“What do you mean?” I tilted my head inquisitively.
“Carson Cove University is hosting the local high school’s football team—you know, they do that scrimmage game every year, and the coaches get to see how the guys they want to recruit do under pressure.” She gave me a nudge. “Very few people go, so we can see some hot, sweaty guys in action—up close.”
“Um…” I wrinkled my nose—I didn’t want to just turn her down, but I wasn’t really a fan of football.
“Come on; it’ll be fun.” She gave me another nudge. “If it’s boring, we can leave early and go get a drink or something.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “Sure.”
Hopefully it’ll be as boring to her as it will be to me.
I attended the scrimmage game she mentioned once when I was in high school, and again during my freshman year of college—mainly because I still had a few friends at Carson Cove High. If it was anything like the two games I had previously watched, it was just an excuse for the college guys to massacre the high school team. Truthfully, it was usually one of the only games Carson Cove University’s football team won each year—my alma mater wasn’t exactly known for its football program. The kids that were good went to colleges that actually won games. Still, as bored as I was by football, it would be good to hang out with Melanie. I didn’t have that many friends at college, and we were a lot closer when we had classes together.
* * *
Later that day
I met Melanie after my last class, and we walked down to the football field. She was right—there weren’t many people there. The audience mostly consisted of high school parents that were there to watch their kids get crushed by the college team, and a few students spread out across the bleachers—I assumed they were bored like us. Melanie and I were able to get seats near the fifty-yard line, which would allow her to get an eyeful of hot, sweaty guys in action—just like she wanted. I just hoped that she wouldn’t want to stay long so that we could go and do something else. A drink would be nice—and it would be easier to catch up somewhere that was quieter.
“I would so date him—or him.” Melanie motioned to a couple of football players that walked by without their helmets on.
“Still no luck in that department?” I raised an eyebrow.
“No, how about you?” She looked over at me.
“Maybe…” I looked down. “I’m seeing someone.”
I guess there’s no harm in telling Melanie that—it isn’t like she’s going to talk to anyone that shouldn’t know.
“What?” Her eyes opened wide. “Is it someone that goes to school here?”
“Nah, he’s—not in college.” I smiled and decided that was as much information as I wanted to share.
“Anyone I know.” She nudged me.
“I don’t think so.” I shook my head back and forth. “I don’t even know if it’s serious yet.”
Or how long it’ll be before I finally have to break it off with him—it certainly can’t last forever.
Melanie didn’t ask any more details—because the game started, and she got absorbed by the action. I’m not sure you could really call it action, per se. It was the Stone Devils of Carson Cove University taking on the Tigers of Carson Cove High—and the tigers just looked like kittens as the Stone Devils marched down the field to score a touchdown on the opening drive. The Tigers got the ball and lost it to a turnover—then the Stone Devils scored again. I was definitely bored. Melanie seemed to enjoy the bloodbath. The Tigers got the ball again, and the quarterback handed it to the running back. I was scared to watch him get mauled when the much larger players from my university went after him—but he took off like the wind.
“Bolt! Yes! Go!” A familiar voice echoed from the bleachers across the field, and I put my hand over my eyes to make sure I wasn’t hearing things.
“Anna?” I blinked in confusion.
“Huh?” Melanie looked over at me.
“That’s—my sister.” I stared with a perplexed look on my face.
Anna ran down the bleachers as the guy she called Bolt made a dash for the end zone, and he definitely didn’t look like a kitten. The back of his uniform said his last name was Bolton, a few people yelled out Gavin, and I quickly figured out how he got his nickname. He left the Stone Devils gasping for air as he blew them away with a speed that was almost unnatural.
The Tigers scored, and Bolt did a little dance in the end zone—then he walked to the fence and—kissed my little sister. It wasn’t a passionate kiss—more like a peck—but she was smiling from ear-to-ear when he ran to join his teammates on the sideline. I hadn’t seen a smile like that on her face since before my parents got divorced. That touchdown changed the momentum of the game a little bit and one thing was for sure—Bolt was a star. The quarterback had a good arm, but the Stone Devils didn’t give him a chance to use it very often—Bolt did most of the heavy lifting.
“So, that’s your sister over there—the one that keeps running to the fence every time the running back gets to the end zone.” Melanie raised an eyebrow inquisitively.
“Yeah…” I nodded. “I had no idea she was dating a football player—I thought she was dating someone, but—wow.”
“I hope she isn’t in love,” Melanie sighed. “A guy that good won’t be hanging around Carson Cove after he graduates. He’ll have offers from schools all over the country.”