by L A Cotton
We paid for our lunch and weaved through the masses to our table. Hailee was already there. She looked up and smiled. “You must be Mya. Welcome to Rixon High. I see Flick already got her claws in you.” My best friend fought a grin.
“She’s persistent, I’ll give her that.”
“Hey,” I protested. “I am sitting right here.”
“We know,” they both said in unison and I gawked at them.
“I’m beginning to think this was a bad idea. Now there are two of you.”
“Strength in numbers, am I right?” Mya held out a fist toward Hailee who stared at her. When she awkwardly bumped it against Mya’s knuckles, it was my turn to snicker.
“Very ghetto,” I mouthed at her.
“Heard that,” Mya flicked her gaze to me and I blushed.
“Sorry.”
“Nah, it’s all good. I like it. Beats everyone else looking at me like they don’t know whether to run the other way or ask me if I know Snoop Dog.”
“Mya, that’s not...” Hailee started but the words died on her lips. “Rixon is small town; there isn’t a lot of diversity around these parts.”
“I can see that.” Mya let her eyes wander around the cafeteria. While I hadn’t blinked twice at her style—the holey boy jeans, shirt tied around her waist, khaki tank top, and military style boots—others were looking.
“So break it down for me.”
“Football team.” I motioned over to where Asher and the rest of the team sat. He gave us a two fingered salute and Mya snorted.
“Is he always so...”
“Annoying?” I asked. “Pretty much. We hated on the team until this year but since Hailee is dating—”
“Hold up,” Mya jerked back. “You’re dating him?”
“Whoa, no. I’m with Cameron. See the one with the dark short hair, cherry blossom tattoo?”
“Nice, very nice. But still a football player? Damn, girl.”
“Tell me about it.” Hailee smiled shyly. “It was never the plan but...”
“You can’t help who you fall for.” Mya finished as if she knew all about complicated relationships. “Got it.”
“Football is a huge deal here,” I went on. “The Raiders have a real shot at State so expect things to get a little crazy around here over the next few weeks.”
Mya grimaced. “Is there anything to do for fun in Rixon that doesn’t involve football?”
“There’s Ice T’s, the ice cream parlor; and The Alley.”
“Let me guess, bowling?”
I nodded. “It has a diner and arcade too. It’s probably one of the only places untouched by football around here.” Well, it had been until recently, but I didn’t tell Mya that. I didn’t want to scare her off for good.
“So we’ve got ice cream and bowling. Anything else?” She smirked.
“Hmm, in the summer we go down to the lake and swim, that’s pretty cool.”
“You’re really living your best life here, huh?”
“Like I said, small town.” Hailee smiled, forking some pasta into her mouth.
Mya’s gaze flicked back over to the football tables. “Guess I’d better readjust my expectations then.” There was something in her eyes, a sadness edged with lust. Mya talked a good game about hating football, just like the rest of us who tried to remain unaffected. But the truth was, when you lived in a place like Rixon, football infiltrated your life even if you didn’t want it to.
When her eyes landed on mine again and she said, “Should I even ask if you have a basketball team?” I realized maybe I’d misjudged her after all.
Chapter Ten
Jason
“Did you see the new girl?” Grady asked me as I got ready for practice.
I shrugged, pulling on my shoulder pads.
“I saw Bennet introducing himself.” Mackey winked over at him. “You thinking of slumming it?”
“Not cool, bro,” Asher’s jaw clenched. “Not cool.”
“What? I’m just saying she looks Straight Outta Compton.” He rapped the words.
“Mackey, do us all a favor and shut the fuck up, yeah?”
“Sorry, Cap, I was only messing around.”
“Fucking idiot,” Asher grumbled, shouldering him and heading out of the locker room.
“I think Bennet’s got a crush on the new girl,” Grady said, and snorts of laughter rang out around the room.
“Maybe you should all quit gossiping and focus on the game we have coming up?” I shot each one of them a harsh look before going after Asher.
I didn’t give a fuck about some new girl, but I’d seen her sitting with Hailee and Felicity at lunch. Of course my step-sister and her best friend would take in the stray.
Rolling my eyes, I made my way over to Asher and Cameron. “Hey, you okay?”
“Who, me?” His brows waggled. “I’m good.” Trust Asher to brush it under the rug.
“Who is she anyway?” I asked.
“I heard she transferred from Philly. Mia or Mya or something,” Cameron offered. “The principal asked Felicity to help her settle in.”
“Sounds about right.”
“Okay, ladies, bring it in,” Coach Hasson yelled. Once we were listening, he said, “Game seven and it’s going to be a tough one. Fenn Hill are the team to beat this season. Their offense have been unstoppable, not to mention, they have eleven division one picks. And we’re playing at their place. I’m not going to sugarcoat it; you’re going to need to bring everything you have to get the win. And we need that win.”
Because this win was our ticket to the play-offs.
“We’ve got this, Coach,” I said with confidence. The Falcons were good, but we were better.
“I’m glad you think so, Son, because after Friday’s game, you need to prove yourselves. I’m not going to rehash what happened because we drew a line under it Friday.” Yeah, after he’d chewed us out like we were kids caught with our hands in the cookie jar, before issuing Cameron a warning. “But you’d better hope to God you don’t pull that shit again. I don’t care if their players are talking smack about your dead grandmothers out there. Let. It. Go. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good.” His eyes landed on me. “Warm them up, QB.”
“Let’s go,” I roared, leaping to my feet. After Friday’s game, I was itching to get back on the field; to prove to everyone—and myself—that we were the best.
But then I spotted two familiar faces in the bleachers. Jogging beside Cameron, I grumbled, “What are they doing here?”
“Hailee needs to work on her last couple of raw sketches for the Seniors Night thing.”
Pressing my lips together, I swallowed the reply on my tongue. Hailee I could deal with, but Felicity?
“I didn’t sign up for this shit.”
“Don’t be a dick,” Cam levelled with me with a hard look. “You know how important this project is to Hailee. Besides, she’s been out here almost every practice and you haven’t...” Realization sparked in his eyes. “But you’re not talking about Hailee are you?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
A slow smirk tugged at his mouth. “Sure you don’t.” Cameron clapped me on the back before joining the rest of the guys in formation for warm-ups. “I’m going to enjoy watching you fall”, he called, and I stared blankly at him.
Because what the actual fuck?
Practice was brutal. Coach made us run drills until my muscles burned and my bones ached. He was concerned about the game against Fenn Hill. It was right there in the way he pushed us harder. Demanded more. Insisted we give everything we had to give and then some. By the time we made it back to the locker room, I was ready to fall into bed and sleep for a week. Not that it was ever an option.
“Yo, QB, Thatcher is running his mouth again.”
My spine straightened as Grady came over, handing me his cell.
@ThatcherQB1: Better run, better hide, the Falcons are on the hunt #Falconsforthewin #Raide
rscansuckit
“He’s really not giving this thing up, is he?”
“He’s all talk.” I flipped Grady’s cell back to him.
“And if he isn’t all talk?” Cameron dropped down on the bench next to me.
“I can handle Thatcher.”
“Like you handled him when he was at The Alley putting his hands on Hailee?”
“That’s not fair and you know it.”
“You’re right.” He let out a strained breath. “I’m sorry. I just can’t stand the idea that he was anywhere near her.”
“It won’t happen again,” I said, even though I knew it was a promise I couldn’t keep.
“You don’t really think he’ll show Friday, do you? Maybe we should talk to Coa—”
“Have you lost your fucking mind? The last thing we need to do is take this to Coach. If Finnigan finds out about this, it won’t end well for any of us. He’s already watching my every move.” Determined to ‘clean up’ the reputation of the football team, the new principal had made it his priority to make sure his football team behaved. Except, it wasn’t his team, not really. A fact he hated. But Coach Hasson and the school board could only protect us so much.
The need to get Thatcher back burned through me. But I had to be smart about getting payback. Because the team had worked too damn hard to risk everything.
I’d worked too damn hard.
“Thatcher will get what’s coming to him,” I said quietly, feeling vengeance boil my blood.
“That’s what worries me.” Cameron gave me a pointed look before standing up and grabbing his bag. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said before walking away.
There was a day when we did everything together. But now he had Hailee and everything was different.
And fuck me, if it didn’t suck.
I grabbed my shit and headed out. I didn’t expect to run into Asher and Felicity in the parking lot, laughing and joking like old friends.
“We’re thinking of heading to Bell’s, you want to come?” Ash said with an easy smile, as if she was part of our group now. I frowned, my eyes sliding to hers in question. She lowered her face, heat creeping into her cheeks.
“What, are you two now like fuck buddies or something?” Felicity blanched while Asher’s eyes shuttered as he let out a heavy sigh.
“Jase, come on, it isn’t like that—”
“Whatever. It’s none of my business. You do you, but I think I’ll pass.”
“Maybe I should go,” her soft voice drifted over me like a warm current. I was being a dick, but she was everywhere I fucking turned.
“You don’t need to go. I said we’ll hang out and we will.” Asher narrowed his eyes on me, daring me to argue. Then it hit me, that maybe this was all part of some game. His way of trying to get me to admit I liked her.
I didn’t.
She just got under my skin. That was all.
But as I skulked away from them, I wasn’t so sure anymore.
“Let’s go, ladies, onto the buses.” It was Friday evening and the entire team and cheer squad were crammed onto four buses that would take us to Fenn Hill. Our fans following in their cars behind us.
It was a sight to behold; half the town making the forty-minute ride to come out and support the Raiders. But everyone wanted to see us win; to move one step closer to State. And it helped; having a big presence in the crowd at away games. Their constant roar like fuel to the fire.
Our fire.
I watched from the window as Cameron said goodbye to Hailee. Felicity and the new girl lingered on the periphery, pretending not to watch. All week I’d avoided her; and all week my mood had deteriorated.
Fucking girls.
Let them in and chances were they would screw everything up, but keep them at arm’s length... and chances were they would screw everything up. It was a no-win situation.
I’d rationalized that my strange fascination with the girl who made lists and attended book club and owned some downright fucking ugly shirts was nothing more than the fact she’d been a virgin and I hadn’t rocked her world because Hailee walked in on us.
The plan had been to fuck her out of my system with Jenna, but I was starting to wonder if I just needed to fuck her again. I shook the stupid idea out of my head. Going there with Felicity again was a one-way street to a headache I didn’t want or need.
With everyone finally on board, Coach Hasson stood at the front, staring out at us the way he did whenever we had a big game ahead of us—which was every game we ever played.
“Listen up, ladies,” he boomed. “I want your best behavior tonight. We’re playing away from home which means you’re not only representing your team, you’re representing the school, and the town. I expect nothing but professionalism, understood?”
A grumble of ‘Yes, Sir’ echoed around me as Coach’s hard stare bore into me. He was still pissed about the game against Millington and he had every right to be. But he wasn’t the one out there, on the field. Sometimes decisions were taken out of our hands; sometimes the decision was made so quickly you didn’t have time to weigh up the consequences. You were all up in some fucker’s face before you could stop yourself.
“Hey, you okay?” Cameron nudged my shoulder.
I gave him a tight nod. I was more than ready for the game. Eager to get out there and kick some Falcon ass. It was everything else that was sitting heavy on my chest. As if I needed any extra pressure, Grady leaned over the top of my seat and shoved his cell in front of me. “Did you see this?”
“Grady,” Cam warned, but it was too late. My eyes ran over the tweet, jaw clenching at Thatcher’s taunt.
@ThatcherQB1: What’s that I hear? The Raiders crying like little b%&$es #Falconstakenoprisoners #Raidersbetterhide
“He’s just trying to get in your head.” Cameron said, snatching the cell out my hand and shoving it back at Grady, mumbling something to him about ‘stopping that shit’.
“Yeah, well it’s working,” I said coolly.
“You can’t let him in, man. He knows the Eagles are out of the play-offs and now he’s trying to sabotage our shot.”
I concentrated on my fist as it pressed against my thigh, uncurling and curling it. Squeezing until the blood drained from my hand. Thatcher was under my skin, like an annoying itch you couldn’t quite get rid of no matter how hard you scratched.
Asher’s face appeared between the gap in the two seats in front of us. “Maybe we should just go over the river and give him what he wants?” Mischief lit up his face. Asher might have been the joker of the bunch, but he was always down for a rumble.
“Seriously, you think that’s going to solve anything?” Cameron let out a frustrated breath.
“Better than sitting around waiting for him to come at us.” Asher turned back around.
“Don’t listen to him,” my best friend’s tone was serious. “Thatcher will get bored eventually.”
But for as much as I wanted to believe him, I couldn’t. Thatcher would keep coming, keep pushing my buttons, until eventually I snapped.
Because we were more alike than I gave him credit for. I’d hurt his sister... and now he was determined to hurt me. I’d been arrogant enough to think I was untouchable. Believed Thatcher couldn’t hurt me because the list of people I gave a shit about was next to none.
But I cared.
Deep down, I fucking cared. And I hated it.
Because caring made me vulnerable.
It made me weak.
Something I couldn’t afford to be.
Chapter Eleven
Felicity
“Remind me why I agreed to come to this thing again?” Mya grumbled as I dragged her and Hailee to the concession stand for pre-game refreshments.
Fenn Hill had a much smaller stadium than our school, but it didn’t stop the crowds swarming. Our blue and white painted faces and shirts and ball caps barely made a dent in the sea of yellow and green.
“It’s fun,” I yelled over the noise.
“Don’t look at me. I’m only here for Cameron.”
“I’m confused,” our new girlfriend said. “I thought you hated the football team and the whole ‘institution of the game’?” She air quoted Hailee’s words from earlier this week.
“Oh, we do,” I explained. “But we’re also embracing it this year.”
“Right.” Mya frowned. “So which one do you want?”
“Want?” I spluttered, almost choking on her insinuation.
“Well, yeah. I mean it makes sense why she’s here.” Mya pointed at Hailee. “But what I can’t figure out is why you’re here if you’re not crushing on one of—”
“There is no crushing,” I rushed out, a little too quickly. “I so happen to enjoy the odd game of football. Even if the whole institution is whack.”
“So you’re in denial.” Her brow went higher.
“I’m not...” The argument dried on the tip of my tongue. “I just want to support Cameron and the guys.”
“The guys? You mean Asher and Jason—”
“Well, well, if it isn’t Chase’s girl and the sassy one.” Thatcher’s friend, the one he’d called Gallen appeared, his predatory gaze fixed right on me. “Looking good, baby.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” I blurted out.
“I came to see the game, what else would I—”
“Is Thatcher here?” Hailee was as white as a sheet.
“You didn’t think I was going to let Gallen here have all the fun, did you?” Thatcher rounded his friend and narrowed his eyes on Mya. “Who’s the new girl?”
“No one to you,” she retorted, folding her arms over her chest.
“I didn’t know Ford had taken to slumming it with hood rats.”
“You can’t say that,” I shrieked, stepping in front of Mya, shielding her from Thatcher’s superior smirk. “You don’t even know her.”
“I have eyes, sweetheart.”