‘Why in the hell do you want my red cards?’ I resist the urge to cross my eyes at him like a little kid.

‘You look awfully pretty when you get pissed. Even prettier when you start to blow your top when the ref goes for the card.’

‘Stop playing.’ I snort, but that word fills a small part of the gap he left in my heart. Pretty. As if on instinct, I give his hand a squeeze. This little ritual – beginning of a ritual? Fake ritual? Whatever it is, it feels so simple. The warmth that spreads across my chest when I think of having someone sitting at the bleachers, a kiss before games, a celebration together after, someone to do your medical tape for you, is unexpected. It creeps up to my face when I realize that the only someone I can picture, at least at the moment, is Colt.

Miss May. The only reason you’re only picturing him is because no one else has ever done that for you.

But doesn’t that mean something? Even if we’re lying to the rest of the world? Does it mean something to us?

I watch Colt’s retreating back, and Jordan seizes the moment to scooch right on up next to me, batting her eyes dramatically. ‘Colt and May, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I—’

‘Are you five, Jordan?’ I prod her in the side, rolling my eyes, but she just giggles in response.

‘Fuckin’ rain,’ we hear Lexi grumble a couple benches down as she starts heading onto the field. Great. We can’t have a proper game if Lexi’s upset.

‘See? Bigger fish to fry. Someone needs to turn that girl’s frown upside down so we win this,’ I point out smugly.

‘I mean, she’s justified.’ Jordan tips her head upward, the space between her eyebrows wrinkling with worry. ‘Looks like it’ll come down any moment.’

For a Meteorology major, I tend to lean optimistic with my weather predictions. I’m not exactly looking to go into forecasting; my intended area of specialty is a bit narrower. Unfortunately, the current cloud patterns fall under that umbrella.

‘Great.’ I head for the field, anyway. ‘Twenty bucks says we don’t finish this game out, Jor.’

‘You’re probably gettin’ your money.’

‘I’m almost positive.’