Chapter 6: Drew - Love On Time

It's October, and we’ve officially made it through two months of school, filled with endless practices and Friday night games. The season is coming to an end, and it feels bittersweet. We’ve absolutely crushed it this year, maintaining a perfect, undefeated record. College scouts have even taken notice. They have shown up on our sidelines for a few games. Because of it, I’ve had zero downtime, which is probably what I’m looking forward to the most when this is all over. I’ve been consumed by my studies, keeping a solid GPA, and focusing solely on leading my team. My goal is to lock in a football scholarship to UCLA and later, the NFL. All the guys invite me out on the weekends to party, but as their captain, I’ve made the decision to wait until the season is over.

Today is Halloween. Usually, it’s a fun holiday to celebrate, but tomorrow is our final and most crucial game. There’s an enormous amount of pressure to finish strong with a win, and the whole student body is buzzing because it’s also Homecoming. The moment the final bell rings this afternoon, our last practice begins.

I’m sitting on the hood of my car outside my house, waiting for Cooper and Cami to come out so we can go to school. A few minutes tick by, I check my watch. They're late. Before I can look up, I hear the door swing open, and Cami rushes out, her backpack high on her shoulders and clarinet case heavy in her hand.

“Hey! Where's your brother?” I ask, stepping up to swing open the backseat door for her.

She sighs, rolling her eyes. “Staring at himself in the mirror, messing with his hair.”

“He’s what!?” I chuckle.

“He won't stop talking about Vanessa.”

“Ah, I see,” I say.

Cooper has moved on to a new love interest. Vanessa, head cheerleader and favorite to win Homecoming Queen. He only ended things with Emily a week ago. The guy is always finding himself tangled up in some kind of messy love triangle, and honestly, it’s highly entertaining to watch.

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Cooper shouts, finally running out the door.

I already have the car started by the time he climbs into the passenger seat.

“Sorry, got caught up.” He apologizes, tossing his bag on the floorboard.

I look over at him. “No problem, bud. Hey, your hair looks really good today!” A smirk tugs at the corners of my mouth as I glance up at the rearview mirror. Cami is biting her lip, successfully hiding a laugh as she looks out the side window.

The last bell of the day rings, and I stuff my bag with a heaping stack of homework. Assignments I’m somehow going to have to find time to complete before Monday. I’m navigating the crowded courtyard to the gym as Cooper catches up to me.

“Hey man!” He says, slightly out of breath.

“Coop... how was your day? Ready to run drills?”

“Yeah, yeah, it was good. Hey, did you vote for me for homecoming king? The ballots were all due by the end of last period.” He says, anxiously.

“Don't worry, man, I did,” I reassure, giving him a pat on the shoulder. “I told all the guys on the team to vote for you too.”

“Thanks. You’ll probably still win it though.”

“I don't want it.” I laugh. “The only win I want is our last game.”

“We’ve got it, Captain, don't worry!” He smiles.

I have the team sweating, drilling them hard with bleacher sprints. “Last practice, guys, let's go hard,” I encourage, leading them to the water station for a break.

The gym double doors swing open, and the marching band spills out onto the grass, ready to practice their final halftime routine. I spot Cami walking and chatting with her friend Briana and the sophomore drummer, Anthony. Cooper has mentioned him briefly, it looks like he and Cami have gotten close. Cooper gives rounds of high fives as they all pass by. It’s a good feeling to see the band kids comfortable around the varsity team now. I’m sure Cooper has rounded up all their royalty votes.

“Alright guys, huddle up,” I shout.

“I just want to let you all know how proud I am of this team and each and every one of you,” I say, looking around the circle of faces. “You’ve all shown incredible dedication. No matter the score tomorrow night, this has been the best season of my life because of you guys.” I give them all an appreciative smile. “With that, I am ending practice early since it's Halloween. Enjoy your night. But please, for the love of God, don't get wasted because we are bringing home that win tomorrow.”

The huddle explodes into chaotic cheering. Before I can react, Christian and Alex sneak up behind me, tipping the massive Gatorade cooler forward. A wave of ice-cold water slams down my back, completely drenching me. I gasp at the shock, a huge grin breaking across my face as the guys crowd around, jumping, chanting, and celebrating our last day of practice.

“Are you coming to Vanessa’s Halloween party tonight?’ Cooper asks as we sit on the hood of my car, waiting for Cami’s practice to end.

“Ah, I don't know, man,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck.

“Oh, come on. Just join us for a little bit. You don't have to stay late.” He begs.

“Alright, but only for a little bit.” I concede.

Vanessa’s party is in full swing. Her sprawling house is plastered with Halloween decorations and Vote for Vanessa! campaign posters. The cheer team is dressed up as Devils and Angels, my entire varsity team is probably drooling over them. I spot Cooper in the kitchen with Vanessa. He whispers something in her ear, and she lets out a loud laugh. Smooth.

Cooper tracks me as I walk into the kitchen. “Hey, you made it!” he cheers, giving me a pat on the back.

“Dude, what are you wearing?” I laugh, giving him a once-over. He’s dressed as Tom Cruise in Risky Business, complete with an oversized white button-up, tighty-whities, long tube socks, and sunglasses.

“It’s Halloween!” He laughs, throwing his arms out wide, clearly very proud. This guy is such a goof.

“Hey, Drew.” A cluster of girls dressed as devils wander up to us, pulling me into a group hug. “You finally decided to come out and play.”

“Only for a little bit, big day tomorrow!”

“I hope we get to see way more of you once the season is over,” one of them pouts, twisting a strand of hair around her finger.

“Oh, you definitely will! Don't worry!” Cooper shouts for the whole room to hear, wagging his eyebrows up and down.

The night is fizzling out, probably because it's still a school night. Some kids have started coupling off in dark corners. I check the time, it’s 10:30 PM—definitely time to go. I say goodbye to a few of the guys, warning them to get home soon.

I stop at In-N-Out on the way home, downing a burger and fries in the quiet of my car. Feeling exhaustion settle through my bones, I get out of the hot shower, crawl into bed, and reach over to my nightstand, turning off my lamp. I’m surrounded by darkness, feeling tired but also nervous for tomorrow. I’m about to close my eyes, trying to shake off the apprehension, when a faint sliver of light peeks through the cracks of my window blinds. It’s so subtle I almost miss it. My curiosity piqued, I roll out of bed and walk to the glass, carefully lifting one of the slats. Directly across the narrow gap between our houses, Cami’s bedroom light has just turned on. The houses in this development are built incredibly close together. Right under her window is a small ledge, wide enough to walk on, and close enough that I could easily reach out and step onto it from my own frame.

I’m about to close my blinds when her window slides open. I watch, breathless, as Cami crawls right out onto the ledge. Is she sneaking out? My heart pounds in fear for her safety. Then she does something that surprises me: she takes a small, careful step up onto the slanted roof, where she sits down and pops in a pair of earbuds.

I take all of two seconds to decide what to do. I pull my hoodie over my head, throw on a pair of sweatpants, and crawl out my window. I carefully walk over to her, trying not to spook her, the last thing we need is for one of us to fall. I squat down next to her, getting comfortable when her head snaps in my direction. Her eyes go wide, and she yanks her earbuds out, her hand flying to her chest. “Drew! You scared me.”

I chuckle, “I’m sorry. But what are you doing up here?”

“I sit up here almost every night,” she whispers, taking a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup out of her pocket. “Want one?” She says, handing one over to me.

“Thank you.” I smile, ripping open the wrapper. “I didn't know that. Why do you come out here?”

“No one’s supposed to know.” She smiles just as a gentle autumn breeze pushes a stray strand of brown hair behind her shoulder. I get a whiff of her strawberry shampoo. Something about it sends a thrill down my spine. “Mainly to clear my mind. I like to look at the moon and the stars. It’s peaceful.”

I follow her gaze to the sky, taking it in. “You're right, it is peaceful.”

We sit in a comfortable silence, the distant chirps of the crickets echoing from down below. It’s nice to sit with someone and not feel like I have to put on an act. With Cami, I feel like I can just be myself.

“Did you have a nice Halloween?” I ask, interrupting the calm.

She shrugs, “It was alright. Just passed out candy.”

“Did you want to do something else?”

She lets out a small sigh. “No.”

That was the most unconvincing answer I've ever heard. This girl is such a mystery with her few words, but I find I’m quite captivated every time she chooses to share them with me.

“So what are you listening to?” I smile, reaching out to carefully snag an earbud before she has a chance to change it.

“She Will Be Loved” By Maroon 5. My heart does a little flip in my chest. I look over at her; her cheeks turn pink as she nervously looks away. We sit for a moment, just listening. The longer the song plays, the more I feel something heavy and permanent shifting in my chest. I wonder if she feels it, too. We let the playlist transition, listening to a few more songs in the peaceful stillness of the night.

“You have really good taste in music,” I say quietly.

“Thank you.” She gives me a small smile, finally meeting my eyes. Without her glasses on, and with the moon casting a silver glow across her face, I notice a cluster of tiny freckles dusting the bridge of her nose. She’s absolutely breathtaking, even though she spends every day trying to hide it.

“It’s getting late, can I help you get back to your room?” I say, carefully standing up, reaching my hand out to her.

She nervously stares at my palm for a second before wrapping her fingers gently around mine. A small shock runs through my hand at the contact. This is the first time I’ve ever touched her, and a part of me wants to do it again. I guide her steadily until she safely climbs back through her window.

“Goodnight, Cami,” I whisper, my eyes dropping to her lips for a fraction of a second before I force myself to look away.

“Goodnight, Drew.”

* * *

It’s Friday, game day. The school day flew by with anticipated nerves. A few guys on the team are all meeting at Cooper’s house before the game for pizza. He’s a nervous wreck waiting to find out if he made Homecoming King. The principal always announces the results on the football field before kick-off.

“Ready for tonight?” Mom asks as I come down the stairs to the kitchen.

“Yeah.” I let out a heavy sigh. “I think so.”

“I’m glad I get to make it to your last game. I'm going to sit with Danielle and Ian.”

I’m so glad my mom has the Bensons as friends, it's nice to see her out enjoying herself and not working overtime at the hospital. I hate that she has to work so much just to pay the bills. I’ve offered to get a job, but she always tells me no and says I should let her be the adult. But after my dad walked out, she’s been struggling financially, and I want nothing more than to help her. That's why making it to pro is so important to me, I want to take care of her.

“I’m happy you get to come too,” I say, kissing her on the cheek. “I’ll see you there.”

I meet Cooper in his kitchen, where he is waiting for everyone to show up.

“Hey man!” Cooper says when I walk in.

“Hey!” I say back to him.

Cami is sitting at the dining room table, with a textbook open, doing math homework. She looks up briefly at me before returning to her work.

“Hey Cami!” I say, giving her a small wave.

“Hey.” She says shyly, too nervous to look up from her textbook.

Alex and Christian barge in, making a scene and laughing about something they were just talking about.

* * *

I’m bouncing with anxious anticipation on the football field as we warm up. The sun had dipped below the horizon, painting the sky a dark indigo blue. The stands are packed to the brim with students and the local community. Their faces are painted in blue and black, with our jersey numbers on display. The band is on the field, preparing to play the national anthem.

Principal Bryant walks down to the center of the field, microphone in hand. He's followed by the assistant principal, holding the royalty crowns and a bundle of red roses. It’s time to announce the Homecoming King and Queen. Next to me, Cooper's back straightens as he tracks their movement across the field.

“Good Evening, and thank you all for coming out to celebrate our Homecoming game,” he says cheerfully into the microphone. “Can I please have our King and Queen nominees join me as we crown the winners?” Oh Brother. I roll my eyes, ready to get this part over with. Cooper practically sprints over there. I think he's more excited for this than the actual game. I walk across the field after Cooper to join the other nominees, praying my name is not going to be called over my best friend.

“Congratulations to all of you standing here, you are all winners,” he says.

“Our Homecoming King and Queen are…” He takes a long dramatic pause. I look over at Cooper. He's biting his lip, eyes wide with want. “Cooper Benson and Vanessa Shaw.” The crowd all stands and cheers, and I sigh in relief. Vanessa flies into Cooper's arms, and he lifts her up off the ground and spins, her cheer skirt twirling with her. They are handed their shiny crowns and satin sashes, while the principal hands out single red roses to the rest of the contenders.

“Here’s a rose for each of you, you’re all still winners. Hand them out to whoever you have your eye on tonight,” the principal says over the roaring crowd. Everyone starts heading off the field, tossing their roses to friends or dates in the front rows. “Now, let’s play some football!” the principal cheers.

I’m left standing in the grass, holding a single bright red rose, unsure of what to do with it as the field clears and the band begins to march into its first formation. Shit, shit, what do I do? I catch Cami’s eye.

Without thinking, I jog toward her, breaking into a full sprint to cover the distance. Fully aware that hundreds of eyes are tracking my every move in the stands. Cami’s blue eyes go wide behind her glasses. She starts looking around frantically, as if she can’t believe I'm heading straight for her.

“Here,” I say, offering a breathless smile as I slide the stem into her hand. “Good luck.”

Her jaw drops slightly, her eyes going glassy as she goes completely speechless at the sudden gesture. Before she can say a word, the drumline hits their first beat. She quickly tucks the rose tight under her arm and lifts her clarinet to her lips. I flash her one last smile and jog back to the sidelines.

The guys on the bench are all looking around awkwardly, their eyes darting between Cooper and me. Cooper’s expression is hard and unreadable. “What was that?” he asks, pointing a finger toward his sister.

“That’s for you embarrassing her earlier today.” I lie smoothly, keeping my voice casual. “I just wanted her to feel like she was included in the moment with us, that's all.”

“Right. Yeah. Thanks, man.” Cooper says, though his eyebrows stay tightly creased in confusion.

I clap my hands together, desperately needing to switch the focus. “Alright, let’s go do this!” I shout, and the team erupts into cheers.

The second the clock hits zero, the season is officially over, and a sea of students storms the field to celebrate our undefeated record. The adrenaline coursing through my veins feels like pure euphoria. Cooper tackles me in a massive bear hug, and within seconds, the rest of the team joins us, locking us into a chaotic, shouting group hug. A wave of relief washes over me, I can finally breathe after a long, tiring season.

Eventually, our parents manage to find us in the crowd, and pull us into tight, proud hugs. Cami finds us shortly after, and her mom wraps her arms around her, then Cooper. I notice Cami smiling, the red rose still clutched tightly in her hands.

“That was so sweet of you, Drew, to give Cami your rose,” Mrs. Benson says warmly. Everyone's eyes snap to mine.

“Of course!” I say casually, even though my nerves are on high alert. “I just wanted her to feel included in the moment with Cooper and I.”

“Well, it was just darling.” She pulls me into another hug. Over her shoulder, I lock eyes with my own mother. She isn't saying a word, just watching me with a massive, knowing smirk written all over her face.

* * *

The Homecoming dance is packed full of students. The gym is dimly lit, with strobe lights flashing across the floor and long streamers of blue, black, and gold draping the entire ceiling. The DJ is in the corner, shuffling a loud mix of pop songs. Cooper and Vanessa are parading around in their royalty sashes and crowns, having not left each other’s side all night. Hand in hand, they lead the crowd to the center of the floor, under the glittering disco ball, to slow-dance as the official King and Queen. The music shifts on cue to something low and romantic. I look off to the side and spot Emily alone, with her arms crossed tight over her chest, seething over Cooper on the dance floor. Yikes, I’ve never been happier to not be in my best friend's shoes right now.

I get dragged out to the center of the dance floor when ‘All I Do Is Win’ by DJ Khaled blares through the sound system. My entire team is jumping and shouting the lyrics at the top of our lungs. It’s the ultimate way to close out the football season. We're all still riding the high of yesterday's trophy.

Eventually, the bass drops off, fading into another romantic slow song. Couples hold hands and drift onto the dance floor. I watch Cooper and Vanessa pull each other close, sneaking in a long, slow kiss, while a few of the other guys boldly pull their dates close. I admire their confidence. But looking around the room, there just isn’t anyone here I’d want to share an intimate moment with. That is, until my eyes find Camille. Her hair is styled into soft waves, and she’s wearing a light blue dress with thin straps that hits just above her knees. It's more modest than what most of the girls here are wearing tonight, but that’s what makes her so special. She doesn’t have to try hard to show off her beauty; she just naturally is. What am I thinking? This is Cooper’s little sister. I have to get a grip.

But then my chest tightens as her arms wrap around Anthony, the sophomore drummer from the band. I swallow a heavy lump in my throat. I track his hands, he’s holding her close to him, arms around her waist, looking down at her with those eyes. I know those eyes. He wants to kiss her. Shit, I don’t want to see this. My eyes stay locked on them anyway. He whispers something into her ear, and she smiles. Nausea and dread pool in my stomach.

The song finally draws to an end, and I watch Anthony lean his head down toward her lips. I feel physically sick. I should look away, I shouldn't be intruding on her moment. But at the last second, he shifts slightly to the left, planting a peck on her cheek instead. I let out a heavy sigh of relief, though I’m still burning with jealousy over this kid.

The song ends, and I watch Cami exit the dance floor alone. She stops to get water when Emily suddenly corners her. That’s bizarre. What could Emily possibly want with Cami?

I track them from across the gym as Camille’s body language starts to tense up with whatever Emily is saying to her. A knot of concern tightens in my chest. Then, out of nowhere, Emily pulls her into a forced, aggressively tight hug. When they break apart, Emily is laughing, and Cami bolts for the exit doors.

I don't even take a second to think. I just run after her. I search the hallways, looking for my brown-haired girl. I push through the heavy exit doors and find her outside, sitting alone on the concrete front steps of the school. She’s crying. The sound of her quiet sobs shatters my heart.

“Cami,” I say softly.

Her sniffling stops, her back straightens as she hears my voice. I walk down and kneel on the step directly below her, bringing myself to eye level.

“What happened?”

And then I see it, a massive tangled blob of blue, tacky chewing gum stuck in her hair.

“Shit, Cami.” I sigh, anger and sorrow hitting my chest. How could anyone be cruel to this sweet girl?

“It’s fine, Drew. Go back inside.” She says, rubbing her blue eyes underneath her glasses.

I bundle her into my arms. Her entire body melts into mine, and she just lets go, crying into my shoulder. My mind doesn't have time to process the feeling of holding her.

“It’s okay, I’m here,” I whisper. My heart has never ached so badly for another human being.

After a few minutes, her heavy tears turn into quiet sniffles. She gently pulls out of my arms, her eyes bloodshot and her nose flushed pink.

“Let me take you home,” I whisper, searching her eyes.

Once she has the courage to look up at me, she swallows hard and nods in agreement. I take off my jacket, drape it across her shoulders, and walk her to my car.

The drive home is dark and silent, with only the street lights illuminating the dash as we pass by. Cami is leaning her head against the glass window in the passenger seat. I keep stealing glances at her, she has a hollow stare in her eyes that is killing me. How could someone do this to her? Another surge of anger weaves through my body. Why can't anyone see how special she is?

I park in my usual spot in between our two houses and walk over to open the door for her.

“Thank you,” she whispers as she crawls out of the front seat.

She looks me in the eyes, and all I can see is how sad she is. She starts to walk away in the direction of her house. I can't let her leave, not when she’s this hurt.

“Hey, Cami?”

She freezes, turning around to face me. My heart starts beating rapidly in my chest. I really shouldn't do this.

“Do you want to come in for a minute?” I say, rubbing at the back of my neck, nodding in the direction of my house.

“Oh… Um,” She says, taking a quick glance at her house before turning back to me. “Sure.”

I walk us up my front porch and take out my keys to unlock the door. The house is dark; my mom has an overnight shift at the hospital tonight. I flip on the light switches and guide us into the kitchen. I pull out the bench seat at the breakfast nook, “Here, sit down.” I whisper.

She takes a seat, and I kneel down in front of her. She’s so tiny, even being on my knees in front of her, she is at my eye level. Saying nothing, I reach into her hair, carefully working the sticky mess out of her curls, making sure not to pull.

“I’m really sorry Emily did this to you,” I sigh, “This is so fucked up.”

“How did you know it was Emily?” She asks quietly, her gaze falling on mine.

Realizing I just admitted to watching her all night, I try to play it cool. “I saw her talking to you before you ran off, and I could tell she said something that upset you.”

She looks down, fighting back tears again. “You don’t have to tell me what she said, but I need you to know, Cami, that whatever it was, it's not true. She is a mean girl, and she is projecting her anger towards Cooper onto you, and you don’t deserve that.” I say, pulling the last remaining pieces of gum out of her hair.

“She laughed at what I was wearing, said she could never leave the house looking the way I do, and called it cute.” She says, emphasizing the word cute. Her eyes start to water at the admission. My fingers stop moving in her hair, anger pulsing through my veins. “Huh… That's funny because when I saw you, I couldn't stop thinking how pretty you look.”

That earned my first smile from her, butterflies swarm my stomach. I smile back at her as my fingers leave her hair.

“There, good as new!” I say, proud of my accomplishment in earning a smile and successfully removing the gum from her curls.

“Thank you.” She smiles.

“Hey, are you hungry? I make a killer grilled cheese!”

She lets out a giggle, and finally the night doesn't feel so heavy anymore.