My opinion of football was a newly discovered hatred, but after the experiences I'd had with the game of pigskin, it wasn't hard to accumulate. It had been the cause of nothing but problems within these last few months so I should have been ready when Monday came back around and threw me for a surprise

"I got the scholarship."

I hadn't even stepped into the car, but I'd noticed that the air seemed lighter. Less oppressive.

Now he sat beaming at me with a smile held up by the corners of his mouth. It took a little more than a moment for his words to take effect.

"Oh."

He was expecting more, but I couldn't bring the words to surface.

"That's great."

The torn open envelope on the console was a mediator between us and the seal of a five-point star inscribed in the corner of the page was scorching a rapid fire through the center of my chest.

"But I-I thought you weren't applying for State."

The words stumbled out of my mouth and I'm sure he could feel the nerves spreading through me. I should have prepared myself better, but I was too hopeful to believe that I wouldn't have to revaluate my future. I had hoped that it would be the one place without him.

"Course I did. You didn't think I'd give you up that easily did you?"

All of a sudden the shaky feeling within my veins vanished. I could feel the coursing fire draining out of my system, extinguishing to a mellow flame.

I wasn't familiar with how to draw a game plan, but I knew enough about strategy. Anticipating moves were to be avoided, a well as anything too far fetched. Predictable, but unpredictable enough to get through one play at a time.

"Of course not," I continued, "I just thought you were set on A and M..."

"Yeah well, State's offer was better," he commented, resting his hand on the edge of my seat. I spent the next few minutes on the road, placing my words.

"Are you gonna take it?"

"Take what?"

I blinked away the condescending thoughts from my mind, and dug deeper into a new layer of patience. At times like these I wondered where his mind went, and how someone so dense could be sad conniving as he was.

"The money. Have you made your decision?"

He swallowed and ran a hand through his hair. Mason hardly ever exhibited indecisive behavior. He was always confident in his choices, many times overly confident. The answer yes or no. Never an in between. Maybes didn't exist to him.

I was more than curious to hear an answer. Almost hopeful.

"You'll know when I have."

Not a direct answer. Which meant he hadn't fully made up his mind yet.

I bit down on my jaw to keep the nagging smile away. There was a chance. Not a very likely one, but a chance nonetheless. That's all I needed.

As we pulled onto campus, I managed to keep myself under control. I kept my wandering thoughts on a tight tether, making a point not to get too carried away with hopeful possibilities. Because that's when he'd always get me.

When I was in the safety of own my mind.

He parked the car by the front and shut off the engine. I suddenly remembered the words of my father when we exited the vehicle.

"By the way my dad has a proposition for you," I commented as we climbed the stairs.

"Yeah?" He responded, half listening.

"He wanted to know," I struggled to keep up with his fast pace "If you'd consider working with the team. He thinks you'd be a good assistant coach. You know, give the boys someone to emulate."

He stopped in front of the double doors.

"Are you for real?"

A quivering sound roused from his lungs, supposedly a laugh. Depraved. I hated the way I subconsciously took a step back.

"Get out of my face with that bull," he tugged on the door. It's hinges cried. I followed in before it could slam into my face. "The hell do I look like coaching a bunch of toddlers?"

We walked beside each other as though he were talking loving phrases into my ear. The dangerous edge of his voice could be mistaken as something appealing from a far away glance. And I played right along into the charade, making an effort to glance up at him through my lashes every few seconds.

"It's my dad asking, not me." I stopped in front of him when we reached his locker.

"Kaya, as you can tell I have more important decisions to make right now. The answer is no, so leave it," he said turning his combination. With a nod, I slid away from him and called over my shoulder,

"I'll see you later."

His decision was no skin off my back. I just hoped that Dad would take it well, since I'd be the one to relay the message.

As I followed the hall down to my locker, I spotted Leah beside Aly. She turned just as I approached.

"Hey Kaya," she said.

"Hey guys," I began exchanging my bags contents with a new set of books. I glanced up once more to make sure I wasn't missing someone. "Where's Rache?" I asked when I confirmed her absence.

"Probably following around you know who," Aly murmured loud enough for only my ears. I had yet to see Chase this morning, so it wouldn't come as a surprise if her assumptions were correct.

"Maybe," I said, swinging the door shut. "I haven't seen him either."

Aly tucked away her cosmetics in the magnetic basket attached to her locker, and with one last glance in the mirror, followed suit. Leah latched on with us as we continued through the wing. I didn't see Rachel until we rounded the hall.

She was walking towards us, alone. Both she and Chase were in the same wing: Madza, McCaugh. He must not have been in school. As she joined us, and began a tirade about her brothers, I took the opportunity to retrieve my phone.

My inbox was empty, but last night he'd called around eleven without leaving a voicemail. Since my weekend was so long, I was in bed early, so I hadn't gotten a chance to call back. Within the few minutes I had to get to homeroom, I texted him a quick message.

Sorry. Missed ur call, couldn't call back. I don't c

I went onto class once it sent, and spent the remainder of the day with him on my mind. I hadn't spoken to him since Friday and even then it wasn't much of a conversation. Recently, I've considered myself grateful to grab a few minutes with him without Rachel attached to his back. Ever since Ali and I got in the loop, she's done nothing to hide it anymore. If he noticed the new attention, it certainly wasn't obvious.

Or maybe he just didn't mind.

I didn't get an answer until seventh period.

S'ok. Come over later?

I wanted to come over right then and there. Something wasn't right. He hasn't answered my question or explained why he wasn't here. If not for my dependence on Mason, I'd have already been on the way.

I'll be there

I discreetly slipped the device back into my pocket before Miss Williams could suspect anything, not that I had much to worry about. She was one of those teachers that gets so engrossed in the subject that it's more like entertainment for her. Her hands moved across the whiteboard, robotically as the names of pre-twenty first century authors began to appear down a line. She spoke of them personally, as though they were close friends. According to her Fitzgerald should have left his distasteful wife in the dust. He was far too good for such a shallow, mundane woman. Maybe had she been born over half a century ago, her chances would have been higher.

These last two periods crawled by, seeming to last twice the time of my earlier classes. As soon as I was released, I took no time heading to the car. I hadn't seen Mason since lunch where I was forced to put up with a new level of idiocy from his teammates. The lot was now beginning to fill and he was still out of sight. The one time I actually wanted to see his face, and he was nowhere to be found.

Work started at four, and if I could get home before three, it would give me just enough time to run down the street and see him. If luck was on my side this far, then hopefully I'd have enough left to convince Mason not to drive me in.

When he didn't turn up after the few minutes I spent debating my plans, I knew that luck wasn't going to be so charitable today. The sound of humming engines was growing faint as more and more spaces opened up around me, only leaving room for those left with after school activities. I shifted my weight onto the passenger door momentarily before taking notice of the bad move. Had I all but breathed on the glass, it wouldn't pass under his scrutiny.

My hands itched to send an apology to Chase. My mind was scanning through an list of excuses already. But, I withheld the temptation. Mason wouldn't win this time. If I had to compromise a few minutes of shelving books, then so be it. Chase was worth much more than a few dimes off a paycheck.

I heard him before I saw him. The click of the locks startled me out of my daze. I reached for the latch as he started the car.
I had barely sat down before we were whipping out of the lot. My hands grabbed for my seatbelt.

Mason was a wild driver. His speeding fits were something I'd naturally grown accustomed to, but today he was acting out, throwing reckless turns and whiplash worthy breaks into the mix. A dip in the road sent my stomach lurching like I was on some carnival ride. I dug my fingernails into the leather, to keep from crying out in protest.

He detected my fear from the corner of his eye.

"Am I going to fast for you?" He asked, corner of the mouth twitching. A smirk was desperate to crawl onto his face. I bit down on my tongue, and squeezed the seat harder. I couldn't understand why he was doing this. I'd done nothing to upset him. But, I knew better than to give an answer. I didn't wanna get shoved out the car into the yield sign at the bottom of the hill. He bypassed the sign without a glance.

"You don't wanna be late to work, do you Kay?"

I pressed my eyes shut as a minivan crossed in front of us.

"I know how much you care about your job."

I mentally pleaded to no one. The hairs on my arms were standing erect and my chest physically hurt from the beating of my heart. I was gonna throw up.

My head barely missed the dashboard as my body continued at eighty miles per hour. The seatbelt cut into the skin of my neck. I didn't become aware that we stopped until the world stood static around me.

Somehow I found the latch, and pulled myself out with shaky legs. I tried to tell him to go but I was too preoccupied with trying to breathe. I don't know how he got the message, but he was gone before I'd even reached the door.

Entering my room, I grabbed my work shirt from the laundry basket and changed into a fresh pair of a slacks. With a sloppy ponytail to finish the look, I headed out. My nerves had settled to a reasonable pace, making it easier to walk to path to his house. I grabbed my phone to let him know that I was out front and saw that I was really pushing it with the time. But I still needed a ride and it felt wrong to ask the favor without staying to make sure he was alright.

Turns out, I didn't have to debate it because I looked up in time to see the Camry heading back down the road. Mason cranked the windows as he pulled up.

"And where are you going?"

My breath caught in my throat, leaving me speechless. Worst of all, I blurted the first thing that came to mind as soon as I found air.

"I thought you left."

He was surveying me like a parent who'd caught their child in the wrong. And like a child, I felt the need to cower under the closest object in sight, hoping that my legs would carry me far enough from his impeding wrath. He read me like a book.

"Get in the car, Kaya."

I obeyed.

With his eyes on the road, I reached for my phone.

Can't make it today. Really sorry.