The Fadeaway: A Smart Jocks Novel

by Jenshak, Rebecca

  When the limo pulls up to the curb, I open the back door and laugh. Wes and Z are dressed up - a rare sight. They step out, Wes looking grumpy and Z out of place.

  "You look pretty, Z."

  He makes a strangled, gruff noise.

  “That look in your eyes is a pain in my ass, you know that, right?”

  He stares at me blankly and I shake my head. “Mission Impossible. What is wrong with you two tonight?”

  "Nothing, just, why am I here again?" Z asks, pulling at his shirt cuffs, a poster board tucked under one massive arm.

  "Because it was you or Nathan and I needed him to get the party going. All you gotta do is stand there and maybe smile. Well, and hold the sign."

  Wes hands me a clear box, that matches one he and Z carry, and I smile. "Let's do this."

  We head for the lobby. The theater has cleared out, only a few people still linger talking to the cast and crew. The girls are huddled in one corner talking and laughing animatedly in that way chicks do with their hands and facial expressions.

  Gabby sees us first and I nudge Z. “The sign.”

  He groans, but unfolds the glitter bomb cardboard sign that reads, “Go to prom with us?” and holds it in front of his chest. I hear Wes snicker, but I focus on Gabby’s face as she takes in the scene. Her mouth forms a little O and she turns red. We reach them as the other girls realize we’re here and turn to face us.

  “What’s going on?” Blair asks.

  “Prom do-over, babydoll,” I answer and then look to Katrina. “What do you say?”

  “Really?”

  I hand her the corsage in the box. “Really.”

  The girls squeal as we lead them to the limo parked outside.

  I open the door as Blair studies me. “How did you guys pull this off without us knowing?”

  “I had some help.” I motion inside where Vanessa and Mario sit waiting for us.

  We pile in and I pop the champagne.

  “This is amazing.” Katrina looks me over like she’s ready to reward me for good behavior. Excited for that, but first… we prom.

  “You’ve got glitter sort of… all over you.” Vanessa’s voice temporarily distracts me from all the dirty plans I’ve got in store for later.

  I look over in time to see Gabby biting back a smile as she tries to wipe glitter off the big man.

  Tonight is gonna be baller.

  The White House is madness. The eight of us pile out of the limo to an already wild party. A Thursday night party wouldn’t normally attract this many people, but next week we’re off for spring break, so everyone is looking to let loose before they head out of Valley for a week. Plus, the guys and I pimped the hell out of it to make sure it lived up to every expectation Gabby and Kitty could have possibly had.

  Clutching my arm, Kitty smiles at her corsage and back to me. “Did you pick the biggest one you could find?”

  “Custom ordered, Kitty. Nothing but the biggest and baddest for my girl’s prom.”

  “What exactly awaits inside?” Gabby asks.

  It’s that moment that a group of squealing girls runs around from the back of the house covered in foam, stripping off clothes like they’re about to go streaking through the quad.

  “This may not have been the brightest idea you’ve ever had,” Wes says as two girls stand in the front yard in their bra and underwear.

  “Don’t look at me.” I chuckle. “This was all your girlfriend’s idea.”

  “A foam party?!” Gabby screeches and jumps with such excitement even Z cracks a smile.

  Gabby kicks off her heels and makes a run for it, Blair follows behind, and Wes and Z have little choice but to do the same.

  “Impressive,” Katrina says to Vanessa and I don’t even try to take the credit for this because as long as that smile stays on her face, it’s moot.

  “Oh no, this was all Joel. I only kept it a secret so I could see the looks on your faces when we got here.” She grins and holding hands, Mario and her, walk away.

  “Shall we?”

  Instead of following the others, I take her through the front door and up the stairs toward my room. She’s quiet but wears a smile that tells me she thinks we’re going to bang. I mean, maybe that too if there’s time, but it’s not why I’m taking her to my room.

  “I know it’s not quite as cool as the Zack Morris surprise prom, but…” I open the door and watch her expression carefully.

  “Oh my God, what did you do, Joel?” She enters the candlelit room, hands covering her shocked face. She stops in the middle of the room and turns to me. “This is better. So much better.”

  “There’s more.” Taking her hand, I lead her out to the balcony. The music pumps and we’ve got a view of the foam party going on below. I pull her close and wrap my arms around her waist. “It wouldn’t be prom if you didn’t get to check out my awesome dance moves.”

  She rolls her eyes at me but places her arms around my neck and we sway to the music. “Were you always this cocky?”

  “Always.”

  She lays her head on my chest and I wonder if she can feel my heart pounding inside. “Thank you for this. It’s better than any high school prom could have possibly been.”

  “Only one thing that could make this night better.” She lets out a little snort, clearly thinking I mean better by bringing my penis into the equation, but nah, I already mentioned I didn’t bring her here for that. Summoning more courage than it takes to pull a spin move on Z, I drop to one knee all dramatic like.

  “What are you—”

  “Relax, sweetheart. I have a proposal for you, but not the kind you’re thinking.”

  At least not yet. Took Zack Morris five seasons to seal the deal with Kelly, I don’t have any intention of waiting that long, but I want that NBA contract first. Preferably in LA. Not just because the Lakers is my dream, but because it’s where she wants to be too. Not quite sure how we’re gonna work that out yet, but I’ve got an entire year to figure it out and I think my dedication to getting what I want is clear.

  “O-kay.” My fearless girl looks nervous.

  “Prom tonight.” I pull out the key to my family’s vacation house in Puerto Vallarta from my pocket. “Spring break trip tomorrow after the show?”

  “Really??!!”

  I expected a whole slew of questions about logistics for Christian – and I’ve thought of them all, but it’s just excitement she wears as she jumps up and down. A whole lot of things she gave up to be the most amazing mom and still work toward her dreams. But I’m gonna give them all to her, one Thursday at a time.

  And every day in between.

  THE END

  Thank you for reading The Fadeaway!

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  Playlist

  “Taki Taki” by DJ Snake feat. Selena Gomez, Cardi B, Ozuna

  “F**kin’ Problems” by A$AP Rocky feat. Drake, 2 Chainz, Kendrick Lamar

  “Home With You” by Madison Beer

  “Bed” by Nicki Minaj feat. Ariana Grande

  “Shots” by LMFAO feat. Lil Jon

  “Whine Up” by Kat DeLuna feat. Elephant Man

  “Solo” by Clean Bandit feat. Demi Lovato

  “Gold Digger” by Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx

  “In My Feelings” by Drake

  “Fine China” by Future

  “SWISH” by Tyga

  “Boo’d Up” by Ella Mai

  “Jackie Chan” by Tiësto & Dzeko feat. Preme & Post Malone

  “No Limit Remix” by G-Eazy feat. A$AP Rocky, French Montana, Juicy J, Belly

  “Post To Be” by Omarion feat. Chris Brown & Jhene Aiko

  “My Ch
ick Bad” by Ludacris feat. Nicki Minaj

  “The Fall” by Bryce Vine

  “Lost in the Fire” by Gesaffelstein feat. The Weeknd

  “Without Me” by Halsey

  “Sunflower” by Post Malone, Swae Lee

  “Remind Me” to Forget by Kygo feat. Miguel

  “Wow.” by Post Malone

  “Close to Me” by Ellie Goulding feat. Diplo, Swae Lee

  “Ruin My Life” by Zara Larsson

  Preview of Electric Blue Love

  Continue reading for a free sample of Electric Blue Love.

  Synopsis

  Court

  Here’s a thing I learned a long time ago… guys and girls don’t think about relationships the same way. Especially in college. So, when I caught the girl sitting next to me on the plane reading a magazine article on how to get out of the friend zone, I did something I never do – I got involved.

  One look into her electric blue eyes and the darkness inside of me faded.

  Light and hope radiated from her like a neon sign.

  Guys like me know how to get the girl, but we rarely get to keep them.

  Bianca

  Girls like me fade into the background. Nice, quiet, smart girls who don’t wear trendy clothes. My friendship with Court started as an opportunity to get inside the male mind, but it turned into so much more.

  His touch sent current coursing through my veins.

  His kiss jolted my heart.

  But here is something I learned a long time ago you can’t force people to love you back. No matter how much you long for them.

  Prologue

  Bianca

  Voltage, a noun. The difference in electric potential between two points.

  I loved electricity. It fascinated me as a child – a magic force that could be felt, but not seen. Instead of jumping back and gasping in surprise when I accidentally zapped myself turning off the TV, like I’d seen others do, I reveled in it – giggling and shuffling my feet on the carpet, desperately wanting to recreate it.

  As I’d gotten older, I obsessed over the other type of electrical shock. The kind that happened between two people that were meant to be together. While a cliché notion to some, I held out hope that electric potential could exist between two people the same way it could between two points. I sought it out – waiting for the other person who could set my potential in motion.

  Maybe part of me wanted to believe in the same way I believed in voltage. It made the idea of navigating love and relationships so much simpler… waiting for the touch of my perfect match that would send shock waves to my very core. And how great would that feel to have this jolt to the heart, so you’d know this person would be worth whatever struggles or problems that stood in your way. A spark that would leave no doubts.

  So, I sat in wait – tension coiled and ready to be transferred to the other point. To the person that would love me in an electric way.

  I loved electricity, but I hadn’t learned all there was to learn about it yet and my naivety made me stupid. In electricity and love. While I had been sitting in wait – hoping to find that perfect person whose touch sent a shock through my body, I had lost sight of a crucial part of voltage.

  Current.

  Because while voltage exists without current, current does not exist without voltage. I equated love with electric potential and the two points were me and my perfect match. I’d loved plenty of people but current… damn, the current that failed to arc. I guess what they say, you can’t force love, is true because I’d tried and failed so many times to shuffle my feet and force an electrical shock – to make people love me - only to be met with disappointment when they failed to love me in return.

  Why was it evading me when I was so filled with electricity I could practically set myself on fire? People were hard to understand and love, well, that was even harder. I gave up looking for my perfect match and went back to the science. It was easier – it had rules and laws that were clear and precise. I didn’t give up on love, but I stopped trying to force it.

  And with a hope that when the time was right love would find me, I devoted my life to voltage and current.

  1

  Bianca

  “No, not that one. The one next to it.” My mother pointed to a large box on the top shelf of her closet. My brother, Donnie, awkwardly lifted the heavy cardboard and dropped it onto the bed.

  “That it?” he asked and shifted anxiously toward the door.

  She opened the flaps and as the pastel and floral prints peeked out, my mother grinned. “Yes. This is the one.”

  “Cool, I’m out of here. Leo and I are going to the park to shoot hoops.”

  Standing taller, my mother turned to face Donnie. “Did you make your bed and clean the hall bathroom?”

  “Yes and yes,” he muttered. “All my chores are done.”

  “Alright, say goodbye to your sister. And don’t be out too late.”

  While Donnie wrapped one arm around my back and leaned in – his version of a hug, my mom called for Leo. My brothers collided in the doorway.

  Twins, but not identical, Leo and Donnie had the same build and height. Among their differences were hair styles and clothing. Donnie kept his hair cropped short and styled and preferred collared shirts and skinny jeans. Leo’s hair and clothes were untidy, in a word, but he was attractive enough to pull it off in a carefree, too-cool-to-care-about-appearances way. Both sets of their light eyes, the same shade of laser blue as mine, turned to me.

  “What’s up?” Leo asked as he pulled a hoodie on over his head.

  “I’m heading out in about an hour.” I stepped forward and hugged Leo tightly. He hugged me back, using both arms – another noted difference between the twins. “Stay out of trouble.” I pulled back and ruffled a hand through his long, unkept hair.

  When we were alone, my mom started pulling out the clothes stashed away in the box.

  “I finally went through my closet again and got rid of everything that doesn’t fit or is too young for me.” She rolled her eyes dramatically like the idea she was too old for anything was outrageous. At fifty-two, my mother was still beautiful. The last five years had brought more lines to her face and her body had softened, but the light in her eyes and the determined and confident way she held herself was timeless.

  Her clothes, however, were not.

  “These are just the spring and summer items,” she said as she laid out a series of dresses that were circa the late nineties.

  I smiled as I stepped toward the mountain of clothes. Lifting a long, pink sundress with large white and blue flowers, my mind skirted to our family photo album. A picture from my sixth-grade graduation where my mother wore this dress while sandwiched between me and my father flashed vividly in my mind.

  Every piece of clothing told part of a story. Our story. And I inspected each article the same way, letting the memories of my mother standing beside me through important life events warm my insides.

  Her scent clung to the fabrics and I lifted the dress to my face.

  “Try this one on. It was my favorite.” She tossed a shorter blue dress with another floral pattern my way.

  While I pulled the dress on over my tank and leggings, my mother continued to pick through clothes and lay them on the bed for my inspection. Trying on my mother’s worn and outdated clothes always transported me back to when I was younger. I’d sneak into her closet and rifle through each item, try on shoes or jewelry to make a complete outfit. I couldn’t wait for the day I’d be able to fit into my mother’s clothes and even though I’d been wearing her hand me downs for years now, it was still just as exciting every time she had new items for me.

  “Hmm.” She considered me and the dress. “It’s a little big. You’re more petite than I ever was, but I could take it in a bit in the waist and shoulders.” Her hands pulled at the fabric to show me how it would look. “What do you think?”

  I stared at my reflection in the floor length mirror of my parents’ bedr
oom. She was right, it was a little big, but making do was practically my life’s motto. “Not necessary. I’ll wear a belt with it.”

  “It’s really no big deal. The alterations are easy. I could pin it this afternoon and then mail it and any of the others you want.”

  With an exaggerated gasp, I gripped the skirt of the dress in both hands. “No way. I want to wear this one back to school today.”

  Her pleased smile was my reward.

  I tossed a few other dresses over my shoulder and motioned toward the remaining clothes. “I’ll put the rest in my closet for this summer. These will be perfect for work.”

  I leaned in and kissed her cheek before scooping everything into the box. I texted my roommate and best friend Tasha while I packed. A week in New York for Spring break had been amazing, but I missed my friend and our cozy apartment.

  Me: My flight gets in at four. When do you get back?

  Tasha: Just got in! Can’t wait to see you. I missed your face! Party at Todd’s tonight so get your dancing shoes on! No excuses!

  Her excessive use of exclamations points was a good indicator of her state of mind. There would be no denying her tonight.

  With a smile, I tucked my phone in my purse and glanced around my old room. The walls were a faded pink and Einstein and James Clerk Maxwell decorated the wall with their genius and inspiration. The girl that had pinned them to the wall had changed, but my love for math and science had not.

  In just a few months I’d finally be able to move back to New York City and start applying everything I’d learned in school. I was ready, but I was beginning to feel the loss of my carefree college life. Not that it hadn’t been hard work maintaining grades and keeping up with the twenty thousand other students all vying for top spots. Still, I was allowed a certain sheltering from the real world. I could forget that I was from a low-income family whose parents hadn’t gone to college or held down fancy jobs. With Tasha as a roommate and friend, I felt normal for the first time in my life. She’d taken one look at me in our introduction to psychology class freshman year and told me she had my back. And she had. Still did.