Settling the Score

Chapter Twenty-Six

Even though our current nameless combined team was supposed to mingle; everyone warmed up individually to avoid accusations of exclusion. It worked at first. Players spread out across the field with zero coordination and took part in random warmups. Groups of two or three formed under the radar as practice went on. While I bent over and touched my toes, Izzy shook her ass right in my face, and Dan greeted me by tugging on my hair from behind.

A self-help guide to Conflict Resolution kept Coach Miller distracted. He didn't read the book to get out of running practice. He was ready to put us through the torture of whatever the hell he found in there. It didn't matter. I had other things on my mind. Like monitoring Nick and worrying about how to pluck up the courage to approach Rosie to ask her to one, be my fake girlfriend and two, accompany me on the double date with our exes.

Halfway across the field, she kept her toes pointed on the ground while she spun her ankle in circles. She supported her left arm with the elbow crease of her right arm and stretched.

Every so often, we shared eye contact.

No smiles, no grimaces, and no glares.

Just our eyes connecting.

Well, the whole idea of associating her with ugly-ass drawings turned out to be a total failure. It backfired. It made me think about her even more. Forget my attempts at giving her evil mustaches and drawing her in silly hotdog costumes: I'd ended up doodling sunflower petals around her head when I'd been in Eduardo's truck because her sunny smile knew no bounds.

Even if she by some miracle agreed to my fake girlfriend, between her ex always lurking close by and the rest of our teammates skulking around, there was no way to get her alone with no one noticing. It was embarrassing enough having to ask her in the first place, because there was a near one-hundred percent chance she'd say no, but to ask her in front of friends and former rivals? That wouldn't be a point in my favor.

Maybe my hesitation was a sign to let the date idea go; to let Carter win. Besides, in what world would Rosie and I get through a whole date without trying to kill one another?

Yet, when we'd kissed, it'd been so overwhelming that I was glad a glitter bomb had exploded.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have torn myself away. It would not happen again. But if it did, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Crap, no. But there she was, the sun hitting her just right, making the yellow and blue paint on her face glitter so she looked like a magical, kissable teenage freaking unicorn-

"What did I say?" Coach Miller yelled, breaking me out of my thoughts. Everyone jumped away from each other in a lame attempt to pretend they were warming up alone. "Either do your own thing or mingle! You're one team now. Act like it or find yourself with no team at all."

Izzy and Dan each took ten steps away from me.

I stretched my neck from side to side, stealing one last glance at Rosie before immersing myself in warming up. The rest of the players on the field faded into the background as I kicked the ball, going through the motions of stretching, counting down the minutes until practice was over. My lackluster movements came to a halt when Carter jogged onto the field, twenty minutes late.