Unbreakable (Accidental Crush #3) by Adrienne Torrisi

it flies right through the uprights, and I squeeze my eyes shut and give a silent thank you.
    “Your boy is good,” Casey whispers in my ear.
    Yeah, tonight is going to be trouble .
    ***
    Half-time takes on a new meaning this year now that I’m dating someone who was actually voted on the homecoming court. Of course, all of the boys made court, and this year since they are all seniors, they can be voted king. Seeing Ryan out there with Gretchen in her homecoming dress brings a smile to my face. All of the girls who were voted on the court left to change into their dresses for the announcement of the court during half-time. The boys who are on the team have to stay in their uniforms, though, since they are in the middle of a game.
    They call Ryan and Gretchen’s names. Ryan really is handsome, even when his hair is matted down with sweat from wearing his helmet. Then they introduce Brian and his partner. Brian is truly in his element. He’s egging on the crowd, trying to get louder cheers. He’s paired with Nancy, another cheerleader from Gretch’s group. I look over at Blythe who is way more invested in the announcement of court than I thought she would be.
    “Look at your boyfriend,” I say playfully.
    “Yeah, yeah,” she says, falling back into her usual aloof self.
    “Look at yours.” She gestures back out to the field as Todd is announced.
    Of course he’s paired with RTS who is hanging all over him. Although I can tell he is uncomfortable, he’s putting up a good front. I hate that they have to hold hands, but beyond the hate for her, my stomach flips over with a thousand butterflies for him. Yup, he still has that effect on me.
    I love how his sweaty hair is hanging in his eyes. I love how his spandex football pants hug his butt. Seeing him in his pads and uniform will never get old. I want to jump over the fence, onto the field, and into his arms right now. Instead, he’s holding RTS’s hand. Either way, he’s mine and he looks incredible. I could sit here forever, looking at him in the middle of the field.
    When the announcer takes an envelope from Principal Marks—homecoming is very official at our school—the crowd starts to quiet down to hear who won.
    The announcer opens the envelope. “And it is my distinct pleasure to announce this year’s Homecoming Queen … Gretchen Parker!”
    A small flutter of joy fills my stomach, and both Blythe and Shane nudge me.
    “Ryan’s got this,” Shane whispers. I think he might be right since Gretch won.
    “And your Homecoming King is … Ryan Taylor!”
    The crowd erupts in cheers, but Gretchen squeals the loudest. It resonates through all of the speakers since she’s standing next to the man holding the microphone.
    Both Todd and Brian run up to Ry and bear hug him, lifting him off the ground, while a swarm of girls surround Gretchen. They are both engulfed with people until the announcer pulls them away from the crowd. He has Ryan and Gretch stand at the top of the podium, where they both get ridiculously oversized crowns placed on their heads to enormous cheers coming from the bleachers.
    I glance down at my parents, and my mom looks so excited you would think she just won. My dad glances over at me and gives me a thumbs up.
    Todd seems so genuinely happy. I know he couldn’t care less about winning. For some reason, however, RTS is still holding his hand.
    God, I hate her.
    ***
    “Tonight, we are drinking, boys,” Brian announces as we all walk into Mark Conner’s party.
    His house is already packed with people since we waited for the boys to shower and meet with a few of the scouts who came to the game.
    “We have a lot to celebrate,” Brian continues to shout over the noise of the party. “Notre Dame, Penn State, Bama. I mean, those are huge schools and they are interested in us.” He’s practically jumping up and down as he walks backward through the crowd. “Come on, Ryan, the Notre Dame scout was all over you. And the Penn scout was