he had already gotten me the press pass. The teams run out of the field, and I look for Colt’s number. The crowd roars to life as they run out. Thankfully, they have huge screens which make it easier for fans to see what’s going on. The camera pauses on Colt, who looks determined, his mouth is set in a hard line.
Over the speakers, the booming voice of a local artist sings the national anthem, and the camera catches the different players singing along. My hair is annoying me, so I put it into a ponytail, securing it out of the way, so I can get a good view of the field and the screens.
Another family sits near me—mom, dad, a boy, and a girl—all dressed like me except they have their faces painted in the colors of the Warriors—yellow and blue. I smile broadly at them, and they all smile back.
The enthusiasm of the family as they cheer on the Warriors rubs off on me, and I find myself cheering with them. Unfortunately, the other team is ahead by two points. As the game goes on, it looks like the Warriors are going to lose as they can’t seem to best the other team no matter what they do.
There are five minutes left in the game, the Warriors have the ball. Nervous energy is building within the crowd. If they make this pass, they will win the game. My hair is annoying me, so I pull on the rubber band which secures my hair and shake it out.
The family in front of me laugh and point at the big screen, my face is staring back at me as I shake out my hair. It looks kind of like one of those shampoo commercials when the model is trying to appear sexy.
I’m slightly embarrassed.
When the camera goes back to Colt, he looks angry, and then the final whistle blows, ending the game.
COLT
There are five minutes left in the game. I’m waiting for the ball to be passed to me from Jones, the center. If I make this, we will win, so I can’t fuck it up. I hear the plays being yelled out, I look up and see Skye’s face on the big screen as she shakes her hair around her shoulders. Momentarily confused and distracted by her, I miss the pass, it flies right by me, then I’m tackled hitting the ground hard.
What the fuck?
Was that Skye?
I’m still on the ground. I can hear the crowd either cheering or booing. Gray’s helmet-clad face fills my vision as the horn signals the end of the game.
Fuck! I missed the pass! We’ve lost.
Gray moves over me and holds out his hand, pulling me to my feet. I look at the other players, some are staring at me with total disgust and others are avoiding my gaze altogether. I glance at Gray who shakes his head, lightly punches my shoulder, and jogs off the field.
I trail behind my teammates. I’m the last off the field, and my agent, Tom, is there to greet me.
“Shake it off! You’ll do better next time.”
I shake my head, undo the chin strap, and pull my helmet off. I’ve let everyone down, and as we round the corner, it feels like a million lights flash in my face as question after question is fired at me. I look above the crowd and see Skye at the back. She looks worried, nervous, concerned, and I realize she’s the reason I missed the pass.
“Colt! Wasn’t that your latest love interest on the big screen? Are you so in love you missed the ball?” yells out a reporter from CNN.
The crowd laughs, and Tom grabs the mic. “Colt, here, is a dedicated member of the New England Warriors, he has no interest in some would-be fangirl he met in a bar. I can assure you she means little to him, and it did not affect his game on the field. It was just one of those things.”
My head whips to the side, and I glare at Tom. If I could fire lasers out of my eyes, he’d be dead. I look up to where Skye was sitting, and she’s gone.
Tom waves at the media and pushes me toward the locker room and away from prying eyes.
As soon as we get through the doors, I explode, “What the fuck was that?”
“That is what you pay me for. That is keeping you a favorite for the media, fans, and your fucking teammates.