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Since Liam has the longest reach, I hand my phone to him. The four of us squeeze in the frame. We’re all smiling, and Archie is holding up his index finger next to his face. Liam takes a few in rapid succession, then hands my phone back to me.

I’m really missing Charlie today, and I feel like she should be here with us on this field. So, I send her one of the pics.

Beck: Go, Stallions!

Charlie: Oh my God, I love this!

Beck: I love you.

Charlie: I love you too. See you soon!

I drop my phone into my pocket then turn and jog to meet Casey, Liam, and Archie.

Archie has an interview he needs to do, and the rest of us need to run drills. Then we will be watching film and shooting commercial shots.

After we leave the field for a break before the game, we’ll eat as a team, run over a few more plays, then go to bed. Coach has set a curfew tonight—not that we need one. We all know what’s at stake here. And we’re not walking away from this game without the trophy.

We’re standing in the tunnel, waiting to go out onto the field. We’re all shifting on our feet, anxious to get out there. Coach is near the opening, leading the team. Casey, Archie, and I are near the front, but behind Bo and Liam. They are holding hands, standing calm and ready to take the field.

That’s just another thing that makes Bo Callaway special. He is a team player and already a great leader, and he’s respectful of his teammates. This show of solidarity is also a sign of respect to Pitz and the time he’s played at Walker. Gotta admire that.

Archie is standing next to me, and Casey is on my other side.

Archie is hyping the team up, jumping around. “Let’s fucking go! Who are we?”

“STALLIONS!” the team yells.

“What are we gonna do today?”

“WIN!”

Then he turns to me and smacks the top of my helmet and then Casey’s. “Let’s go, baby! Linson, I got you, man. I won’t let anyone get by me today.” He turns to Casey. “King, you get the ball, and you run like your life depends on it!”

“You know it, baby. Let’s GO!”

They grab hands and pull each other in and bump chests.

We can hear our fight song playing, so that’s one of our signals that we’re about to run out onto the field. The fireworks on either side of our tunnel start to go off, and then we hear our cue.

“Please welcome the Walker University Stallions!”

We all run out as a team. Archie is bouncing up and down and waving his arms, trying to get the fans to cheer louder. Casey and I jog over to the sideline, find our spots, and place our helmets on the bench. When I look up, I see my dad and sister. Next to them are the Kings. And Charlie. I knew she would be here, of course, but we didn’t get a chance to see our families before we left for the field this morning or talk to them before the game because we couldn’t use our phones. Coach didn’t want us to get distracted.

Charlie waves at me, and I get a glimpse of her jersey. My fucking number is on her chest. I nod and smile at her. We’re not supposed to talk to anyone before we play, but fuck it.

I move around the bench and walk toward the stands.

“Dude, where are you going?” Casey yells over the noise of the crowd.

I tilt my head toward Charlie, and Casey just shakes his head and smiles.

When I get to the wall, I reach up and slap my dad’s and sister’s hands, then Carol’s and Tim’s. They all wish me luck, and I smile and nod, gaze still on Charlie. She’s watching me and smiling.

“Come here, baby.”

I reach up to the bar she’s leaning on and pull myself up a little. She bends down to meet me.

“You’re crazy! You know that, right? Coach could bench you for this!” She’s laughing and shaking her head, her eyebrows raised.