"I need space." Those were the words Jacky said to Ryan the night before they both left for separate colleges. Now, each of them will try to learn who they are without the other. Will their paths lead them back together?
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Ryan
Under the Friday night lights, the bleachers were packed with fans wearing light blue and white, waving flags and cheering. Back in high school, Ryan would have been charged with adrenaline from those sounds, but here in college he wasn't the team captain or the star quarterback. He was just a third-stringer who had yet to see any actual game time.
Tonight was the homecoming game, which made it all the more frustrating as the clock wound down and Ryan remained on the sidelines. His roommates had all come out to the game to support him – he was so disappointed in himself that he hadn't even tried to look for them. The score was nearly tied, and it was nearing the end of the fourth quarter. Ryan stood away from his teammates, wishing for the good old days of high school.
Then the unthinkable happened: the quarterback's call, the clash of football pads crunching on the field and suddenly a hush from the crowd. It was hard to see, but players huddled around a figure on the ground, and Ryan's throat closed up. It was the second-string quarterback, a junior named Jax.
"Sullivan," the coach barked. "You're in."
Ryan floated onto the field as a stretcher carried Jax away. "Don't worry, it's just a sprain," Jax said. "You got this!"
As Ryan took his place behind the offensive line, he glanced up into the stands. There, leaning against the railing, stood a familiar dark-haired figure in a black hoodie and ripped jeans. Time slowed as Jacky grinned at him.
Ryan smiled back. In high school he'd always been able to count on Jacky being there. It was like a game, trying to figure out who Jacky was sitting with. Sometimes it was Nina and Haylee and Cody, other times it was Darius and some of the other guys on the soccer team. Sometimes Jacky sat by himself, once he came with his mother. Ryan had joked about it being like "Where's Waldo," and at the next game Jacky had come wearing a red and white striped scarf. He always played better when Jacky was there.
"Head in the game, Sully!" said the center guard, and Ryan snapped back to the task at hand. Jacky was here. He was going to win.
He called the play, the center handed him the ball, he shuffled back, then launched the ball to the wide receiver, who caught it and two steps later was in the end zone.
The roar of the crowd overtook him. His teammates rushed him, and everything was a blur of commotion and celebration. He kept looking for Jacky. Where was Jacky?
Then Jacky was there, and Ryan brushed off his teammates and grabbed Jacky's face and kissed him. The cheering intensified. When Ryan finally pulled back, he saw that it wasn't Jacky at all. It was Charlie. He looked up into the stands, searching for Jacky.
"I knew you didn't really want me," Charlie said, and they were crying in Ryan's arms. "No one will ever want me."
Ryan launched awake and nearly fell out of bed. His phone clattered to the floor.
