Page 9 of Penalty Shots
I look behind her for her roommate. “I think you might’ve lost her.”
She looks back, eyes searching the crowd. “Shit. She was just there!”
JR interrupts, “You mind if we get things moving, you two?”
Jenny relents with the toss of her hand, “Yeah, let’s just get on with it.”
JR pulls the megaphone back up to his mouth and goes into his speech.
“Tonight marks the start of a new year, people. A year full of possibilities. Big wins. New beginnings. And lots of wild nights that we probably won’t remember.”
The crowd whoops, and a group of his soccer buddies shake some beer cans and pop them open, spraying beer on everyone nearby. I roll my eyes before I shake the beer from my hair.
One of the soccer players looks over at me. "Sorry about that, mate."
He's wearing a number seven on the front of his t-shirt, and when he turns back to face his team captain, I see the last name on his shirt.
Bonner.
He might be the only respectable one in the group.
My own hockey brothers are all gathered around me, all but one–the only one I really need standing by me tonight.
The biggest rivalry at our school isn’t between other schools. It’s actually between my team and JR’s team. Hockey versus Soccer, or football, as some around the world might refer to it.
As a smaller, private University, we compete to be the best sports department in the school. Of course, we do that by winning in our own sports, but we all know that the rivalry runs deep.
Austin State College is the home of two of the biggest sports programs in the country that aren't American football.
And JR and I are the current poster boys for each.
I quickly pull out my phone to shoot Ryker a text. But a heavy hand lands on my shoulder as soon as I do, and relief washes over me.
“What took you so long?”
He shrugs. “Sorry, I didn’t want to be here,” he says, totallynotsorry.
“Of course not, because there are people here. And you hate people.” I tease. JR is still giving the rundown of what’s about to take place, starting with the cheer squad to rile up the crowd.
Jenny gives Ryker a light shove on the shoulder. “Hey! Did you happen to see Rina back there?”
“Your friend with the glasses and sweatpants reading a book under the giant tree back there?” He points over his shoulder. “Yeah, I saw her.”
Jenny runs a hand down her face. “She’s worse than you, I swear.” She moves to go get her.
“You stay here. Your part’s coming up. I’ll get her to come,” I say.
“Really? Thanks, babe. I don’t know what else to do. She’s a tough nut to crack.”
“Maybe…" Ryker suggests, "Leave her alone?”
"Don't be ridiculous. If I left her alone she'd never leave the dorm room. I'm her only hope, Ryker," Jenny protests.
“Or not,” he says, hands up in surrender.
“Be right back,” I whisper to Jenny. She winks. And I make my way through the crowd over to the giant oak tree Ryker mentioned.
She's not easy to miss. Sitting on the ground. Knees up. Nose buried in her book.The only person around doing so.