“I messed up in a couple parts.” He always said that, and then he got an A. Zach leaned forward. “Hey, can I have the car today? I want to stay after practice and work on my throws.”
“Didn’t you stay late yesterday?” And the day before? Zach knew he shouldn’t overwork his arm. He could get injured and then he wouldn’t be able to play.
“I know what I’m doing,” he argued.
She glanced at Nicky, who made a what-can-you-do gesture. “Fine. You can have the car.” But when he got home, they were going to talk.
Mrs. Miller stood up from her desk. “You’re seniors now and that means college applications are coming.” A collective groan went up. “In the next couple of months, we’ll be working on your admission essays. These essays are important. They can be the difference between getting accepted or rejected. Now, you can write about anything — your favorite TV show, a unique hobby, a personal story — anything that shows who you are. I even had a student write about why he hated broccoli.”
Someone called out, “Did he get in?”
“He did. See, it’s not about writing how much you love to study or bragging about your GPA. This is your chance to show what those test scores, grades and extracurricular activities can’t. So, this weekend, I want you to get started.” She held up a stack of papers. “Here’s a list of prompts to help you if you’re stuck. Be sure to pick one up on your way out.”
It was a relief her grades wouldn’t be the sole factor colleges used to make decisions. An essay could be Keeley’s chance to prove she wasn’t just ... average.
When the bell rang, Keeley turned to Nicky. “Can I get a ride home?”
Nicky became apologetic. “I kind of already made plans. I’m meeting that college guy I was telling you about.”
Keeley tried to look happy, she really did, but thoughts of Talon and the pier made it hard. She replied as cheerfully as she could manage. “That’s okay, I’ll find someone else. Go. Have fun. Text me the details.”
She hurried to the parking lot. There had to be someone who could drive her home. She spotted Randy waving goodbye to his friends as he got in his car. She glanced around. Didn’t have much of a choice. Running over, she tapped on his window.
He lowered it. “Hey, Keels. What’s up?”
She hated that he called her that. Everyone knew it was Zach’s nickname for her. “I was wondering if you could give me a lift?”
“No problem.” He unlocked the passenger door and moved his stuff to the backseat. “Kind of like old times,” he commented when she got in.
It was. His car still had that lemony-fresh smell she loved. “How was your summer?”
“The usual. Explored this awesome little town up the coast.” They talked for a while, then Randy suddenly asked, “Who’s that guy you’re seeing?”
That’s right. Talon had talked to Randy. “We’re not seeing each other,” she replied curtly. He’d only been in her life a short while, but she was reminded of him everywhere. It was completely unfair of him to breeze into her life, disrupt it and then leave.
“Oh. You okay?”
“Yeah, I mean, we weren’t …” Dating. They hadn’t even said they liked each other.
Randy looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “I know how hard breakups can be. I’m here if you need to talk.”
And this was the sweet guy she fell for. Now she felt bad for not giving him the Barnett ticket. It wasn’t like Talon was using it. “So, uh, about that Barnett tour this weekend. I still have a ticket. Do you want to go?”
He shot her the grin that once made her heart pound. “My cousin actually got one for me. He lives up there and sweet-talked one of the girls. We should hang out, though. It’ll be good to be with someone I know.”
He wouldn’t be as fun as Nicky or Talon, but it was better than being all by herself. “How are you getting to campus? I’m riding the train tomorrow.”
“Actually, I’m driving there tonight to spend some time with my cousin. How about I pick you up at the station when you get there?”
She hesitated. Being picked up might feel like they were dating again and she didn’t want that. It was a step backward, but how could she move forward with her life when she didn’t know how? The unknown was scary. And deep down, she wasn’t sure if she would move forward even if she could. Fear was a powerful emotion.
Randy stopped the car in front of her house. “So, is it a plan?”
It would be rude to turn him down now. “Sounds good. I’ll see you then.” Ignoring the gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach, she shut the car door behind her and went inside. Maybe she should cancel the trip altogether. But what about Zach? She couldn’t do that to him. He was looking forward to her going.
Keeley spent the rest of the afternoon washing clothes and downloading books to read on the train. She kept checking the clock, waiting for Zach to come home. She needed to talk to him about his extra practices.
He finally trudged in after dinner, looking tired but pleased with himself. Keeley waited till he showered before knocking on his door. “You have time to talk?” she asked.
He was at his desk. “Yeah, just thinking of ideas for that college essay in English class.”
“You going to write about football?”
“That’s what everyone expects me to write. Do you think it’s too obvious, though?”
She looked at the football posters on his walls. It was Zach’s passion. “You could make it more personal. Talk about how it’s affected you or something like that.” While he jotted the idea down, Keeley made herself comfy in his beanbag chair. “How was practice?”
Distracted, he mumbled, “Good.”
“Zach,” she said firmly. When she had his attention, she laid it out. “I’m worried. You’re spending all this extra time training. What if you hurt yourself?”
A confident look. “I’m in great shape.”
“For now. Do Mom and Dad know?”
“Not exactly,” he admitted. “But I’ve been careful. I need this extra practice.”
“You never have before. Why now? Make me understand.”
“I’m worried,” he said in a low voice.
“About what?” Edgewood won all their scrimmage games this year. The team had never looked better.
“God, this is so embarrassing,” Zach moaned as he buried his head in his open hands. “I’m worried about not getting into Barnett, okay?”
The admission blew her away. Zach never worried, at least not like this. “You have a 4.0 GPA and your SAT scores are amazing. You’ll get in.”
“No, I mean for football. What if they recruit someone else?”
“There are other football colleges.”
“I’ve been dreaming of playing for Barnett since I was ten.” He glanced at the bookcase where all of his football trophies were lined up. “I know they’re looking at JT.”
“The Crosswell quarterback?” Zach hated him. She knew it was because JT was the first to give Zach any real competition. They’d been trying to best each other since freshman year.