Chapter 5: Balls, Bleachers, and Bad Timing

04

That night I went on Reddit to ask: “Will a guy I have a crush on lose interest after listening to my snoring and teeth grinding all night?” I posted to r/relationships and immediately got roasted and hugged. One snarky reply: “Girl, why are you two already sleeping together at the crush stage?” One sweet reply: “My husband snored for our first year—I stayed. If he listened all night, he might like you.” The comments section was a circus.

I explained it was just a phone call all night. Some said I was bold, daring to sleep-call my campus crush. I said I didn’t drink, just fell asleep by accident.

Until one answer caught my eye: “You two aren’t close, yet he didn’t hang up and listened all night. Is it possible… he likes you too?” Like a stone dropped in a pond, the comments all agreed, yeah, right, right. My heart skipped like the track team on a Friday; my fingers hovered over send, my pulse in my throat.

I thought about Derek and considered the idea that he might like me. Maybe he was just being polite. But the thought quietly planted a seed in my heart.

The next day, I was training on the track and saw Derek and his friend walking over, holding a basketball. The basketball and soccer fields are only separated by a strip of grass. I sat on the sidelines, pretending to stretch but really just watching him. Coach’s whistle shrilled, clipboard glare on me like a laser.

He loves playing basketball, and since he’s always on the court, I’ve been hopelessly smitten. Derek wore a loose jersey and shorts, sweating as he played. The sun hit him just right, like a scene out of a Nike commercial.

I was so absorbed watching, I forgot about the shot put in my hand and dropped it. And it landed perfectly on my left foot. The pain shot through me like stepping barefoot on a Lego.

My miserable scream attracted not only Derek’s attention, but my coach’s too. “Aubrey, if the guy next door is so good-looking, go sit over there and watch.” Coach glared at me, disappointed. “Hips through, commit to the throw!” I blushed so hard I thought I’d burst into flames.

Hearing that, I limped over and sat on the grassy strip next to the basketball court. Kidding, I couldn’t wait to watch my crush. Behind me, I vaguely heard the coach mutter, “Good-for-nothing.” I rolled my eyes and muttered, “Thanks for the pep talk, Coach,” while I absentmindedly rolled my ankle like I would on a foam roller.

I used to watch Derek play with a clear conscience, since he didn’t know me, wasn’t interested, and had no impression of girls watching him. But now, not only have we met twice, we even shared snoring. I started to wonder if the universe was giving me signs.

Just as I was zoning out, Derek’s group’s basketball suddenly flew toward me at lightning speed. Before I could react, Derek rushed over and slapped away the ball that would’ve hit my forehead. The next second, thanks to inertia, he couldn’t stop and stomped hard on my left foot.

“Ow!” I felt ridiculous and helpless, like I’d stepped on a Lego twice in one day. The entire field turned to look, and I wished the grass would swallow me up.