The Boyfriend Bid (The Girlfriend Request)

by Jodie Andrefski

  “Hi. Sarah. I’m Sarah, I mean.” I pointed. “That’s Megan.”

  “Nice to meet you, Megan.” He said the words without taking his eyes off me. “So, Sarah.” He smiled at me. “Maybe you should give me your phone number anyway, just in case.”

  My stomach did the weird little flip again. Was he flirting with me? My mind went completely blank. I just stood blinking at him.

  I tried to figure out what to say without giving him the wrong idea. Megan cleared her throat and shot me a pointed look as the silence stretched out.

  “Look, never mind. It’s cool.” He shoved his hands in his hoodie pocket and shuffled in front of us for a few seconds.

  “Okay, umm, well, thanks again. I appreciate it.” I grabbed Megan, who was busy gushing her thanks, and tugged her toward the car. “Let’s go,” I mumbled.

  “See you around!” he called from behind us.

  I didn’t look back.

  Once we were in the car again, Emma leaned forward. “Well, ladies, that’s one surefire way to add some excitement to an otherwise boring school day.” She paused. “I think I know that guy.”

  “Now you say something. Why didn’t you get out and help us talk to him?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “I wasn’t sure at first.” She grinned. “And besides, it didn’t look like you needed any help. Don’t think I didn’t catch the looks he was throwing your way.”

  “Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes. “No thank you.”

  I pulled forward, taking care to stay well back from the truck.

  “So, how do you know him?” Megan asked. “I don’t remember ever seeing him before.”

  I tried not to show any interest in the answer.

  Emma piped up. “He’s new, just transferred in from a couple towns over. Pottsville, I think. He plays on the team with Eli.”

  Ugh, a soccer player. Doug had played soccer, too. That made him a double no, thank you.

  “I wasn’t sure it was him until I heard him say his name was Chance.” Emma popped a piece of gum in her mouth. “I think his name is Chance DuPont, if I remember right.”

  “DuPont, DuPont, why do I know that name?” Megan tapped her fingers on the front dash.

  “I’m not sure,” Emma replied. “I only have study hall with him. I think he’s in a bunch of honors or AP classes, he’s like super smart, I guess.” Emma looked at me. “Sarah, you take all those classes. You know him?”

  I shook my head. I didn’t know him and didn’t care to know him, no matter how cute his smile. “Nope, he must be in the Blue section.” Our school grouped us into color schemes that corresponded with our school colors—blue and white—for our schedules. I was in the White section. “I’ve never seen him before.”

  Emma reached over the seat to poke me, hard.

  “Ow!” I yelped.

  “Sarah, this is perfect! It’s practically fate.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Her eyes twinkled as she pulled out the stupid pink paper again and read, “Number twenty-five, Chance DuPont, is a star forward for Auburn High School’s soccer team, as well as being a member of peer tutoring.”

  “That’s why I recognized the name,” Megan said. “From the auction list.” She nodded. “You have to admit he was pretty nice with telling you not to worry about paying for the repair after you ran into him.”

  “You mean after you made me run into him.”

  “Semantics.” She grinned.

  Emma poked me again. “He seemed pretty interested. I can talk to Eli and find out all about him. Do you think it was really just by chance that we were behind him today?” She stopped, caught the irony in her statement, and laughed. “Get it? Just by chance? This is a sign.”

  I groaned.

  By now we’d pulled up to her house.

  “Yeah, it’s a sign that you need your head examined. If Chance is so awesome, Megan can bid on him. I’m not interested in dating a soccer player.” She should know better. “Or anyone else, for that matter.”

  Megan reached over to touch my hand. “We only want you to do this because we care, you know.”

  I softened. I did know. I squeezed her hand. I wasn’t going to go along with their nutty plan, but appreciated the fact that they both wanted to look out for me. Besides, I had more than a week to convince them it wasn’t the way to go.

  I should have remembered that Emma rarely took no for an answer.

  Chapter Two

  Chance

  I knew right from the start you’d put an arrow through my heart ~ Ratt

  I hoped like hell I wouldn’t be late for practice. Winter soccer was different from regular-season soccer. Sports clubs offered divisions for players in the off season. I’d been a part of the Rockets league since I was eight. I loved it, but driving thirty minutes to get there at least two afternoons a week was a pain in the ass. Now that I was doing it on my own, I felt bad for all the years my parents had to cart me around to practices and games.

  Especially during the time that my younger brother, Alex, was so sick.

  I swallowed and shoved back the memories. I rarely allowed myself to go there. Instead I reached over to snap on the radio, blinked a few times, and refocused on the road in front of me.

  After about ten miles, my mind went back to what had happened on the way out of the school lot. I’d stolen one final glance in my rearview mirror as I’d turned left out of the school’s driveway and caught that Sarah girl staring straight ahead as she’d gripped the steering wheel with both hands. I could barely make out some other girl in the back seat waving a piece of paper in the air.

  I couldn’t help but smile, remembering how indignantly Sarah had kicked my bumper and informed me I was overreacting.

  I had been kind of a jerk. The only explanation I could think of for the way I’d initially reacted was worry over what my father was going to say when he saw the dented bumper. Still, I couldn’t keep my thoughts from straying back to the girl with the long dark hair and wide eyes who I’d just met. I chuckled; maybe met was too mellow a word for having her run into the back of my F-150. But when she’d looked at me, spoken to me…something about her quiet reserve had grabbed my interest.

  I sighed. It was pretty obvious she hadn’t felt the same, based on her chilly response when I’d asked for her phone number. I reached over to turn up the radio, willing the classic rock to drown out the sound of her voice in my head. I had other things to focus on besides girls right now, anyway, especially gorgeous girls who clearly wanted nothing to do with me.

  …

  “Yo, DuPont!”

  I turned and paused towel-drying my hair as Eli rounded the second row of tall red lockers, a packed gym bag slung over his shoulder. I’d known Eli for years from the Rockets league, even before transferring into Auburn.

  “Hey, man, good practice,” I said.

  He chugged from a bottle of water. “Thanks, you, too.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Want to go grab something to eat?”

  I shook my head. “Can’t. I start the new job tonight.” I threw the damp towel on the bench and pulled a clean T-shirt from my gym bag. As I did, a half-crumpled sheet of pink paper came out along with it. The Benefit Auction info. I’d agreed to it only after our coach told me that it would be supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. That gave me a very personal reason for wanting to take part.

  Eli spied the paper. “So, you gonna be onstage this year?”

  I cocked an eyebrow. “You, too?”

  He nodded. “Yep.”

  I finished dressing and grabbed my things before we walked out of the gym together. I pushed open the steel door and waited for Eli to go through before letting it clang shut behind us. I knew why I’d agreed to take part but was curious about Eli’s motivations.

  “So how did Coach get you to agree?”

  He grinned. “The whole it’s your civic duty speech.” Eli paused when I didn’t respond. “So maybe it won’t be as b
ad as we think,” he offered, probably taking my silence as reluctance to be a part of the event.

  I’d never told Eli about the reason the auction would be difficult for me, as much as I supported the cause. I wasn’t ready to talk about it now, either. Instead, I forced a grin. “And maybe Doug will learn to pass,” I countered.

  “Like that’ll happen.”

  “Exactly.” I shoved the outer door open to lead to the sports complex parking area. It was freaking cold enough that it made me wish I’d remembered to throw my beanie in my bag this morning. Small droplets of water trickled down into the collar of my hoodie as my hair, still wet from the shower, brushed against it. My mom had been bugging me for the past couple of weeks to get my hair trimmed. I almost wished I’d taken her advice.

  “I’m actually kind of surprised that you’re even in the auction,” I said.

  Eli scrunched up his face. “Whaddya mean? Why wouldn’t I do it?” He blew on his fingers and rubbed his hands together.

  I stared at him pointedly.

  “You mean because of Em?” He laughed like I’d said something hilarious.

  “Uh, well, yeah.” I didn’t get the joke.

  He shook his head and shrugged. “She’s fine with it. Besides, who do you think’s gonna bid on me?” He winked.

  “Wow, can’t even be separated for one night, huh? You are whipped.” I laughed and knocked my shoulder into his.

  “Hey, it’s called love, man. What can I say? Besides, you’re just jealous you haven’t found anyone willing to put up with your sorry ass.” He grinned.

  “He’s in looooove.” I made a gagging motion, still laughing. He knew me well enough to know I was just giving him a hard time.

  “Loser.” He punched me in the shoulder.

  “Poser.” I punched him back.

  Knowing Eli even before I’d moved into the district was the one thing that made being the new guy in a strange school for senior year a little easier. We’d both been going to the soccer clinics since we were in elementary school.

  He worked himself out of the headlock I’d gotten him into right as we neared my truck.

  “So how’s she doing, anyway?” Even though I didn’t have time for dating, I knew that Eli was head-over-heels bonkers for Emma. That was cool with me. He actually played even better since they’d been together. So either she made him happy or he was amazing at faking it, and I didn’t think he was that good of an actor.

  His face lit up like it always did when he talked about her. “Em’s great.”

  I unlocked my F-150 and threw my bags on the backseat. “Well, she must have something wrong with her if she puts up with you.”

  “Jerk.” He laughed. “Whoa. What happened to the back of your truck?”

  “Minor accident leaving school.”

  “Man, that blows. You just got it.” He shook his head, running his hand over the dent.

  “Well, apparently I can just bang it out with a hammer.”

  He looked up. “What?”

  I laughed. “Never mind. I gotta run. See ya tomorrow.”

  “Later.”

  I climbed in and closed the door. I needed to hurry up and get home so I could grab something to eat before heading over to my new part-time job. The job was my father’s idea. He’d kept telling me about how when he was my age, he’d held down two part-time jobs along with going to school. I think he might have thrown something in about walking there uphill both ways barefoot in the snow. I sighed and shifted into gear.

  Right now, my life consisted of three things—soccer, school, and work. Although I’d been accepted into Temple’s sports medicine program, I was still counting on getting a full soccer scholarship. My father had made it clear that my education was my responsibility. I couldn’t count the number of times I’d heard his speeches about how he’d put himself through college and expected me to man up and do the same. Or the lectures about how if I wanted to continue to screw up my life, then that was on me. There was no way I wanted to see that look in my father’s eyes that said I’d somehow managed to disappoint him…again.

  If I was honest with myself, my dad was another part of the reason I’d agreed to be in the Benefit Auction. I wanted him to see that I was working hard, but also taking time to do things for charity and giving back. I wanted him to be proud of me.

  I pushed my hair out of my eyes and sighed. Good intentions or not, I wasn’t sure how I was even supposed to fit the Auction into my schedule. Some days I barely felt like I had enough time to breathe. Then again, it was for one night. It wasn’t like there was a big chance of getting distracted with this contest. I’d probably get bid on by some freshman who would be too nervous to even talk over dinner.

  Although, come to think of it, that would be totally cool with me… It’d give me some time to mentally work out the new drills that I wanted to try if we got into the playoffs against Blue Mountain this year.

  Switching schools just in time for senior year pretty much sucked the big one, and I’d worried I wouldn’t get any playing time when my parents up and moved us into the district in August. Yet another thing my father blamed me for. It wasn’t something I liked to think about: how my mistakes had uprooted my entire family.

  At my old school, I’d gotten into a fight with a school board member’s son. He’d ended up with a black eye, a sprained wrist, and wounded pride. Unfortunately, the school board hadn’t taken into account why I’d slugged him. Or, if they did, they didn’t believe me. I wasn’t proud of how I’d handled it, but I couldn’t say that I wouldn’t do it again in the same situation.

  The kid I’d punched was a creep, and he had a crew of bully friends acting as enforcers, so no one else was willing to stand up and say what had really gone down. He’d been trying to put his hands on some freshman girl under the bleachers one night after a track meet.

  It had been clear she was petrified and wanted no part of him, so I’d stepped in. That move had managed to get me expelled after the other guy claimed I’d attacked him for no reason. So long, Pottsville, hello new school. I was lucky Temple was still willing to accept me, so I couldn’t afford to not stand out on the soccer field and give them any further reason to second-guess my admittance.

  The girl had called and apologized to me later and explained that she’d been too embarrassed to admit what happened. We’d talked, and I’d encouraged her to never be afraid to speak up about anything like that. She actually ended up telling the school administration what really happened, but by then I was in my new school. I was still glad she had the courage to speak up, for herself more than for me.

  Thankfully, the coach and my new teammates had welcomed me once they saw what I could do on the field. We’d dominated in fall soccer, and we were on track to do the same with the upcoming spring season.

  I leaned back against the headrest, my mind going to the conversation Eli and I had after practice. Every once in a while, I was just a little jealous of what Eli had with Emma, or what I saw some of my other friends had with their girlfriends. That is, until I reminded myself that I had to concentrate on my goals. I had to win at soccer. I had to do well in my classes. I had to get that sports scholarship. And now I had to worry about arriving on time for my first day on the job. All the other stuff would have to wait.

  Chapter Three

  Sarah

  You caught me off guard,

  Now I’m running and screaming ~ Boys Like Girls

  “Sarah, breakfast!” Mom’s voice carried up the stairs to my bedroom.

  I groaned and rolled over in my double bed to stare down my alarm clock. Seven a.m. was way too early to wake up on the weekend. I pulled the covers over my head for a second and considered just bailing on Habitat for the first time ever. Last night, no matter how hard I’d tried, images kept crowding into my head like some ludicrous cartoon mocking me. Images of Doug breaking up with me, images of my mom and dad telling me they were divorcing, and, most annoying of all, images of that guy, Chance, starin
g at me—his gaze so intense it was like he could read into my soul.

  I reminded myself how once upon a time, Doug had caught my eye, too…and look how well that had turned out. Heartbreak and dreams dashed, 1. Happily ever after, 0. If I’d learned anything from my time with him, it was that there was no way I would be taken in by another jock with a cute smile.

  If I’d been paying attention, I would have seen it coming and maybe not been so blindsided when it all went down. Doug started spending less time with me, but since I’d trusted him, I’d convinced myself that it was just due to how busy he always was with soccer. That part was sort of true—it did seem like he was constantly at practice or tournaments.

  I’d listened when he assured me that I was overreacting and that I had no reason to be jealous of the attention given to him by the cheerleader assigned to leave treats in his locker, the same one who always seemed to be making posters with his name and number on them. I’d half convinced myself that things were still okay between us, until I saw the picture of her on his lap and him clearly enjoying it a little too much.

  “Sarah! Are you up?”

  I couldn’t bail on my commitment, no matter how tired I was. It wasn’t even about the volunteer hours for my senior graduation project—I’d fulfilled those last year already. I genuinely loved the work I did with the crew, and it gave me a real sense of doing something important, something worthwhile.

  Working on the crew had only solidified my idea that I wanted to major in pre-med. As cliché as it sounded, it made me feel good to give back. Someday I’d like to do something like Doctors Without Borders. I’d first heard about DWB from my older brother’s friend Jake. His dad began working with them after Jake’s mom died and Jake went to college. Based on stuff Jake had told me from his father’s stories, it sounded exactly like something I could see myself doing. At least for a few years. Then I thought I’d like to work in a pediatric hospital.

  “I’m coming!”

  I sat up and shoved my hair out of my face. Megan always told me how much she’d love to have my hair, but most of the time it drove me nuts. Sometimes I wished it were more like my mother’s, sleek and straight. But instead, I’d gotten my hair genes from my dad’s side of the family.