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There are a lot of things about her career as a football player that Kel doesn’t expect. Her probation is the first, of course, the bitter injustice of being singled out and forced to prove herself, when no boy ever had before. But once that was over she thought–foolishly, apparently–that she’d just fade into, if not obscurity, then at least normalcy. All she wanted, really, was to be one of the team. Once her probation ended, she thought she was going to stop being The Girl.
But, as it turns out, there are nice ways to be The Girl. Or at least it has its upsides. Not just people like Cleon, who likes athletic girls who know their own minds, but other girls, who value her being an example. People who think of her as a role model, who think she’s doing something grand and important.
She mostly thinks she’s playing football, but–it’s not bad, having fans. Coach Wyldon grumbles about it, of course, but Coach Wyldon grumbles about everything. Kel’s getting used to that.
Neal isn’t, because Neal is incapable of letting things go, but that’s part of his charm.
“He acts like it’s a bad thing!”
“He probably doesn’t want to deal with more girls trying to join his team,” Kel says, innocent. If she really thought that, she’d be offended, but–she thinks the two of them are coming to an understanding. She thinks she’s starting to change his mind. “Besides, if they’re just coming to see me, that’s not great.”
“Why not? They’re still coming. They’re still buying our merchandise. Kel, you are bringing in people who would never come to our games, if you weren’t here. Do you know how valuable a new market is? The Stump should be thanking whatever gods he believes in that he let you on this team. We’re getting press and fans and we’re still winning. You’re the best thing that ever happened to him, and he almost didn’t let you.”
It’s rare that Neal goes off on a tear this positive about her, and Kel’s glad it doesn’t make hope spark in her chest. She was worried, for a while, that Neal was going to be that perpetual, backburner crush, the might-have-been that kept her from ever wanting anyone else. It wasn’t what went wrong with Cleon, it was just–she felt so guilty, like there was something broken in her. Like she was flawed for still having a small crush on her friend, when she was dating someone else.
So it was nice, coming back from summer vacation with her parents in Japan and finding, her first day of senior year, that her crush really had died.
She wouldn’t mind if she never got another one, honestly. So far, they’re more trouble than they’re worth. Even if she does like, well, dating. If not the dates specifically, at least liking someone and them liking her back and kissing.
She likes all of those a lot.
“I’m sure he’s just annoyed the beautiful Joren never had so large a fan club,” Kel says, and Neal snorts.
“Yes, that must be it.”
She’s so used to people admiring her and wanting to meet her that she doesn’t think anything of it now, and that’s strange too. People come just to watch her. It makes her shoulder blades itch, sometimes, the knowledge of it, the way she can feel eyes on her, even just in imagination, but she’s accepted it as a part of her life.
This is what she wants to do, and she’s good at it. If other girls admire her, she’ll talk to them, tell them how they can build skill and muscle, and encourage them. Everyone else, she smiles and nods and hopes the conversation will be over soon.
She doesn’t pay much attention to what anyone else is doing, less because she doesn’t care and more because she’s always so busy. She sees a group approaching Neal, remembers vaguely that he said some of his relatives were in town for Thanksgiving and were coming to the game, but she figured she’d meet them later. Her parents are still in Japan, so she’ll be spending the holiday with him, like she always does.
Once the girls have cleared out, a boy approaches, or–well, he’s not a boy. He looks like he’s a few years older than she is, probably in college, tall and broad, with dancing hazel eyes and–
“Hi,” he says. “Sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt, but this meathead talks about you so much, I couldn’t wait.”
Kel startles as he hooks his arm around Neal’s neck and drags him in. Seeing them next to each other, the family resemblance is suddenly and undeniably apparent, and that just seems unfair. Just as she’s getting over Neal, one of his attractive relations shows up and smiles at her like that.
“I already know her,” Neal grumbles. “You don’t have to introduce me.”
The stranger’s smile widens. “You’re introducing me. It’s polite.”
Neal ducks out of his friendly headlock, and they scuffle a little, friendly and familiar. It must Dom, she decides, Neal’s favorite cousin. He’s mentioned him a few times. He’s three years older than Neal, a junior in college, and they have the kind of relationship that involves a lot of teasing and complaining and love.
Pretty standard, for Neal’s relationships. He doesn’t know how to love people without teasing and grumbling.
“Kel, this is my cousin, Domitan Masbolle. Dom, this is Kel. I’m sorry you’re going to have to put up with him for the entire break. I tried to convince them to leave him at home.”
“That’s such a funny way of saying you’re thankful to see me,” says Dom.
“It’s almost like I’m not saying it at all. He really wanted to see you play,” Neal adds, to Kel. “He hasn’t shut up about it.”
“Only because you never shut up about it,” Dom shoots back. But his expression softens, the teasing edge going off his smile, turning it warm and golden.
Kel wouldn’t mind if the earth just swallowed her up right this second.
“But, honestly, I’ve been following your career on the school website since you started. Which, now that I say it, seems creepy. Especially since I never cared about Neal’s football performance. But he told me some of what you were up against, and I was curious. It’s an honor to finally meet you.”
“I’ve mostly heard about how you froze Neal’s underwear one summer and he’s never forgiven you,” Kel manages. Her voice comes out light and teasing, just like she wanted. “So it’s an honor to finally meet you too.”
Dom laughs. “I knew I was going to like you,” he says, and she would have said the same of him, but it feels inadequate and a little awkward, given the stupid fluttering of giddy attraction that’s still dancing in her stomach.
“I’m doomed, aren’t I?” asks Neal, and at least that’s easy.
“Of course you are,” she says. “That isn’t new.”
*
“You’re just doing Thanksgiving with Alanna and George, aren’t you?” Kel asks Beka. “I could come with you.”
“It’s a little late notice,” says Beka. “And I’m not going to enable you to avoid Neal’s hot cousin.”
“Why not? He’s in college across the country. I’m never going to see him again. Why do I need to spend Thanksgiving feeling uncomfortably attracted to him?”
“Because that sounds fun. And you like Neal. And you liked his cousin. You might as well have a nice night of talking to a cute boy. You can see Jon get drunk and cry about Vine literally any time you want.” But she does take pity on Kel and come over to advise her on outfits, which is just a little bit funny. Mostly because neither she nor Beka is really much of a fashion person. But together, they make her look–nice. Kel knows she’s not exactly a beauty, but she cleans up nice enough.
Not, of course, that she’s expecting Dom to–well, it’s Thanksgiving. At Neal’s house. She’s not expecting anything extraordinary to happen. She’s not going to find a love connection here.
But she can at least look her best.
The house is even more crowded than usual, with Dom’s family on top of the local relatives. Coming from a large family herself, Kel always likes coming here, and seeing the scores of people. For Christmas, she’ll go see her siblings, but–Thanksgiving is nice as something a little more private. Even if it’s only private because Neal’s family doesn’t pay her much attention.
Except, now, for Dom, who finds her, brings her a drink, and wants to talk football. He played himself in high school, and he’s frank about his own skill level–below hers, but above Neal’s, which she believes in spite of Neal’s mild protestations–in a way that makes her more inclined toward him. He speaks without much ego, and Kel likes that in a person.
They move on from football to his studies–he’s in pre-law–and her interests–criminal justice as well–and whether or not she’s started looking at colleges herself. When she says she’s thinking she’d like to stay in the area, he smiles.
“It is nice here, isn’t it? I was just thinking this wouldn’t be a bad place for law school. If I could get in anywhere.”
Neal groans theatrically. “You want to come here? But I want to stay here!”
“That’s half the appeal,” says Dom, grinning. “More time with my favorite cousin.”
“Please, no,” says Neal.
“No, I’m liking this better and better,” he says. “What do you think, Kel? I could be back here in a few years, right? You two need someone to buy you alcohol and make sure you don’t die drinking it.”
She’ll definitely have recovered from what his smile does to her insides by the time he’s ready for law school. She’ll be in college. Practically an adult.
And he is fun.
“Absolutely,” she agrees. “Neal could use adult supervision.”
“I wish you two had never met,” Neal grumbles, and Dom grins.
“I can’t say the same,” he says, clapping Kel on the shoulder.
To her relief, she agrees.
It would be nice to see more of him.