Read Labeled Love for Free Online Page B

“I’m going to throw a long pass. Trent, I’m going to fake it to you while Devonne runs down field.”
    The guys nod.
    Ratty Converse sneakers push their way through the huddle to the middle of us. Squinting her blues into mine, Shay looks up to me.
    “That is so predictable, Jace. They’re going to totally expect that. Those two have been running the ball the whole game.” She puts her hands on her hips again. She seems to do that a lot. I look down to her with wide eyes at the way she takes control and notice a flower painted on her pinkie nail.
    “What do you suggest?” Trent asks with humor as he glances at her smugly, clearly being an ass.
    “Well, I happen to be pretty fast. I’ll run down field, and trust me, I’ll score.”
    “You sure sound confident,” Devonne says.
    Shay reaches into her pocket, pulling out her chapstick.
    “See?” Trent says with a huff. “She’s worried about putting fucking lipstick on. You can’t throw it to her, Jace.”
    My jaw tightens from Trent’s disrespectful mouth. “Easy with your words, bro,” I say, earning an eye roll from him.
    Shay doesn’t concern herself; instead, she puts the biggest smile on my face I think I’ve ever had when she says, “It’s not lipstick. It’s chapstick. Excuse me for having dry lips.”
    I can’t help but chuckle. She just shut down a 175-pound guy from the inner city. Trent rolls his eyes. “Whatever,” he says. “Don’t screw it up, powder puff.”
    “Not possible,” Shay says. “They’ll never see it coming. Trust me, Jace.”
    Something in the way she says that settles my nerves.
    “Trust me, Jace.”
    “Okay, let’s do it.” I look down at her and smile. She smiles wide, and then everyone takes their place on the field. The ball snaps, and guess what?
    She fucking scores.
     

     
    WE SPEND THE whole day together. Shay is like the ray of sunshine that shines brightly between my apartment buildings. As soon as she walked between that building,
    I knew the sun would shine down on that cold space. Even in her worn jeans and dirty Converse, she still looks soft… sweet. What's wrong with me? Guys like me don't think like this. Guys where I come from don't daydream of Disney princesses and happily-ever-afters. Not really anyway. Even when I do, I know it’s not possible to have a girl like her.
    “Told you I could play,” Shay says, pulling me out of my dreamland reserved for kids whose dreams become realities.
    “Um… yeah, you sure showed them you could hang,” I reply, hoping I'm keeping up with her conversation, seeing as I'm still picturing her sprinkling pixie dust around us.
    “Well, like I said, I know the game.” She reaches up with her light pink fingernails and takes her hair out of the holder. As it falls, soft brown curls frame her face, and all I can think about is how pretty she is. Then she smiles at me with the prettiest smile I’ve ever seen. I don’t even think she’ll need braces, or maybe she’s already had them. Anyway, her teeth are really straight, and her smile lights up her whole face.
    I think my heart just skipped a beat. No, it did. It totally skipped a beat, and I have no doubt we had another earthquake. Or, maybe Shay just shook my world when she entered it. Yeah, I’m pretty sure she did.
    “Nice to meet you, Jace. I’ve got to go.” Shay reaches into her pocket, taking out her chapstick. Rolling it around on her pouty lips, she smacks them together before shoving it back into her pocket. I smell coconut again.
    “See you around,” I say without breaking eye contact. God, I sound like such a wimp. I don't talk like that. But, I can't form any words around this girl, so I just wave. She waves back. I hear the guys calling me back to the game, but all I can focus on is the pretty girl with big blue eyes walking away from me. I watch until she disappears through the double doors of the center. I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel a sense of loss when she