“Coach says I need to stop thinking so much before I act, but I can’t help it. There are so many cases of brain damage nowadays that I want to be extra careful, but he says football can’t be too calculated.” He sighed. “I might just quit the team at this rate. I haven’t really been into it in a while, anyway...”

“If you want to quit, then quit. You said it yourself that you only play because you enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy it anymore, then quit.” I mumbled.

Lay looked up from his food quickly, his eyes wide and a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Whoa, did you just reply to me?”

I laughed, nodding. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“No, no, no, you can’t ask that question. You’ve been silent all week. I was starting to think I was just annoying you, but I guess you were listening.”

“Of course I was listening... And I only said anything because I didn’t want you to... leave.” My face immediately got hot and I immediately regretted saying it. I sounded needy, as if I depended on our time at lunch. It didn’t matter that those things were true, I shouldn’t have let him know that.

Surprisingly, instead of getting awkward and uncomfortable, like so many other guys would have been, he smiled, his cheeks coloring a bit, too. “Well, I’m glad...”