Don't Tell My Brother

Epilogue

"Don't call him a hoe, Mark." Lucas said, only half listening as he waved to Alex and Mona. Alex waved enthusiastically back, nudging Mona, who had earbuds in.

"I don't mind being your hoe." Damien said with a wink, his smile turning wicked as Mark pretended to vomit. "So you're going for my team, right? Lucas, my darling, my angel, most beautiful boy in the whole wor-"

"I'm gonna be sick." And maybe it was the lighting, but Mark was looking a little unwell.

"Good. It's not like it can make you play any worse."

"Lucas, can you tell your-"

Lucas reached up under his glasses to rub his eyes, trying to tune the both of them out. "Don't you guys have to go get changed? And do...football stuff?"

"Football stuff?" Mark said, and he and Damien shared a look. The two of them shook their heads sadly in unison, united in their disappointment.

"I've tried to teach him." Damien said, shrugging. "He just doesn't get it."

Mark nodded. "I've been trying for years. It's, like, hopeless."

Before they could mourn his football illiteracy any longer, Damien's team called him over. Lucas eyed the blue-and-black huddle suspiciously, but Damien looked happy enough as he turned to wave back.

Mark held out his fist for a fist bump. "May the best man win."

Damien nodded, knocking his knuckles against Mark's, but as soon as Mark's back was turned he pointed to himself. 'It's me', he mouthed, and Lucas rolled his eyes, pressing his lips together to suppress the laugh threatening to bubble over.

Alex had apparently been watching them, draped over the short chain link fence, because the firs thing she said upon Lucas' approach was:

"You two are disgustingly cute, you know that?"

Lucas cleared his throat, trying to make himself look as normal as possible as he sat down on the bench beside Mona. She waved, and he waved back.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

You're blushing."

He put a hand tentatively to his cheek. Despite the chill, his skin was hot to the touch. Caught red-handed. Or rather, red-faced. "Sorry?"

"Don't be. I'm so happy for you." Alex wrapped him into a hug. Since he was sitting, they were finally the same height. "But you better not leave me behind. You and Mona."

Lucas opened his mouth to ask, but before he could Alex nodded in Mona's direction. She had her hood pulled up, braids hanging around her face, and although she was bobbing her head slightly to the music, there was something very focused in her expression. Mona zoned out often, but as Lucas followed her eyeline across the field, he realised that this time, she was paying attention to something.

Soon it became clear what, exactly, she was paying attention to. The huddle of cheerleaders had broken up, revealing Christina at its center. Her hair was pulled back into what he was realising must be her usual sleek black ponytail, and she tossed it over her shoulder as she spoke to Mallory. One hand was poised on her hip, and Lucas was surprised to see hard lines of muscle curving around her arms. Whatever she'd just said must've been funny, because Lucas noticed Mallory, the ice queen herself, giggling. 

"Mona's so got a crush on her." Alex whispered, though there was no need. Mona had well and truly tuned them out. "I reckon we go and talk to them after the game. I can set it up, work my magic, all that."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Work your magic?"

Alex stuck her nose in the air. "Yes, Lucas. I'm a professional. Don't forget that without me you never would've found out what tesoro meant."