The Captain's Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 64: Chapter 64 - Powderpuff Game

Roxie bent over with both hands on her knees, dragging air into her lungs like the field had personally stolen it.

Across from her, Karen stood with one hand on her hip and the other pointing at the red team.

”They’re playing dirty.”

Angela stumbled into the huddle behind her, hair half out of her ponytail, flag belt twisted, one cheek flushed bright pink.

”That fucking witch elbowed me.”

Roxie straightened. ”Who?”

Angela pointed at one of the players. ”Her. Right in my ribs. Like a tiny rich-girl assassin.”

Karen’s eyes went flat.

”No,” Angela said immediately, grabbing Karen’s wrist. ”Don’t you dare go down their level.”

”Their level looks really good right now.” Karen said eyeing Lily.

Karen looked toward Bianca Reeves, who was standing on the opposite side of the field.

Bianca’s red shirt was still perfectly tied at her waist. Her ponytail had not moved. Her gloss was somehow still shining under the stadium lights, which felt illegal considering everyone else looked like they had been dragged through a school fundraiser.

Behind them, Brianna Cole from basketball rolled her shoulders like she was waiting for contact. Sloane Miller from volleyball slapped her palms together and smirked. Talia Rhodes from track bounced on her toes, fast and restless, like the whistle was the only thing keeping her from sprinting through someone’s spine.

The red team was not here to have fun.

They were here to turn powderpuff into a crime scene with school spirit.

Roxie wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her wrist and looked at the scoreboard.

Red team: 18.

Black team: 14.

Four minutes left.

She could not let them win.

Kendall pushed into the huddle, breathing hard, her perfect ponytail finally starting to lose the war. ”They’re pulling flags before the catch.”

Karen nodded. ”Sloane grabbed my shirt.”

Angela gasped. ”She grabbed fabric? That’s personal.”

Kendall snapped her fingers. ”Focus.”

Roxie looked at her. ”Don’t snap at me unless you want to lose that finger.”

Kendall smiled without warmth. ”Then get open.”

”Then throw better.”

”I am throwing perfectly.”

”You hit Angela in the shoulder.”

Angela lifted one finger. ”In fairness, I was facing the wrong direction.”

Karen stared at her. ”Why?”

”I heard someone yell my name. You know I’m a sucker for the fans.”

”That was the crowd.”

Roxie closed her eyes for one second.

Around them, the school was losing its mind.

The bleachers were packed with students, stomping their feet against the metal seats. The football team crowded the sideline like they had suddenly discovered feminism and tight shorts on the same afternoon. Mason was screaming advice nobody asked for. Dylan sat on the bench with his crutch beside him, acting like an injured commentator on national television.

And Zac stood near the sideline, black Ravens cap turned backward, eyes locked on Roxie like the noise could not touch him.

That did something to her.

Annoying.

He lifted two fingers to his eyes, then pointed past the defense.

Eyes up.

Roxie gave him a look.

I know.

His mouth curved.

Then Bianca’s voice cut across the field.

”You tired, Roxie?”

Roxie turned slowly.

Bianca smiled from her spot near the line, sweet enough to rot teeth.

”You look tired.”

Lily giggled beside her.

Roxie put both hands on her hips. ”Is that the only word you know? You look haggard. Victorian widow energy, honestly.”

The black team huddle made a sound.

Angela whispered, ”Is that a good burn?”

Karen said, ”Of course. It’s Roxie.”

Bianca’s smile tightened.

Kendall leaned closer to Roxie, voice low. ”She’s baiting you.”

”I noticed.”

”She wants you mad.”

”Unfortunately for her, I am always mad.”

Roxie glanced at her.

Kendall’s eyes stayed on the red team. For once, her face had dropped the fake cheer sweetness. She looked sharp. Competitive. Almost fun, if Roxie were in a generous mood.

She was not.

But still.

”Bianca keeps jumping inside,” Kendall said. ”She wants to cut you off before the ball gets there.”

”She’s overcommitting.”

”Exactly.”

Roxie looked at her. ”Did we just agree on football?”

Kendall’s mouth twisted. ”Don’t make it emotional.”

”I would never.”

Angela leaned between them. ”This is growth.”

Karen pulled her back by the belt. ”Let them be hostile. It’s working.”

Coach Hayes blew the whistle. ”Black team, line up!”

Zac stepped closer to the sideline. ”Jones!”

Roxie looked over.

His eyes moved from her to Bianca, then back.

”Don’t let her decide where you go.”

The words hit clean.

Roxie lifted her chin. ”I decide where I go.”

Zac’s grin flashed.

”There’s our captain.”

The football players immediately started howling. Roxie shot them a look, but her face was already hot.

Kendall clapped once. ”Everyone shut up and run the play.”

Angela raised a hand. ”I feel like that was directed at me.”

”It was,” Karen said.

They lined up.

Roxie stood wide right, Bianca across from her.

Bianca’s eyes dropped to Roxie’s flag belt, then back up to her face.

”Careful,” Bianca said. ”Wouldn’t want you falling in front of everyone.”

Roxie smiled. ”You first.”

The whistle blew.

Roxie took off.

Bianca moved with her immediately, shoulder brushing too hard against Roxie’s arm.

Cheap.

Roxie kept running.

One, two, three.

She cut inside.

Bianca grabbed for her flag early and caught the edge of Roxie’s shirt instead.

The fabric pulled.

Roxie’s balance slipped.

The crowd shouted.

She planted hard, twisted free, and heard Karen yell from somewhere behind her, ”REF!”

No whistle.

Of course.

Briarwick refereeing was apparently sponsored by blindness.

Kendall threw.

The ball came fast.

Roxie reached.

Her fingers brushed leather.

Then Brianna from basketball slammed into her shoulder.

Not enough to knock her down.

Enough to knock the ball loose.

It hit the grass.

The red sideline screamed like they had won state.

Bianca walked past Roxie, smiling.

”Almost.”

Roxie stared at the ball on the ground.

Her shoulder burned.

Her shirt was stretched at the collar.

Her lungs felt hot.

For one second, the old version of her almost stepped forward. The version that would get in Bianca’s face, say something sharp enough to draw blood, make the whole field watch them fight instead of play.

Then she heard Zac.

”Jones.”

She looked over.

His face was hard now. He shook his head once.

Do not give it to her.

Roxie breathed in.

Then she smiled. Too serious.

Bianca’s expression flickered.

Roxie picked up the ball and handed it to the ref. ”Run it again.”

Kendall jogged over, eyes blazing. ”She held your shirt.”

”I know.”

”Brianna hit you before the ball.”

”I know.”

”Are you going to do something?”

Roxie looked across the field at Bianca.

Bianca was laughing with Lily, but her eyes stayed on Roxie. Waiting. Hoping. Begging, basically.

Roxie smiled wider.

”Yes,” she said. ”I’m going to win.”

Angela appeared beside them, clutching her ribs. ”That was hot and concerning. Also this game is turning too real for my taste.”

Karen nodded. ”Mostly concerning.”

Kendall looked from Roxie to Bianca, then back.

For once, Kendall smiled like she meant it. ”Good,” she said. ”Because I have a play.”

Roxie blinked.

”You have a play? That would be the first.”

”I have several. I’m not just hair like some people.”

Roxie looked her up and down. ”Debatable.”

”Do you want to win or insult me?”

”Both.”

Kendall rolled her eyes and pulled them into a tighter huddle.

Angela bounced on her toes. ”I love secret huddles.”

Karen said, ”You love being included.”

”I just love us.”

Everyone gave her a different version of disgusted affection.

Kendall ignored them and pointed across the field. ”Bianca’s desperate to stop Roxie. Lily keeps cheating toward the sideline because she thinks Angela can’t catch.”

Angela gasped. ”Maybe true.”

Karen sighed.

Kendall continued, ”Roxie runs a fake slant. Bianca bites. Karen blocks Brianna. Angela drags Lily outside. I pump to Roxie, then hit Roxie on the second cut.”

Roxie stared.

”That is actually decent.”

Kendall’s smile sharpened. ”Try not to sound shocked.”

”I am shocked.”

Zac called from the sideline. ”Kendall.”

Kendall looked over.

Zac tapped the clipboard, then pointed toward the corner of the end zone.

Kendall’s eyes narrowed then looked back at her. ”Corner route after the fake. Can you get there?”

Roxie’s shoulder still burned.

Her lungs still felt scraped raw, and Bianca was still watching, so Roxie smiled like that made it even better.

”Watch me.”

Kendall’s mouth curved. ”Fine,” she said. ”Don’t drop it.”

”Don’t overthrow it.”

The whistle blew.

They broke the huddle.

The bleachers were shaking under hundreds of sneakers. The football team crowded the sideline, shouting like they had discovered women’s sports and immediately made it their business.

Roxie lined up wide right.

The bitch Bianca followed her.

”You really think one catch makes you special?” Bianca asked.

Roxie glanced at the scoreboard.

Red still up by four.

Less than a minute left.

Then she looked back at Bianca.

”No,” Roxie said. ”I was special before the catch.”

The whistle snapped through the air.

Roxie moved.

One step.

Two.

Three.

She sold the slant hard, cutting inside like Zac taught her.

Bianca lunged exactly where Kendall said she would.

Roxie planted her foot and broke outside.

Bianca grabbed for her flag and caught nothing.

The crowd reacted before Roxie even looked for the ball.

Kendall pump-faked.

Lily bit on Angela’s route, chasing her toward the sideline because Angela was yelling, ”I’M OPEN,” with the confidence of someone who absolutely was not.

Karen stepped in front of Brianna from basketball.

Brianna tried to shove past her.

Karen did not move.

Kendall dropped back one more step.

Roxie looked over her shoulder.

For half a second, everything sharpened.

The lights.

The grass.

Bianca behind her, already turning too late.

Zac on the sideline, eyes locked on her.

He shouted, ”Go!”

So Roxie did.

Her legs burned. Her shoulder ached from the hit earlier. Her lungs felt scraped raw.

She ran anyway.

The ball came high.

Too high.

Kendall Whitlock was a menace.

Roxie jumped.

Her fingers caught leather.

The ball slammed into her palms, then her chest.

She held on.

The bleachers exploded.

Bianca shouted behind her, sharp and angry, but Roxie was already moving.

The end zone opened ahead.

Talia from track sprinted in from the left. Sloane came from the right, arms out, eyes locked on Roxie’s flags.

Roxie heard Zac again.

”Cut!”

She cut.

Sloane’s hand swept past her hip and missed.

Talia reached from behind.

Roxie felt the tug at one flag.

Felt it rip free.

But her foot crossed the line first.

The whistle blew.

For a second, Roxie did not understand the sound.

Then Angela screamed like her soul had left through her mouth.

”TOUCHDOWN!”

The crowd lost it.

Karen grabbed Roxie before Angela could crash into her and send them both into a sports-related lawsuit.

Angela jumped anyway, throwing both arms around Roxie’s shoulders. ”YOU DID IT! YOU BEAUTIFUL INSANE PERSON!”

Roxie laughed, breathless and sweaty and full of so much adrenaline she could barely feel her legs.

The final whistle blew.

Black team won.

The field turned into chaos.

Students poured down from the lower bleachers. Mason shouted something about unfair athletic development. Dylan stood on one crutch and waved the other like a victory flag, nearly taking out a freshman.

Roxie barely saw any of it.

Because Zac was already crossing the field.

Zac shook his head, smiling.

For one second, Roxie thought he was going to hug her.

His hands lifted slightly, almost reaching for her waist, and her heart did something stupid and obvious inside her chest.

Then Zac paused.

His eyes flicked past her.

The bleachers.

The football team.

Half the school watching like this was the actual game.

So Roxie lifted her chin and held out her hand.

Zac looked down at it. Then back at her.

”A handshake?” he asked.

”Sportsmanship,” she said.

His mouth curved. ”Is that what we’re calling it?”

Behind them, Mason cupped both hands around his mouth.

”KISS! KISS! KISS!”

The football sideline immediately picked it up because boys were weak and easily led.

”KISS! KISS! KISS!”

Roxie’s face went hot.

Zac looked like he wanted to murder Mason and disappear into the turf at the same time.

Angela screamed, ”MASON, SHUT UP!”

Karen yelled, ”This is why no one likes you!”

Zac laughed under his breath, then took her hand.

His palm was warm. His grip was firm.

The handshake lasted one second too long.

Maybe two.

His thumb brushed over her knuckles, small enough that no one else could see it.

Roxie felt it anyway.

”Good game, Jones,” he said, voice low.

Her smile almost slipped.

”Good coaching, Prescott.”

Then she pulled her hand back before the entire school filed a witness report.

Across the field, Bianca stood near the red team bench.

Her hair had slipped loose on one side. Grass stained one knee of her leggings. Lily was beside her, talking fast, probably trying to save the situation with words and delusion.

Bianca was not listening.

She was staring at Roxie.

Burning.

The kind of stare that did not say embarrassment.

It said debt.

Roxie’s smile faded a little.

Zac followed her gaze. His expression tightened.

Before he could say anything, Kendall appeared beside Roxie, drinking from a water bottle like she had not just helped ruin Bianca’s entire afternoon.

”She looks ready to bite through metal,” Roxie said.

Kendall glanced across the field and snorted.

”You embarrassed her in front of the whole school,” Kendall said as she capped her water bottle, her voice dropping with something almost like amusement.

”You messed with the crazy girl.”

Roxie raised an eyebrow. ”I thought you were the crazy girl.”

Kendall smiled.

”I’m the organized one.”

That was not comforting.

Across the field, Bianca turned and walked away, Lily hurrying after her.

Kendall’s smile thinned.

”Watch out for her.”