The Easy Part of Impossible - Sarah Tomp Page 0,26

relief, like she’d just this second raised her head above water, she spotted Cotton.

“Ria! I’m so glad to see you!”

She waited for him to explain why. To follow it up with a reason. A question. Something he needed to tell her. But his greeting seemed to be the end of his point. She was glad to see him, too. Except she had plenty of reasons. Maybe it was the way his eyes opened wide to meet hers. And the smile that followed, as if had been trailing behind. Or it could have been the way his crazy whirl of curls went every which way. Mostly it was that he hadn’t simply up and disappeared.

“Do you need help?”

“I’m good,” she said, even though “good” had been left somewhere in the stands before the start of halftime.

“She’s good, Cotton Talley,” said Sean, too loud. The effort of his protest made him lose his balance again. He staggered and fell to his knees. “Shit, Ria. You dropped me.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Cotton asked. “Is he having a medical emergency? I know first aid.”

“I don’t think so,” she said.

“He smells drunk.”

“Yeah.”

“Shhhh!” Sean spit and sputtered. “Come on, Cotton Talley, be cool.”

“Cool,” said Cotton.

Ria looked down on her noodled boyfriend, then up at Cotton, who actually looked like the definition of cool—as in calm and collected. Not impressed or disgusted. Neutral. “Can you help me get him up again? My car is still a ways down the row.”

“Yes.” But then, instead of holding out a hand, Cotton circled Sean, looking at him from every angle, all the while his hand flapped against his thigh. She wasn’t sure if he was studying him or performing some kind of ritual. Either way, Sean was still on the ground, now with his head hanging between his legs. She had to try again.

“Come on, Sean, get up.” She held out her hand. He grabbed it, then pulled, almost dragging her down until she braced her legs. Finally he was on his feet again, but swaying. She slid under his arm, so as to hold him up, but then Cotton stepped in front of them. “We need to walk that way,” she said. “Maybe you could be on his other side.”

Cotton reached for Sean with both arms—for an extremely weird second Ria thought he was going to hug him—but then all of a sudden, Sean was lifted in the air and slung over Cotton’s shoulder. It was the same way he’d carried his duffel. Sean was either groaning or laughing, but at least he was in motion.

And Cotton still managed to bounce when he walked.

At her car, Cotton dumped Sean into the back seat. He promptly lay down, groaned, and closed his eyes. Ria reached around him and buckled the seat belt. She didn’t bother moving the strap off his face, but she grabbed his phone out of his pocket.

“Thanks, Cotton.”

She scanned Sean’s phone for messages with his mom. She obviously thought he was staying at Grover’s and didn’t expect him home until tomorrow. The last text she’d sent said Make good choices!!!!! Maybe she thought the extra exclamation marks would hold him up.

Ria turned to Cotton. The contrast of the field lights left this part of the parking lot in the shadows, with everything coated in a soft and fuzzy glow. “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t shown up.”

“I’m glad to help. It was clear he was in the midst of a gravity storm.”

She laughed.

“Shhhh. Make that noise stop.” Sean groaned in the back seat.

They were both quiet while all around them cars drove out of the parking lot. In the distance, cars honked to each other, loud and insistent, announcing the win.

“How are you getting home, Cotton?”

“Leo. He and my sister Flutie are over there.”

Ria saw him a few rows down, standing near a green minivan with a tall, thin girl.

“How about if I give you a ride? That way you can help me with Sean. I won’t be able to move him without you.”

She waited, knowing he needed time to adjust the plan in his mind. She could tell he was evaluating, making sure the variables were acceptable. Finally, he said, “Yes. If Leo agrees.”

Judging by the way Leo was nuzzled next to Flutie, she was sure they wouldn’t mind if she borrowed Cotton.

Once he’d talked with them, Cotton climbed into the passenger seat. His knees barely fit without hitting the dashboard.

After she parked in her driveway, Cotton carried Sean from the