Watercolor Road ✔

Chapter 18: Championships

Julia didn't seem much of Will the next week. When they weren't in class, Will was preparing for the soccer game that Saturday. He looked more stressed than usual, so Julia didn't bother him; she just dropped words of encouragement whenever she had an opportunity.

With everyone having gotten their college news back, the entire senior class was full of excitement. Most people seemed to be staying in-state, but everyone appeared eager to leave Redwater.

"I don't know where in Texas I'll end up," Megan said at lunch one day. "But as long as there are more than half a dozen restaurants, I'm down."

"Yeah, and a decent mall," Jack teased.

"Okay, maybe that too," Megan said as Julia laughed.

"I'm just glad we have a bit of time to make the decision," Jack said. "It's a lot to think about."

Julia nodded. "I feel you on that."

Julia had thought that once she got all of her results, she would instinctively know where to go. But in truth, she really had no idea. And she had no idea what would make the decision easier.

After her last class on Friday, instead of going to Tina's with Will like usual, he had one final, extended practice with his team. Even the members who didn't have an off period got the afternoon off. Julia volunteered to help the student government kids decorate the main entrance hall with streamers in their school colors (red, black, and white) and hang a giant banner wishing the team luck. It was a secret from most of the school, Julia only found out about it when a girl in her government class asked her for decoration help, but the rest of the school only figured out what was going on when they came out from their last classes and most people stuck around the cheer on the team when they came out of practice.

As a few members came in and down the main hall, cheers and claps erupted. Julia, Megan, and Jack stood together, looking around for Will. Julia had even let a girl from student government put red and black tassels in her hair, but really only because she knew it would make Will laugh.

"Ooh, there's your boyfriend," Megan said having spotted Will.

"He's not my boyfriend," Julia replied automatically for the umpteenth time.

But Megan just snickered and dragged Jack away as Will approached.

Julia had been right. The moment Will saw her he let out a snort of laughter. "Wow, you're very dedicated," he said, flicking one of her tassels.

"Oh, shut up," Julia said. "I can go and root for the other team if you prefer."

Will gave her a hug. "Well, then we'd definitely lose," he said. He let go and looked around. "This is really great of you guys."

"You're going to be awesome tomorrow, I know it," Julia told him.

Will smiled down at her. "I'll see you there?"

"I wouldn't miss it."

The game was held at a large high school about half an hour away from Redwater, so on Saturday, Megan and Jack piled into Julia's car and they headed out of town.

Both schools arrived in full force, with one side of the stands a mass of black and red; the other, green and white. Most people arrived an hour or two earlier, so there was more than enough time to get food and hype each other up for the game. And while very few people arrived with face paint, by the time the game started about 90% of the school wore it. Julia herself had red and white sparkly lines drawn around her eyes.