Chapter Thirty-Two

Haley

My throat hurts from screaming. We’re up by one field goal going into halftime. This game has been one of the most intense games to date. Chris and Jake are killing it together, running plays without calls, and it’s like they’re on the same wavelength. The Belles are on the sidelines because it’s almost halftime and we will announce the Homecoming Court.

As the clock runs out, Abby grabs my arm. “You ready?”

“As I will ever be,” I say.

Mic in hand, Abby turns on her sugary sweet voice. “Hey y’all. We are here to announce this year’s Homecoming Court.” My heart is pounding, hands sweaty. “But before we do that, we have one thing to address. My girl, Haley, is going to take it away.”

I’m still watching the team make their slow walk to the locker room. They’re half paying attention to us, half exhausted.

“Yeah, hi. I’m Haley Howell. My brother is the quarterback,” I say, and people cheer. I expected that. “And I’m stupid in love with his best friend. Y’all may know him as number 68, Jake Lexington.”

I see them both then. Jake and Chris stop to look at me. Chris shrugs when Jake looks at him, then back at me. He has no idea what’s coming. I’m hoping that what’s coming isn’t me throwing chunks up here.

“Jake taught me a really important lesson over these last few months. You can’t live your life afraid, or you’ll regret it. I did that, hid in the shadows, for most of my life, but Jake has pulled me out of them. He’s also shown me that sometimes second chances can make a person better, and once upon a time, back in middle school, I had a chance to do this and I blew it, but as I have learned, I need to try again. And for those reasons, this is for you,” I say.

The music starts, and Jake’s eyes are on me. Abby recruited the other cheerleaders for this task, and they all make a formation around us. After all these years, she even remembered most of the dance that we were supposed to do at the talent show. There is no better way to show him I’m in, that I am better for being with him, than taking a risk. This is one I didn’t follow through with in the middle school talent show because I didn’t want to do it alone, but this is easy now. One thing he’s taught me is taking risks isn’t about being unafraid, it’s about being fearless.

WWJD. He’d never let me go, not without telling me what he wanted. That’s exactly what I’m doing.

When the song from The Breakfast Club comes on, the cheerleaders back me up, and together we all dance and sing along. I can’t dance still, and I couldn’t then, but it’s actually fun. Especially when the crowd gets into it and starts singing along and stamping their feet in the stands. For a moment, I get how it must feel for Jake to play the game out here, all these people around him, sharing in one goal, like he said once.

We do our big finale, and the next thing I know, everyone is going crazy. When I turn, Jake is standing in front of me. I start to say something, but before I can get a word out, he kisses me.

The crowd cheers. I don’t even care about them, just him.