She Wore the Team Mascot Costume to Pay for College — Then the Star Quarterback Left His Cheerleader Girlfriend for Her
Chapter 4
Madison noticed the change.
She noticed Jackson checking his phone.
She noticed him disappearing after practice.
She noticed that whenever Emily entered a room, his attention followed.
One evening, she asked:
“Who is Emily?”
Jackson looked up.
“A girl who works at the library.”
“You know her?”
“Sort of.”
Madison smiled.
“Since when?”
“A few weeks.”
She took a sip of water.
“You seem interested.”
Jackson didn’t answer.
Madison’s expression hardened.
“Jackson.”
“What?”
“You have a girlfriend.”
“I know.”
“Then act like it.”
He looked away.
She wasn’t wrong.
He had been thinking about Emily more than he wanted to admit.
But he didn’t know what to do about it.
The next game, the mascot appeared again.
Bruno the Buffalo danced beside the team.
Jackson laughed.
He didn’t know why he suddenly looked for the mascot every Saturday.
Emily, hidden beneath layers of foam and fabric, noticed.
He kept looking at her.
She started looking back.
Neither knew the other was the person on the other side of the costume.
That secret made the situation even stranger.
