While UW's magical momentum fizzled during the heartbreaking PAC-12 loss, the team, coaches, and even fans regrouped after we returned to Seattle. The team was in fact invited to play in the Fiesta Bowl in Scottsdale Arizona against the Oklahoma Sooners, who'd had a similarly tough loss in the BIG-12 conference. The Fiesta Bowl game slowly picked up momentum over the next week but unfortunately the media focused their attention on me.
Any time Logan and I left the apartment, together or separate, we were bombarded with splashed lights from cameras, microphones shoved in our faces, and questions shouted at us. Because of this, Logan only left my side for his practices, which Coach Peterson closed to the public and press. When he did, Charlie and Monique alternated between who acted as my shadow. Unfortunately, that included escorting me to and from work but both assured me they didn't mind.
My credit card bill from all my flights also reminded me where most of my extra work money went. Thankfully most of my tickets were 'Wanna Get Away?' Southwest specials, but I was glad this was my last football traveling trip for the season. Financially, Logan held up his promise and his Husky card covered all our food expenses, which opened up more funds for my airline tickets, and I happily attended every one of Logan's games... until the PAC-12 one.
After Ryder's parents confronted me at the PAC-12 game, I was more than appreciative at how my friends never left my side. Charlie and Monique even with the fact my life had now become a fishbowl with national-level of interest.
A much more welcomed distraction was the news that Darrius received his NFL combine invitation for February, a workout opportunity for top college players to show off their skills in front of NFL staff and scouts. While the entire team was elated for Darrius, the letter was a bitter reminder that the Fiesta Bowl was his last game as a UW Husky.
While I had no comparison of physical exertion level compared to the guys on the team, by the time Monique and I sat down in Sun Devil Stadium in Scottsdale, Arizona, I was tired. My joints and limbs ahced from the plane ride, where I'd happily tired my brain and lost myself in A Separate Peace by John Knowles. The mental distraction my thoughts happily fell into the problems of someone else reminded me I never had enough time or brain space for my favorite hobby in college.
"Ellie!" Mom's voice rushed over the empty seats behind me and Monique, who sat with me until my family joined up and she retreated to a few sections over with her and Darrius' crew. I turned around, gave Mom a wave, then smiled at the small, familiar group who stepped down behind her.
"I can stay here if you'd like." Monique's dark brown eyes flashed at me then looked over at her designated seat. "Really, truly, don't mind sitting here if you need me."
"I'm good," I assured her and pointed over to her game-rowdy future relatives. "Go bond over... I have no idea what. But thanks for traveling with me."
"Please, girl," she chided me with a shake of her head. "You say that like I wasn't flying down here myself."
"Still appreciated." I threw her a smile, hugged her tightly, then blinked back a few tears. "See you back in Seattle."
"Ellie," Jake greeted me with a lopsided grin and tight hug. I took in a brief breath of his warmth and familiar musky cologne that I'd always thought was overkill but now appreciated the familiarity.
Once Jake released me, I wrapped my arms around Harper, who relayed, "Dad's sorry but sent me instead. Not sure if that's an upgrade or consolation prize."
"Still appreciated," I assured her, pulled back, and caught a gleam in Jake's eyes as they dragged over her appearance.
At least they didn't kill each other coming from the airport to the stadium.
I couldn't have gotten Jake to wear Huskies' colors if I'd paid him but he'd dressed down in a light gray T-shirt and black jeans. Harper however, wore a tight dark purple tank top, white jean jacket, and ripped black jeans that clung so tightly to her legs, I wasn't sure if she breathed while she sat down. Her blonde hair hung straightened to the bottom of her shoulders, except for where the sunglasses perched on the top of her head tucked a few strands behind her head.
"Hey," Jake spoke to Harper in a cold, almost bored voice.
"Dickhead," she tossed over her shoulder.
For them, guess that's progress.
"Ellie! Hi sweetie!!" Grace's bright voice called out over the entire section at me.
I turned at the sound and smiled as I saw Grace and Brody sidestepped in our row. They wore their usual white Huskies' jerseys and tight smiles and actually had a plus-one with them.
"You're alright," Grace rasped out as she hugged me tightly.
"I'm alright," I assured her through my strained voice, since my throat was lodged between her neck and shoulders. "H-hey Brody."
"Ellie..." He nodded at me and offered a slight grin.
As usual, Brody's cheeks flushed pink but he turned slightly sideways and gestured to a short, cute girl with the longest, brightest bubblegum pink hair I'd ever seen, pale skin, and breathtakingly beautiful aquamarine eyes outlined in black eyeliner. She was dressed head to toe in baggy black clothes, from her hooded sweatshirt to a pair of jeans that hung off her thin frame.
"Everyone, this is... Paige," Brody introduced her, then turned slightly behind him. "Paige, this is Ellie, my brother's girlfriend, her brother Jake, and their Mom. And that's... uhh, Harper."
"Hi." I rolled my lips under at the huge smile that wanted to crack my face in half as I shook her small, soft hand.
"Hey," she breathed out in a cool, calm voice but her eyes shone while they gazed around us. "This is... wow. Beats Scotts Valley's stands for sure. Thanks for bringing me."
"So you're a -" I started to say 'senior like Brody' when she jumped right in with a nervous laugh.
"Friend," she rushed out. "Brody and I are friends. My family was out of town this weekend, so Grace offered to let me come. This is crazy sick."
"Well, I know how much you mean to Brody," Grace started with a smile but Brody shot her a narrow-eyed glare that, as usual, she ignored. "And I adore your company, so no more thanking me Paige."
Since poor Paige's cheeks now matched the color of her hair and her head tipped slightly down, I offered what I hoped was a polite smile.
"Paige is a baker, Ellie," Brody spoke up and elbowed her. "She's been helping me in Home Ec class."
"Otherwise he'd burn the kitchen down like Grace," she offered with a toothy smile that I found instantly contagious.
I like this one.
"Har har, always the comedians you two," Grace huffed and looked around us. "Gianna, Jake, Harper good to see you. Seating arrangement?"
In some shuffled seating, I sat between Harper and Jake, then Mom and Grace, while Brody and Paige took the last two seats to themselves. I bit back a giggle at the soft, near adoring look he gave her while she tipped her head back and laughed heartily at whatever he'd said.
Friends, right.
Harper must've shared a similar thought because she leaned backwards in her seat and called over to Brody, "Hey Dimples! Let's see a best friend challenge."
"Harper -" I whispered harshly, cupped my palm around the back of her head, and redirected her upright. "Ignore her Brody."
"What is that?" Paige's blue-green eyes widened, then stretched even wider when Brody spoke into her ear. Both of their faces were nearly purple by the time he finished explaining that Harper meant the two should kiss to see if best friends made the best relationships.
I guess that's true? Logan's probably moved up into my best friend status, at least there's no one else I'd rather -
"Puppy love," Harper grumbled and rolled her eyes, but I still caught the soft smile that played on her lips. "I think I'm going to be sick."
"Stop, it's sweet." I hushed her with a raised hand until Jake snorted on the other side of me.
"Sickeningly," he grumbled but thankfully my elbow jabbed into his rib was enough that he shut up too.
Unlike Vegas, after the Fiesta Bowl, Logan insisted that we took another red eye flight back after tonight's game. He offered me a ticket on the team's flights but I'd begged him not to discuss why with his coaches because the last thing I wanted was I disrupted the team's chemistry or was a huge distraction.
Plus, really, the last person I want to see is Emmitt.
Fortunately, I hadn't seen Emmitt oncampus, not in class. The Huskies' practices were closed to the public, not that I would've gone anyways. My friends' constant company ensured that Emmitt never approached me. In probably more lenience than he deserved, those of us who knew he'd told Ryder's parents my location in Allegiant Stadium and stalled Logan's exit, only Wes, Logan, and Darrius from the team knew and kept silent.
I can only imagine how uncomfortable that locker room is but they're professional. It's only one game.
If Emmitt had said anything to Wes, Darrius, or Logan, then either they silenced him before he spoke or kept the message to themselves. I wasn't sure what the case was but didn't care.
Logan would tell me anyway if Emmitt approached him.
Who I cared about most jogged out onto the field, his body posture calm and collected as usual in his white home number ten jersey. With his relaxed posture and stance through warmups, I would've never guessed that Logan bore any weight from my distractions or felt any pregame nerves.
Thankfully, the Huskies also blocked all press access from the team after the PAC-12 loss, which included Coach Peterson's weekly press conferences, but the team took the field with grit and determination for a different outcome, against an opponent they rarely played.
Also unlike Vegas, UW won the coin toss. Our seats were in the center section behind the Huskies' bench, surrounded by a sea of gray-haired alumni who clapped as the Sooners kicked off and UW returned it for a decent twelve-yard gain.
Like the PAC-12 game, Logan came out on an offensive mission and tossed like his arm was a cannon. He was focused, fast-paced but not rushed, and drove the Sooner back yard by yard, play by play, until they easily took a 7-0 lead within two minutes of their first possession.
"Impressive," Jake actually muttered, which earned him a reach over Mom's lap and knee pat from my right hand.
Jake was right, the Huskies scored early, often, and never relented. The Sooners were a good, big-muscled matchup but their defense faltered towards the end of the first quarter. On each stumbled step, Logan capitalized in what became an offensive clinic. He rushed for a few big yardage gains, tore up the field with his passing game, and exercised a sense of urgent patience the entire game. He was relaxed in the pocket, spread out the offense over the entire field, and his players ran over the Sooners' defense like a practice team.
We all stood up for our halftime stretch when the teams left with a 27-14 lead for the Huskies. After us girls went for a group bathroom break, I returned to our section and stopped mid-step down the aisle when I saw a blonde in a navy blue suit sat in my seat next to Jake. Her head tilted backwards and, worst of all, she perched a microphone near his mouth and had a cameraman over her shoulder.
What the hell is Rachel Sorenson doing here?
"The fuck, Ellie?" Harper smacked hard into my back and I clutched the railing so I avoided falling on my face down the stairs. Her eyes lowered down to our seats then flickered with confusion. "Is that the ESPN bitch? Please let me at her shitty blonde extensions this time."
"No." I extended my arm in front of Harper's chest and blocked her descent. "Not with the camera."
"So we do nothing and watch while..." Her voice dissolved as her eyes flooded with irritation. I followed her gaze and saw Jake leaned over, cupped his hand behind Rachel's neck, and whispered something into her ear. My stomach nearly heaved when she nodded and smiled like she'd just won the lottery.
Annoyance flared inside me the longer I watched Jake with Rachel. We hadn't mentioned her contributions towards the Stevens' smear campaign against me, nor had Rachel offered any help in my side's defense that wasn't a sound bite opportunity for herself, so the idea Jake assisted her in any shape or form left a bitter taste in my mouth.
"Now I'm really going to be sick," Harper grumbled and brushed roughly past me.
Thankfully for her own health's sake, Rachel stood up before Harper approached, shook Jake's hand, and held it just a bit longer than a casual halftime interview. Her eyes widened at Harper, who promptly pointed to the section's exit and exclaimed, "Make like Jake's left hand, you cheap excuse for a reporter, and beat it!"
I rolled my eyes when Jake crossed his arms over his chest and the corners of his mouth curled up into a smirk. Right when Rachel waved goodbye to Jake, Harper intercepted with one middle finger raised right up in his face and her other hand raised back like she wanted to slap him.
"Jake!" Once I stepped between Jake and Harper, I shoved my palms hard into his chest. As expected, he barely moved. "Did you not see what that seacow reported about me?"
"She's just doing her job, Ellie." He rolled his eyes, but once we sat back down and I crossed my arms over my chest, he added in my ear, "All I did was mention the upcoming Rose Bowl game, praise your boyfriend's team tonight, and offer my support. On the rest, I told her to take her backstabbing methods and shove them up her ass, but don't tell Harper this because I'm enjoying her reactions."
While I appreciated Jake's stance on Rachel, my hand palmed my forehead and I groaned quietly at his... maddening methods with regards to Harper.
Ugh, they're going backwards.
"You stay over there..." I waved at Jake's seat, then pointed to the end of our six seats because Harper now wore what looked like a permanent scowl. "And Harper, you go sit with Brody and Paige..."
My voice faded at the frantic 'No' hand gestures Brody flashed me, so I groaned and sank down into my seat. "On better thought, just sit back in your seats and pretend each other doesn't exist for the next thirty minutes of game time, okay?"
"Fine," Harper dropped herself next to me with a grunt.
"Fine," Jake parroted the childish response and sat down.
Thankfully, the second half of the game picked up right where it left off. Oklahoma put together some impressive scoring drives but Logan played like a quarterback possessed and matched every touchdown for touchdown.
For the next ninety minutes, or thirty minutes of game clock with more television commercial interruptions than I imagined possible, I happily lost myself within the game. My problems, my stresses, the disruptions that made my quiet, introverted two years at UW feel like a lifetime ago, dissolved away. All that mattered was the rush of the Husky fans' excitement, how I sat perched on the edge of my seat during the offensive and defensive plays, and jumped up in sheer elation for Logan and the rest of the team.
Redemption was sweet and, with it, endorphins and adrenaline surged through me when the game clock ticked to zero with a 48-28 Huskies' win in the books. This time, the white and purple jerseys threw their arms up in the air, jumped onto each other in a celebration pile with Logan at the center, purple and gold confetti rained down, the Husky Band played its celebration song, and our traveling fans cheered until we were breathless and probably hoarse.
After I jumped up and down, I hugged everyone - Jake, Harper, Grace, Brody, Paige, even a few strangers who sat in front of and behind us.
"They did it!" Grace squealed loudly in my ears while her arms crushed my shoulders.
Tears beaded up in my eyes at how proud of Logan I was and how ecstatic I was for him. Any time I looked down on the field, helmet discarded, his eyes shone with relief, excitement, satisfaction, and redemption.
He deserves it.
All of Logan's hard work, the risk he took with a team transfer and initial backup role, the way he took the offensive by force and never looked back replayed in my mind and pushed my tears over the brims of my eyes. I blinked until my lashes clumped together but at the happiness that radiated inside me for Logan, I let my tears flow freely.
"Logan... Congratulations." An announcer shoved a microphone in his face while Darrius and another lineman not-at-all-inconspicuously made their way over to the Gatorade container. "Tell us how you're feeling."
"Un-fuc-freaking believable," he rasped out and wiped his forehead with the side of his fingers. On the stadium video screens, an adorable, boyish grin spread across his face and his eyes beamed brightly. "Big, big thanks to everyone who never gave up, who supported us through every high and low, this win is for them. We'd - ahh!"
A laugh erupted from the Husky fans and players as Logan was drenched in orange Gatorade. He ran his hands through his hair and shook his head but the wide grin stayed on his face. The next minutes passed with a sense of slow motion but passed too quickly, through a few more coach's speeches and presentation of the awards, then the Fiesta Bowl trophy.
With four touchdown passes, two rushed touchdowns, and 349 offensive yards, Logan was a no-brainer for the game's offensive MVP. His voice cracked and broke a few times during his acceptance speech and his eyes were glued straight on our section, which earned him a few slaps on his back and shoulders.
After the last piece of confetti settled onto the turf, the Huskies posed for a team picture at the center of the field, then bounded into the locker room. Since at this point most of the Sooners' fans had cleared out, the Huskies' fans either left or lingered in their seats with a wistful gaze in their eyes around the stadium like they savored the moment.
"Special game." The older man in front of us turned around and winked at me. "Can't wait to see what he does next season."
A smile stretched wide across my lips at his words and the kindness he wrapped around each one. Right as a thank you passed my lips, he nodded and escorted his wife out the section.
Neither can I.
_____________________________
Q: Can you put in a picture of Paige?
A: Sure.. I'm not set on Brody's either but..
Or... you'll have to let me know which looks more like your mental image of Brody!