I was going to kill Heather. Whether it was before or after Blaine was still to be decided. A heavy hand landed on my shoulder and the voice asked what I was doing staring out the window. He let out a low whistle then chuckled as the two slipped out of Heather's beaten sedan. There was a look of determination etched into Blaine's face as the pair strolled up the open front door. It took her all of a second to see me and Shane before walking in the opposite direction.

"She's ignored you for worse." Shane smacked my back then left me to greet someone calling his name.

She did ignore me for worse. A whole week and half's worth following my own two weeks of ignoring. It was hard to imagine us getting back to where we were. Especially now that shit at her house has hit the fan. The lockdown and threats were only going to agitate her. She was going to lash out at anyone who dared to pick the wrong side. Starting with her brother and running all the way up the ladder to me.

Coach's surprising cheer when he finally spotted Blaine. There was a groan as he called for me, Shane, Joseph and Lucas. All chatter softened as we each tried to spy each other from across the room. One by one, like the beaten dogs we were to become, we entered the kitchen. Coach didn't crook his finger or point toward the office. He didn't say anything either as we trailed after him and Blaine.

"Does someone want to explain to me why my backup QB was being kept out of this team event," he growled when Joseph shut the door. He spat the word team at us hard enough to slap us. Blaine plopped down into one of the oversized reading chairs. Her legs crossed at the knee while her arms did the same over her chest. We all looked at each other trying to figure out what story we were going to use. Coach's hand slammed against the top of the desk. "Do I need to bench all of you next week?"

Playoff was screaming in all of our heads and had rolled half way out of Joseph's mouth. Coach's eyes flicked and narrowed on the lineman. The lineman with one big, ass mouth. He had singled himself out with a syllable.

"We were trying to not rock the boat, Coach."

"What the hell are you talking about?" His eyes drifted to Blaine then followed her gaze to Luke. "I was warned that this little group was going to be trouble. For three years I was proud that you had proved them wrong. Now, in your final year, you choose to be a group of idiots. Either you tell me what I'm missing, or we'll have more trouble then the four of you could imagine cooking up."

"Blaine isn't supposed to be leaving the house," Luke announced.

"She's grounded?" Coach eased against his desk, hands perched on the edge.

"More like being held captive," Blaine interjected.

"So you're revolting by coming to a school orientated event." She shrugged as an answer. "Why is your sister, what did you say, being held captive?"

"My parents are pulling the plug on her playing football next year. We were trying to prevent her from losing the chance to finish out this season."

"You, you," Coach pointed to Shane Joseph then me, "And you. Get out."

It took Joe dragging from the place where my feet were glued to the rug in order for me to move. I wanted to hear how this was going to be handled. Shane lobbed an arm across my shoulder as I stared at the shut door. Heather wiggled her way under Joe's arm and glared at me.

"What crawled up your ass," Shane asked, returning the lethal look in my defense.

"You should all be ashamed of what you did." Joe leaned down to whisper something in her ear. The attempt to calm her back fired. "You put her in this position. Do you realize that? If you hadn't ganged up on her, none of this would be happening."

"I can't help but notice that Joe isn't getting lectured."

"I already did," our friend admitted with a cough between words.

"And already made up for it too," Shane mocked. Heather's face darkened and Joe had to fight the laughter.

"Screw you, Russel."

"Look," Joe jumped in, tucking Heather closer to his side. "We weren't wrong to have her try out. She's amazing out there."

"We are pretty convincing," Shane added.

"Maybe we can sit down with their parents," I offered. All eyes fell on me. The idea I was banking too much hope on suddenly sounded like a suicide mission thanks to the peanut gallery.

"When was the last time you talked with their parents? Hell, the last time you talked with Mr. Lester," Shane asked dryly. "The last time I talked to him it was one word answer or brief comments about the recent game."

"Not to mention Mrs. Lester is running the house like a four star general," Heather added. "I'll be surprised if she lets you hang around for more than twenty minutes. Especially if Laine is there."

"Why am I on my own in this? Shouldn't at least one of you come with me?" Joe and SHane shared a look that had me grinding my teeth. "Why is it when I don't want to do something, we're the musketeers? When I want to do something I'm the lone fucking ranger."

"If it were just Mr. Lester, I'd be on board," Shane mumbled. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know how to act around her though. What do you say to the woman who walked out on her family?"

"Why the hell are you here," Joe suggested with a shrug.

"Didn't they already ask that," Heather pointed out.

Luke had given us the run down of the drama that led to the current circus show. The way his mother pretended that she cared for Blaine. That she hadn't sent the world crashing around them. He did say that she looked hurt when he asked her what she was thinking. His dad apparently jumped in and defended her. The truth about knowing how to contact her coming out was the biggest shock of all.

For years, Luke asked his father where she'd gone and if they'd be hearing from her. The answers were all the same. Short, sweet and blunt. There would be no phone calls, postcards or visits. After three years of hoping and pleading, Luke finally backed down. Part of me thinks he was asking for Blaine's sake. He knew that hitting the vital points in life were going to be rough when all she had to guide her were men.

The door swung open, drawing all the attention from the merry-go-round I had found myself on. Nobody filtering out of the room gave any sign as to what had transpired. Coach twisted his wrist to examine the watch there. He clapped his hands and announced to our little gang that there was five minutes until the big reveal. Brushing past us, he left a cloud a silence behind. Blaine didn't bother looking at any of us as she reached for Heather's hand and ripped her free from her boyfriend's hold.

"Do we follow," Shane asked an exhausted Luke.

"That depends."

"On what exactly?"

"On how many limbs you plan on losing?"

"I can go. Heather's a pretty good excuse." Luke nodded in approval and Joe took off after them. Shane propped himself up against the nearby counter. I waited for Luke to move and mirror our other friend before I joined them.

"Spill now, or later?"

"Coach called our parents."

"What? Did he tell them she's here," I asked. Luke nodded slowly as his arms crossed and he started talking to his feet.

"He told them that he was unaware that she had lied to them, but that he was happy she was here. He went on talking about her abilities and praised her in every way he could. Then he got real quiet. He agreed a few times. Started a response then got quiet again. It was strange."

"Coach doesn't do quiet unless he's preparing to make us do suicides or something." I gave Shane a look that told him the statement wasn't necessary but he shrugged it off. "Are they going to pull her or what?"

"It doesn't sound like it. Coach promised she wouldn't step foot on the field during the after season. He did add that she deserved to be there just like any of us. She'll be allowed to dress but that's it. No playing and no contact."

"She's going to love that," I muttered.

"Her name is going to go down in history though. Being part of the twenty-twenty state championship team. No girl has had her name on the board," Shane protested with positivity. Luke looked at me and I knew he was under the same looming storm cloud I was.

Blaine may have been hesitant at first to be the only girl on the team. She had told me time and time again how weird it was to get compliments for the previous game from classmates who, up until a month ago, couldn't pick her out in a crowd. All anyone had known about her was that she's Lucas Lester's kid sister. The girl who was happy to stay in the shadows and do her own thing.

Now, she was on his level of stardom. Everyone knew her name and expected her to fill the cleats when Shane graduated. The energy of school pride was growing the closer we got to the postseason. Each win was another notch reached on the hype-o-meter. It was expected that we go all the way and have that trophy safe in the showcase. Blaine wanted to be a part of the victory.

Telling her that she could, but by riding the bench was going to be a blow to that ego she'd managed to have gained. It wasn't enough that she carried four solo wins on her shoulders. She wanted to be standing in the center of Huskie Stadium. Here the roar of the crowd from all around her. Taking her place in the huddle and calling the shots. Having it handed to her wasn't what she would want. None of us would want it for ourselves, so why would she?