Raiders Night Read Online Free

he thought, checking up on me. Better answer. Get it over with quick. He mumbled something and turned his back on the girl. Heflipped open the phone. “Eighty.” It was his jersey number, a code with Mandy.
    â€œThis sucks.” It was Brody.
    â€œI’ll stay for a while.”
    â€œNeed a ride?”
    â€œGot one.” And some ibuprofen, too.
    â€œTomorrow.” Brody hung up.
    When he turned back, she was gone.
    He tried to remember her name. Had he ever known it? He tried to bring up her face, but all he got were lips and eyes. Now I need a ride. He punched #1 on his speed dial but got Brody’s voice mail. Maybe he’s still here. He started toward the door. He felt as though he were walking in waist-high warm water, dense and salty. Ocean. Man, I am hammered. But the headache was okay, cottony, blotting out any other thoughts.
    Lexie was in the middle of the living room, crying. Girls fluttered around her, cooing, patting her. One of them turned to glare at him. Terri. The one Mandy replaced. Get over it already. Like Coach says, Get past the past.
    â€œScore yet?” Ramp dropped a meat hook on his shoulder.
    Lexie was wailing now.
    â€œWhat’s her problem?” It was the kicker, Patel.
    â€œDrama queen,” said Ramp. “She bought new boobs to get attention and now she got it.”
    â€œNeeds a pounding,” said Patel. He was okay, but he was the only Indian on the team and tried too hard to sound like the other guys.
    â€œI need a beer,” said Ramp.
    Patel scurried off. I need to get away from all this, thought Matt. Get out of the house, walk home if I have to. He shrugged off Ramp’s arm and made his way across the room. But he had lost the sense of where he was. Lexie’s dad was a contractor and the house was huge, a maze. Matt passed kids making out and then thought he passed them again.
    Patel popped up and pressed a cold can into his hand. “Got you one, too, Matt.”
    â€œThanks.” It felt good rolled across his forehead.
    It took forever to find the door. It was cooler outside. Did he really want to walk? Try Brody again.
    â€œReady?” The tall girl with the full lips came out of the shadows.
    â€œThought you left.”
    â€œI was waiting for you.” Her hand on his arm guided him across the lawn.
    Her car was on the road, a gray Jetta. She opened the passenger door for him. He strained to see her face. What was her name?
    She started the engine, then reached across him to open the glove compartment. Her body was warm and soft on his lap. She rattled a little plastic bottle. “Taketwo.” She put the pills in his hand. When he hesitated, she said, “Ibuprofen, remember?”
    He washed them down with a gulp of warm beer. His forehead had cooked the can. He turned to thank her but her lips were in the way.
    â€œI have soft hands, too,” she said.

FOUR
    He was lost again in the maze of dark streets, voices murmuring at him from behind garbage cans and parked cars. He thought about putting up the convertible’s top as protection, but the windshield was filthy and he needed to be able to peer over it to see where he was going. But he couldn’t see anyway. A car wash. He needed to get to a car wash. Hands began rapping on the metal skin of the car, a drumbeat, laughter. He recognized voices but couldn’t remember the names. His cell phone vibrated but he couldn’t find it. He knew it was the call he was waiting for. He drove faster until the car wash appeared, then drove right onto the tracks. The machinery rumbled and moved the car into the spray. He couldn’t get the top up. Huge wet rags from the ceiling were slapping his face, crushing his chest. He couldn’t breathe. He was drowning.
    â€œRomo.” Junie was trying to drag the big dog off him,but she didn’t want to stop licking Matt’s face.
    He sat up fast. Romo stepped backward onto his groin.