Page 12 of Trick Play

I rocked back and forth on my heels as doors along the hall opened and students filed out. This was my last shot. If I didn’t see her in the next few minutes, I’d have to wait until tomorrow. I needed to get to practice and I couldn’t be late, not with Coach watching me so closely.

Dozens of people walked past without giving me a second glance. I liked being around the art students. They were so focused on their own worlds that they generally didn’t follow the school sports. I was just a really tall guy to them. Nothing to get excited about.

There.

I caught her light brown hair as she glided toward me. She was talking to a girl I didn’t know and was nearly past me before she looked up.

Her face fell, and I immediately lost all the courage I’d mustered.

She said something to the girl who eyed me before walking off.

“What?” she said with no warmth.

“I wanted––”

She huffed out a laugh. “You want. Shocking. It’s always about you and what you want when you want it.”

I deserved that. “We’re going to have to work together, and I thought it would be a good idea to clear the air.”

She narrowed her eyes but didn’t say anything for a long moment. Her lips drew into a tight line until they went white. Then with a look that made me want to take a step back, she spoke slowly. “You do not talk to me outside of class. You do not come to this building unless it’s for class. You do not follow me around or wait for me. You will leave me alone like you have for the past three years. If you need to contact me outside of class, send me a message through the class site.”

She turned and walked away before I could reply. Not that I had any words left. There was nothing to say. She made herself crystal clear.

By the time I made it to the arena, I’d suppressed the lingering disappointment and embarrassment. I didn’t have the headspace to process emotions right now. I had more important things to focus on.

“There he is,” Reid said with a cocky grin.

Hunter clapped while Benjamin watched me with his arms crossed over his chest.

I ignored them and went to my locker, placing my bag on the bench in front.

“You were so close. You almost made it out,” Hunter said as he slapped me on the back.

“Looks like karma wanted to sneak in and take you down when you least expected it,” Benjamin said.

“I’m here for it,” Reid said, but I avoided looking at him.

So much for being supportive and encouraging. Not that I was all that surprised. If the situation was reversed, I’d be joining in with them.

“I tried to talk to her. She told me not to speak to her outside of class.” I pulled off my T-shirt and swapped it for a compression shirt.

“What did you expect? She’d give you a hug and want to catch up?” Benjamin asked.

I shrugged and tugged on my pads. “I wanted to apologize.”

Haley was right about that. It was the right thing to do. I didn’t handle things well when we were freshmen, but I wasn’t doing much better now.

“Too little, too late, man,” Hunter said. “She knows you’re only doing it now because you have to work together. If you’d sought her out at literally any other time, it might have gone differently, but it’s not exactly genuine now.”

“Yeah, I’m aware. I’m an idiot. A failure. A jerk. I paid for it once, and I’m going through it all over again.”

“Did you?” Benjamin asked.

I pulled my jersey on and faced him. “What do you mean?”

“Did you really pay for it? Tell me how?”

I scoffed. He’d been there. Didn’t he remember? “My high school friends took her side.”