Author's Note: I cannot thank my reviewers enough. Thank you. Thank you all a million times over. I hope I don't disappoint you with this story. But, uh, any hoo, here's the next chapter. Please keep reviewing and letting me know what you think.

Chapter Eight: Game Three

The week passed by quickly after that. Kelly watched everyday as Christi draped herself all over Sunshine, watched her grow frustrated when he didn't return her public displays of affection. Sunshine watched as Ray used every free minute to hit on Kelly, though it seemed that Kelly didn't ever notice what it was he was doing. She smiled at him in the exact same way she smiled at everyone, though it seemed to encourage Ray in his pursuit.

When Friday rolled around, the entire school was bursting in anticipation for the game that night. It was against Groveton, one of the toughest schools in the district. Kelly would never admit to her brother or any of the other guys, but she was concerned with how the team would do. They hadn't been playing up to their full potential and if they half-assed it against Groveton, they would lose.

She rode to the game with Cecile, who seemed to be glowing more than she usually did.

"What are you so happy about?" Kelly asked her dear friend.

"I don't know." Cecile said, "I'm just in a good mood."

"Who is he and why haven't you told me about him?" Kelly demanded.

"There is no he."

"Liar."

"Okay, okay, there is a he." Cecile said, "But I don't want to say anything until I have more information for myself."

"Cecile! It's me! You're supposed to tell me before you fully realize it yourself! That's how best friends work."

"Just leave me along about it. You denied liking Sunshine when I figured it out, so don't lecture me about telling each other things." Cecile said, but it was said with a smile to let Kelly know that she wasn't really mad at her.

"Okay, okay, keep your secrets, but I will figure out who it is. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Cecile said, rolling her eyes as she maneuvered the car into the school parking lot.

People were only just starting to arrive when the two girls took their seats. The air had just started to get cold, so people had already taken to wearing lightweight jackets and huddling a bit close together for the sake of warmth. Cecile and Kelly were amongst their ranks with their arms locked and legs turned toward each other.

"I say we bring a blanket to the next game." Cecile said.

Kelly's teeth chattered as she answered, "I think I could agree with that."

It was about then that the cheerleaders took their place in front of the crowd. Kelly glared at Christi, who was clad in black leggings and had her face painted. She had a twelve on her cheek. Sunshine's number.

"Ugh!" Kelly growled, "I want to choke her!"

Cecile laughed and pulled her cap down lower over her sandy brown hair. "Easy, there, cupcake." She said.

"But she's evil and they teach us in church that evil must be destroyed." Kelly rationalized.

"I don't think killing cheerleaders was quite what they meant by that message." Cecile replied.

"Can you come up with a better meaning?"

"Several."

"Oh, who asked you?" Kelly huffed.

Then, a slight chanting came drifting on the wind.

"Ooh, ahh, we feel!"

"What's that?" Kelly asked.

"Ooh, ahh, real good!"

"I don't know." Cecile said, craning her neck in an attempt to see around the people sitting beside her.

"Ooh, ahh, we feel!"

"Oh, my God!" Cecile and Kelly laughed together.

"Ooh, ahh, real good!"

The entire Titan team came shuffling into view, throwing their arms into the air as they moved.

"What is going on?" Cecile asked.

"I have no idea." Was all that Kelly could say.

The squad went out to the field and lined up as though they were about to begin their warm-ups…but instead they began dancing.

"Everywhere we go

everywhere we go

people wanna know

people wanna know

who we are

who we are

so we tell them

so we tell them

we are the Titans

we are the Titans

mighty mighty Titans

mighty mighty Titans."

Kelly was in hysterics. She watched as Sunshine danced back and forth, bobbing his head and clapping his hand and shaking that firm little tush of his. It was just too much.

"Are you watching this?" Kelly laughed.

"Are you kidding?" Cecile responded, "Look at Alan. He's really getting into it."

"Is it Alan? Do you like Alan?" Kelly asked.

"No." Cecile replied.

"It's not Gerry, is it?"

"No!"

"Okay."

The opening kickoff was beautiful. It sailed right into the arms of one of the Titans receivers. Rev led a fantastic drive down the field. Then, on the snap, the crowd watched in horror as Rev was left unprotected and went down hard on his arm.

Everyone was on their feet in less than a second.

"REV!" Cecile screamed as the color drained from her face.

Sunshine, along with the rest of the players on the bench stared on in shock as a team of trainers rushed onto the field to see to the injured quarterback. A lump swelled up in his throat as he heard Coach Boone utter the words he had been dreading to hear.

"Ronnie Bass." Boone said.

Sunshine was on his feet and at Boone's side in an instant.

Kelly looked at Cecile like she had lost her mind. She was worried about Rev, too, but damn. Then, it all clicked into place like the gears of a machine. Kelly turned to Cecile, eyes wide and mouth agape. "Rev! It's Rev, isn't it?"

The little bit of color that was left in Cecile's cheeks disappeared, leaving her skin a pasty white. She turned very slowly to look at her best friend. "You can't say anything." She said.

"Like I would! Do you think I want to Rev shot?" Kelly exclaimed as quietly as was possible.

"He's just so nice." Cecile said, her worried gaze returning to the field where they were helping him to the sidelines. "You won't tell anyone, right?"

Kelly paused for a moment before answering, "Of course not."

She locked her arm through Cecile's and gave it a comforting squeeze. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw number twelve trot out toward the huddle.

Sunshine joined his team, trying desperately to appear a lot calmer than he actually felt. "Okay, guys, don't worry, I got this." He assured them, "Lewie, let him through."

Kelly's stomach tied itself into a wad of knots as the Titans lined up across the line of scrimmage. When Lewie snapped the ball, it took everything she had not to throw up. Then she watched as Sunshine got off a beautiful pass and then took out the charging defender just below the knees, the same defender who had just waylaid Rev. The crowd burst into applause. Sunshine had just proven himself to be one hell of a football player.

The rest of the game seemed to go by very quickly. It was all a succession of gorgeous, dead on passes, great runs, and quarterback sneaks…not to mention a few perfect pitches. T.C. Williams dominated Groveton that night. The offence was unstoppable and the defense was impenetrable. All in all, it was a beautiful game.

The crowd had thinned out, but there was still the same old stragglers waiting around in the parking lot for the players to come out of the locker room. Kelly and Cecile decided to wait on the bleachers and stay huddled together for warmth.

"If your teeth chatter any harder, you're liable to chip one."

Cecile and Kelly looked down to where Sunshine was standing, holding his duffle bag and grinning from ear to ear. Kelly stood up and walked down to the bottom of the bleachers, where she propped one foot up on the railing.

"Oh my goodness! It's Ronnie 'Sunshine' Bass! My hero!" As she said the word hero, she lifted herself onto the rail and then fearlessly fell over the edge with one hand to her forehead like a dramatic actress from the twenties.

It took Sunshine less than a second to respond, immediately dropping his bag and catching his friend before she slammed into the ground.

"Kelly Bertier! Don't you ever do that again! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Cecile screamed as she came thundering off the bleachers.

Kelly, who was still in Sunshine's arms, simply wrapped her arms around his neck and looked at Cecile, "But the cute quarterback saved me."

"Ha ha, very funny." Cecile quipped.

"Good Lord, Kel. You really could have hurt yourself." Sunshine said, setting Kelly back on her feet.

"Just testing your reflexes, big guy." Kelly laughed, giving him a playful punch in the shoulder.

"How's Rev?" Cecile asked, a little too anxiously.

"Ask him yourself. He's right there." Sunshine responded, pointing to where Rev was standing talking to several people.

Cecile didn't even bother to excuse herself. She just ran over to where the crowd had gathered and managed to maneuver herself in right by his side.

"Pretty good game, there, Sunshine." Kelly smiled, "Not a bad pitch, either. How did it feel?"

"It's felt great!" Sunshine exclaimed. Kelly couldn't remember ever seeing him this way. He was practically glowing. Her appreciation of the moment was cut short, however, by a mousy little voice coming out of nowhere to interrupt.

"Sunshine, darlin', we really should get going if we're gonna go get something to eat."

Kelly glared over her shoulder to where Christi was standing with her pompoms resting on her hips.

"Oh, yeah." Sunshine said, "I told Christi we'd go get a bite. Hey, you should come with."

Kelly turned back to him. Sweet, naïve little Sunshine. "Nah, that's okay. I should really go find a Gerry…and maybe a hose for Cecile."

"Huh? A what for Cecile?" Sunshine asked, his face turning confused.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it." Kelly said, forcing herself to smile, "I'll see you Monday."
"Okay." Sunshine said. He reached down and lifted his duffle onto his shoulder before walking over to where Christi stood waiting for him. Kelly watched them zigzag their way through the steadily thinning crowd until finally, they disappeared. Hugging her arms tightly across her chest, though not necessarily for the sake of warmth, she made her own way across the parking lot until she found Cecile and Rev along with Gerry, Julius, Blue, and Alan. She kept telling herself that everything would be all right, at least for the rest of the night. She was with her friends and her big brother. She would be fine. Everything would be okay.

Of course, she didn't know what had just occurred between her beloved brother…and Ray.