The school erupted into thunderous applause. Everyone loved Zach, even the teachers.
Keeley stood up and clapped, shouting her brother’s name. He was scanning the stands, searching for her. When he spotted her, he touched his chest right over his heart and caught her eye. She did the same and winked. The ritual dated way back to when Zach first started playing football.
As the principal droned on about beating Crosswell, Keeley zoned out. Absently, she toyed with the necklace that held Talon’s class ring and the cell phone charm.
“What do we have here?” Nicky asked. She lifted the ring and studied it. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“He just gave it to me last night. And I only have it for this game,” she rushed to explain. Then she hesitated. “Plus, I … well, I didn’t know how you’d respond, especially after what happened at The Factory.” She didn’t want to hear any rude comments that could ruin the special moment she and Talon had shared last night.
Nicky drew her eyebrows together. “I hate that you feel like you can’t talk to me. I won’t lie — I’m still not a hundred percent sold on him, but I am trying.”
“I know.” Nicky had asked for a redo. It’d taken some convincing on her part, but finally Talon agreed. They were planning on coffee next week. “And I love you even more for that. After the rally, we can sit down at lunch and I’ll tell you everything.”
Suddenly, the principal announced, “We need a volunteer from each grade to participate in a game. Show your school spirit!” Cheerleaders searched the crowds, pulling people from the gym bleachers.
Amy, a senior cheerleader, approached them. “Come on, Keeley.”
“No.” She put her hands up. “Absolutely not. You are not getting me down there.”
Amy grabbed an arm and pulled her up. “It’ll be fun!”
“Define fun,” she grumbled as she let herself be dragged across the gym floor.
When the four volunteers were gathered, the cheerleaders brought out a Twister mat, except instead of blue, green, yellow and red dots, there were mustard, ketchup, whipped cream and chocolate syrup dots. The person who lasted the longest won their class free ice cream. All around her, students were egging each other on, bragging how they were the ones who were going to win.
Suddenly Zach was next to her. “Don’t worry, Keels, it won’t be too bad.”
“You did this,” she accused, throwing her brother an evil glare.
“I’m just giving you a chance to show off your moves.” He ignored her jab to the stomach and moved to the side so he could have a front-row seat.
Rolling up the ends of her jeans, she listened as the principal read off the first set of instructions. Hesitating, she watched as the other students stepped onto a dot of yellow mustard. Zach waved her forward, a toothy smile pasted on his face. With a grimace, she placed her right foot on the dot, mustard gushing between her toes. Gross.
“I’m going to kill you,” she mouthed to Zach. For the next few minutes, she contorted her body over the messy mat, getting her feet and hands dirty with various condiments.
She could hear the whole senior class cheering her on. She would win for them. After all, this was the last Edgewood-Crosswell game they would be a part of.
“Left hand, chocolate sauce.”
Balancing on her toes, she carefully lifted her arm and placed it on the closest dot. The movement caused Talon’s ring to dislodge from under her shirt. Like a pendulum, it swung back and forth, Crosswell’s green and gold colors clearly on display. Maybe no one would notice it in the mayhem.
That’s when Keeley saw Zach’s eyes on her again. And then his eyes on the ring. Cort, who was standing next to him, whispered something, but Zach didn’t stir. Confused, Cort followed his line of sight. His mouth dropped when he saw it.
Knowing she had to explain, she moved toward them, completely forgetting where she was. Immediately, her hands slid from under her and she fell onto the disgusting mat. The whole school cheered, loving the action. Ignoring Amy, who held out a towel, she made a beeline for her brother. “Zach, I can explain.”
“I think that thing around your neck says it all.” Automatically, her hand grabbed the ring, protecting it.
Their eyes met. A lump formed in Keeley’s throat when her brother broke their connection and looked away. She expected the anger — so hot it almost scalded her — but she hadn’t anticipated the hurt.
“Are you really going out with him?” he asked quietly.
She sucked in her lips and bit, not wanting to answer.
“Are you?”
Slowly, she nodded.
“All right, everyone. Time to sit down,” the principal said, urging the students back to their seats, even though they were covered in a soup of ketchup, mustard, whipped cream and chocolate sauce.
Out of the corner of her eye, Keeley saw Amy coming toward her, ready to escort her back. “Zach,” she said urgently, before she lost the chance, “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was waiting to tell you after the game. I swear.”
“I guess this is payback,” he murmured quietly. “I took his girl, so he takes my sister.”
Girl? What girl? Zach glanced at Talon’s ring again, and suddenly Keeley put it all together. He’d had a ring once, too. But he lost it his freshman year. The same freshman year Talon was dating his girlfriend. “The girl in the photo. The one you gave your class ring to … it’s Claire. You’re the one she cheated with.”
He flinched.
“Everyone to your seats,” the principal announced, looking directly at her. “Now.”
Keeley staggered back to her best friend’s side. “You don’t look so good. Are you okay?” Nicky asked, handing Keeley a towel.
“I don’t know.” Keeley wiped down her arms and legs. “Zach found out I’m seeing Talon. And get this — Zach stole Talon’s girlfriend our freshman year.” She quickly explained what she knew. “I didn’t even know Zach had been seeing anyone.” How could she have been so out of the loop? She knew they’d drifted apart in high school, but this?
Nicky looked as shocked as Keeley felt. “That’s not possible. Zach wouldn’t do that.”
Keeley couldn’t believe it either. Her brother was many things, but he had honor. Or at least, she thought he did. And was what he said true? Was Talon using her to get back at her brother? She didn’t think so, but adding Claire to the equation made her question.
She looked for Zach after the rally but he’d disappeared. All she could find was Cort.
“He doesn’t want to talk to you,” he announced, his body shielding her from the boys’ locker room. Cort acted like Zach needed protecting from her. That cut.
“Please, Cort.” She felt awful for keeping her relationship with Talon a secret. Zach must feel so betrayed. “I need to see him.” To apologize. She could ask about Claire later, after he played.
“He wants to clear his head. Leave him alone for now.”