Page 38 of Falling Into You

Another whistle sounded on the field, and play started again. Rav Bastian tossed the ball in and Kai received, then turned upfield. He was incredibly fast, and he outran two defenders before having to juke around the last man. He was totally open to the net, and everyone in the stands was on their feet.

“Let’s go!” Rory called out the name of a cheer. “Ready? Okay!”

Jacob couldn’t see over his teammates’ heads on the sidelines. He took off running down the field to get a better look at Kai’s approach. He needed to go top-left corner on the Pine Hill goalie. That was his weak spot. Jacob wanted to shout it at him, but he couldn’t risk the goalie hearing.

“L-E-T-S-G-O!Let’s go!” the squad chanted. He was dimly aware he was supposed to be over there, but his heart was pounding. This was Woodmont’s chance to get on the board. To take the lead early.

Top-left corner... top-left corner...

“L-E-T-S-G-O!Let’s go!”

The goalie approached Kai. Practically the whole net was open.

Top left top left top left!

The goalie got closer and Kai panicked. He whiffed a weak kick on the ground, and the goalie pounced on it.

“Sonofa! No!” Jacob cried, his fingers splayed at his sides. “Top-left corner, you idiot!”

The whole crowd groaned. Coach Fitz spiked his clipboard into the dewy grass. But play continued as the goalie tossed the ball to one of his men.

“L-E-T-S-G-O!Let’s go!”

Jacob ran back to the squad and was there just in time to throw Rory up into a chair sit. Everyone waved their poms and cheered. And at that moment the Pine Hill Panthers scored.

“Shit!” Jacob shouted as he returned Rory gently to the ground.

“Jacob!” Gwen admonished. “Cheerleaders donotcurse!”

“Sorry. Sorry,” he said. “I just can’t freaking believe this.”

“Jacob! Jacob! He’s our man! If he can’t cartwheel, no one can!”

Jacob turned to glare at the soccer sidelines, where Kai was drinking water after being subbed out. He and Nick Corcoran saw Jacob and started waving their hips and flinging their arms around as they cheered at him.

“Dude! You just missed an easy goal!” Jacob shouted at them.

Kai gave him the finger, and the two of them turned back to watching the game.

Jacob had never felt more miserable in his life. All he wanted to do was run. Run the hell off the field and never look back. He hated being in this position. Hated Coach Fitzfor putting him here. Hated himself for being idiotic enough to make that insane bet. He hated his stupid math brain and Mrs. Dutton and whoever it was who had made up the rule about grades and varsity participation. He even hated Rory a little bit in that moment, though why he couldn’t have said. Maybe he just hated everything and everyone.

He grabbed his megaphone, thinking he might just storm off the track. But then... he had a better idea. A glint in his eye and a fire in his belly, he turned toward the thirty or forty fans and parents in the crowd.

“Hey, Woodmont fans, yell,Hey!”

“Hey!” a couple dozen people shouted.

“Hey, Woodmont fans, yell,Hey!” he repeated pumping his free arm up in the air.

“Hey!” This time more voices joined in.

“What’re you doing?” Rory whispered from behind him. When he didn’t answer, she looked at the others. “What is hedoing?”

But Jacob would not be distracted. He was a man on a mission. There was no way out but through.

“Hey, Woodmont fans! On the count of three, yell,You! Need! Jacob!One, two, three, go!”

“You! Need! Jacob!” the crowd chanted.