Chapter 22: What He Said

Dane held the microphone for a long moment.

The stadium waited, because he was the one who never spoke.

"My name is Dane Conrad," he said, and his voice filled every seat.

"I wear number fourteen. You have been booing me for five minutes."

A few people laughed, nervously.

"You're right to," he said. "I'll tell you why."

He took a folded square of paper out of his jersey pocket, looked at it, and put it back.

"You saw the napkin on that screen," he said. "The bet was mine, and every name she has been called this week belongs to me."

"Anneliese Barron only said yes because she had nowhere to go."

Beside him I stood very still.

He took the folded square of paper out of his jersey pocket, looked at it, and put it back.

"A bad day is not a bad person," he said. "A stranger left that under my wiper two years ago. I have been trying to deserve it ever since."

He glanced at me, once.

"It was her."

A sound went through the stands, soft and surprised.

"I didn't know how to say hello, so I made a bet. I would like to say it properly now."

He turned his head toward the tunnel, where Lacey stood with her clipboard.

"Lacey Glover planned the tailgate to make Anneliese cry, and I knew it."

Lacey's mouth opened.

"I pulled a cord and let Anneliese think it was luck."

His hand tightened on the microphone.

"That part is mine too. If you want to boo me, boo me for that."

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