Page 27 of Kickoff

Chase jogged after me as we left the athletic building. Our early training session had been exhausting, and right now, I was looking forward to my morning classes.

“Why are you in a hurry?” my best friend asked, sliding the strap of his bag over his head. “School resumed only a week ago, and nothing is urgent enough that you gotta rush to class.”

“I have to go to the office to switch my Calculus and Biology classes. They’re supposed to gimme my new schedule. Anyway, you know how much I hate being late.”

“I’ll come with you then.”

I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

Chase lifted his hands in surrender. “The new girl working the front desk. She’s hot. Just saying.”

“Like forty-hot?”

“Nah. More like thirty-ish-hot. Not certain so I gotta go there…ya know…with you to make sure.”

I poked his shoulder. “Man, can’t you find girls your own age? You almost got Ms. Richardson fired last year because you were shamelessly flirting with her.”

“I’m a love machine. What can I say? No lady can resist my undeniable charm.”

“Keep believing that, Romeo.”

“And I love older women. They’re not clingy, and they have experience.” He waggled his eyebrows. “If you know what I mean.”

“Seriously, I’m starting to think you have mommy issues.”

“Nah. Just too much love to give.”

I was in and out of the main office within five minutes. My friend left when he realized the girl at the front desk wasn’t working today.

I bumped into my brother before I made it to my homeroom. “Watch where you’re going, bro. Get down from your love cloud. Us, mere mortals, live down here.”

He smiled at my teasing. “I’m late. I walked Paige to her homeroom. I can’t believe we have no classes together this semester. It’s like they did it on purpose.”

I unfolded the sheet of paper in my hand to analyze my new schedule. “I think I’m with your girl in social studies.” I folded it back and stuffed it in my jeans pocket. “Gotta go. My homeroom is on the other end of the east wing.”

“You’re not in my homeroom anymore?”

“Nah. They reworked my schedule because it didn’t fit with training hours on Fridays.” The late bell rang. Ugh, I hated being late. I clapped my brother’s shoulder. “I’ll see you later.”

The rest of the day passed in a blur.

It turned out I had two classes with Paige, one with Chase, and none with Melinda or Craig.

The bell rang at the end of the last period, and I shoved my books into my bag as students got up in a shuffle of chairs and loud chatter, then rushed outside the classroom.

Tanya, the captain of the cheerleading team and a girl I hooked up with once a long time ago, waited for me outside my English lit class.

“Heyyy Mase,” she purred, the sound grating on my last nerve.

“Sorry, Tan, but I don’t have time for whatever this is.” I had to get to practice. Her fingers wound around my arm in an iron grip, and she followed me as I weaved through the mass of students ready to go home, the buzz of their voices surrounding me. I offered her my fakest smile, not in the mood for anything related to her. “There’s somewhere I have to be. You know how Coach hates it when we’re late. I don’t feel like running extra drills to make up for my tardiness.” I yanked my arm away from her hold, but she grabbed it back as soon. Jesus. We used to be friendly, she and I. For the sake of the school spirit. Not anymore. I hated everything she represented, and I was done with that life. People pleasers and panty droppers weren’t in my job description anymore.

“We haven’t hung out together in ages. I miss you. The last time I saw you was before the summer vacation, and you were with a bunch of people and didn’t acknowledge me. Do you miss me?” She batted her fake eyelashes as if it could make me jump back in bed with her.

That night had been a mistake, with a giant capital M. The next morning, Tanya had planned our whole future, only to sleep with one of my teammates two days later, thinking I would react. Even after I admitted to her that we would never have a do-over. Yeah, well, her revenge plan failed because I didn’t give a damn about whose dick she sucked. If only she could get the memo, it would save both of us a lot of trouble and awkward encounters.

“I told you once. It was a mistake. We’re not compatible. I have no interest in pursuing with you whatever it is you have in mind.”

“Can we at least spend time together?” Was she really this clingy, or was it all an act to dig her poisonous claws in me?