On Thursday, October 16, the board packet went up on the district website.
Somebody posted the link in the parents group at noon.
It ran sixty-two pages.
I saw it on my break and put my phone face down next to my sandwich.
I had a shift to finish.
Friday, October 17, 7:00 PM, Hornet Field.
I paid seven dollars at the gate again.
I sat in row 12 with nothing around my neck.
My badge was still hanging on the doorknob at home.
The black trailer was inside the fence this time, right by the home gate.
The red flames still ran down the side.
The hand-lettered sign was gone.
A printed banner hung in its place.
BIG ROD'S — Official Trial Run
Jenna was working its window in a red Big Rod's apron.
The smoker on the hitch was going full blast.
The whole east end smelled like brisket.
Across the walkway, my old window had two people in it.
One was Jayla.
The other was a freshman's mom who'd never touched a register.
Jayla was running the till and the fryer both.
Her hands went back and forth between them.
She was fast.
She wasn't two-people fast.
By the second quarter the stand was out of buns.
Somebody had ordered for half this crowd.
Jayla taped a paper sign to the glass.
NO BUNS. HOT DOGS IN A NAPKIN $2
The line drifted across the walkway to the trailer.
Near the end of the second quarter, Rod Haskett climbed the bleachers.
He took the steps two at a time for a big man.
He sat down one seat over from me without asking.
"Tess."
"Rod."
He nodded down at the trailer.
"Moving some meat tonight."
"I see that."
"Nothing personal, Tess."
"A volunteer stand's a liability."
I watched Jayla straighten her paper sign.
"So's a trailer on district grass."
He laughed like I'd told a joke at a cookout.
"Board meets Monday," he said.
"I read the agenda."
"Then you know how it goes."
"I know how it's supposed to go."
He patted the bench between us and went back down.
At halftime I went under the bleachers to the back of the stand, where the grease bucket goes.
Jayla came out the back door carrying it.
She set it down when she saw me.
"Mrs. Wozniak."
"You're doing great, hon."
"We're out of everything."
"I know."
"I bought my dinner at the trailer."
"There wasn't anything left on our side."
She took out her phone and held it up.
"Is this normal?"
It was a Square receipt, emailed to her at 7:52.
Pulled Pork Sandwich — $9.00
Merchant: Big Rod's Smokehouse LLC
I read it twice.
It didn't say Halbrook Football Boosters.
It didn't say Fund 300-9014.
Every sandwich sold on that grass tonight went to Rod's business.
None of it went to the fund.
"Our money goes in the bag," Jayla said.
"With the count sheet."
"That's right."
"His just goes to him?"
"Looks like it."
"Do I still do the count sheet tonight?"
"Every night."
"Two signatures and the bag number."
"Even with just me and her?"
"Even then."
She chewed her lip.
"Jenna said Kendra 'already put in' for the trailer."
"Put in what?"
"She didn't say."
"I didn't know what that meant."
"Can you send me that receipt?"
She sent it while the band played.
We won by six.
Owen kicked two extra points.
I couldn't have told you anything else about the second half.
At 11:20 PM I was at my kitchen table.
Owen was asleep.
His cleats sat by the door.
I opened the laptop and pulled up the packet.
I went to Item 7 first.
Booster Audit Exceptions.
My handwriting had been typed up into one neat paragraph.
Ellen Voss's memo sat behind it, one page.
108 deposits. Reconciled to the cent.
Then I went to Item 9.
Stadium Concessions Partnership — Big Rod's Smokehouse LLC
Term: three years. Exclusive.
Boosters receive 12% of gross.
Then a sentence at the bottom of page 2.
The current volunteer stand will be retired.
Retired, like a jersey number.
Nine seasons, and that was the word for it.
Page 3 had a bold heading.
Every partnership proposal has to carry it.
Proof of booster support
Under it was one line.
Booster partner deposit received 7/30/25: $4,800.00
July 30.
Kendra's drive had been open eight weeks by then.
My Fenner's receipt was still on the fridge under a magnet.
$4,800
The boosters have one account.
I get every statement.
No check to Rod had ever left it.
The uniform money paid for his deal.
And he'd written down who paid.
Payer: Halbrook Football Boosters