N O L A N

Game day. 

I step into the school, letterman jacket slung over my shoulder and Piper at my side. It's the first time she's been back to school in a while, and I can only imagine what she's going through. 

People slap me on the back, cheering me on for tonight's game, and I smile back politely, my mind fixed on something more important: the tiny girl at my side, practically drowning in my old camp t-shirt and some leggings. 

Her hair is still slightly damp from the shower, and the strands are separated into messy curls that I want to delve my fingers into. 

My gaze goes from her to my locker, where Will and Mike stand, shoving each other, rough-housing. 

Mike looks up once he sees me coming, but he quickly diverts his attention to Piper. I have to cool the temperature of my body from overheating. 

"Howard, you're alive!" Will grabs my hand in greeting, and I smile, patting him on the back firmly. 

"Of course, education and all." I joke, my grin wide and coy. 

"Sure, sure, and it wasn't because coach would bury you if you missed the game?"

I smack him on the shoulder and he pretends to wince. 

I look over to Mike, who is talking lowly down at Piper, a blush crossing her cheeks. 

I clench my fists at my sides, breathing deeply. 

"Where've you been? I had to do the scene with Will." He jokes to Piper, and she laughs, looking over at Will and blushing harder. 

"Sorry, I..." She trails off, the smile falling from her face as she scrambles to find an reasonable explanation for her prolonged absence. 

"Her cousin, uh, Alessandra got married." I say, stepping into the conversation. She smiles up at me gratefully, and I wink slightly at her. 

"Damn, that must have been one long wedding. Hopefully they got an even longer honeymoon." Mike winks at Piper and grins slyly at me. I force a smile back. 

"Now that you're finally back-" Mike begins to ask Piper something, when the late bell begins to ring loudly. 

Saved by the fucking bell. 

"Come on, P, I'll walk you to class." Mike puts his arm around Piper's shoulder and before I can say anything, they're walking away. 

I am boiling. 

"Yo, you good?" Will waves a hand in front of my face and I blink quickly, nodding my head out of habit. 

"Yeah. Fine." I lie, and he grabs my arm, turning me to walk to class. 

The sight of my empty jeep in the front parking lot of the school drove concern into my mind. Usually Piper is waiting for me with a hug or a story about how Melissa tried to make her day hell. 

But today, nothing. 

I text her quickly, and open the back seat, grabbing my duffel bag with all my football gear and sling it over my shoulder. 

"Hey, baby." I hear the most annoying voice behind me, and I jump, banging the back of my head against the door frame. 

"Shit. What the hell, Melissa?" I groan, moving back from the car door and slamming it shut, swinging around to face her. 

Or rather, her tits. 

Seriously, does she not have someone to tell her that children's clothes are only appropriate for, you know, children?

She stares up at me, batting her clumped eyes with gusto, but not saying a word. 

"Can I help you?" I say slowly, as if I were talking to a child. 

She grins, her stained lips curling upwards like opening curtains. 

"A little birdie told me that you and Ms. Misunderstood are living together. Isn't incest a crime?" She says, threats dripping from her tone mixed with the stupidity of her words. 

I blink at her a few times, my face expressionless. 

"You do know that Piper and I aren't related right?" I ask. 

"I know." She snaps, flickering her eyes from side to side. "It's a joke, oh my god. You've changed so much, Nolan." 

"What the hell are you talking about?" 

"You used to laugh at jokes, and care about football and yourself but now all you care about is little Ms. Perfect. Seriously, you couldn't be more obvious about how you feel about her." 

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

"Sure, babe. But you better tell Piper about how you feel, because tonight, at the game, she's going to find out. One way or another."

I get up in her face, towering over her smug form. 

"Whatever you're planning to do, you better not. I swear to god Melissa-"

"You'll what? Ruin me? You can't do anything, Nolan Howard. I'm doing you a favor. Mike's already got his eyes on your little crush, and if you haven't learned, what Mike wants, he gets." She threatens, her eyes growing wide and menacing. 

"Why the hell are you doing this?" 

"Because I can." She whispers, and begins to back away from the car. I can see Piper's approaching form behind her, Mike at her side. 

"Think it over, Nolan. Either you tell her, or someone else will." Melissa winks, blows a kiss, and is gone. 

Piper reaches me, and looks at Melissa's retreating form, and then back to me. 

"What's going on?" She asks, her brows furrowing.

I'm in love with you. 

I hate Mike for wanting you. 

I don't want to lose you. 

"She was just begging to get back together." I lie, rolling my eyes. 

"Ugh, I swear, she fits better in porn than in a high school." Piper snaps, and I can't help but chuckle. 

"You're coming to the game tonight, right?" I ask, flicking her ponytail with my finger. 

"Of course, I wouldn't miss a chance to see you get your ass beat." She grins and winks. 

"Hardy Har." I pretend to laugh, and grab her, slinging her over my shoulder. 

She shrieks with giggles and begins to beat my back lightly. 

"Let's go practice, Duchess. It's gonna be a long night." 

"Howard! Get your head out of your ass and get back to practice!" Coach screams at me through his bullhorn, and I shake my head slightly, throwing the ball down the field to Will, who catches the ball with ease. 

"Sorry Coach!" I shout back, receiving another ball from another player, and running it a few yards before passing it down the field once again. 

The field lights have yet to turn on and the sun is beginning to set over the end of the bleachers. The cheerleaders (including Melissa) are practicing in the corner of the field, doing jumps and throwing their pom-poms into the air. 

Piper and the other managers for the team are preparing water bottles near the home bleachers, and I can't get my eyes off of her. For games, the three managers get to choose one player's away jersey to wear, and of course, Piper has mine. It's huge on her, so she's tied it with a rubber hand, but the sleeves still reach her elbows. 

"HOWARD!" Coach blows his whistle so loud that everyone on the field freezes. I look over at him, dazed. 

He's shorter than me, but he does as much as he can to get in my face, growling up at me. 

"If I see you taking your eyes off the field one more time I will bench you for the next three games! Do you understand me, dumbass?" He growls, and I nod, fighting the urge to laugh. 

Coach is so small compared to me that I could touch him with my finger and he'd topple. But he's got such insanity in his eyes, the kind you get from too many football concussions, that I've learned not to mess with him. 

"Yes, sir." I say as seriously as I can and I can hear Piper giggling from behind me. I have to struggle to not look around at her and wink. 

And I have that same struggle for the rest of the pre-game practice. 

P I P E R 

I used to hate football games. 

With a burning passion. 

I felt like Taylor Swift stuck on the bleachers, watching my best friend kiss the cheer captain at half time. 

But after becoming a manager for the team, and being on the sidelines during the game, winking at Nolan in between plays, I felt like I belonged. 

He'd been acting kind of funny lately, but I suppose that's just because he's missed so much practice, or he's not used to not having a girlfriend. 

Who knows? 

The game is about to begin, and Nolan is stretching on the side lines, jogging in place as his team mates smack his helmet to hype him up. 

I feel like I'm in High School Musical, about to watch Troy get his head in the game. Except that was basketball. And Troy was brown-haired. And..never mind. 

 I am preparing one last water bottle when I hear someone clear their throat behind me. 

I spin around and come face to boob with Melissa. 

Oh, geez. 

"Hi, Penelope!" She says, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

"It's Piper-" I begin to correct her.

I can see Nolan's gaze has turned to us and he's now stalking towards us, his helmet off now.

"Whatever. Anyway, I just wanted to congratulate you on your new relationship!" 

"What?" I ask, finishing the water bottle and placing it on the bench. 

"That's enough, Melissa." Nolan interrupts, his eyes deadly serious. 

He pulls Melissa to the side and whispers something in her ear, and her face grows pale, with slight tints of red in her cheeks appearing. 

She runs away, her short cheerleading shirt flapping behind her. 

"What was that?" I ask, and the deep frown is still set stiffly in Nolan's brow. 

"Nothing, don't worry about it, Duchess." He says, hugging me quickly. 

"Howard, get over here!" Coach screams before I can ask him another question. And then he's gone, running on the field, leaving me more confused than ever.