Free Second Down (Moving the Chains Book 2) by Kata Čuić

                            I can’t drive for another week thanks to my massive concussion, so I busy myself with sorting music while I wait for color guard practice to finish up. Alyssa and Jess agreed to trade off days taking me home. This lack of independence grates on my nerves nearly as much as all the sympathy.                                                                                                                                                                         A soft voice startles me from my pity party . “Hey, Evie? You busy?”
    Alex saunters into the band room, still sweaty from practice.
    I offer him a smile as he approaches. It’s not completely fake. I never in my life imagined that Alex Fossoway would be a welcome person to encroach on my solitude.
    Looking around me at all the stacks of papers, I wonder if Jess forgot about me, because there’s no way football practice let out before guard. “I’m just...doing my thing, Alex. What’s up?”
    “I, uh, wanted to talk to you about something. Is now a good time?”
    “As good a time as any, I guess. Hey, did you happen to notice if the color guard is still practicing out there? Jess is supposed to drive me home today.”
    “Yeah, they’re still twirling out there. I can take you home if you’re ready to go now, though.”  He shrugs as if he offers nobodies like me a ride home every day.
    “That’s alright. I have plenty to catch up on. What’d you wanna talk to me about?”
    He sits on the floor beside me and picks up a sheet of music, scrunching his nose and setting it back down in what I’m starting to see is typical Alex fashion. “You, uh, know Rob’s birthday is tomorrow?”
    Holy shit, it is. With everything that’s been going on, I totally forgot. Not that it’s creepy I know when his birthday is or anything. Ugh, I really need to get over this. “You weren’t kidding about him not handling this well. He looks like absolute shit, Alex. Do you know where he’s going after practice today?”
    He flashes his penetrating blue gaze to me, surprised. “Yeah. You know where he’s going?”
    “Yeah, he told me today before Bio.”
    “Oh, is that why you two were so late? You were talking?” He searches my face intently.
    “Yeah, why?”
    He looks back down to his own lap, fiddling with his hands. Which is unlike him. Even when he’s not acting like a jackass, Alex is nothing if not self-assured. “That’s good. I’m really, uh...glad to hear that.”
    “Alex, I’m worried about him.”
    He shrugs again. “He needs more time, I guess. Don’t worry. You’ve got enough of your own shit to deal with, Evie.”
    I almost laugh. “That’s exactly what Rob said.”
    “Well, he’s not wrong.”
    “Uh, it kind of is wrong. He probably saved my life, and... I hate to see him suffering like this. He looks like death warmed over. Is he even sleeping?”
    “Honestly?” He turns his gaze back to mine. “Not a whole lot.”
    “I don’t know what to do, Alex. I mean, I’m not as close to him as you or Mike. And honestly, he seems really uncomfortable around me now, which I totally get. I can’t believe he missed the game on Friday. I don’t wanna be the reason he blows his shot at an NCAA scholarship. Some people are already starting to blame his current state on me.”  
    Fucking Kerri.
    “Who? You tell me, and I will go kick some ass.”  
    Yeah, I can’t help it. I’m really starting to love Alex.
    “Not important. Anyway, what are we gonna do? It’s been a week, and he looks worse than I do. It’s not right.”
    “I know. That’s why Mike and I really wanna get him out of the house tomorrow for his birthday. Nothing big, ‘cause I honestly don’t think he could handle that yet. Just take him out to dinner or something.