Page 130 of While You Were Trending

He’s let into the circle.

But he pushes me further out as he joins them.

“I d-don’t have f-frostbite from th-th-three s-seconds of b-being wet,” Ginny chatters out.

“Cricket?” Heath calls.

“I found a blanket!” she says.

I didn’t even realize she’d disappeared, but there she is, running into the barn with a thick wool blanket.

“Grab Ginny a cookie for the adrenaline crash.” He drops his voice lower. “You sure it didn’t bite you?”

“It d-didn’t b-bite me,” Ginny chatters.

“And takethatandthatandthat,” Lavender says as she smacks Ginny’s dress with her pool noodle.

I clench my fists in my pockets, feeling completely defeated as I back out of the barn, still watching Ginny and her friends as Cricket joins the group.

Mabel takes the blanket and wraps it around Ginny while Cricket holds a cookie to her mouth.

They’ve got her.

She doesn’t need me too.

I’m in the way.

Extra.

Warming the bench in a game that’s already over.

As soon as I reach the concrete pad, I accidentally make eye contact with an unfamiliar woman who’s joined us.

And she promptly bursts into tears.

“My mama loved you,” she wails.

Heath glances our way sharply, looking between me and the woman.

I look between Heath and the woman.

She has round, rosy cheeks, big eyes, a Southern accent, and she’s wearing soft pink pants and a loose black blouse. I’d guess she’s in her twenties, though she might be a little older.

“Adelaide?” I guess.

The sobs intensify. “And you know my name?”

“Way to cause a scene, dude,” Dori murmurs to me as she zips past to hug Adelaide. “Let it all out, friend.”

“You want to go back to the house?” Cricket’s asking Ginny, who’s now wearing my University of Minnesota T-shirt, which hangs down to mid-thigh on her.

Her hair’s wet, the curls curling tighter, but her skin looks mostly dry.

Olivia drops the blanket outside their circle as all of the women step back and give Ginny a little more room.

Ginny does that thing with her head where she tries to shake it and nod it at the same time. “No. Yes. I don’t, but?—”

She makes eye contact with me.