Sweat pooled on the nape of my neck as I wiped my brow and then carefully lifted the lid of the grill. Heat from the flames inside came billowing out, and I scowled up at the sky. It was both too hot and too early in the morning to be stuffing my face with meat and beer, and yet, here I was.

When it came to L.A.U.'s football team, the rumor was that it had been good at some point in the school's history. Some said the Vikings had been a powerhouse in the Eighties, while others swore that our last major success had been much more recent. Members of the latter group always pointed out that our team had managed to win the National Championship a few years back, though they rarely mentioned that the opposing team's quarterback had left the game with a broken collarbone halfway through the first quarter.

Sure, we may have had the occasional W show up on the scoreboard each season, but for the most part, our team kind of sucked. That was why it made little sense to me that, every Saturday during the fall semester, thirty-thousand students and alumni packed the campus to tailgate and celebrate our football team's mediocrity.

Frankly, I would've preferred to stay in bed most days, but, unfortunately for me, serving as the V.P. of Campus Outreach for the fraternity meant that I had to make an appearance from time to time, too. Parker had been nice enough to let me skip the first month and a half of home games while I worked on getting my grades up--or nursed hangovers, depending on the morning--but the other guys on the house's executive board had been quick to let me know how they felt about me always skipping out. Although Parker had told me to ignore them, being guilt-tripped by eight of my other friends was a very effective way to get me to do just about anything short of murder. Plus, I felt bad about never showing up to cheer on Lucas, especially because he was always the first person to support the rest of us.

I checked the black bean burger that Sophie had asked me to cook for her, unsure of how to test whether or not it was done. Prodding it with a pair of tongs, a trickle of what I guessed was tofu juice leaked out and sizzled against the burning coals below. I made a face and closed the grill's lid again as Parker walked up with three beers balanced in his hands. He wordlessly nodded for me to take one, slipped another into his hoodie's pocket, and opened the only one remaining with a swift tug on the pull tab.

"What's the status on the food?" he asked, tapping his beer can against mine before lifting it to his mouth. "I'm starving."

"I thought you and Sophie went for breakfast this morning," I said, glancing towards where the actress sat patiently signing autographs and taking pictures with drunk students.

Although she typically roamed around campus with only one member of her security team, today she was flanked by three bodyguards, each one wearing dark sunglasses and an extra-large school spirit shirt from the campus bookstore. They didn't seem to be doing anything, but they'd been quick to grab a guy who crash landed in Sophie's lap while running to catch a frisbee. I hadn't been able to tell what embarrassed the kid more: realizing who he'd run into or being hauled off by the Hulk and Superman before he could apologize.

"If by 'went to breakfast' you mean she dragged me to a juice bar and then said she was full, then, yes, we went to breakfast." He scowled. "Did you know there are over twenty different ways to ruin a smoothie with wheatgrass extract?"

"I don't know what that means," I said, sipping at my drink.

"Yeah, well, you're lucky," Parker replied darkly. He cleared his throat and then added, "Apparently the director for the next film she's shooting told her to lose ten pounds for the role."

"How's that going to work?" I asked, still staring at the actress. As if sensing that we were talking about her, she looked up and held my gaze for a moment before returning her attention to the crowd around her. "I mean, I guess she could cut off an arm or something."

"That's what I said."

We were both watching her now and although she pretended not to notice, I could see her eyebrows furrow under our scrutiny. Sophie had always been one of the thinner stars on the red carpet but I struggled to imagine her any lighter than she was now. Even from a distance, I could see the way her shoulder blades protruded from beneath her skin, dancing like knives with every movement that she made. 

"Jesus, she'd look like a skeleton," I blurted, then shot Parker an apologetic look. "No offense."

He shrugged. "She'd look the same way she did when she was hospitalized in the spring." He took another swig from his can. "So, yeah, just like a skeleton."

Although he didn't say anything after that, I could tell that he was worried. I was just glad that I'd sent a pledge to the store to pick up vegan patties for Sophie after learning that she'd sworn off meat sometime during the past week.

"Is Gemma coming?" Parker asked as he opened a nearby cooler with the toe of his sneaker. He surveyed the contents with a short noise of approval.

"Guess so." I hunched my shoulders up to my ears. "She said she was going to, anyway."

"Cool." Clearing his throat, he slammed the lid of the ice chest down again and then sat on it. "Melanie should be here soon, too."

"Oh."

I dropped the bag of hamburger buns that I'd been fumbling to open. I bent to pick up the two rolls that had bounced out onto the ground and my heart began to pound in my ears. I hadn't seen Melanie since our run the weekend before, though we'd texted each other almost every day. She'd gone down to San Diego to help her sister-in-law take care of her kids, and because my professor cancelled our quiz in kinesiology this week, we hadn't met during our usual tutoring session either. Not that I'd admit it to Parker, but I kind of missed her.

"I didn't know you invited Melanie," I said, regretting the halfhearted invitation that I'd extended to Gemma the night before. I'd told her about the tailgate after she asked me what I was planning to do today, but I'd expected her to say that she was too busy to come. She'd never particularly enjoyed going to football games, but to my surprise, she'd jumped at the chance to tag along with my friends.

"Of course I invited her," Parker replied, and when I looked up he was staring at me through his hawk eyes. There was a slight edge to his voice. "Is that a problem?"

I shook my head. "Why would it be? I didn't realize she was back in town, that's all."

Before Parker could answer, a high-pitched squeal filled the air. Startled, I turned to find the source of the sound and saw Sophie bent at the waist while crushing Melanie in a hug. Speak of the devil, I thought.

Sophie seemed genuinely thrilled by Melanie's appearance but maybe that was because it gave her an excuse to abandon her entourage of fans. While Melanie looked pleased by the star's enthusiastic greeting, I could tell that she was also slightly taken aback. As I studied the two girls side by side, it crossed my mind that Melanie could've easily been a model if she'd been half a foot taller.

I started to say something to Parker and then realized he was already standing next to the tiny redhead, leaving her completely dwarfed by the Golden Couple's height. Running a hand through my hair, I passed the utensils that I still held to a pledge and told him to man the grill until I came back. I heard him mumble something about not knowing how to, but I ignored him, knowing that he'd take the blame rather than me if the food turned to dust.

I felt strangely nervous while I walked up to the trio, though Melanie was quick to smile at me. I'd expected her to extend her arms and offer me a hug like she'd done for Sophie and Parker, but instead she simply waved. I wasn't sure if I should feel offended by the snub but then I decided I had no right to feel disappointed at all.

"Hey," I said to her, and Sophie glanced at Parker with an annoying glint of triumph in her eyes. He smiled knowingly and then led his girlfriend to grab the two plates of food that BBQ-pledge was setting out. "How's it going?"

"I'm alright," Melanie said, and my gaze drifted to the half-empty bottle of white wine in her hand. She shrugged. "I'm too old to pre-game with cheap beer."

"For sure." I swallowed, turning the can I held so that she couldn't see the label of the discount brand I'd selected for everyone to drink. "So, uh, are you actually going to the game or are you just here for the tailgate?"

Melanie frowned. "Why wouldn't I be going to the game?"

"Oh, well, I don't know. Not many girls do."

She didn't look impressed by my comment. "I'm not sure how to take that, to be honest."

I drained what was left of my beer and once again wished that I could make it through a conversation with Melanie without putting my foot in my mouth. "Probably the opposite of how it sounded."

"Gotcha." Melanie glanced over to where Parker and Sophie now stood before returning her attention to me. "My dad's a big Vikings fan," she explained. "I grew up going to the games with my family."

"That's awesome," I said, and despite my personal feelings about the team's current roster, I meant it. Melanie's expression slowly began to soften. "You said you grew up in San Diego, right?"

She shook her head. "No, Orange County. Newport."

"Like the TV show," I said, and relief flooded through me when she laughed.

"Which one?"

"All of them." I crushed my empty can with my hand before motioning for her to follow me back over to the grill. "Are you hungry?"

"Sort of," Melanie admitted, though she studied the burgers being served with some apprehension. "I'm guessing you don't have a veggie option, do you?"

"Actually," I said, "we do."

Melanie's face brightened. "Really?"

"Yup. Black bean burgers."

"I'm impressed." She walked over to the cooler that Parker had previously been sitting on and lifted the lid. Crouching down, she rearranged a few cans so that she could submerge her wine bottle in the ice water. Without me asking, she handed me a beer and then wiped her hands on her bare legs. "I'll have one of those, please."

"Sure thing." I nodded at the pledge who I'd put in charge of the grill to let him know that I was ready to reclaim my job. Rather than moving aside, he held the tongs I'd given him close to his chest, almost as if he were guarding a precious treasure.

"It's okay," he said. "I've got it."

Realizing that I should have asked a new member to take care of the food in the first place, I shrugged. "Can you fit another veggie burger on there?"

"No problem." He reached inside the once frozen box of vegetarian-friendly burgers and I was shocked to see that only three of the twelve patties remained.

"Did we really eat through all of those?" I asked him, and he nodded.

"Mung and Wahoo don't eat meat," he said, pointing at two of the other pledges in his class. 

"Since when?" I asked, but before the freshman could respond, I heard my name being called.

Wearing an oversized hat and heeled cowboy boots, Gemma teetered across the grass to where I stood, pausing between steps to avoid going through any mud. She looked beautiful, as always, though I had to wonder why she and so many other girls at our school treated football games like an opportunity to get dressed up for the Kentucky Derby. 

"Hey, Gem," I said once she'd reached my side. Maybe I was imagining things, but I was almost positive that I could feel Melanie glaring at me from where she stood. I didn't have the guts to check. "You hungry?"

Gemma made a face. "Not for burgers. It's barely eleven o'clock." She eyed my beer with distaste and lowered her voice, "Are you seriously drinking right now?"

"Everyone's drinking," I pointed out, though she simply shook her head in response. "Come on, it's a tailgate. What'd you expect?"

Gemma clucked her tongue like a disapproving school teacher. "Try not to get too wasted."

"I'm not a child," I muttered, spitefully tipping my head back as I filled my mouth with beer. To my enormous dismay, I began to choke on the stream of liquid and sputtered violently while I gasped for air. I didn't need to look at Gemma to know that her face was fixed in a perfect mask of condescension.

"Who was this veggie burger for?" the pledge at the grill asked me as he opened a bun and slid the patty onto the bread. From the corner of my eye, I watched Melanie's hand shoot up.

"It's for me," she said, moving away from the group she'd joined. Carlos and Corey's gazes followed her as she left. "I think, anyway."

"It's yours if you want it," the younger boy said, and I frowned reflexively when Melanie beamed at him.

"Thanks," she said, and our eyes met while she reached for the mustard bottle on the makeshift condiments table that I'd set up next to the grill. She took her time drawing lines of both mustard and ketchup onto her burger before walking over to Gemma and I.

Tears still filled my eyes as I recovered from my near death experience, though I somehow managed to rasp, "Gemma, this is Melanie. She's my, uh, kinesiology tutor."

For a split second, I could've sworn that Melanie gave both of us a dirty look, though she smiled while she extended a hand. Gemma reluctantly unfolded her arms so that she could shake it. "Hi," the redhead said. "Scott's told me a lot about you."

"Has he?" Gemma tilted her head to study me. "I didn't even know you had a tutor. When did that happen?"

"At the beginning of the year," I mumbled, sensing Melanie stiffen beside me. A moment of silence passed between the three of us before Melanie tried again.

"You know, I think we're in the same yogalates class," she said, and Gemma's eyebrows lifted slightly. "You go to the one at eight A.M. on Tuesdays, right? At the fitness center?"

Melanie grinned when Gemma nodded, though her face fell when the latter replied, "Wow, yeah, weird. I can't believe I've never seen you there."

An unmistakable tension passed between the two women. It was like water meeting fire--or, a shark trying to take on a particularly feisty dolphin. Maybe both. Maybe this standoff would devolve into an epic cat fight--or, maybe I was screwed and all my shady behavior was about to blow up in my face. If I got a head start, I could probably cross the border before they started looking for me.

"I was actually thinking about switching to the Wednesday evening class," Melanie said, her lips once again curving into a smile. She nonchalantly picked the sesame seeds off her hamburger bun and dropped them onto the grass. "There's a really loud pack of girls in our class that always talks during warm-ups and it's so distracting. Don't you think?"

The murderous look on Gemma's face betrayed her role in that group and I had a hunch that Melanie had known that all along. I cleared my throat and Melanie's gaze shifted back to my face. "What time are you heading into the stadium?"

"Whenever Parker and Sophie go in." She glanced at Gemma. "I'll make sure that we save you guys seats."

"That's okay," Gemma began but I cut her off.

"Thanks," I said, and Melanie nodded wordlessly before wandering back over to Corey. Once she was out of earshot, I sighed and said to Gemma, "Jesus, you're awkward."

"Why? What'd I do?" she asked, her voice taking on an air of innocence.

"How many people are even in your yoga class, huh? I can't imagine there's a huge demand for learning how to stretch at the crack of dawn."

"It's not just stretching," Gemma retorted. I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever, Gem."

Gemma stared after Melanie, her lips drawn into a thin line. "Did you invite her to come?"

"Huh? No, Parker did." I knelt down to tie my shoe, careful not to spill my drink as I balanced it on a tuft of grass beside me. "They're friends," I said, choosing my words with caution.

"But you know she wants to jump your bones, right?"

Instead of standing up, I tightened the laces on my other sneaker. Speaking to the ground, I muttered, "Don't."

"What?" Gemma sniffed. "You know I'm right."

"Yeah, well, so what if she does?" I knew it was sick, but I still felt my heart skip a beat when I asked, "Are you jealous or something?"

"No, I'm not. If anything, I'm embarrassed for her." She licked her bottom lip in a slow back and forth motion. "What year is she?"

"She's a grad student." I let my gaze flick in Corey's direction as I straightened, feeling even more annoyed by the situation when I saw Phil standing with his arm slung around Melanie's shoulders.

"Okay, that's so weird," Gemma said, drawing my attention back to her. "Doesn't she have friends her age to hang out with?"

"Gemma, she's only a year older than I am."

"I don't mean her actual age, I mean, like..." She made a face. "Grad students are basically a different species. She should be off acting like a real adult, not getting drunk before noon with you and your fellow frat stars."

Phil must have really been laying it on thick because Melanie glanced at me with pleading eyes. I started to take a step towards her, but then stopped when I realized that Gemma had seen our silent interaction. While I hesitated, Sophie swooped in and gently extracted Melanie from Phil's grasp before he'd even worked out what happened. Obviously relieved, Melanie said something to Sophie that made both girls laugh while they hurried away. Phil looked like a child who'd just lost his favorite toy.

She must have noticed me staring because Sophie waved at me. "We're going to the stadium now," she called over the buzzing chatter of the tailgate. Phil's head swiveled in their direction. Sophie gave him a warning look and tugged Melanie closer to her side.

"Right now?" I asked. "But it's still early."

Sophie shrugged. "Fine, don't come with us."

I turned to Gemma. "Do you want to head in?"

"I'd rather not," she replied without looking up from the text message she was writing out. I sighed.

"We'll meet up with you later," I said, and Sophie nodded, though not before studying me beneath raised brows.

She and Melanie strode off linking arms while Parker hurried after them, still holding a hamburger in his hand. Once they were gone, Gemma's mood seemed to improve considerably and her frown lines gave way to the occasional smile. I didn't really feel like talking to anyone anymore so, while she struck up a conversation with Corey about the cost of plane tickets to go home over Thanksgiving break, I reached into the cooler and cracked open another beer.

-------------------------------------------------

It was halftime, but instead of watching our band march up and down the field in a choreographed routine, my friends and I all stood staring at Sophie.

"You want me to what?" she asked after listening to our request.

"A touchdown toss," Parker explained. "You know, we'd pick you up and sort of..."

Arms stretched out in front of him, he moved his hands up and down like a musician motioning for the crowd to get louder.

Sophie looked at him as if he were crazy. "Not a chance," she said, crossing her arms into an X. "Seriously, it's not happening."

When a few guys started to protest, she stepped closer to Parker and gave us all a withering look. "I'm taller than half of you, okay? The only place you'd end up tossing me is onto the ground."

"That's probably true," Parker conceded. He turned to Gemma. "Do you want to do it?"

"In your dreams," Gemma replied coolly, gesturing towards her lower half. It took a moment for me to realize what she was getting at but eventually it dawned on me that she was wearing a skirt. Parker seemed to have come to the same realization because a look of embarrassment crossed his face.  "I have zero interest in being part of your half-time entertainment."

It was obvious--to me, at least--that she was trying to mimic Sophie's snarky response, though she couldn't quite pull off the aloof attitude that the actress had so clearly mastered. While Sophie's retort had still managed to come across like a joke, Gemma's reply didn't seem to have the punchline necessary to soften her response. A few of my friends shifted uncomfortably as they wondered if they'd just been scolded.

"Sorry, Scott, but can I squeeze by?"

I turned to see Melanie standing awkwardly beside me while she balanced an array of food items and beers in her arms. Instinctively, I reached out to grab the tinfoil-wrapped hot dogs that she'd secured beneath her chin. She smiled as she straightened. "Thanks," she said, passing Parker the beer in her left hand before reaching into the bag on her shoulder and handing Sophie a bottle of water. "They only had apple juice and I wasn't sure if that was quite what you were looking for."

Sophie shook her head. "This is perfect. Thank you."

"Who's getting the hot dogs?" I asked, holding them up in the air.

"Whoever wants them," Melanie replied, and the fraternity members sitting behind me leaned over and snatched them from my hands. My stomach rumbled and I realized that I hadn't even managed to save one for myself. Gemma eyed Melanie critically, her dark eyes narrowed.

"That was nice of you," Gemma said, though her tone suggested that she didn't think it was nice at all. "Everything in the stadium is so overpriced, that must have cost you a fortune."

"Only a small one," Melanie replied. If she'd noticed that Gemma was shooting daggers in her direction, she didn't seemed fazed.

"Hey, where's my drink?" I teased when Melanie began to inch back towards her seat.

"I could only carry so much," she said.

"If you needed another pair of hands, you should've asked me."

Melanie's mouth opened and closed before she handed me the beer that she still held. "I was kidding," I added quickly but she shrugged.

"I really don't need to drink anymore," she said, waving the clear plastic cup beneath my nose. "Honestly, take it. I'm already going to have a terrible hangover, I don't need to make it any worse."

"You sure?" I asked, reluctantly taking the drink when Melanie nodded. With my remaining free hand, I started to fumble for my wallet. "Here, let me pay you back--"

"Don't worry about it."

Once again, Melanie moved to sit down but this time Parker stopped her. "Wait, Melanie, do you want to go up?"

She looked confused. "Up where?"

"You know," I began, "whenever our team scores during the third quarter, groups in the student section of the stadium usually pick someone to do a touchdown toss."

"Oh, sure. And, you want to toss me?" When I nodded, Melanie's eyebrows rose. "Is it because I'm short?"

"No," Corey chimed in from the row behind me. "Sophie and Gemma are both lame, so you're our last option."

"We won't drop you," I assured her. "I promise."

To my surprise, Melanie nodded. "Yeah, okay, I guess."

"You're amazing, Mel," Sophie said between sips of water. "Just thinking about bouncing around after drinking makes me want to puke."

"It sounds like fun," Melanie said, and I was glad that she looked down at her feet so that she missed seeing Gemma roll her eyes.

"Maybe if you're into having a bunch of guys try to grab your ass at the same time," Gemma muttered.

Melanie looked hurt, though she forced a half-smile to hide it. "Well," the redhead said, "it's not like I have much there to grab."

She patted the back pockets of her shorts while Parker and Sophie both turned away to hide their laughter. Although anyone with eyes could see that what Melanie had said wasn't even close to being true, I knew that Gemma would rip me a new one if my gaze drifted even a millimeter lower than the other girl's face.

"That's lucky," Gemma replied, and Melanie didn't say anything as she turned and walked back to her seat. I watched while she settled next to Andy again and within seconds, they were laughing like they were old friends. I felt a twinge of jealousy when Andy lifted his sunglasses so that he could wipe his eyes. Unlike me, they seemed like they were actually enjoying themselves, and if Gemma hadn't been stuck to my side like glue, I would've gone over and joined them in a heartbeat.

"Oh my God, I love Melanie," I heard Sophie say, followed by Parker's agreement. I nearly chimed in but the look on Gemma's face silenced me. 

"What's wrong with you?" I asked, immediately regretting my choice of words.

"What's wrong with you?" Gemma snapped in response. She folded her arms in front of her chest. Lowering her voice, she added, "Last time I checked, I'm not the one flirting with someone else in front of you."

"What? I didn't do anything."

"If you needed another pair of hands, you should've asked me," Gemma mimicked, and although I hadn't meant anything suggestive by that, I suddenly wondered if Melanie had found some double meaning in my words, too.

"Stop it," I said quietly, but Gemma shook her head.

"Imagine how you'd feel if it were the other way around."

I cast a glance at Parker and Sophie. To their credit, they were pretending not to listen, though I could tell by their expressions that they were hanging onto our every word. "Never mind," I mumbled, shoving my hands into my pockets. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"Yeah, right."

As the third-quarter began, Vikings fans watched in horror as we were scored against during each of our opponent's possessions. The score went from 10-10 to 10-30 in what felt like a blink of an eye. "You may have lucked out, Mel," Parker yelled down the row of bleacher seats. "Looks like we'll have to toss you during the next game."

I heard Phil mumble his disappointment from his seat next to Corey. I turned around just long enough to give him a dirty look, though he was too focused on ogling Melanie to notice. From the glazed over look in his eyes, I doubted that he'd watched more than five minutes of the game, if that.

"Let's go," Gemma said once the other team's kicker sent the football flying to our five-yard line.

"What?" I asked.

"I want to go home," she said, removing her hat so that she could shake her hair back. She swatted at the brim before putting it back on like a crown.

"I don't."

"Are you serious?" Gemma sounded incredulous as she motioned at the scoreboard. "We're getting slaughtered. How could you possibly find this fun?"

"Come on, Gem, there's only a quarter left. Can't you stick it out?"

"Listen," she replied, "you can stay, but I'd literally rather watch paint dry."

"Didn't you have a good time?" Sophie asked, leaning over Parker to make sure that she was heard. When she swayed slightly, Parker wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. She looked a little embarrassed but didn't try to escape.

"Yeah, I did," Gemma backtracked. Her fingers fluttered to the pearls around her neck. "I guess I just don't understand football."

Sophie nodded. "Me neither, but it's nice to be out here with everyone, anyway."

Gemma's smile didn't reach her eyes. "I guess. Scott, are you ready?"

"You really want to leave?"

"Like I said, it's fine--"

"No, I'll come with you." Sighing, I drained what was left of my beer and then crushed the plastic cup in my fist. "Anyone else going back to the house?"

When no one reacted except to shake their heads, I yelled over the band's rendition of our fight song, "See you later!"

I stood there for a moment longer, realizing that I was waiting for Melanie to turn around and say goodbye. She and Andy seemed too enthralled in their conversation to even notice that I was leaving--or, at the very least, Melanie was choosing to ignore my announcement. Feeling weirdly dejected, I followed Gemma past Parker and Sophie as we made our way out into the main aisle. Gemma seemed pleased, but I couldn't resist the urge to grumble, "I can't believe you wanted to leave early again. Why do you even come to the games if you aren't going to stay until the end?"

"The real question," Gemma countered, "is why is our team so terrible? I wouldn't want to leave if we had a chance of winning."

Knowing that there was no point in arguing with her, I followed her up the concrete stairs to the exit. No one else seemed to care that it was going to be another lopsided loss--no one else was leaving before the fourth quarter, anyway. Everyone looked happy to be standing in the sun, laughing and pretending like the stupid things we did, like getting drunk before noon, would still be acceptable after we graduated. As much as I complained about having to wake up early on game days, the one redeeming element in watching our team lose was knowing that, no matter the outcome, I was part of this. Part of the crowd, part of the student body... Part of the mass of people that held out hope we'd come back from behind to win it all.

So, why did I feel so alone?

I paused at the top of the steps as the stadium erupted in cheers. Cheerleaders flipped around the field in time with the band's enthusiastic trumpeting. Over the speakers, the announcer shouted into his microphone that our quarterback had run the ball thirty-yards for a touchdown. I cursed under my breath and scanned the rows of seats until I spotted my group of friends that I'd left behind.

True to her word, Melanie was being hoisted up by Parker and four other guys, and I watched while her petite frame rose into the air and then sank back into their arms, over and over again. Sophie looked like she was filming the scene on her phone and even from where I stood, I could see the enormous smile on Melanie's face. Despite Gemma yelling at me to hurry up, I continued to stare at Melanie until she had been lowered back onto the ground. She hugged Sophie, then Parker, before burying her head in her face while everyone else around her laughed. Sometimes it was hard to tell the difference between regret and resentment, but what I did know was that I would've given just about anything to be back down there.

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A/N: Slightly delayed update but it's super long so I hope that makes up for it. Sorry if I missed any typos, it's been a rough week. I promise it's not a filler chapter either! Also, if you still have no idea what a touchdown toss looks like, check out the video in the media section, haha.

The next two chapters are being edited and I think that after you read those, you'll see how it all fits together. :)

Finally, thank you for reading and voting! Can't believe this story is already closing in on 10,000 reads. Y'all are the best. <3