Page 27 of Love Me Not

“Then you aren’t going to hold being athletes against them?”

The reason we never had athletes in the club wasn’t because I kept them out. “If they can act and are willing to work and commit, then they’re as welcome to join the production as any other students. But we’re running on a shorter schedule for this one, which means lots of rehearsals. If they join the cast, they’ll have to decide which is more important. The team or the play.”

Instead of assuring me the team would come first, he said, “When will the play run?”

“We’ll have six and a half weeks from Tuesday, with the actual performances running the weekend before Thanksgiving.”

As if he couldn’t think and dance at the same time, we stopped moving and instead swayed in place. “Can we compromise?”

This should be good. “Compromise how?”

“We only have three games left, so they’ll be all yours after the 26th, unless we make the post-season. Can you do rehearsals after five?”

I preferred to start right after school so the kids didn’t have to leave and come back. “Why can’t you hold practice later instead?”

“Because we need the daylight.”

He had me there. If these boys were good enough and really wanted to join, then I wasn’t in any position not to negotiate. I needed them more than they needed me, and we could switch back to our regular rehearsal time once football season was over.

“I could do that.” Surrendering to my own curiosity, I asked, “Why did you encourage them to join the play, anyway?”

We shifted into motion again. “I didn’t single those two out, but I’m all for the guys doing more than football. Most of them won’t make a college team, and they never know what else they might be good at if they don’t try other stuff.”

So he was a realist who cared about more than how they could help the team win. Maybe I had made some unfair assumptions. “Do you think they’re serious about this?”

Trey nodded. “They’re good kids. They wouldn’t try out if they weren’t serious.”

Burke I could see sticking with it, but Aiden not so much. If he put as much effort into the play as he put into his class work, we’d be in trouble.

The song ended and I stepped back. “I hope you’re right.”

“Like I said, they’re good kids. Give them a chance.”

“They’ll get the same chance as anyone else.”

Another song started, making hearing each other difficult even a foot apart. Leaning forward, Trey said, “Maybe you could extend me that same courtesy.”

He wanted to join the play now? “What does that mean?”

“Give me a chance before you write me off.”

A chance at what? Before I could ask, Jacob appeared beside us. “Hey, Trey, we’re headed down to the speakeasy. You coming?”

Eyes still on me, he said, “Yeah, I’ll come.”

“You want to come, too?” Jacob asked.

“I’ll pass,” I said, opting to put some space between myself and Trey Collins.

One dance, which I tried my best to avoid, and now he was acting all weird. The last thing I needed was to give him the wrong idea. If anything, I’d been pretty clear about where we stood. Which was very far apart.

As the men walked away, I wandered off the dance floor feeling a bit stunned. Talk about coming out of nowhere.

“Are you good?” Donna asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

“Because you look like you’ve been hit upside the head.”