“Got it. Are you ready to take me up on that offer?”
“It appears I need to be a bigger asshole than I already am.”
“Holy shit, I was teasing. You keep that wicked tongue to yourself.” She spins back around and keeps walking. If wicked is being correct in the things I say that no one else will, I’m okay with that. I check my smart watch, seeing I have time before practice.
With not much else to do, I head back toward the school grounds. Each day, more and more people are showing up. I already moved my shit into my room. I ended up paired with Grant. Out of everyone on the team, it’s not the worst pick I could have gotten. I bet Coach had his hand all up in that.
Grant has already moved in. I haven’t seen him, but all his crap is there. He is very clean and organized, boot-camp type. I stop walking when I spot Georgia Ashford barreling down the sidewalk, not paying attention to where she’s going. Typical of her, without a care in the world. Georgia has always thought she is better than everyone else. She doesn’t give anyone the time of day. I’m sure she’s as ready to get out of here as I am.
I don’t move when she collides right into me, falling backwards onto her ass. A small scream leaves her.
“How about you watch where you’re going?” I stand over her. She mutters under her breath, and I don’t catch it. “What?”
“Nothing.” She winces when she starts to get up.
“The fuck is wrong with you?” A girl snaps at me before I feel a shove to my right shoulder. Not sure what she thinks she was about to do. I take in the thin but tall girl with black, shiny hair. She’s not taller than me; no one around here is. “Oh, you have no words now when I talk to you. Someone that talks back.”
I turn to face the girl, wanting to take more of her in. She’s wearing a zip-up jacket with a sports bra underneath and those stretchy pants girls are always wearing with a pair of sneakers. This has to be one of the new girls. Those plump, shiny lips of hers are pursed.
“Whatever, asshole.” She helps Georgia to her feet. This time being called an asshole hits differently. Fuck, she’s beautiful, and I am at a loss for words momentarily. “Come on,” the girl tells Georgia. “Watch it.” I am dumbstruck when she snaps her teeth at me. “I bite,” she warns. My dick jerks in my pants as lust hits me, pissing me off. It’s a reaction no girl has ever evoked from me before.
I watch the girls head off, but not before the dark-haired girl does a spin to face me, flipping me off before giving me her back again. My eyes drop to her ass.
Who the fuck is this chick, and who does she think she is? I grab the back of my neck and squeeze. The array of emotions I have is abnormal. I don’t like it.
I only grow more irritated about this and thankful when practice starts so I can work it out of my system. Today is easier than normal because of the rally. It’s supposed to be for the school as a whole and people returning, but its focus is football. Everyone tries to pretend that hockey doesn’t have a chokehold around here when it does.
“What the fuck is wrong with you today?” Grant pulls off his helmet, and I see that he too is now irritated.
“Don’t think I’ve heard you curse before.”
“Yeah, because when I do, you’ll pay fucking attention.” He’s got me there. “You don’t want to go to this rally that badly you’re throwing a fit?” I wouldn’t necessarily say that I’m throwing a fit, am I?
“I want to go,” I say, surprising myself.
Grant’s brows rise in shock. “You take a hit to the head or something that I’m not aware of?” He’s serious.
“Don’t be a dick.” I can’t blame him for questioning me. I have no fucking clue why those words left my mouth. Well, maybe I have a little inkling, but I’m not ready to admit it. Not even to myself.
“Right, being a dick is your thing.” He starts to skate off. “We’ll go together,” he calls back at me.
“I don’t need a fucking date!”
“Not a date,” he calls back. “A chaperone.” I jerk my head toward Coach. Did they put Grant on my ass? Those motherfuckers. It’s not a bad play on their end, but also, they can all go fuck themselves.
I head back to the locker room to do a quick soak before I shower and make my way to my room. Grant is already there. I change, taking more time than usual to pick out my clothing. Which is dumb as fuck because it’s jeans and a shirt. I grab a baseball cap and toss it on.
“You couldn’t wait for me?” Grant says as he jogs to catch up to me.
“We’re not friends,” I remind him.
“I’m starting to think I’m the closest thing you’ve got to a friend.” I don’t bother responding, but that doesn’t stop his ass from talking. “We going to be early? You’re never on time.”
“Are you keeping tabs on me?”
“I have eyes and ears. Coach is loud when he’s screaming.” He’s always screaming. I don’t know if he has any other tone than that.
It doesn’t take long to arrive at the center of the school grounds, where there is a giant fountain. All around it are our tables. People often hang here between classes or lunch. This place might be a high school, but it operates more like a college campus.
