Homecoming

Homecoming — page 7 — of years but now they’re for real I think Rory and I might be for real too but I don’t know We kissed once a few weeks ago but since then I’ve been afraid to bring it up and we haven’t had any private time together So maybe it was a one-time thing or maybe it was something he really regrets I don’t know Is Brad mad at you Angela asks Claudia shaking me out of my thoughts I hope not Claudia sighs He probably has a good reason for being incommunicado I say Rory is working extra hours at his job Why Claudia asks

Homecoming — page 8 — I shrug I don’t know I bet he wants to get a car Angela says shifting her shoulders with this new know-it-all attitude she’s developed since she turned ten He has a car I say Rory calls his old Mustang a clunker but it gets him around Brad doesn’t have a job Claudia says So why hasn’t he called or texted me I start to shrug Then my eyes fall on a framed photo on my desk It’s me Claudia Rory and Brad The guys are wearing their football uniforms and we’re all laughing Chloe took the picture after the Pine Creek Panthers first home game this fall

Homecoming — page 9 — I can’t help remembering that the game was exactly a week after Rory kissed me for the first time And only time I bet they’re at football practice I say Since Homecoming is Friday Of course Claudia slaps her forehead Coach Reynolds is making the team practice longer this week They don’t want to lose three games in a row And they especially don’t want to lose Pine Creek’s first Homecoming game I say When Pine Tree and Rock Creek were separate high schools we always played the Homecoming game against each other

Homecoming — page 10 — This year the new Pine Creek team is playing Forest Lake High It feels weird to be cheering with kids from Rock Creek instead of against them Claudia says studying the picture on my desk It must be really weird for the players The Rock Creek kids think so too I say Everyone’s been on edge according to Rory Maybe the spirit points will work Claudia says What’s that Angela asks It’s a contest Claudia says She rolls her eyes and adds Hence the weird outfits

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