Free The Romeo Club by Rebekah L. Purdy

problem being the “dorky guys.” For the first time, I wondered if maybe they should be giving me lessons in how not be shallow, or better yet, how to embrace showing off my inner nerd. As if sensing my gaze, Trey looked up and waved. I smiled and waved back.
    “Del, tell Bart about the goal you made against Oakley last week.” Rex tapped my arm. “My girl has mad skills on the field.”
    “And in the room?” Bart winked.
    “Don’t be a perv.” Rex kicked him under the table.
    My face burned. What the heck did Bart mean by that? With a sigh, I pretended to ignore the comment and went on to tell him about my penalty shot.
     
    ***
     
    The bus bumped along the road, jarring my knee against the metal side of the vehicle. Kenadi sank down next to me, propping her legs on the seat in front of ours. We had an away game in Cedar today, which lucky for us was only a twenty-five minute ride. Any longer with this bus driver at the wheel and someone would have to peel us off the ceiling. I swear she hit every pothole, curb, and pile of road kill on the street.
    “Hey, Ken, do you think it’s weird that the only things Rex and I talk about or do together are sports related?”
    She wrinkled her nose. “Uh—yeah.”
    I groaned. “What do you and Mikah talk about?”
    “School, sports, TV shows, music, movies, pretty much everything. He even plans crazy dates for us.” She laughed. “Remember when he took me to that wax museum last month?” Kenadi took out her earrings and slid them into her soccer bag then shifted her gaze to me. “Uh-oh, is there trouble in paradise?”
    I squirmed under her scrutiny. “No. Rex and I are great.”
    Then why didn’t things feel great? The airbrakes hissed as the big yellow banana came to a stop. I tugged my headband on, then reached down to retrieve my gear from the floor. We filed off the bus and followed Coach to the locker rooms, where we changed into our uniforms. I put on my shin-guards then pulled my purple socks over them. When I finished, I shoved my feet into my purple and gold cleats and tied them up.
    “Denson, let’s see some more goals this week,” Hillary Marker hollered.
    The other girls whooped.
    When everyone was dressed, we lined up and headed onto the field. A warm breeze tugged at my ponytail. The crowd clapped as we came into the stadium. I loved the sight of the field, the feel of the turf beneath my shoes. Fans cheering us on. My pulse quickened. Nothing else mattered while I was out here. It was just me. The defenders. And the ball.
    “Hey, Del,” Drake hollered from beside the fence, near the bleachers. Trey and Chloe stood beside him, wearing Greenville’s purple and gold colors.
    I jogged over, hoping Coach didn’t yell at me.
    “You guys made it.” I smiled.
    “We wouldn’t miss a chance to see you lay some girl out on the field.” Trey chuckled.
    “I told you, after my last game, it was an accident. The girl stepped in front of me at the last second. I couldn’t stop.”
    “Yeah, right.”
    Drake’s fingers laced through Chloe’s and she grinned up at him then turned her attention to me. “Good luck today. I hope you score some goals.”
    “Don’t worry, she will. My sister’s a machine out there.”
    “Listen, I better go before Rafferty has a kitten.” With a final wave, I joined Kenadi.
    “I see Trey came to watch you play.” Her mouth turned up at the corners.
    “I know that look. Before you say anything, I’m going to point out that he always comes to my games,” I said as we ran to the nearest goal and began warm-ups.
    “Yeah, he does. Hmmm … wonder why that is?”
    “Because we’re friends.”
    “Or, he has a thing for you.”
    She was wrong. I mean, Trey always tagged along with my brother. He came to my games to hang out with Drake, nothing more. Right?
    Coach had us do a few drills and stretches before the refs blew their whistles and made us form a line to check our cleats and shin-guards.
    “Let’s have a