Page 31 of Brad & Finn (Gomillion High Reunion #3)
FINN
Chloe decided halfway back to town that she was hungry and didn’t want the stale popcorn and snack-sized bags of chips the high school concession stand sold.
Even though they were already running late, they stopped by The Roll, which was as crowded as ever, and Finn waited by the door to avoid the crowd of people.
He watched in amusement as Ethan flirted with first Chloe and then Brad.
While Chloe shot him down immediately, Brad looked so awkward that Finn couldn’t help but smile.
He hurried back to Finn’s side with two savory breakfast pastries and sheepishly offered one to Finn.
Finn leaned into his side and tilted his head back, so only Brad could hear him whisper, “Thanks, babe.”
Brad had a distinct skip in his step all the way back to the car.
Finn let him have the front seat so he could have more leg room, and he ended up chatting excitedly with Chloe about who they thought would be representing the alumni in the game.
Chloe rattled off a bunch of names and then went back and ticked off who she’d seen at the gym or Timbers and Tallboys the previous night.
Brad was practically vibrating with excitement as they walked into the school.
“I know Cameron’s a sports agent now. Obviously, it’s way too early for them to be signing contracts, but how awesome is it that these seniors get to play against the Cameron Jameson—and then hopefully get to talk to him about what it means to go pro! ”
Finn loved listening to Brad talk about sports and sports things. He’d been a cheerleader long enough to gain an appreciation for sports, and he watched most of the big games, including the Super Bowl, Final Four, World Cup, World Series, and, on occasion, even the Tennis Masters.
As they passed by their old cafeteria, Finn wondered if Brad kept games and sports commentary playing around the house.
Finn didn’t mind ambient noise. If anything, it helped with his ADHD.
Maybe that was why he couldn’t keep the smile off his face listening to Chloe and Brad chatting a mile a minute about college sports prospects and upcoming seasons.
Finn had grown up in an eerily silent home.
When his dad was out, Finn would play CDs or leave the TV running to make the house feel a little less lonely.
It was one of the many reasons he loved going to Chloe and Christian’s place.
Those two could hold a conversation with a brick wall, and he loved letting their bright voices roll over him as he sat on the couch with their dogs or enjoyed mediocre meals at their cluttered kitchen table.
None of them were talented chefs, but as they reached the small gym and Brad glanced over his shoulder to make sure Finn was still behind them, he wondered if Brad was a good cook.
As Chloe opened the metal doors, they were hit with a wall of sound and the warm scent of popcorn and exhilaration.
Finn pressed in close behind Chloe as they made their way around the side of the gym to the bleachers.
He remembered doing this on game days, too, leaning into Chloe and Kendall’s confidence as they entered the packed gymnasium, hundreds of their fellow classmates cheering and waving to them.
Kendall usually got most of the attention, from guys and girls alike, and Chloe and Finn were happy to give her the spotlight.
Chloe’s primary focus was keeping the other girls in formation, and Finn was responsible for keeping count during some of the more complicated cheers.
This was relatively true outside of games as well.
Kendall would take all the attention, both good and bad, and Chloe was responsible for shepherding their friends around town and organizing hangouts, study sessions, and extra practices for the cheerleaders who needed it.
Finn was the ever-loyal, always-present third, which was just the way he liked it.
It was how his relationship with Chloe and Christian had played out over the past five years, too.
As Brad led them to some open seats, Chloe was right behind him, and Finn was close behind her. Without even trying, he’d become the happy third again.
When they slid into a row near the top left of the stands, Finn spotted Naomi next to Brad, and Mariana popped out of her seat to wave at them.
A buzzer sounded, indicating the high school team had scored, bringing them to 15 points as compared with the alumni’s 22.
Finn got lost in the repetitive back and forth of the game, occasionally gripping Chloe’s hand or jumping up with the rest of the alumni to cheer for a particularly impressive play.
There was a ten-minute break for halftime, and despite her earlier complaints, Chloe climbed over Finn to grab some popcorn.
Wisely, both Finn and Brad kept their opinions on the matter to themselves, and Finn took Chloe’s seat so he could talk with Naomi and Brad.
Chloe returned right as the game resumed, but she plopped down next to Finn without asking for her seat back.
The tide changed in favor of the varsity team as the alumni began to show clear signs of fatigue. Finn couldn’t fathom running around a court for that long anymore. A few of the current cheerleaders were there, throwing high kicks and split jumps that made Finn’s hips ache.
By the start of the fourth quarter, he found himself zoning out, and he startled when Chloe placed a hand on his leg. “Are you trying to remember some of our old cheers?”
Finn hadn’t realized he’d been gazing over the heads of the cheerleaders at the far wall. Funnily enough, that actually had been one of the many trains of thought he’d been chasing. “I feel like I remember more of the words than the movements,” he said.
“Oh, yeah?”
He glanced around, but everyone in their corner of the stands seemed to be watching the game. “D, D, D, Defense!” he said under his breath.
Chloe grinned and clapped her hands together five times, in time with the chant. At Finn’s nod, she did it all together, a little louder than before.
Brad nudged Finn’s shoulder with his, smiling widely before joining in on the chant. His claps were slightly off-beat, and for some reason, that made Finn’s stomach feel warm, like he’d eaten an entire bag of the spicy chips he could smell all around them.
Suddenly, their full row joined in the cheer, and when the Cameron Jameson pointed at their little corner and brought his hand to his heart, the entire section of alumni joined in.
Chloe jumped to her feet, and everyone around them slowly stood up, keeping the cheer going as the alumni team actually showed some decent defense and stopped the varsity captain from scoring.
“Go, fight, score! We want more!” Finn whispered in Chloe’s ear, and she scrunched up her eyes for a second.
Finn could only remember the first move, so he crossed one arm over his chest, then the other. Chloe’s eyes widened, and she beamed at him.
“Go, fight, score!” she shouted, interrupting the next round of defense chants. She crossed her left arm, then her right over her chest, before throwing both arms over her head. “We want more!” she shouted, pumping her fists in the air.
It took a little longer for this one to catch on, but soon they were all chanting and fist-pumping together. When Cameron sank a three-pointer, the crowd went wild. The varsity team tried to rally, but an alumni player snatched the ball out of the air and ran back for the hoop.
Brad let out a surprised gasp, which seemed a little dramatic given they were still losing. When Finn glanced at Brad, though, he wasn’t looking at the scoreboard or the court. He was staring at a tall, handsome blonde man who was jogging up the steps to their row of the bleachers.
“Oh…my god,” Brad said. Finn gently nudged his shoulder in question, and he added, “I’m pretty sure that’s the AJ Quick.”
Finn couldn’t stifle his giggle in time. What was up with Brad and this strange hero worship he?—
Wait.
“Like, the AJ Quick, quarterback of the LA Chargers?” Finn asked, turning back to look at the man. AJ was trying, and failing, to join in on Chloe’s cheer. She was grinning widely at him, most likely completely oblivious to who he was.
Brad leaned against Finn, putting a pretty substantial amount of weight on his side, like he was going to swoon right off the bleachers.
Finn shook his head but wrapped a supportive arm around Brad’s back.
They stayed like this for almost a full minute until Finn decided it was time to change the cheer up.
“We’re number one, not number two,” Finn said just loud enough for Chloe to hear.
She let out an excited squeal and grabbed his hand, pulling him away from Brad’s side—which was probably for the best in a crowded auditorium. This had been her favorite cheer, and Finn didn’t even bother finishing the chant because he knew she remembered it.
“We’re number one!” she shouted at the top of her lungs, and the rest of the crowd around her quieted until soon everyone was waiting to see what the next cheer would be.
“We’re number one!” she repeated, this time pumping her hand, with one finger raised, in time with her words. “Not number two!” She did the same thing but with two fingers on her other hand. “And we’re going to beat?—”
She closed both fists and pumped them in the air. This was supposed to be done with pompoms, but oh well. The part that mattered the most was up next.
Chloe pressed her wrists together, forming a V with her hands, and brought them down under her face. “The whoopsie out of you!”