Carden

The student section screamed loudly on the bleachers as the Badger's escaped from their huddle and went to their positions along the line of scrimmage, adrenaline making the atmosphere on the field seem to buzz.

The Badger's were undefeated with a record of 6-0 so far this season and they were down four in the fourth quarter with ten seconds left on the clock. And it was up to Carden to execute this play perfectly to make sure they would win.

With a deep breath and a quick glance at the glowing scoreboard, he yelled, "Set, hike!"

The center launched the football towards Carden and he caught it in his gloved hands, scrambling back as the players around him came to life. His eyes scanned for a receiver. The screaming from the students and the pounding of his heart in his ears didn't help.

Derek was covered by a defensive player. Aidan couldn't get open. Cam wouldn't get the touchdown. A linebacker pushed an opening in the pocket and Carden took his opportunity, ears pounding to the same beat as his steps.

He sprinted at full speed out of the pocket, sidestepping a defender who tried to tackle him. Derek shoved a player back so Carden could keep sprinting to the end zone. Coaches and players for Clarkston cheered along the sideline as he ran, Coach Taylor attempting to catch up on Carden's left.

The white line came into view and he kept running, teeth clenching subconsciously.

Five yards, ten yards, fifteen yards. He just kept going.

His teammates screamed as the defense chased after him. He wouldn't stop. He couldn't stop. They would lose if he did and losing wasn't an option.

Carden sprinted across the white line, hysterical screams erupting from the students as the clock ticked down to triple zeroes and the scoreboard buzzed loudly. He turned around just in time to see the 24 shimmer into a 30 as the announcer yelled, "And Clarkston wins! Still undefeated!"

Teammates formed a huddle around him, all of them yelling, "Carden Ash!" at the top of their lungs. Coaches joined the huddle and the field quickly became a giant crowd of Clarkston's white and ice blue.

After about a half hour of celebrating, students and coaches filed off the field and towards the parking lot while the football team gathered their things from the locker room.

"Dude!" Cameron Smith, Carden's best friend from birth (quite literally. Their mother's knew each other before the guys were born), exclaimed with a wide smile. They even looked like twins with their dark hair but Cam's eyes were blue instead of the light brown Carden had. "That was savage! I've never seen anyone run that fast, especially if it's a quarterback."

Carden laughed as he stuffed his jersey into his football bag. "Thanks. It was nothing though."

"Pfft, modest as always."

Aaron poked his head around his locker door, jet black hair spiking up with sweat. "We've got the next Patrick Mahomes in our midst boys."

Cam scoffed. "More like Lamar Jackson. Car can run and throw." He offered Carden another big smile. "You'll make it to the NFL for sure. Number one pick."

Most people would be excited to hear those words, but they stung. He hid his haunted expression as he stuffed the rest of his football pads into his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder with a forced smile. There had been another person who so desperately wanted to make it to the NFL but never got the chance...

He shook the thought away. There was no way he was going to cry right now, especially in front of the guys.

"I'll see you guys Monday," Carden said and left the loud locker room quickly. The moment he stepped into the quiet, brisk fall air, the weight on his shoulders vanished.

Since they'd won four games in a row, Carden had been living under an unnecessary spotlight. The whole school treated him like a king more often then not and Coach had started giving him special treatment, which wasn't all that fun.

Then they'd won their fifth game. Then their sixth. And tonight, their seventh.

But if Carden let the team lose, he was letting the school down. His coach, his friends, his team, his family, Jared. And disappointing Jared was the one thing Carden could never imagine. Even if he was...

He wiped at his eyes quickly with the back of his hand. It had nearly been an entire year since his older brother, Jared, had died in a terrible car accident. One that Chloe had caused by getting his brother way to drunk at a party and when he crashed into the lamppost at the end of their street, he couldn't have survived. He died the moment of impact.

"Heyyyy Carden," a girly voice called out and its owner stepped out from the shadows of a tree a couple of feet away.

Ah, speaking of Chloe.

Chloe Sorensen was the Queen of Clarkston. Her father was the mayor of the town and her mother was a well known doctor, so the popularity was given graciously the moment she stepped into the school Freshman year. Now as a Senior, she wasn't ready to give up her throne so she'd started torturing people ten times worse this year.

She even looked the part as Queen. Her long dirty blonde hair was curled down her back and her makeup made her face glitter in the moonlight. She wore black ripped jeans with a Clarkston jersey, the number 2 shimmering brightly.

Carden's nose crinkled. "Where did you get that?"

She glanced down at the jersey, a smirk appearing on her painted bright red lips. "Oh, this old thing? Just found it in my closet so I decided I'd support my favorite football player tonight."

"Sure."

She reached out and wrapped her elbow around his, gently pulling him toward the almost empty parking lot. "Walk me to my car?"

Not like he had a choice so Carden shrugged, "Course."

Her lime green eyes lit up brightly and they started toward the massive stone steps that led away from the football field. "So, how have you been? I haven't see you around much."

He shrugged again. "Just been busy. Football, homework, life, tutoring sessions. It's all a little stressful."

She tapped her acrylic nails against his skin. "You should take a break. Do you really need those tutoring sessions? I mean, the girl that tutors you is such a nerd."

"She's not that bad. Just...different, I guess."

"But she's also pretty and I don't want you hanging out with a girl like her. Can't risk you catching feelings for someone on the other end of the social circle."

Carden looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean?"

Chloe laughed lightly, flipping her curls sassily over her shoulder. "Really, Carden? That Zia girl-"

"Zoë," Carden corrected.

"Fine. Zoë is not going to get in my way of winning your heart. The entire school knows that me and you are meant to be." She smiled up at him. "It's only a matter of time."

Carden stopped abruptly, both of his eyebrows raised as he stared at her. "Okay, what are you even saying? I'm sorry Chlo, but I don't like you like that. You're just a friend."

She sighed and planted her hands promptly on her hips. "You know how I'm head cheerleader and you're the star quarterback?"

She waited for him to nod.

"Based on the social laws of High School," she waved a hand between the two of them, "we're supposed to be together. For example, Hayden and Ila from Riverside. Warren and Elise. Parker and Tia. Khyson and Peyton. We're kinda the outsiders, Car."

She went to lean against him but he stepped back, crossing his arms across his chest as a clear message.

Chloe narrowed her eyes at him. "Chloe and Carden. Has a good ring to it, doesn't it?"

"Chloe, I'm not interested. I don't really care about the stupid 'social laws' or whatever. Plus, I'm not really looking for a girlfriend right now."

"Why not?!"

"Because I'm not." He spun and turned towards the aisle where he'd parked his car.

As he started to walk, Chloe rushed back to his side and twined her hand with his. "Okay, I get it. I really do. I don't want our first fight to be this so I'll just give you some space and we can talk tomorrow?"

Carden pulled his hand from hers as they arrived at his white Mercedes. "No. I'm not going to talk about it with you. I'm perfectly fine and I really don't want to date you. No offense."

Chloe's lips melded into a frown. "Something's wrong with you."

He pulled out his key, freezing as he put it into the keyhole. "What?"

She crossed her arms. "What's up? You've never been this...upfront with me."

"I just don't think you can handle the truth, that's all," Carden said with an icy tone as he opened his car door and sat in the cushioned seat.

Chloe leaned against the car door. "And what's that? I'm the Queen. I'm pretty sure I can handle the truth, love."

He glared hard at her. "Don't call me that."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Now, what is it?"

The wheels in Carden's head turned viciously as he tried to come up with a good lie other than, "Oh, you intoxicated my brother and he died because of it and now I hate you. I'd rather date a nerd than you."

He sucked in a breath as the idea sunk in.

"I've already got a girlfriend, that's why."

She stared at him blankly. Her voice was laced with poison as she whispered/hissed after a moment, "What?"

"Yup." He put the key into the ignition and tapped his fingers restlessly against the steering wheel as the car started warming up. "She's great. I really like her."

Chloe's fingers tightened around the door handle. "And who would this mystery girl be?"

Carden bit his lip. She wouldn't get to mad, would she...? That is if she found out.

"Zoë," he lied quickly. "We just barely got together. Tuesday, actually." He hoped the smile he had on his face wasn't as fake as it felt.

She stared at him with blazing eyes. "WHAT?!"

He fake smiled again. "Yup. Gotta go. Ma will kill me if I'm not home in time for dinner tonight. See ya Monday, Chlo."

He quickly put the car into drive and made a beeline out of the parking lot, eyes glancing at Chloe's stoned figure in his rear view mirror. She stood motionlessly, her eyes piercing into the back of Carden's car. Her gaze was so sharp it could've popped his tires.

Carden turned his tired eyes to the road. What did he just do? He'd just told Chloe Sorensen, massive gossiper, that he was dating his tutor. The girl who was a nerd.

Dating his tutor.

The words made laps around his mind as he drove. Dating his tutor. Dating his tutor. His brain somehow made the words Dating Zoë Flynn.

Yeah, she was pretty but as Chloe and he had said, she was a nerd. A nerd didn't date a popular guy. A quarterback though? That was definitely out of the question. You would have to be some kind of special, very special girl, to date a quarterback.

He swallowed his spit as he turned onto the road that led to his neighborhood.

But Carden would have to admit, Zoë was cute. Every time he was with her, she rolled her eyes at least ten times and it was kind of attractive. She was awkward around him and barely smiled. What would it be like to have Zoë Flynn smile because of him?

Did her eyes lit up? Did she have dimples? Did her nose scrunch like a chipmunks? Or was it like some demonic creature staring into your soul and the smile was beyond creepy?

He snickered. Probably the latter because it was physically impossible for her to smile. She was always frowning or a book was covering her face when he saw her.

He passed The Lamppost, eyes not even flickering to it because the memories were to painful. In the light, it was worse. You could see the dent in it.

As he pulled into his driveway, his thoughts came back to him. He'd told Chloe he was dating Zoë. Word would get out and spread faster than a wildfire.

His hands tightened on the wheel.

Zoë was going to kill him when she heard.