by M L Sparrow
Just as they found Jet and Terri in the upper tiers and squeezed in beside them, a mascot appeared alongside the cheerleaders, someone dressed in a huge panther costume, and a few minutes later the game began. The players ran onto the pitch, lined up facing each other along the centre line and then thing began to collide.
Honestly, Chloe didn’t have a clue what was going on – both Terri and Riley tried to explain the rules to her but it went in one ear and out the other. As far as she could tell, her assumption that American football was pretty much the same rugby wasn’t far off, except that Americans had the good sense to wear helmets. Because of said helmets, Chloe couldn’t even tell which player Parker was – the only reason she knew which team to support was because they were the ones in red and the only reason she knew that was because Riley told her.
It wasn’t until Parker yanked off his helmet and shook out his wet hair, that she realized which player he was and from that point onwards her eyes were pretty much glued to him, number 18, even when Terri returned from the refreshments stand and pushed a cold cup into her hand.
The sun was brutal and even the natives were melting in their seats. Chloe hadn’t realized just how parched she was until she took a slurp of the cool, sugary liquid in her cup and the coke slid down her dry throat, which then begged for more until she’d almost drained the entire cup. During a break in the action, she took a moment to look over at her friends. Jet looked like he was off in a world of his own, but Terri and Riley appeared to be enjoying themselves as they talked animatedly to the people in front of them. This was the first time Chloe could remember seeing the twins actually getting along, not that they fought, it was just that there always seemed to be a barrier between them.
When the third quarter started, Chloe was a lot more focused, though she still didn’t understand what was going on, it just looked like chaos to her. Someone collided with Parker, slamming him into the ground with brutal force. Everyone cheering for the home team booed loudly, jumping to their feet in protest. Chloe’s English reserve wouldn’t allow her to cry out, but her hand flew up to her mouth and she cringed into her seat, heart pounding. For a moment he didn’t move and she feared he was really hurt, but then the guy who’d floored him held out a hand and pulled him to his feet. Parker hobbled a couple of steps before shaking it off and jogging back into position.
Jeez, she shook her head, American football was seriously tough. Definitely tougher than the football she was used to, in which the players spent most of their time pretending they were injured and whining like big babies.
Finally, when the Texas Panthers had won 7 – 5 and the game was over, everyone filed out of the stadium. Most people headed in the direction of the diners on campus, but Riley grabbed her arm and towed her the opposite way.
“Beta is having a party to celebrate the win,” she informed her.
“Do we need to change?”
“Nah,” Jet cut in, “no one else is bothering.”
Riley pouted disappointedly; she loved getting dressed up. Chloe often thought she enjoyed the preparations more than the actual party. Catching the look, Terri just shook her head at her sister. It really was amazing how they could look so alike and yet so different.
As it always was, the party was in full swing when they arrived, despite the fact that darkness had yet to fall. She suspected it never actually ended. Unlike the other parties she’d attended though, this felt more like a casual get together; there was music playing in the background, but it wasn’t blaring through the house, and guys were sprawled on the sofas in the living room playing video games.
Grabbing some drinks, they headed out onto the front porch, leaning against the railing as they chatted. The twins teased her and Jet for their lack of knowledge about football, but, as Terri said, at least she was forgiven since she was English – being raised in America, Jet had no such excuse.
A short while later, Chloe noticed Parker and a few of his teammates walking along the road. Lifting her hand to wave him over, she immediately yanked it back down when she saw a stunning blonde fling herself into his arms. Wolf whistling and jeering, his friends continued walking as the girl kissed him passionately.
“Well,” Riley sighed beside her, “I guess that answers that question.”
Irrational jealousy assailed her, but it wasn’t as if they were dating. He didn’t want to date her, she reminded herself. Clearly though, there was something going on with the blonde. Forcing herself to look away, Chloe clenched her jaw, reminding herself that there really was no cause to be jealous; they were just friends.
“I’m sorry,” Riley said sympathetically.
Unable to speak, Chloe just nodded, watching a group of guys fooling around on the lawn. One of them was tackled to the floor and the others proceeded to pile on top of him. When she looked back, Parker was walking towards them. Alone… thankfully.
“Hey, congrats on the win,” Jet greeted him.
“Not that he was watching any of it,” Terri teased, reaching out to squeeze Jet’s arm.
“Hey, I watched some of it,” he defended.
“No worries,” Parker smirked, clapping him on the shoulder, “I know football’s not your thing.” Turning to her, he flashed that charming smile. “How’d you like your first football game?”
She tried to act normal, but she knew she wasn’t pulling it off very well as she shrugged and answered tightly, “It was okay. I still don’t understand the rules though.”
“I can teach you if you want,” he replied, moving further into her personal space.
Chloe stepped back. “No, thanks.” Momentary hurt and confusion flashed across his face, but it was so fleeting that she might have imagined it.
Leaving the others to recap the game, she disappeared back inside to get another drink. Halfway to the kitchen, a voice called out her name and she turned to see Derek jogging towards her with a wide, goofy smile. Inwardly, she winced; she didn’t want to deal with him right now. Could she pretend she hadn’t seen him and just walk away? No, that would be rude, not to mention mean.
Sighing, she pasted on a false smile. “Hi, Derek, how are you?”
“Good,” he nodded, reminding her of the nodding dog for a moment, before plunging forward with what he actually wanted to say. “It’s been ages since I saw you and I’ve been wantin’ to ask you something. Remember the party, when we danced? Did you have fun?”
Oh God, she knew where this conversation was heading. “Er… yeah, I guess so,” she answered cautiously, lifting a hand to twist a stand of hair around her finger.
“We should do it again then.”
“Perhaps.”
Not noticing her reluctance, he continued enthusiastically, “We could go to a proper club, or just for dinner or something. Whatever you fancy.”
“That would be lovely, but…”
“Great! How about tomorrow?”
“Wait, Derek, listen…”
“I’ll pick you up at eight.” And then he was off, swaggering away like he’d just been given the crown jewels.
Chloe just stood there for a minute, partially stunned as she watched him go. What had just happened?
With a lot of skill, she managed to avoid Parker for most of the afternoon, though the jealous part of her kept an eye on him from her peripheral vision. Girls sidled up to him constantly, touching his biceps, his shoulders, his back, running their fingers through his blond hair, but to his credit, he didn’t reciprocate, moving away whenever they tried to cling to him like pretty little leeches. Maybe the blonde was special to him after all, but then again he flirted with Chloe whenever he got the chance so how serious could he really be about the other girl?
The conversation of the night was the Panther’s big win; everyone was talking about how well the team had played and about the hit Parker had taken. It was impossible to get away from him, everywhere she went his name was being spoken. Parker this, Parker that, it was driving her around the bend.
Bore
d of forcing a smile, Chloe headed outside for a breath of fresh air and was surprised to see that it was dark out. Walking down the porch steps, she craned her head back to stare up at the stars, twinkling on a blanket of midnight blue. Sitting down cross-legged on the lawn, she splayed her fingers out over the dry, prickly blades of grass. Someone really needed to turn the sprinklers on once and a while.
“Mind if I sit?” a voice behind her made her jump, peering over her shoulder to see a large figure looming over her.
She didn’t answer, just turned her face back towards the night sky and after a moment he joined her anyway, folding his long limbs into the same position and leaning back on one hand, taking his hat off with the other and putting it on the ground between them.
“You wanna tell me why I’m gettin’ the cold shoulder?”
Once more, she didn’t answer, because she didn’t know how, and he sighed loudly, leaning his shoulder against hers. Lifting a hand, he brushed the hair away from her face, his fingers trailing over her cheek and down the side of her neck. Gripping her chin gently, he turned her face towards him and the next thing she knew his lips were on hers, light and warm. It wasn’t really a kiss, just a momentary press of lips. It may have been an accident, but the look in his eyes as he drew back said otherwise.
“W-what was that?” she stuttered, after a moment of stunned silence.
“Obviously, I didn’t do it right,” he murmured. He was sitting so close that his breath tickled her skin and her heart pounded against her ribcage as he leaned in once more.
Another kiss. More decisive this time, more pressure, her lips parting beneath his. One large hand cupped the back of her neck, kneading softly, the other hand tangling in her long hair. Her mind blanked and instinct took over. Her own hands found their way into his thick hair, before sliding down to grip his shoulders, her nails digging into the hard muscles.
For a moment, she almost forgot that she’d seen him kissing another girl only a few hours ago. Almost. Turning her face away, Chloe gasped for breath, pushing at his shoulders to regain some of her personal space.
“What are you doing?” she snapped when she could breathe once more.
“Kissing you.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve wanted to since I first met you.”
“You have a girlfriend.” Either that or he was a star-player even off the football pitch.
“Why the hell’d you think that? I told you I don’t do relationships.”
“But that girl you were kissing earlier… the blonde…”
“Karla? We’re not dating, we just fuck occasionally.” Immediately, he seemed to realize that he’d said the wrong thing because he leaned back, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. “It’s not like it sounds,” he tried to explain, “it’s just a bit of fun, nothing serious, but I haven’t fucked her, or anyone, since I met you.”
The breath caught in her lungs. “Why?”
He shrugged, glancing away. “Because even though I said I didn’t want a real relationship, I guess deep down I knew that you’d never date me if you knew I’d been screwin’ around.”
“Are you saying that... Do you want..?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“You guess so,” she echoed, arching one brow indignantly. “Well, don’t sound so sure.” Shaking her head, she threw up her hands in frustration, “God, you’re confusing! Since we met, you’ve done nothing but send me mixed messages. What do you want, Parker, just tell me?”
“I want you.”
“Exclusively?” she challenged, “A proper relationship? Because I won’t do friends with benefits, it’s all or nothing.”
Parker swallowed hard, his Adams apple bobbing. “Okay.”
Uncertain, Chloe bit her lips as she studied him; he didn’t look very certain and that wasn’t exactly reassuring. Was it a great idea to get involved with a guy who’d never had a relationship before? Did he even understand what a committed relationship entailed, or was she just setting herself up for heart break?
Chapter Ten
That night, as Parker lay in bed, he recalled the events of that evening. At the time, he hadn’t realized what he was saying, the words had just poured out, but he didn’t regret any of it. Only a few weeks ago, the mere idea of a relationship that he’d have to put valuable time and effort into would have sent him running, yet now it felt right. Still scary as hell though.
Laying on his back, he glanced over at Jet, who was just a lump beneath the covers. He didn’t even know if his roommate was awake to hear him, but the words needed to be said. “I asked Chloe out.”
“What?” Immediately, Jet’s head popped up. “Really? Did she say yes?”
“You think I’d be here if she’d said no? I’d be out gettin’ wasted.”
“True,” Jet agreed, sitting up and pushing away the sheets. He hesitated for a second, but then said, “All the time I’ve known you, you’ve never dated anyone. What’s so different about her?”
Parker honestly didn’t know why Chloe was so different, she just was. All his life, he’d been surrounded by his own parents’ toxic relationship; he’d spent his childhood watching his mom and dad break up and make-up again. They’d cheated, fought and generally made each other miserable since before he could remember. For whatever reason, their parents’ relationship hadn’t seemed to effect his three older brothers, but Parker wasn’t stupid enough to deny that it had damaged him. Why else would he be scared to have a real relationship? He’d always claimed that he didn’t want to date, because he wanted to focus all of his attention on football, but that wasn’t entirely true…
Glancing over at Jet, he shrugged. “She’s not like any other girl I know…” he hesitated as he tried to figure out the answer in his own head, “she’s… too good for me.”
Jet looked confused, but he didn’t say anything as Parker lay back down, returning his gaze to the ceiling.
He smiled, content now that he understood himself better. Usually, he didn’t go for good girls – he wasn’t a total bastard, he went for girls who knew what they were getting into, not girls who thought sex meant love. But he’d made a play for Chloe any way because he couldn’t not. And she’d said no. No girl had ever said no to him before, not since his growth spurt at the age of fifteen anyway. But the point was, Chloe was a different class of girl to the ones he was used to, he couldn’t imagine her ever lowering herself to pulling the kind of shit his mom got away with and he’d never hurt her by being like his dad.
The next day, he practically sprang out of bed and ran to practice. Today felt like a good day, the sun was beating down on him and it smelt like cut grass. Practice went as it always did; laps, various other drills and a few games, the team teasing and ribbing each other while Coach yelled at them to stop screwing around. Once it was over and he’d showered, he headed off towards the café.
“Hey, where are you running off to?” Dawson called after him as he yanked a t-shirt over his head and hurried towards the door.
“Getting coffee,” he yelled back as he left, not waiting to hear his friends’ response.
Jogging across campus, he got to the café and waited in line, shifting impatiently from foot-to-foot. At least he didn’t have to wait long, since most of the campus were still in bed this early, and within minutes he was leaving with a Styrofoam cup in each hand.
Stopping to put one cup down on a bench, he pulled out his phone and fired off a quick text to Chloe, telling her to be ready in five minutes. He already knew she’d be up, since she didn’t usually sleep-in. Putting his phone back in his pocket, he continued towards Willow building and was standing outside Chloe and Riley’s room in under five minutes.
Knocking on the door, he stood back as he waited for an answer, taking a sip from his own cup, the boiling liquid scorching his tongue.
“Just coming.” Chloe’s voice called out, followed by a crash as if she’d knocked something over. “Bloody hell!”
Stif
ling a laugh, he moved closer to the door, so that he could hear as she swore and muttered to herself. A few seconds later, the door flew open and Chloe stood there looking flustered; wearing shorts and a short sleeved t-shirt, her face was flushed and her hair still sleep ruffled. As he watched, she scraped her fingers through the unruly strands, pulling them into a ponytail that hung down her back.
“Did I wake you?” he asked, suddenly worried that he’d been wrong.
“No, no,” she rushed to assure him, “I was in bed reading.” Stepping back into the room, she gestured for him to follow, saying over her shoulder, “Come in, I just need to put on some sun cream.”
He smiled to himself at that; he didn’t think he’d ever put sunscreen on in his life, his parents definitely hadn’t bothered when he was a kid, but then her skin was so pale that it was like she’d never seen the sun.
Inside the room, Chloe was crouched on the floor, scrambling to retrieve various bottles and tubes that had rolled under the bed. Putting both cups down, Parker stooped to pick up what looked like a tube of lipstick next to his foot, he placed it on the desk beside other toppled containers of its kind.
Glancing over at him as he began to straighten the mess, she grimaced, explaining, “I banged into the side of the desk and it all went down like a house of cards.”
Once they’d finished picking everything up, Chloe disappeared into the bathroom and he took the time to look around the girls’ small room. It was easy to figure out which side belonged to who. Whereas Riley’s side of the room was filled with girly shit – makeup on every surface, fluffy pink pillows on the bed, pictures plastered all over the wall – Chloe’s side was sparse. Stacks of schoolbooks were on the desk, beside her closed laptop, there was a framed photo on her bedside table and a ratty looking teddy bear sat on top of her neatly made bed, next to a hot water bottle of all things. He supposed it would have been hard for her to bring all her home-comforts with her, like most American students did, because of luggage weight restrictions.