The Wrong Way: Hanson University: One

by McKenna Kerrick

  “Just you.”

  “Well, maybe you'll find someone else who won't care who you are.”

  Killian gives me a look that pretty much says he doesn't believe me. Oh, well. Maybe it'll work out for him in the end.

  “So what else about a girl?” I ask.

  “Again?” he blows out a breath and tilts his head back against the couch. “I guess someone cool who will go do stuff with me. Definitely someone who won't talk football with me, at least not every day. I love football, it's why I play, but it's not me.”

  “You're much more than football,” I agree. “You're a pain in the ass sometimes, but I've come to just accept that as part of your charm.”

  “Thanks,” he deadpans.

  “You'll just have to pick better than the boobs girl.”

  “Boobs girl?” he questions.

  “You know,” I roll my hand in explanation but he still doesn't get it. I sigh, “The girl I interrupted you with last weekend.”

  Killian blinks at me and wrinkles his brows. “What girl?” He stops for another moment to think, “Oh, that girl.”

  Wow, he forgot about her pretty quickly.

  “That's just a way to relax.”

  “Relax?” I snort. “That's not exactly what I was going to call it.”

  “Well,” he gives me a cheeky grin, “maybe a bit more than just relaxing. But yeah, definitely not a good idea to pick girls like her if I want to be serious. Or at least attempt to be serious.”

  “I bet if you really wanted to then you could find one,” I snicker. “There has to be at least one girl in this world that doesn't care about who you are, besides me.”

  “I'm suddenly feeling like you think I'm not going be able to find anyone.”

  “I think your manwhoring is going to make things difficult to find someone to look past that little aspect of your life.”

  “Really?” Killian frowns. “I don't see why it would matter.”

  “Believe it or not, some girls don't like the thought of so many girls knowing about their man's,” I gesture toward his nether regions, “bits.”

  “So my penis is going to be a turn off?” Killian laughs. “That's definitely going to be a new one. I thought girls liked guys with a little experience.”

  “Not that much.”

  Killian narrows his eyes at me. “Are you saying if you met some guy that slept around, and you really liked him, you'd let how he was previously living his life impact your view of him?”

  “I mean, it would make me question if I was enough to keep him interested, I guess. Because he's been with so many people.”

  “That's dumb,” Killian scoffs. “No guy is going to think that, no matter how many people he's slept with.”

  “Doesn't matter, it's something that I would constantly wonder about.”

  Killian grips a hold of my ankles that are laying by his thigh. “Listen to me right now, Lila. No guy, for a second, would think that you aren't up to par. You're so far beyond what he's probably been with, that he's going to be the one who doesn't know what hit him. No one else will cross his mind. It'll just be you and only you.”

  “Okay,” I mumble meekly.

  “I'm serious. But the probability of you meeting someone who's slept around at one of these things is going to be pretty rare, so I wouldn't even worry about it.”

  “If you say so.”

  “You're killing my good vibe over here,” Killian let's out a deep sigh. “Let's talk about something else.”

  “Like what?”

  Killian looks back at the television we've been neglecting and picks up the remote. “Like what terrible movie I'm going to let you pick to watch because you've bummed me the hell out with all your nervousness.”

  “Thanks,” I reach over and snatch the remote from him. “Finally, we can watch a chick flick without all your moaning and groaning.”

  Killian levels me with his best stink eye. “Whatever.”

  Happily, I stick my tongue out at him and find the first Disney movie I come across. Tangled is basically a chick flick to guys, right?

  Chapter Four

  Killian

  Maybe I should stop getting advice from Ian.

  There's a fucking line of girls here. Lila is leaning next to me, hunched down in her seat, so I'm not even sure if she's noticed how many girls rushed over to drop their names into the female bowl at the wait stand when they saw me.

  “I think I'm actually going to win,” Lila chirps happily next to me without looking up.

  I have to bend down to see what the hell she's talking about. Apparently she's taken the opportunity to play Angry Birds instead of scoping out a potential guy. Figures, it's exactly something Lila would do.

  “Oh, look!” She looks up and shoves her phone towards my face. Several girls waiting across from us are giving her their best evil eye looks, but Lila’s only focused on me.

  “Wow,” I bob my head. “You actually managed to get a high score.”

  “I know,” she grins. Her eyes flicker around the room and she frowns a little. Dining date nights attract a lot of people it would seem. Her hand clenches on my forearm tightly. “Maybe we shouldn't do this.”

  “It's the safest option and I'm not letting you go to a bar.”

  “But there's like,” she cranes her neck to look on the other side of me, “fifty people here.”

  “So one of them has to be interesting enough for you,” I shrug.

  “Is this how it always is?” Lila frowns. “Are girls always staring at you?”

  “Pretty much. I can be pretty oblivious to it for the most part.”

  “Does it bother you?”

  Up until this year, it hadn't really bothered me all that much. People used me and I used people. Fair trade and all that. But for some reason, this year the act was getting old. And it was tiring me out to have to pretend to give two shits about people who couldn't even tell you my favorite food.

  “Sorry, that was a dumb question. Of course you don't mind it.”

  I narrow my eyes at her. “What makes you think that?”

  “Um, you're used to living in the spotlight.” She gives me her best Duh, you idiot expression.

  “I guess it's just not all it's cracked up to be anymore.”

  “Ah, now it makes sense.” She glances at the girls across from us again. They're wearing the type of outfits you'd find at a fraternity party on Greek Row. But Lila is in a t-shirt and shorts, and although it's a dressy top, she doesn't look overdone. Definitely nothing like the girls in front of us.

  “What makes sense?”

  “Why you said you wanted someone who didn't care,” she sighs. “I guess if it was getting old it would be nice to have someone real and not fake.”

  I go to answer her but someone clears their throat as a faculty member steps forward. He's got on a bow tie and tweed pants that went out of style about forty years ago.

  “Hello there, welcome new faces and old,” he begins. A few minutes fly by as he explains the rules. It'll be a 30 minute dinner. Discuss whatever you want but be polite, and you're to remain with your date for 30 minutes as per the rules. If you don't click, then simply go your separate ways at the end.

  And so on and so forth.

  He dips his hand into the male bowl and pulls out a name before going to the female bowl and paring two people up. It's the most simplistic, yet dramatic thing I've ever seen.

  “Do you think it's too late to back out?” Lila whispers to me.

  I give her shoulder an affectionate squeeze and smile softly at her. “You'll do great, you know. Nothing bad will happen. I'll be right in there to see you if you need anything. If it comes down that you can't take it and the guys being an asshole then just leave. Just because it's polite to sit there doesn't mean you have to take someone else's shit, okay?”

  “Okay,” she lets out a deep breath. “I think I needed to hear that.”

  A second later her name is called following some guy named Bradley. I
hate that name. I don't even have a reason as to why I hate it, but seeing his eyes light up when they land on Lila make my blood begin to boil.

  It takes a few more minutes before my name is pulled out of the bowl. Followed by a girl named Sasha, who shrieks in the back of the room before dashing towards me. All I see is a dark head of hair before her arm hooks around mine and begins to drag me towards an empty table.

  “Oh my God,” she wheezes. “You're the Killian Blane.”

  Damn, I knew there was a high chance that this could happen but I'd still been holding out hope that it wouldn't. “Yup.”

  “You're, like, the best football player ever.”

  I give her a tight-lipped smile because it's the best I can do right now. So much for finding someone who doesn't care.

  As pizza and salads arrive, I take the opportunity to glance around towards Lila, but I can't see her in the sea of people.

  “So,” I clear my throat, “what made you try out the dining date night?”

  “I saw you.”

  “Excuse me?” I frown. She can't be serious.

  “Well, duh. You were over here wanting to take someone out so I came over.” She looks awful proud of herself in her tiny dress and chunky heels.

  Okay, so she was serious. “Uh, thanks.” What the hell am I supposed to say to that?

  “So, why are you here?”

  “I thought I'd give it a shot.”

  “Who was that girl that you came here with?”

  I stare at this girl for a moment. Her long black hair has purple streaks in it, and dark brown eyes. She'd be gorgeous if she dropped the whole celebrity-struck look and ditzy behavior. But right now, she's doing nothing to gain my interest.

  “I mean it's cool if you don't even know her,” Sasha shrugs. “She was just hanging on you like a monkey, but everyone knows you don't date. Obviously she tried to get a table with you.”

  It always surprised me when people had no idea who Lila was. We didn't hide our friendship from anyone, but she hardly saw me during the daytime to eat or talk with. “She's my friend.”

  “Oh.”

  “My best friend, actually.” I lean back in my chair and feel the anger surge forward. “She wasn't clinging to me like a monkey, she was showing me something on her phone. She's here on her own date. If Lila and I wanted to grab pizza, we would have gone there instead. But we came here to meet people.”

  “I'm sorry,” Sasha winces. “I just didn't know.”

  “Yet you made a pretty fast assumption about someone you don't know.” I feel like an asshole for defending Lila when this girl didn't know any better. It's not like these girls are that invested in my life to realize I might have a female friend, though. So it lessens the guilt of feeling shitty.

  “This isn't going to go anywhere is it?” Sasha sighs.

  “Probably not.”

  She picks at her salad with her fork, completely ignoring the slice of pizza. I bet Lila would eat an entire pizza before realizing most girls didn't do that on a first date. Or she'd talk with her mouth full before remembering her manners.

  “It was nice meeting you,” I halfass say to Sasha as she collects her purse and leaves.

  Guess I won't be seeing her again.

  About five minutes pass before a bell is rung that is supposed to signify the end of date night. Several people gather up their things and chat on their way out of the secluded area in the Union.

  Lila comes up by me, the guy named Bradley standing behind her with a hopeful look on his face. I hope it's for her and not for me.

  On second thought, I hope it's not for neither of those options.

  “Hey,” Lila grins and glances around the table. “Uh, didn't you have a date?”

  “Didn't click.”

  “That sucks, man,” Bradley frowns slightly. “Sometimes these things work and sometimes they don't.”

  “This is Brad,” Lila smiles at me. “He's going to take me out for ice cream.”

  Ice cream.

  I straighten to my full height and stare at the guy. I can still feel the raw skin on my knuckles healing from Monday's encounter with Jared. “That so?”

  “Lila said she better tell you so that you don't think some serial murderer took her,” Brad explains, like that makes me think he's not a serial murderer. “You're welcome to come with if Lila really needs a chaperone.”

  Even I can hear the sarcastic blow from the solid five inches I have on this guy. “You have everything you need?” I ask Lila.

  “Yes,” she bobs her head and I can tell this Bradley dude has won her over. Great.

  “Sure. Text me when you're there and when you get home, okay?” I tell her. She nods her head again but I pull her to me and give her a hug, plastering a kiss to the top of her forehead and rubbing her back a little.

  “I'll be fine,” she whispers into my chest.

  I'm sure she will be, but I'm not so sure that I’m going to be.

  They head off and I resist the urge to follow them to the ice cream place. Instead, I head for the gym, changing into my workout clothes I keep stashed in my locker for such occasions.

  Usually when my mind is in a bind like it is tonight, I run to get rid of excess stress and adrenaline. And low-and-behold, Ian is sitting with our teammate Alex, who plays quarterback, on one of the benches beside the indoor track.

  “What the hell are you two doing?” I ask as I approach. “This is a gym, not a gossip place like Starbucks.”

  “They have good coffee,” Alex shrugs. “What're you doing here?”

  “Came for a run.” I flop down onto the bench next to them and stretch out my legs.

  “Did you do the date night at the Union?” Ian asks.

  “Yup,” I grunt.

  “I take it that it didn't go well?” Ian asks.

  “I met a girl,” I sigh. “Sasha was very worried about who Lila was. And I might've been an asshole defending Lila.”

  “Shocker,” Alex snorts while Ian smacks his arm for him to quit laughing. “You always defend Lila.”

  “So?” I frown.

  “Tell me about Lila’s night,” Ian redirects. “Did she find anyone?”

  “Bradley,” I spit out his name. “Some guy taking her out for ice cream.”

  “Ice cream?” Ian echoes. “Wow, but that's your thing to do with her.”

  I want to beat my chest like a caveman and scream I fucking know that, but I just glare at both of them instead.

  “What's the big deal? At least she's not still crying about what's-his-face,” Alex shrugs. “And as long as this Bradley guy makes her happy, what do you care?”

  “I don't,” I snap.

  Ian and Alex share a look.

  Okay, maybe I'm being a little unreasonable when it comes to Lila. But I can't stand these guys she goes for. They're always leading her on and breaking her heart. And that's unacceptable.

  “What if it were your sister?” I ask Ian.

  “Big difference,” Ian shrugs.

  That causes me to scoff. “How is there a big difference?”

  “Because I actually have a sister,” Ian says calmly. “And you don't. You can pretend all you want that Lila’s a sister to you, but she's not. She's your attractive friend you're overprotective of because of how her attractiveness drags douchebags towards her.”

  I was really going to need him to quit calling Lila attractive like it was an obvious thing every red-blooded male was aware of.

  “You're aware she's hot, right?” Ian squints at me.

  “Nah,” Alex says before I can think of something to say. “He's totally friend-zoned her. I doubt he's even aware she has boobs.”

  “I'm aware,” I clear my throat. “I'm not an idiot.”

  “So why haven't you ever made a pass at her?” Ian asks and leans forward to look at me better. “I mean, if you're aware of how hot she is.”

  “I just don't think of Lila that way, alright?” I glare at him. “And you shouldn't either.”

>   “She's not my sister, literally or figuratively,” Ian snorts. “And everyone with half a brain knows not to go anywhere near her because of how overprotective you are.”

  “I think you mean jealous,” Alex butts in. “He notices she's got boobs and she's hot, doesn't give two shits if he plays football or what he wants to be when he's old and senile. But wait,” Alex mocks, “no one can touch Lila without Killian’s never been given approval. Tell me how that works if it's not you being jealous?” He folds his arms across his chest and leans back while staring at me.

  Heat on the back of my neck scorches me. It feels like it's suddenly turned a million degrees in here and I don't know why.

  “You're all being assholes,” I tell them, but even I can hear the weakness in my voice.

  “It's okay if you have a crush on her,” Ian shrugs. “No one would fault you for it.”

  “I don't have a crush on Lila.”

  Alex looks like he's not trying to bust a lung by holding in his laughter as he wheezes out, “Sure you don't.”

  “I'm serious.”

  “Okay,” Ian gestures with his hands for me to calm the hell down. “You don't have a crush on Lila. So for God’s sake, just let her date someone without getting your panties in a wad over it.”

  “He's not good enough for her,” I growl.

  Ian levels me with a cold look. “And you are?”

  “Hell no,” I frown, remembering her rambles of finding a manwhore. “But at least I know that I'm not good enough.”

  Alex give me a funny look.

  “What?” I snap.

  “Seems to me,” the quarterback hums, “that you're the only one good enough.”

  Alex and Ian high-five like two middle school girls while I stand up to start running. I shouldn't have come over to chit-chat before I workout. Now I'm even more pumped than when I came in.

  Last time I ever listen to Ian's advice.

  Chapter Five

  Lila