Page 8 of End Game

I kind of resent the idea that we’re going to be best friends because we’re both biracial transfer students. I want to make friends on my own merit, not because of my racial identity.

At the same time… we are both biracial transfer students who are attached to the football team. We’re going to interact and probably spend time together. Maybe this is her clumsy way of welcoming me to the fold. She’s accepting my presence as Barrett’s best friend; they all are. Nobody has questioned whether I have a right to be by his side. They just accepted it, like they accept him.

Because they’re friends. Maybe one day, they can truly be my friends, too.

Barrett nudges me with his elbow. “Eat your dinner, Dee.”

I make a face at him. I’m not a baby. He laughs, so all his friends do, too.

The guys talk around us. Amir goes on a rant about something that happened at practice this morning, and Greg and Sam argue about which movie to watch tonight. Barrett stays out of it, his eyes on me as I robotically eat my food. It’s… fine. It certainly doesn’t taste like cardboard. I’m just confused.

We fell asleep together. Sure, it was just a nap—over the blankets, fully clothed. Nothing obscene happened. But he kissed me. He kissed me!

And instead of focusing on that very critically important fact… all I can think about is that I kind of want him to do it again.

When we were in high school, I had a crush on Barrett. A minor crush. How could I not? He’s fantastic. I wasn’t, like, in love with him or anything. He was just my best friend, my rock, the guy who had always been there for me, and when hormones started getting involved… it was only natural to develop feelings for him. We were so close back then.

And he never showed even one iota of interest in me, so eventually I got over it. I moved on. I lived my life, I dated other boys, and never did he seem to care who I got involved with as long as it was all safe and consensual. All he’s ever wanted is for me to be happy, I know that.

“Do you still want help unpacking?” Barrett asks as we linger over dinner.

I shrug. “If you want. You don’t need to.”

“I want to,” he says. He tugs on my ponytail like he always has. “I like hanging out with you.”

“I like hanging out with you, too,” I admit. “And now we get to all the time.”

Chapter 2

Barrett

Diana transferring to Newton might be the worst thing that has ever happened to me.

I want to be happy that my best friend and I are finally going to be living in the same city, going to the same school. For the first time, ever. Except for the fact that I’m in love with her, and she doesn’t know. Except for the fact that she is going through what’s sure to be the worst year of her life.

We sit there, eating dinner with my friends like absolutely nothing is out of the ordinary. But this is the exact opposite of ordinary. We fell asleep together—I kissed her!—and she didn’t even react.

The distance between us was always a bit of a blessing in disguise. I could live my everyday life without being confronted by the reality of the situation.

I can’t look back and pinpoint when my feelings for her developed. All I know is, I was going through my life on autopilot, and then one day, my engines started revving out of my control. I love her. I love everything about her. And she doesn’t feel the same.

Even if she did—and that’s a big if—I know that her dad’s terminal illness weighs heavily on her. It would weigh heavily on anyone, and coupled with how close they are… Not to mention leaving her school, her teammates and friends, her coaching staff, and all the resources that a school like USC can provide… Newton is a great school, sure, but our soccer program is mediocre, our dietetics program is second-tier, and the weather sucks. Especially when compared to the Los Angeles sunshine.

“Have you met any of your teammates?” Sam asks as we linger over dessert.

“Not since the transfer interview. And that was super brief. I don’t know any of them personally.”

Mason winces. “Yeah, transferring last year… I had a lonely few months until I figured everything out.” She and Tuck are together now, but it hasn’t been all that long since they started dating again.

Diana chews on her lip. “I’m nervous,” she admits.

“It’s scary.” My voice lowers as I meet her eyes, blocking out the rest of the world around us. “It’s new, and scary, and it’s overwhelming. But you can do this. You’re capable of anything you set your mind to, Dee.”

She gives me a nervous smile. “I’m glad you believe in me, even when I don’t.”

I squeeze her shoulder. “Always.”

Wes grunts. I break my eyes away from hers to see the rest of the table is staring at us.