Broken Hill Halo (Broken Hill High 2)

As we approach the grandstand we look up into the crowd and try to figure out where the hell we’re going to sit when a group of juniors sees me and instantly starts shuffling aside. “Geez, pays to be Nate Ryder’s girlfriend,” Brooke says under her breath as we start making our way up the grandstand.

“It sure does,” I laugh. We get to our spot and I give the kid a smile and say a quick thanks before taking a seat and looking out onto the field.

The cheerleaders from both schools are doing their thing and to be honest, they’re pretty damn good. Well, Haven Fall’s team is better. They’re more about dance, crazy tricks, and making it interesting. Our team is more about trying to be sexy and shaking their asses. Either way, the crowd is cheering right along with them.

A voice comes over the speakers and introduces Haven Falls Private to the field, and naturally, half of the crowd go nuts while the other half start booing, which actually just makes it that much louder.

It’s hard not to get into the school spirit as the first team comes running out onto the field. I find myself on my feet just like everyone else. Hell, I’m even cheering for the wrong team. That is until their final player appears and I realize the person seems very familiar.

Chatter spreads over the whole crowd and Brooke leans into me. “Is that Josh?” she questions.

It’s hard to tell from this far away but it sure does look like him. “I mean, it makes sense for him to go Haven Falls.”

“Yeah,” she says. “And to join to the team. He was after a scholarship, wasn’t he?”

“Yeah,” I agree as my eyes follow his every movement. “But no college team is going to pick him up with after sexual assault charges and an expulsion.”

“True. He royally fucked that one up.”

Indeed, he did. I’m surprised he’s even been allowed to play.

Our team gets announced, and again, everyone goes nuts. I don’t bother watching them come out as I’ve seen it a million times before, so, I just keep scowling at Josh, that is until he passes one of his teammates and I get that same recognition again.

Is that Jackson? I go to ask Brooke about it when I realize that she actually has no idea who the guy is, so I lean over to the junior on my other side. “Hey,” I ask. “Who’s that kid? Number 44?”

He looks across at me before following my gaze down to the field. “Oh, that’s their quarterback. Jackson Millington,” he supplies, trying to give me as much information as possible. “He’s good.”

I nod my head as I watch him running around the field. “Thanks,” I murmur. I hadn’t expected that which was silly of me. Of course, Jackson is their team quarterback.

I mean, the longer I sit here, the more I find reasons that I don’t want to be here. I find myself wanting our team to absolutely annihilate and pulverize them.

The teams line up, preparing for kick-off and I watch with interest as Josh gets benched which brings another round of chatter through the stands. When Josh was playing for our team, if he had been benched, it would have been a massive deal, but I guess all sorts of things are changing for him now. He probably has to earn his position on the team, no matter how good he is, or it could be a form of ongoing punishment.

The game starts and I find myself tuning him out and watching Jackson on the field. He really is good and is putting our team to shame, though, the rest of his team doesn’t quite hold up to his level and our team starts pulling through.

It’s going to be a close one, and to be honest, Josh used to be our shining star, but now we have this other kid who seems to be able to hold his own, but I’m pretty sure he’s a junior.

I find myself watching the game with absolute interest and anticipation the further the game goes on. Brooke cheers and squeals beside me while throwing her hands up in the air every time our team scores a goal, but each time they do, Haven Falls follows it up with one of their own. I mean, if I was a nail biter, I’d be feasting on them right now.

This game is ridiculously good. I don’t know why I’ve avoided it all this time. My eyes flick between the clock and the field. They only have a few minutes left, and so far, the teams are tied, but during this game, I’ve learned that could change in the blink of an eye, though, Jackson has been playing the whole game and he can only carry his team for so long.