Micah
My stomach rumbles uncomfortably thinking about the scouts here to watch us play tonight. They’re seated in the front row at the fifty-yard line. Up and over a few rows, I find all the parents—except mine, of course—sitting in the family cheering section. Max and Scarlett are standing down toward the end zone; I’d seen them when we ran out onto the field earlier, but Daphne isn’t with them. A weird feeling blooms in my gut. She doesn’t have a car right now, and had planned to stay in the library to get started on all the makeup work she has to do from being out most of the week. My brow furrows. She wouldn’t have decided not to come and gone home. Would she?
The familiar feeling of abandonment tries to sneak its way into my head and into my heart, but I squash it back. Daphne wouldn’t do that to me. After everything we’ve been through this week, I know our relationship is strong. Something isn’t right.
The defensive line comes off the field panting and sweating. Shayne and Carter make a point of saying something to Alora on their way off the field right before they glance my way. My fists clench. What. The fuck. Is going on?
Xander claps my shoulder pad as he pulls his helmet on. “Come on, man. Gotta get out onto the field.”
I clamp my lips together and head out there. I look to the side toward the cheerleaders just in time to see Alora wiggle her fingers at me with a sly smile. Blood boils through my veins, and I grumble under my breath as we set up the play. Even as distracted as I am, I do my job and two plays later watch the ball sail into Xander’s arms in the end zone. Hurrying off the field, I grab my water bottle, chug some cold water down and head over to Coach Roland.
“I know this is an odd request, and I know the scouts are watching, but I need to ask two people over there to go check on my girlfriend for me. She’s not here and she promised she would be. Something is wrong.”
He holds up a hand. “Go ahead. Make it quick. This is Daphne still?”
I press my lips together, our eyes connecting. “It’s Daphne always.”
“Go on.”
I run for the fence.
Scarlett and Max see me coming, confusion registering on both of their faces.
“You haven’t heard from Daphne?”
Scarlett gives Max a confused look. “She texted us earlier. Said she was going home because she wasn’t feeling well.”
I work my jaw back and forth and blink drops of sweat out of my eyes. “Do me a favor. Call her parents for me. She never told me she wasn’t coming. Something’s not right. She promised she’d be here. It’s important to me, and she knows that.”
Max pulls his phone out, immediately dialing Daphne’s parents.
Scarlett winces and points behind me. “I think Coach Roland is gonna flip his shit if you don’t get back to the field.”
“I’m going. Scarlett, if they don’t know where she is, check the library. That’s where she said she’d be after school.”