Page 25 of The Surprise Play

Tutor Girl: Sorry for yelling at you.

She doesn’t respond. I even stand there waiting, but I get nothing back. Who knows if she’s read the text or not. She obviously doesn’t own an iPhone, so I can’t even tell. Waiting another beat, I stare at my screen, then give up with a huff and head to my next class. Thank God it’s the last one of the day; then I can go back home and prep for the one thing I’ve been put on this planet to do…

Play football.

CHAPTER 8

ELIZABETH

I keep pulling out my phone and looking at Wily’s text.

I’m not sure why I haven’t responded. I should at least give him a thumbs-up to acknowledge it, right?

But… that seems lame, and I don’t know what to say to him.

And if I do respond, will he then reply back? And then I’ll get caught in some conversation with a person I don’t particularly want to see again.

Biting my lip, I glance at my computer screen. For some bizarre reason, I’m watching the semifinal football game.

Yeah, I know. I don’t even like sports, but the whole school is buzzing over this game, and I don’t want to be completely clueless when I hear them talking about it in class.

That’s what I keep telling myself, anyway.

My eyes dart to Wily. He’s standing on the sidelines, waiting for his turn at offense again. His red-and-blueuniform is smeared with mud, and the team looks absolutely exhausted.

“Nolan U is fighting hard for this win,” the commentator says.

The camera flashes along the front of the offensive line as they wait for their turn on the field. They all seem oblivious to the fact that they’re being filmed, their expressions tense and focused.

“Wily Wilson, the guard to watch. He’s having a killer game tonight.”

“He sure is, Reggie. He’s got a high chance of getting drafted for next season, and any NFL team would be lucky to have him.”

I swallow, trying to focus back on the book I’m reading. Flicking the next page, my eyes glide over the text. I’ve read it before, but it’s been a while, and I’m slowly getting back into the story. I remember liking it in high school.

Shuffling on my bed, I curl my legs up, my eyes darting back to the screen as the offensive line run onto the grass and get themselves set up.

I guess it is a big deal that the Cougars have made it this far. They only just made the playoffs last year and were out after the first game. If they win this one, they’ll be going to the finals. That’s epic.

Trying to get into the school spirit, I watch the play, not fully understanding everything they’re doing, although the quarterback just threw a sweet pass that the commentators are going gaga over. Someone down the other end of the field catches it, and the crowd is going nuts as a swarm of players head in that direction.

My eyebrows dip as I closely watch the screen,wondering if that guy will make it to the end zone. But he gets taken down, and they have to reset.

Geez, football takes forever.

Going back to my book, I try to finish the chapter, but I keep getting distracted between the commentary… and the look on Wily’s face when he was yelling at me.

He wasn’t mad.

I mean, hewasmad… but he seemed more desperate than angry. He was frustrated.

“He thinks he’s dumb,” I whisper, hating that idea.

Wily Wilson is a legend at this school. Now that he’s on my radar, I hear his name come up all the time. Everybody loves him. He’s popular, funny, kind. I haven’t heard a bad word spoken about him.

How can a guy that confident think he’s stupid?

“I should have helped him.” I pick up my phone again, unlocking the screen and rereading his text.