Song for the start of the chapter!

The ride to the stadium the next day was quiet as I mulled over what mom said the other day. She had a point about me not knowing for sure if Everett caused Dad stress. There was only one way to find out.

"What stresses you?" I asked Dad as he drove to practice.

He lifted his finger in the air as he raised his eyebrows. "Oh, that's an easy one. When I'm hungry, or when the cap on the toothpaste is lost, or when you don't hang your coat on a hanger, or..."

I laughed as I shook my head. I had to stop him there or he would keep going. "As useful as this information is, I wanted to know about work. What stresses you about that?"

He frowned as he stroked his mustache. "When the team isn't a team."

During the first practice, he talked about teamwork and why it was so important. But over the fall camp, I have seen that our team wasn't a team. They were cliquish and they bullied each other. They were not unified. "Our team has issues. Why is that happening?"

He gave a long sigh. "Oh that's a long story but it involved kicking a player off the team at the end of last year."

This had to be what Melissa was talking about. This was the information I was missing. I caught myself holding my breath, wanting to know more. "What was his name?"

He shook his head. "I don't want to jinx anything, so I better not say."

So close to answers but yet so far. I wanted more but decided not to push it. The thing was, I would find out what I needed to with or without his help. A simple Google search would solve so many questions. "Fine. Why did he get kicked off?"

"Oh, because some rules were broken, and trust shattered so on and so forth. We're still dealing with the fallout, and I think that is why the team is having problems."

"And one person caused all this damage?" I asked in disbelief. I was so quick to blame Everett, but it appears I could have been wrong. Was he just part of the burning wreckage of the bomb that happened last year?

Dad turned into the parking lot of the athletic center. "One person is capable of more than you know," he said, his tone turning serious.

I couldn't help myself. I needed more information. "Is there any team member that stresses you currently?"

He laughed as he got out of the car. "This sounds like an interrogation, Nora."

I merely shrugged. "Figured if I know about the players, I can better help you."

"That's real sweet Nojo." He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "The short answer? All of them caused stress at different times."

The vague response caused me to frown. It wasn't what I was expecting or wanting, and it made me feel as empty as a house after a Christmas party. Even if Everett wasn't the entire issue, he was still part of the problem. Dad worked too hard to have one kid mess it all up. I couldn't prevent what happened last year, but I could at least stop any player from making a major mistake this year.

"But great talk, Nora. I'm happy you're going headfirst into this stuff like a diver into a sea." He placed his hand on my shoulder and gave me a squeeze. "It makes me prouder than I could even say. Anyhow, enough talk, let's get this day started. It's supposed to be hotter than the south today so I'm calling this fall camp day inside. I think we all need some A/C in our lives."

I followed Dad into the center as the sun rose above us, already beating down with strength. With fall camp almost over, I wondered what was on our plate for afterwards. Was there more training? Was there a break? I didn't even know when the first game was. Just when I started to get my footing, I was thrown back into the deep end. For a moment, I felt like I was drowning.

"You know what my favorite thing about Fridays are?"

"What? The chocolate chip cookies from the cafeteria?"

He stopped. "No, but that makes it better. My favorite thing about Fridays are the team building games. And guess what? You're playing."

I nearly crashed into him. He was joking. This had to be a joke. There was no way I would consider myself athletic. Those players would judge me. I didn't belong on the team games. My hands started to sweat.

"Do you think that is a good idea?"

"Why not? You want to know the players, don't you? That's the best way."

I swallowed the lump of fear in my throat. I should have kept my mouth shut. Stay quiet and look pretty. That was one way to stay on the sidelines. Maybe I should have done that.

"Cheer up champ, you'll be great," Dad said then walked into the locker room where the players were waiting for him.

I followed behind him, hoping the players were all fully clothed. Walking into the locker room unannounced was always mixed bag. That was why I made sure decent. To my luck they were. I've seen enough butts this season. Shelly's flat butt still haunts my memories... I shutter.

"Ok, we are doing a different team building game today. Break up into teams of four and I'll provide instructions afterwards."

The team quickly talked to one another as they sorted out their teams.

My eyes scan the crowed, looking for Everett with no luck. His lone three friends were here talking with each other, but Everett was nowhere to be seen. This wasn't the first time I hadn't seen him at practice. But it still shocked me because Dad had said that fall camp was the most important camp of them all so why was he not here some of the days?

"Go to the team that has the least number of players," Dad said to me.

"I never did have a choice then, did I?"

He smiled as he threw a finger gun my way before turning back to the team. "Who has only three on their team?"

Rick, Shelly, and Mike raised their hands.

I made eye contact with them as I wiped my damp hands on my pants. Yes, I had seen all three of their butts at one point or another. I didn't want to dive into any more details.

"Great, you have Nora on your team now."

At least they weren't the worst players to be with. Silently, I walked over to Rick's team feeling all eyes on me. Whispers filled the room, making the hair on my neck stand on edge. They were all probably glad that I wasn't on their team. But Rick gave a friendly smile, making me feel wanted.

"Fu...." Shelly stopped himself before owing Dad another dollar. "Cool! Nora's our secret weapon!"

"Maybe," Dad said with a smile. "Only time will tell. Only teamwork will get you through this. All the assistant coaches left items around the stadium. To win, you all need to work together. That's the only way to get through the puzzle."

A few of the team members protested, but Dad took no interest in their complaints as he handed one person from each team a paper. "Read over the information and figure out where the missing items are. You have one hour."

Rick handed me the paper like it would burn him if he held it any longer. "You can take the lead on this since your coach's daughter."

My eyes skimmed the paper with a frown. "I hope you know I had no idea I would be participating until this morning. You think I'm the secret weapon, but I'm really not."

He furrowed his eyebrows, making a crease in the middle of his forehead. "Well, in that case, it says we have to pick one teammate to grab the locker room keys and tell coach Olly one dream of ours."

"I can do it," Shelly pipped in.

"Then go, we can't waste any time. I want to win this time."

As Shelly sped off, Rick turned to face me as a smile traced his lips.

He was always friendly towards me, but he had never said much. Honestly, most players didn't say much to me. But with me on Rick's team, he had time to talk. "So you go to school here?"

I nodded. "I'm a sophomore, and how about you?"

"Senior. What's your major?"

"International Business."

"Rick, this isn't social hour. Shelly's going to be back at any time," Mike complained.

Rick glared at Mike and instantly he shut his mouth. "We might have a few classes together since I'm doing business."

I don't think I ever remembered seeing Rick in a past course, but maybe this year would be different.

Shelly returned with a frown on his face and empty hands. "I couldn't find him," he muttered.

"What do you mean, you couldn't find him?" Rick asked, raising his voice, changing his mood almost instantly.

________________

As the game ended, it was obvious no team would win. I wasn't sure if it was because the clues were too hard or if we all were terrible at problem solving. I wouldn't lie, I was disappointed. I wanted to win.

With a dissatisfied sigh, Dad looked at the groups of people in front of him. He stopped the buzzing timer and stuffed it into his pocket. "And an hour is up. It's a shame. No team got the prize." He stroked his mustache in thought. "Well, there's always next time. Why don't you all go out for a run to cool down and we can call it quits for the day."

"Better luck next time," Shelly said as he passed me to get on the field.

I nodded, although I wished I had something more to say.

As the room cleared, Dad came up to me, shaking his head. I wasn't sure if he was bummed no one won or if he was just disappointed in himself. But he had to know that whatever issues this team was going through wasn't his fault.

"So how did you like being part of the team for the games."

Once again, it wasn't as terrible as I originally thought. Being part of the team helped form a connection with the players. I now knew Rick, Shelly, and Mike better. And that probably was great if I wanted to improve the team relations. "I liked it. I'm just bummed we didn't solve it."

"I'll tell you a secret. We played the same game last year and one team was able to solve the puzzle in 30 minutes," he said as he handed me a paper with all the locations of the items hidden. "Can you get them and stick them in my office? After that, could you pick up some papers for me? The assistant coaches left them in the locker rooms, and you can stick them on my desk."

I nodded. "Sure." With that, I walked off to find the items, then accomplish the other task he wanted me to do.

_____________

As I walked back with the items in my hands Tad ran up to me with a smile on his face. "Hey girl."

I smiled at him. "Hey! What's up?"

"Any plans tonight?"

I thought about my fabulous date with my couch and my laptop and shrugged. "Nothing much."

"Want to go to a party?"

I walked around the scarlet and gray themed locker room and picked up a piece of trash, tossing it in the nearest bin. "I don't know." I had never been to a college party before but honestly from what Vera told me, they didn't sound fun.

"Aw come on Nora, the whole team is going," Rick spoke up as he walked into the locker room.

I shook my head. "Nah, I'll pass this time."

"Oh please Nora, come," Shelly begged as he followed behind Rick.

Having them beg made me feel like I was important to them. I liked that feeling. "Maybe next time, though."

The two of them frowned in silence, then went off to deal with something else.

My eyes laid hold of the notes waiting for me on a chair and picked them up.

"Just think about the party," Tad said before he walked into the showers.

I nodded as I left to get to Dad's office. Although I was pretty sure I wouldn't go.

With my head held high and a stack of papers in my hands, I walked into Dad's office to be greeted almost instantly by Dad.

"Hey Nojo! Let me introduce you to Melissa," Dad said.

I quickly shook her hand before placing the stack of papers on Dad's desk. "Based on contrary beliefs, I'm Nora, not Nojo."

Her stiff smile made the encounter feel forced and unwelcomed. "So, it's not Nojo?"

I smiled. "Dad has a collection of nicknames for me. Nojo being at the top of the list."

"It's nice to meet you, Nora."

"Pleasure meeting you too, Melissa."

Melissa turned to Dad and said, "Paul, listen to what I'm telling you. I'll be back tomorrow to discuss further." With that, she left the room.

I waited a few moments before I couldn't hold my curiosity any longer. "What did she tell you?" I blurted out.

He shrugged as he knit his eyebrows together then rolled his shoulders back. "You know, I have a lot on my plate. Can we talk about this later? I have to deal with these papers right now."

I nodded, although I wanted to push the answers out of him. "How about I get snacks?"

He looked up from his papers. "That would be fantastic. Thank you, Nora."

I smiled at him, then left without another word to get some snacks from the cafeteria.

As I approached the counter with the snacks perfectly laid out, Everett was leaning against the wall beside them, with a cup in his hands.

He made eye contact with me and nodded a simple greeting, then went back to sipping his drink casually, as if I had seen him earlier that day.

I chose not to acknowledge him as I selected the snacks Dad would like.

"So are you going to the party tonight?" Everett asked.

If he was going, that would be a solid no. "Probably not," I stated.

"What would make you go? An invitation from me?" He smirked as he ran his hands through his styled short hair.

I rolled my eyes in frustration. It was like the conversation we had a few days ago in the park didn't exist. He was still trying to talk to me like we were friends, or at least like he was trying to win me over. But he didn't know me. He didn't know how stubborn I could be.

"So what do you say? Would an invitation from me change your mind?" he asked again.

Like that would seal the deal. He would never win me over. He was a bully. It was his fault that Dad was stressed. He didn't even bother to come to the games today, so that told me he did want to be a part of the team. "Oh, because that sounds so tempting now," I said with sarcasm then I turned on my heals, ready to leave.

"Wait, Nora, maybe going out might be good."

I stopped and turned my attention to him again. His comment grabbed my attention.

"It might be worth it to see what the players are like off the field. We are more than football and you don't see that. I think you don't know the players for who they really are."

His dark eyes spoke to me. There was truth in them and for a second, his confidence was replaced with sincerity. I chewed on my lip in thought until finally decided that it wouldn't be too bad. Maybe he had a point. Everett was completely different outside of practice, so the other players might be different too. "Fine."

He smirked which made me scowl. "I'll see you there then?"

Please, I beg you, let's not regret this. "I'll see you there," I said as I walked away, hoping that I made the right choice.

_______________________________

Later that night I ran down the stairs at home then smiled at my parents, who sat in the living room, tending to their own personal forms of relaxation on the Friday night.

"I'm going out with Tad and his girlfriend," I said as I slipped on a pair of white sneakers.

"I didn't know Tad had a girlfriend." Dad frowned as he stroked his mustache.

"Don't take it personally, most people don't know. It's a casual thing," I stated as the doorbell rang.

"Is that what people are saying these days?"

"That's them. I'll be out late, don't wait for me."

"Have fun!" Mom said, turning back to her magazine.

I waved to them before running to open the front door to see Tad, dressed in all black with his black hair slicked back. It was a completely different look than his standard OSU apparel. He looked fashionable, handsome even. Seeing him made me realize, just like everyone else, he had a different life outside of work. "You look good."

He smiled as he stuck his hands in his dark wash jean pockets. "You too. It's nice to see you in things other than khakis and polos."

I pulled on my miniskirt with a chuckle. "I couldn't have said it better myself." With that, I closed the door behind me.

We got into the car and Tad quickly introduced me to Elle, who looked more like a model from NYC than anything else.

Elle was friendly, like most Ohioans were, and made me feel welcome almost instantly. She dove into stories about the two of them. She talked almost a million miles an hour, making it hard to focus until Tad spoke up.

"This party is going to be great," Tad said as he turned left at an intersection. "Too be honest, I didn't think you would actually come."

I didn't think I would come either. But here I was, hoping that it wouldn't be terrible. The only goal tonight was to see how these players interacted with others.

Tad parked on the street close to a house that had a fair amount playing beer pong on a makeshift plyboard table in the front lawn.

An uneasy feeling sat with me, forming a lump in my stomach as I stared at the house. There were so many people. I thought it was just the team coming. Maybe I made a mistake. I tried swallow my fear as I wiped my wet and sticky hands on my skirt then straightened out my blouse. Parties were outside of comfort zone, let alone a football party.

"Nora, come on!" Tad called to me from the sidewalk.

I didn't realize he left me in the car.

With a deep breath, I scurried out of the vehicle the follow him and his girlfriend to a group playing beer pong in the front lawn. Some I recognized, some I didn't.

"Hey, didn't think you would come, Nora," Shelly said with a smile as he threw a ball into a cup. He turned to the other players and said, "See that, she did show up! I told you she would!"

"Ope! Looks like we owe you $10," another player said as he pulled out his wallet from his pocket.

Shelly pointed to each one of them and smirked. "Each."

The players frowned as Shelly turned to me again. "I'm happy to see you here."

That comment eased a little bit of my fears. But if I was the item for the bet, I wondered what else they said about me. It made my hands feel even clammier. I wanted to melt away, but if I wanted to know the players and to do that, I need to feel like a member of the team.

"I thought I would show my face." I smiled at him.

"Glad you did. There're drinks inside. Help yourself." He pointed towards the open front door.

I nodded as I walked into the house with Tad and Elle. I tried not to bump shoulders with anyone but it was had wen the room was packed.

"Look how popular you are," Tad grinned. "It took them months to learn my name."

"I'm not popular. I'm just the coach's daughter, it's different."

"Hey, Nora, it's great to see you!" a player named Cody said as he walked down the stairs. He patted my shoulder before turning down the hall.

"Hey Tad, come here. I have something to show you," one girl said as she waved him over.

"Ah, that's the cheer captain." Tad thumbed over towards her. "Want to say hi?"

I'm sure she was nice but there were more important people to get to know at this party and I didn't want to waste any time. Sooner I did my job, sooner I could get out of here. "I'll say hi during the first match."

He nodded. "Safe bet. She's a little much to handle sometimes. But it's never a dull moment with her."

"Tad, I heard that!" she pouted.

"Sorry Keely," he shouted, then turned to me. "I should talk to her. Are you fine on your own?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Hopefully.

"Cool." With that, he left me to talk to Keely.

Slowly, I wandered through the house as I tried to find a place to get a drink, hoping that would make me feel more comfortable.

I wandered into the back living room and saw Everett sitting on the couch as a girl sat on his lap, sipping something from a red plastic cup. She whispered something in his ear, which caused him to chuckle before locking eyes with me. He stared at me for a long second, then finally turned back to the girl and whispered something to her, making her laugh.

I glared at him as my cheeks turned hot. They were laughing at me, I was sure of it.

He shouldn't have so much control over my feelings, but he did, and I hated it. I hated how he made me feel so little. So insecure. So invisible.

"Hey it's Nora!" Rick cheered as he got up from the couch and greeted me. His breath smelt like strong liquor and, as he held me tight, I wanted out of his embrace. "Let me get you something," he said and walked off.

"How are you enjoying the party?" a team member named Kelly asked.

Under the dim lights and musty smells, it was probably the worst place I had been. There was nothing more that I wanted than to leave. "It's good."

He beamed as Rick came back over to me and handed me a cup of some clear liquid.

I smiled at them. "I'm ready to have fun tonight. Who needs a date with a couch and a book anyhow?" I asked as thrusted the cup up in my hand above my head.

The room cheered as I placed the cup on my lips, ready to down whatever was in it. However, Everett thwarted my plans when he got up from his seat and took my drink from my hand.

I scowled at him as the crowd fell silent. My heart started to race as I looked up at him. What was he thinking? "Hey, I was going to drink that."

He shook his head. "No, you weren't," he said as he dumped the contents into a dying potted plant.

No one uttered a word which added to my stress. I bit my lip, fighting back tears that wanted to come. My hands turned sticky once again. I could feel all eyes on us, waiting for the next move. My mouth grew dry as I tried to work out the right words to say. "You aren't the boss of me," I said, although it barely came out as a whisper.

He gave a tired sigh then pulled me to a nearly empty hall.

In the privacy of the dimly lit hall, he frowned as if not wanting me to be here. As if I was an inconvenience. "What are you doing here?"

I blinked tears from my eyes. I didn't know if it was because of sadness or embarrassment. My body shook as I tried to control myself.

"So why are you here?"

My hands clenched into fists. He infuriated me. What kind of question was that? He was the one that invited me. He made it feel like he wanted me here. But it was clear he just wanted to make me look like a fool. "You invited me," I seethed.

He looked around us as a few of his teammates came closer to us to hear our conversation. "Piss off," he shouted to them then turned back to me, meeting my eyes. "I was just being nice; I didn't actually mean for you to come."

His words were harsh. They felt like a slap to the face, making my cheeks turn hot. I bit my tongue for a second and took a step back. It's like he enjoyed making me feel worthless, pathetic, just like he did with everyone else on the team.

I couldn't stop tears from falling as a group formed around us.

"Oh Everett, you made the coach's daughter cry. This is going to send you to the doghouse for sure," one said with a chuckle.

"Do you think I give a shit?" he roared, giving me enough distraction to slip away without making more of a scene.

I weaved around people as fast as I could until I was outside in the fresh, late summer air. I sniffled as I wiped the tears from my cheeks.

I shook my hands to ease the nerves. I was jittery. I couldn't catch my breath. My heart was racing. How did I ever think this would be fun? Of course, he just invited me to pick on me, just like he did with Tad and so many others. I should have known he didn't care about me.

I walked down the sidewalk taking deep breaths. There was no way I could stay here any longer. I had to get out. This party was not for me.

"Hey, Nora, what are you doing?" Tad's voice rang out.

I turned to face Tad and noticed a hickey on the side of his neck. We were here for a mere 30 minutes. I wondered who gave it to him. But the curiosity quickly flew from my mind as wiped tears away. "I'm going home. This was a mistake."

His smile slid down his face as he approached me. Quietly, he grabbed ahold of my hands then brought me into an embrace. "Hey, calm down. Breathe," he said calmly.

I choked back a sob as I gripped onto him, burring my head into his shoulder. "Everett just made me look like nothing in there. Tad, I don't want to breathe. I just want to leave."

Tad nodded as he let go of the embrace. "Ok, I'll take you."

"But your girlfriend..."

Tad looked over as she giggled with some player I barely recognized. "Ironically, I hooked up with him last month. She'll be fine." He took the keys from his pocket.

___________

As we drove home, I stared out the window, trying to pull myself together before I returned.

"Everett is a dick," I stated finally.

Tad nodded. He knew all too well how mean Everett could be. "Yeah, he is. Isn't he?"

"I hate him."

He chuckled. "You aren't the only one."

Once again, we were silent. So much for learning more about the team. Maybe I would never know them, especially if Everett was around.

"I don't know what Everett did, and you don't have to tell me. But don't let this ruin your ideas of parties. They can still be fun."

I frowned as my stomach felt uneasy. I wasn't sure if I believed him.