Page 137 of Forever Defiant
“I know you don’t!” I yelled over my shoulder.
Briar was at the back of the sideline, and I waved at her. She lifted her hand in return; it was the loosest wave I’ve ever seen. I motioned her over.
“You good?”
Her hair was down again, covering her face; she had a ballcap on today, a plaid shirt, black jeans, and I knew on her playlist there would be some emo rock.
“I’m fine,” she said with that soft voice of hers.
“Briar, can I ask you something?” I leaned on the bench as I spoke to her.
“Of course.” She picked up her camera. “Do you want to see pictures?”
“No. Not at all.” I tried to soften the blow of my dismissal with a charming smile. I don’t think it worked. “I don’t get the impression you’re an... how do I say it? An outgoing person.”
“Um. Okay?”
“You don’t strike me as the type of person to enjoysocialmedia.”
She picked up her camera and shook it gently from side to side. “I like taking pictures.” When she saw me waiting, she looked away. “You need to gooutsideto take pictures,” she added. “Outside means society.”
I nodded. “Alright.”
“Slater, leave her alone, she isn’t interested!” Coach Sutherland yelled across the field. “Media girl, donotbe interested in anything he says!”
“Oh, fuck me,” I hissed. “Hey, B, I wasn’t...”
She smiled. “I know,D.” She gave me a sly grin, and I laughed. “So, do you want to see the pics I took today?”
“Yeah, absolutely.” I didn’t really, but being called out like that by Coach, both of us, I felt bad for her.
Briar pulled her phone out. “Here, I got this one of you and Dante, just now.”
He was rolling his eyes, and I was already grinning at whatever deadpan reply he was going to hit me with. “Yeah, that’s a good one.”
“Yeah, I thought so. It’s so hard because your team is never smiling. Why is everyone so sad? Didn’t you win?”
She showed me more, and I realized she was right. We looked like we’d just lost a game, not getting ready for the nextone. I also noticed something I didn’t think she was consciously aware of. “Um, Briar?”
“Yeah?” She looked up, her smile shy.
“You’ve really got an eye for this,” I complimented her. “But girl, you are fixating on Matthews. Someone got a little crush on our star linebacker?” I teased.
Her eyes went wide, and I laughed.
“You’re too cute, look at you all embarrassed at being caught.”
Her eyes went to the space over my shoulder half a second before Noah spoke.
“Or maybe it’s the fact that I’m just standing right behind you?” Noah said dryly.
“Or that.” I turned around and grinned at him. “Hey, you need something?”
“Yes, you. We’re running drills.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s a day that ends in aY, and you pissed off Sutherland. Again.” His gaze flicked to Briar. “So now we’re all running drills.”
