Chapter 34

I took a deep breath and answered my phone. “Hello.”

“Daisy,” William said. “Where are you? I thought I saw you in the stands, but I wasn’t sure.”

“That was me,” I said. “ I saw you wave after your first touchdown. I wanted to come down on the field after the game and congratulate you, but I’m still stuck at the top of the bleachers waiting for people to leave.”

“Yeah, it was crazy after we won,” William agreed. He was silent for a moment. “Well, hey, I was wondering if you want to celebrate our win with us at Carmine’s Pizzeria? You can sit with me and some of the other guys.”

“That sounds great.” I remembered Amy. I couldn’t go without her. I was shaking just thinking about hanging out with the football team. “My friend is with me. Do you think anyone would mind?”

“Nah, it's fine,” William assured me. “Stan is bringing his girlfriend.”

I tried to squelch some of the excitement in my voice. “Sure, William. Pizza sounds great.”

“Terrific,“ William said. “Meet me at the field house door. We can walk there together. It’s just a few blocks.”

“Okay,” I agreed. “We’ll be waiting outside the door.”

Amy stiffened beside me as I hung up. “What did you get me into now?”

“William wants us to go to the pizzeria with him,” I replied. Before she could say no, I begged. “Please, Amy, I know this kind of thing isn’t something we do, but it means a lot to me.”

“Okay, okay,” Amy agreed with a dramatic sigh. “Let’s go have pizza. But I only have about another hour. I told my dad I’d help with the dinner shift.”

Amy and I made our way through what was left of the crowd and stood by the field house door. Several football players passed us as we waited. Most ignored us.

Amy clutched my arm. “We can’t go to the pizzeria with them.”

“Why not?” I asked her. “It’s a public restaurant, and William wants us there. Things are changing.”

“You’re changing.” Amy looked at the sky and groaned. “Okay, I’ll go for a little while. But if there’s one mean comment about us, I’m outta there.”

“It’s a deal. If there are any mean comments, we’re both outta there,” I said a second before William came out of the field house.

He smiled at us. “Hey, girls.”

“William, do you know my best friend, Amy Gray?” I asked.

“Yeah. I’ve seen her around.” He gave Amy a nod. “Come on, ladies. I’m starving.”

Together the three of us walked to Carmine’s pizzeria. We heard music and smelled the delicious scent of dough, sauce, and cheese before opening Carmine’s front door.

To Amy and me, the inside of the pizzeria seemed like total chaos. Alpha kids were everywhere, talking, laughing, and eating pizza. Everyone called to William as we passed their tables on our way to the back of the large room.

William led us to a gigantic table where other football players and a girl I knew from math class were sitting. My legs shook as we walked over and took a seat near William.

“That really was a terrific game,” I told William. “You’re a talented player.” I didn’t understand why he was so quiet. This was his celebration.

“I love playing football,” William said with a shrug. “I’m glad you were there today.”

I felt dizzy like the air had been sucked out of my lungs. This is what I always wanted to happen with William, but now that it was happening, I was kind of losing it.

“I’m glad I was there too,” I managed to say. “I liked watching you play.”

I kept checking on Amy. She was beginning to relax by the time a waitress came to the big table and took our order, and nobody was rude to us.

William was just as quiet. I was surprised to see he hardly spoke a word to his fellow football players. But they seem to be used to it.

Fifteen minutes later, a dozen pizzas with various toppings arrived at the large table, and everyone began to eat. I was nervous, yet delighted, when several of William’s friends encouraged me to eat any of the pizzas we wanted.

Amy looked at me with big eyes. She looked ready to run out the door. But I grabbed two slices of pizza and slid them onto the plates in front of us. She followed my lead when I picked up my piece and bit into it.

The pizza was good. We exchanged smiles and continued eating. William had a good appetite. I was amazed to see him eat a whole pizza and wash it down with a pitcher of cola.

His every movement fascinated me. I even enjoyed watching how the sun sparkled on the delicate hair on his forearms. And the way he licked his lips after he took a bite of pizza gave me shivers.

Except for the thoughts of Victor that occasionally invaded my mind, things would be perfect. How could I miss someone I didn’t like?

“Hey, Daisy,” the girlfriend of a football player to William’s right said. “I hear your dad’s throwing you a ball for your eighteenth birthday.”

I nodded. “Yeah, he is. My gown is being made, and the ballroom is ready.” I wonder if Victor would be there.

“Who are you inviting?” the girlfriend asked.

“Um, I’m not sure,” I replied. I was uncomfortable talking about the hall. Besides, we were supposed to be celebrating winning the game. “Benson, our butler, has the guest list. The invitations haven’t gone out yet.”

“Don’t forget your friends,” the girl said.

“She didn’t,” Amy mumbled.

I understood how Amy felt. None of these people wanted anything to do with me until they discovered I am Alex Wilson’s daughter.

Alex told me the ball would be the social event of the year. I had my suspicions that all these kids were being nice to me just to get an invitation.

But maybe I could use this opportunity to get them to see I’m a good person. When the waitress placed the bill for the pizza in the center of the table, I grabbed it and dug my debit card out of my purse.

“What are you doing?” William asked.

“I didn’t prepare anything... Let me pay for it as a celebration gift for your victory today,” I replied.

His objections were drowned out by the cheers coming from around the table.

I paid for everyone’s pizza, and Amy and I left the pizzeria surrounded by our new friendly classmates. Yet, the look in Amy’s eyes reflected my inner distrust of their intentions.

Amy hurried away to go to her father’s restaurant, and William walked me back to the school. He was so quiet in the pizzeria that I wondered if something was wrong.

“You really played an excellent game,” I told William.

“Thanks,” William said. He was a humble guy. “I love to play.”

“I meant it when I said you shouldn’t give up football,” I told him. "For real."

William went silent for a while.

“Can I take you home?” he asked.

“Sure,” I replied. I sounded calm, but inside I was shaking with excitement. “I want to talk to you.”

“I’m parked in the side lot,” William said. “What do you want to talk about? You’re making me curious.”

“We’ll talk on the way.”