Chapter 11: After the Whistle
The final whistle blew, and the stadium cracked open with cheers.
Sheik didn't hear most of it.
He was still catching his breath, heart pounding like a drum in his chest, sweat soaking through his jersey. His teammates swarmed him, hands slapping his back, voices shouting his name.
And yet, even in all the noise, he was listening for one thing.
Andrea.
He spotted her near the bleachers again, not cheering now—just watching.
There was pride in her eyes. But something else, too.
Something harder to name.
Then Coach Mendoza pulled him aside, grinning so wide it looked unnatural on his usually stone-faced expression.
"Sheik," he said, gripping his shoulder, "she wants to talk to you."
"The scout?" Sheik asked, heart suddenly tight again.
Coach nodded. "She's impressed. Said she liked how you read the field. You should go. Don't make her wait."
Sheik nodded slowly.
Across the field, the woman in the navy jacket was already jotting something on her clipboard. Her expression unreadable.
Sheik looked toward Andrea again.
She was still there—but not for long. He could see it in the way her shoulders tensed. The way her fingers fidgeted with the strap of her bag. Like she didn't know if she should stay or give him space.
She started walking down the bleachers.
"Wait," he called, already moving toward her.
They met halfway, just off the field.
"Hey," he said, breath still shallow. "She wants to talk to me. The scout."
Andrea gave a small smile. "I figured."
There was a pause.
Neither of them spoke for a moment. It wasn't awkward—it was heavy.
"You were amazing," she finally said.
He looked down, a little shy now. "Only after halftime."
She smiled more fully this time. "Yeah. I wonder what changed."
Their eyes met. Something silent passed between them. Not quite a confession. But not nothing, either.
"You should go," she said, nodding toward the scout. "Don't keep her waiting."
"Will you be here when I'm done?" he asked.
Andrea hesitated, just for a second. Then: "Yeah. I'll wait."
And somehow, that was the thing that steadied him more than any goal.