Chapter 5

“Hey, wave, ladies!” Lisa called out, lifting her hand high and waving it around. “Our hero’s on the lookout for Gwen to see if she caught that awesome play. Let’s show him some love!”

Kate and Paula jumped up again, waving like crazy towards the Spartan bench. Gwen, almost reluctantly, stood up and did a half-hearted royal wave.

“I don’t know how, but he spotted you, Gwen! His grin just got even bigger. Maybe we helped a bit by being such rowdy fans,” Lisa suggested with a laugh. “Geez, he’s a looker, Gwen! You aimed high right from the start!”

At halftime, the score was deadlocked at 28. The Spartans’ offense was on fire, scoring every time they got their hands on the ball. Steve was dishing out passes left and right, but the running back was also tearing it up whenever they handed him the rock.

As for the defense, they started tightening up, shutting down Jauron and leaving Gifford scrambling for options. They attempted a few passes, but their QB seemed to make questionable decisions and lacked some serious arm strength.

The Spartans came out swinging in the second half, scoring right off the bat to snatch the lead, and they never let it slip. The final score? 49-31 in favor of Sparta. When the game wrapped up, Sparta’s loyal fans flooded the field, mobbing the players. Among the chaos, Paula caught a glimpse of Steve beaming as fans and teammates pounded his back and shook his hand.

“Hey, sis. Should we head down and give our new hero a pat on the back?” Kate teased. “Looks like the cheerleaders are already all over it. Check out those shameless gals, hugging Steve and smooching his cheeks! You gotta stake your claim down there, girl! Let’s go.”

“Nah, Kate. I’m not about to embarrass myself in front of those airheads. I told you he’d have a bunch of pretty girls chasing after him. Just didn’t expect it to happen so fast. Who knew he’d turn out to be such a jock. Let’s just head home,” Gwen added, clearly feeling down as she made her way towards the exit.

To get out of the stands, they had to make their way down almost to the playing field, then take a turn and head out through a runway under the bleachers. Gwen had just started making the turn when she heard her name called out. Surprised, she glanced over her shoulder to see Steve standing near the bleachers.

He was staring right at her, pretty much ignoring everyone else around him. Suddenly, Gwen felt a gentle push from behind, urging her towards the railing. Almost as if on autopilot, she shuffled up to the railing and peered down at Steve.

Steve flashed her a smile, reached up, and grabbed the rail, effortlessly vaulting up so he stood on the platform near Gwen, with the handrail between them. The fans who had been heading for the exits all seemed to pause, and the once noisy crowd suddenly hushed.

“I need the 411 on how to get to your place for the dance tomorrow, Gwen. What time should I swing by? And hey, what’s your digits? You’re not gonna bail on me last minute, right?” Steve asked, just as a stunning blonde sidled up to him and gave him a tight hug over the railing.

“Hand over your number and I’ll hook you up with all of Gwen’s deets. I’m Lisa, her sister, and you just made my day. Look at those cheerleaders over there, jaws dropped and all,” Lisa whispered into Steve’s ear. “Promise me you’ll treat Gwen right. She’s got smarts but she’s kinda new to this whole thing. Don’t break her heart, okay?”

With that, Lisa stepped back and announced, “Kate, you weren’t kidding. Gwen’s new beau is a total catch! Makes me wish I was a few years younger. Hey Steve, you riding back with us to Sparta, or sticking with the team bus?”

“Coach wants us on the bus ride back. Otherwise, I’d totally hitch a ride with you guys, Lisa,” Steve said, laying his hands on Gwen’s elbows, who remained surprisingly quiet, and gave her a smile. “Thanks for agreeing to let me take you to the dance, Gwen.”

Gwen felt like she was floating in a dream. Who would’ve thought the star quarterback would practically beg her for a date in front of everyone! Steve’s touch on her arms sent shivers down her spine. She watched as Lisa handed Steve her phone, and he punched in some numbers before returning it to her.

“Thanks for coming to the game,” Steve said, leaning in close to Gwen. “I’ll catch you tomorrow night. Just hit me up with the deets.”

Steve turned and made his way back down to the field, breezing past the gobsmacked cheerleaders on his way to the showers. Meanwhile, Gwen felt a gentle nudge as someone turned her around and guided her towards the exit.

As she walked, the surreal feeling began to fade, and she started to tune back into her surroundings. Lisa was holding her hand, sporting a grin that stretched from ear to ear. Their mom and Kate were trailing behind, laughing and chatting with other fans. Gwen started to pick up bits and pieces of the conversations swirling around her.

“Man, that kid’s a force to be reckoned with!” chuckled Ralph Smith, the local bank president and proud dad of Tyler Smith, the team’s star tight end. “He’s slinging passes like a seasoned pro and then manages to charm the socks off the school’s most gorgeous gal for the dance tomorrow. Better keep an eye on him, or he’ll have my job by Christmas!”

“Paula, did you catch the expressions on those cheerleaders’ faces when that guy made a straight shot for Gwen? Hilarious stuff, even though my daughter Dawn’s one of ‘em,” Dorothy Fields chimed in. “Maybe this’ll knock some sense into their heads. The star quarterback hitting it off with the class valedictorian! You can’t put a price on that!”