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He’s mine.
Oh, this is bad. This is really, really bad.
“No more time for ogling over the sexy guy from the news!” April calls out, and I shudder. “We have a show tonight, and it’s got to be a good one. Mr. Huxton is coming to watch us perform!”
“Mr. Huxton!”
“The billionaire? Awesome!”
“Wait,” I say. “Which Huxton? There’s five of them.”
James Huxton is the patriarch, also ironically called “Old Mr. Huxton” since he’s the dad, but he just turned sixty with a giant ball like the city had never seen before. Then there are his four sons – Douglas, Louie, Henry, and Charles. They’re all around my age, and all have at one point or another been profiled in magazines and television as the most eligible bachelors in the state.
Except those tv shows don’t know what the rest of us in Hampton Falls know – the Huxton boys will never settle down.
Those of us who grew up with them knew it a long time ago.
But as far as attending our show goes, this is great. April has been dying to take us to the state-wide competition, and this could be our chance to get funding.
“It’s Mr. James Huxton,” April announces.
“That’s good news,” I say. “He’s the most likely to support us. He loves all things Hampton Falls.”
“I was hoping it was going to be Henry,” a derby-er called Jillian says. “I’m hoping to convince him to fall in love with me and sweep me off to the Maldives on his yacht with my mom, my cat, and a masseuse.”
When we all recover from the laughter, April picks up where she left off.
“This is our chance, ladies. Tonight. If we can get Old Mr. Huxton to believe in us, then we could get our chance to roll in the big leagues!”
Cheers ensue, though I’m still distracted by the whole Terence-was-on-tv-and-is-now-my-soul-mate thing.
I must have misunderstood my feelings. It’s just not possible, not with Terence.
“Alli.” April rolls up beside me. “I know you’ve just joined, but I can tell you’re going to be a real asset to the team.”
I look behind me, but no one’s there. “Me? I'm terrible out there. You can’t mean me.”
“Yes, I mean you. You’ll learn how to skate—that’s not what I’m talking about. You’ve only just joined, and already the energy of the team has gone up a notch. Normally you’d need to be on the team for at least a season before competing, but if we get Huxton’s support and make it to State, I hope you’ll come.”
“You bet I will!”
She play-punches me on the shoulder, though it stings a little. “That’s a girl! Now let’s go get rolling! Work on your equilibrium.”
Equilibrium. In other words, stop spontaneously falling down so much.
When I’m biking around the city, delivering packages and messages, I only have two wheels, and I ride like an arrow. Now I have eight, and I do everything except go straight.
The next hour passes and I don’t know if it’s the pressure of knowing that Mr. Huxton is coming tonight, but I’m an extra huge mess.
“Gather up,” April calls out.
I head over, feeling the looks of the others on me like I just rolled out of a giant pile of manure, though they are all too nice to say anything. Turns out the learning curve is steep in roller derby.
April gestures for us to take each other’s shoulders, huddling up. We do it because April is the best type of leader. Kind and firm, understanding and ambitious.
“Small change of plans. I see what’s happening out there. We all do.” She looks straight at me. “Alli, from here on, you have one single job.”
“To stay upright?” I offer, and someone beside me sniggers.
