In Your Dreams (In Your Dreams #1)

Chapter 5

"Thanks," I say.

Mom smiles at him and elbows me in the ribs. "Well, Zip's grandparents are probably wondering where I am," she says. "You know, when they walked out to the cafeteria, I said I'd be right behind them."

On her obnoxious emphasis of the word cafeteria, I draw in a breath. "So, there's this...thing. Sort of a party, I guess. The Booster Club's got food and stuff set up for the team, and we can bring people with us if you wanted to hang out for a while."

Kayla opens her mouth but doesn't get a syllable out before Kieran answers for them both. "Sounds great. Thanks."

"Awesome," Mom chimes in. "Well, Zip's got to get cleaned up, so why don't you two come with me?"

Kieran gives Mom one of his crooked grins while Kayla bites her lower lip, and I suspect she'd rather be forced to cut her own leg out of a bear trap than have to spend five minutes with my family.

"See you in a few," I say, turning to jog off to the locker room while Mom steers Kieran and Kayla out the main gym doors towards the cafeteria.

After a brief team meeting to deconstruct the game, I hit the showers. Knowing my family would probably insist on staying for the Booster Club party, I brought jeans and a sweater to change into instead of sweats, although now that Kieran and Kayla are coming, too, I sort of wish I'd packed something a little more glam than an old black cable knit, remembering the pretty royal blue belted cardigan Kayla chose to wear tonight. I get dressed and tuck my damp hair back behind my ears with a black cotton headband before stuffing my sweaty uniform and warm-ups into my gym bag, grabbing my coat, and rushing down the hall to the cafeteria where the party is already in full swing.

Bad pop music blares over the PA system, and the Boosters have strung the white cinder block walls with blue and yellow streamers and balloons, a "Congratulations Lady Titans" banner hanging over the area where students usually stand in line to buy food. About half of the tables that would be occupied by gossiping kids during the week now hold players, families, boyfriends, and, in some cases, random friends who happened to be invited, like Kieran and Kayla. I find my family sitting toward the front of the cafeteria at a table already littered with half eaten food and empty drink cups. Mom and Gram have cornered Kieran, while Gramps finds himself completely mismatched with Kayla, given that he's Mr. Personality and she's apparently trying to see how little she can say to people and get away with it.

"So, given much though to college, Kayla?" Gramps asks as I slide into the seat next to him.

"Some."

"Well, I know you just moved to the area, but you should take a look at Sumner. Great town, good school, strong liberal arts curriculum. I don't know what you're interested in majoring in but-"

"Give the girl a break, Dad," Mom interrupts, rolling her eyes for Kayla's benefit. "Sorry, Kayla. He's retired from the art department, so he likes to talk the place up. I'm sure you're learning everything you need to know about Sumner from your dad."

Kayla shifts her stare to the table, clearly uncomfortable, which I don't get considering she's gorgeous enough that she's probably been the center of attention for most of her life. Tonight, her sweater magnifies the blue in her eyes and makes her black hair seem even darker than usual, but her thin lips hold a tight smile that I've come to recognize as the smile of endurance, the smile of "I'm only putting up with this stupid crap because I have to."

"Zip tells me you're an athlete," Gramps tries.

"Track."

"Running or field events?"