sun on her face, her skin practically glowing. Hands down she was the prettiest girl I knew.
“Go, Peter!”
My eyes flicked to the track around the field. Josie was waving her pom-poms with the other JV cheerleaders, who were flanking varsity since it was a big game. I shot her a look through my helmet like, WTF? I wasn’t even on the field.
“Blitz!” someone shouted in my ear.
I whipped around to watch the action. Traylor had dropped back with the ball, and his offensive line had crumbled. Dunnellon and Moskowitz came at him from either side, and there wasn’t a single soul to stop them. Traylor dropped back even farther, trying to scramble away.
“Get him! Get him!” I shouted.
He searched desperately for an open receiver, but there was no one. The dude was about to get nailed. I saw his eyes widen. Saw him try for one last bob-and-weave, and then Gavin and Josh sandwiched him. Everyone in the stands gasped as he went down under five hundred pounds of linebacker. The fans on their side of the field went silent. The fans on our side of the field went nuts. I turned around and looked at Claudia. She was cheering and jumping up and down with Lauren and Mia, clutching her hands.
That was pretty much all I needed to see. And what I felt inside was all I needed to feel. It was like my heart had swelled up to fill my entire body. There was apparently nothing in the world like watching the girl you liked cheer over the guy you thought she might like getting flattened.
Right then and there I decided. I was going to win this game, and then I was going to find Claudia and ask her out again. She didn’t belong with Keegan Traylor. She belonged with me. By the end of the day, everything would be back to normal.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX