“I bet.” He chuckled as he leaned over the steering wheel slightly.
“So, what you doing tonight?”
“Besides sleeping?”
“Don’t you go out with the other guys?”
“Not that much.”
“What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Sleeping.” He glanced at her briefly. “I was supposed to check out that new Wargames flick with Sam, but he’s ditching me for that girl.”
“Olivia?” Gwen scowled as she fidgeted with her laces. “She’s got a kid, you know. Her mom adopted it or something, so it’s like her sister now.”
“I don’t know anything about it. I don’t need to be in other people’s business.”
“I’ll go with you to the movie.” Gwen’s voice was upbeat as she changed the subject again. “I wanna see it, too.”
“’Kay.” Morgan sent her a smile. “I’ll check the times, and we’ll go in the afternoon or something.”
“So, how do you like playing for the Kats?” Gwen playfully wound her laces around her finger.
“It’s awesome.” Morgan turned to her slightly as he kept his eyes on the road, his tone brightening. “I love it. The stands are filled, and there’s a huge energy pumping from the crowd. You don’t get that at Eagle’s games. Wow…” He shook his head as he released a forced exhale. “And shit, we’ve won our first three games already. We’re going to state for sure.”
“The season just started, Morgan. You’re not going yet.”
“Piss on you, Porky.” He chuckled as he playfully shoved her shoulder. “Stop rainin’ on my winning streak. The Kats are gonna dominate this year.”
“Okay—dominate.” She giggled.
“You’re a Kats fan. You’re supposed to scream it, right?” He raised his fist and spoke excitedly, “Go Kats!”
Gwen laughed when he took her hand and raised it. She spoke through her laughter as she did a fist pump. “Go Kats!”
“See?” He turned his focus back to the road. “You can do anything with the right attitude. Think you can win, and you can win. And be cocky as fuck doing it.”
“You’ve got that part down.”
“And shit, did you see that Talon guy? Fuck, he was totally stalking Nemmers the whole game.”
“I didn’t see it.” Gwen smiled, her eyes taking in his great excitement.
“You don’t mess with the goalie. Dude’s gonna get beat.”
“Nemmers is the goalie for the Kats? I thought it was Kingley.”
Morgan looked at her with a surprised expression. “Seriously? You don’t know who our goalie is?”
Gwen shrugged. “I didn’t memorize the roaster. I usually only go to Eagles games.”
“But seriously, Gwen. Kingley? A goalie? Have you seen the size of that dude?”
“His hair?” Gwen giggled.
“His flow’s golden, right?” Morgan laughed.
“When it’s not greasy.” Gwen cringed. “And seriously.” She pointed to his face, which was covered in a light dusting of hair. “Some of you guys look like grizzlies with that stubble and long hair.”
“Yeah…but Kingley’s a little more chillaxed with his style.”
****
Shoving her way through the crowded hallway, Gwen hunched her shoulders inward. They were leaving an assembly that had been supposed to pump the students up for the football game tonight. Gwen had heard about the fight and gotten an earful from Morgan and Sam about dating any of the players. She knew with those two around that she’d be a virgin until she was thirty.
Feeling someone pull back on her shoulder, Gwen turned. Her gaze fell on the quarterback, Jake Thompson. He was a broad shouldered guy and on his chest was a Wildwood High football jersey. She wasn’t really sure what to say to the handsome man, so instead, she waited for him to speak.
“Gwen.” He sent her a smile. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.” Gwen tried to step to the side, but people were pushing from behind. The bulky football star stood ahead of her and blocked the way, so she could breathe a little. “What’s up?” She held her book to her chest tightly, “Morgan is hot” written in big, bold lettering on the back. She had tried to scratch it out, but in the light, the lettering showed through.
“I was thinking maybe we could partner for government.” There was a smoothness to Jake’s voice. He waved at his friends, arrogance seething from every inch of him. He knew he was popular and made sure to lap up every minute. He hit on Gwen a lot, but the shy girl never seemed to catch on. Even now, she was oblivious.
“I’m already working with Sam on all my projects this semester.” She smiled nervously, her tone mouse-like. “Sorry, Jake.”
“Well, umm…” He seemed annoyed and was struggling to find words to say. He and Sam didn’t get along, and he really didn’t get along with Morgan. The pair had gotten into a few fights in the hall. It usually started with a teasing “ice prick” comment or a joke about hockey, and then Morgan would snap.
Jake ran his hand through his hair and continued, “I didn’t mean the project.” He licked his top teeth, a wicked grin on his lips. “Since I’m doing pretty well, I volunteered to tutor some people who are struggling in the class. Do you want to study for Monday’s test with me this weekend?”
“Umm…” Gwen pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t really need any help, but thanks.”
“Well…” He pulled a pen from his pocket and opened his notebook. “Then, we can just skip the homework and go grab a burger or something.” He handed her the pen. “Can I have your phone number?”
“Like a date?” Gwen’s gaze darted over his features, her long, butterfly lashes batting anxiously.
“Yeah.” He glanced at his friends that were calling to him. “Like that.”
“I…” Gwen paused. Why the heck was she pausing? She could kick herself. One of the stars of the football team was asking her out, and she was hesitating.
“Not to rush you, but I gotta get to class.” He motioned to his notebook.
“Sure.” Breaking herself from the daze, she quickly jotted her number down.
“Thanks.” He chuckled. “I’ll call you.”
Gwen watched him stroll away then she headed to class. Morgan was gone today and would be until Sunday. They always walked to Anatomy together. And she missed him. A lot. Letting out a small sigh, she continued on by herself.
That night, she got a call from Jake, who arranged to take her to Johnny Burger Monday night. It was Gwen’s first date in a long time, which meant she was very uneasy. The day came quickly, and Gwen was now getting ready. Sam was gone on another date with Olivia. She hadn’t seen him very much lately.
Secretly, she wanted him and Morgan and Sam to discourage her from doing this, but the only one home was her mother, and Joan seemed excited about it.
Gwen knew Jake wasn’t the innocent, all-star boy all the parents of the school believed him to be. He had made his way through all the cheerleaders and many of the other girls in the school. All the adults saw were his great academic record and the constant write-ups about him in the paper. The Eagles hardly ever got into the sports section beyond scores, as the town was more focused on high school football this time of year.
She got dressed in a nice sweater and jeans and had obsessed over her makeup for hours. Finally, she stepped down the stairs sheepishly.
“Look at my pretty girl.” Her mother cooed from her seat on the couch. “Ready for your big date?”
“It’s not a big date, Mom,” Gwen answered flatly.
“What’s the matter, honey?” Joan watched Gwen walk over and plop down in the space next to her.
“Nothing.”
“Aren’t you glad the boys aren’t here?” Joan laughed as she turned back to her crossword. “They’re worse than your father was when your dates came over.”
Gwen didn’t answer as she glared at the television.
Joan studied her curiously. Then, she reached over and shook Gwen�
�s leg playfully. “You’ll be fine, Gwenie. First dates are hard, and I know how shy you are around new people.” She smiled when Gwen’s eyes met hers. “But just be yourself. Jake seems to like that. And I am very excited to see you dating.”
The doorbell rang. Gwen went to get up, but her mother motioned for her to sit.
At the door, Joan was greeted by Jake. “Good evening, Mrs. Roberts.” He was laying on the charm, and from her mother’s face, it was working. He was wearing his football jacket and a nice pair of jeans, his hair combed back neatly. Parked at the curb was a small car, an older model. “Is Gwen ready?”
Gwen had been standing behind her mother and shoved her way past. Joan grabbed her arm and pulled her back for a quick hug. “Have fun, honey.”
“Hi.” Gwen smiled sweetly at Jake when Joan let her loose, her hand fidgeting with her purse.
“You look great.” He looped her arm in his.
The intimacy of his interaction surprised her. She wasn’t ready for this.
Kissing her cheek, he escorted her to the car. He was polite and opened her door then ran over to the other side to get in. While he drove, he motioned to her shirt. “You’re a Kats fan?”
“Yeah.” Gwen nodded, a slight shakiness to her voice. She pulled at her Black Kats sweater. “A huge fan.”
“I haven’t seen you at a single football game.”
“No school spirit, I guess.” She laughed, but it was a limp one.
“You have to go to the next one.” He laid a hand on her knee. He tried to move it up her thigh, but she put her hand between her legs and halted him.
“I don’t really like football.”
“Wow, a hard girl to please.” Instead, he took her fingers and kissed them.
He was very smooth, and Gwen knew exactly what he was after. She could hear it in his tone and feel it in the way he undressed her with his eyes. He squeezed her knee this time and leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek. Finally, he parked in a back space at the Johnny Burger.
“Not really.” Gwen was uneasy. She looked away from him and out the window.
“I’ll make you a football fan.” His hand moved quickly and started rubbing her inner thigh.
Gwen jumped and pushed it off. “Stop, Jake.” She closed her legs tightly and pointed her knees away from him.
“What?” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You don’t like it?”
“No.” Gwen tried to pull away, but he kept grabbing her. “Stop.” She struggled to break from him, but he was trying harder. When he dove in to kiss her, she punched him in the stomach. He finally backed away.
Opening the door, she bolted and slammed it shut. She jogged into the restaurant and went to the pay phones in back. She dialed a familiar number and waited for someone to pick up.
“Hello?” Morgan answered in a tired voice.
“Morgan.” Gwen’s voice was quick and filled with panic. “Can you come pick me up?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Just do it, okay?”
“Where are you?”
“The Johnny Burger.” Gwen glanced behind her quickly.
“I’ll be there in five minutes. You owe me a shake for this, Porky.”
Gwen rolled her eyes and hung up. She used the restroom then bought a shake. When she went back out to the parking lot, Jake was gone. She breathed a sigh of relief. He was such a jerk. She should’ve known better than to go out with him.
When she saw Morgan’s truck pull up, she jogged toward it. She hopped in and shoved the drink in his hands.
“Thank you?” He eyed her in annoyance, waiting for her to say the words.
“Thank you,” Gwen said sarcastically.
“What happened?” Morgan spoke with the straw stuck to his lips. His blond hair was messy, his sweater not matching his red track pants.
“I went on a bad date.” Gwen crossed her arms, a large pout on her lips.
“And you thought you’d get lucky with the Kats shirt, eh?”
She shoved him hard, and he reacted with a snicker. “Shut up. Now everyone’s going to laugh at me at school. He’s gonna tell everyone I’m a whore or something.”
“Who’s he?”
“Jake Thompson.”
“I told you he was a douche.”
“Well, he seemed nice. We didn’t even get to the restaurant, and he was trying to mess around with me.” She turned to Morgan with an angry expression on her face. “Who does that?”
“Lots of guys.” Morgan laughed. “Want me to kick his ass?”
“Will you?”
“Yep.”
“Can I hang with you for a while? I don’t want Mom to know I ditched my date ten minutes in.”
“Sure. What do you want to do?”
“I’m hungry.”
“Wanna make something at my house? I got a killer recipe for tacos.”
“Really?” She giggled.
“Yeah. Del Taco.” He chuckled when she punched him. “So, why’d you even go out with that guy?”
“Because he asked me,” Gwen answered softly.
“I mean, how can you even want to go out on a date with him?”
“Besides him being good looking and on the football team?”
“And when did you start liking football?”
“I don’t.”
“Exactly. You guys have nothing in common.”
“Maybe I should take Kingley up on his offer.”
“No.” Morgan glared at her. “I told you—no Kats players.”
“But, I like hockey.”
“And I like you…” He sent her a playful grin. “Not dating my friends.”
“If Kingley’s your friend, then why’d you get in a fight with him the other day?”
“That’s guy stuff, Gwen. We pound on each other then get over it. No big deal. Me and Kingley are good.”
“How can you fight with someone and not have bad blood between you?”
“I said it’s a guy thing, Gwen.”
“Apparently.” She frowned and faced forward.
“We don’t get into all that drama crap you girls do.”
“So, did you get in a fight because of me?”
“No.” Morgan scoffed. “Why would I do that?”
“Just wondering.” Gwen smiled to herself.
“Speaking of Kingley, he got slashed the other night with a skate. Dude was lucky as fuck.” Morgan artfully changed the subject. “He was just grazed, but shit, there was a lot of blood.” They pulled into his driveway, and he shut off the engine.
“Was that an away game?”
“Yeah, against the Knights. He took it to the stomach.” Morgan was speaking animatedly, acting out the scene as they walked inside the house. He indicated where the injury occurred, gritting his teeth as he pretended to slash himself with the side of his hand.
“Did he get any stitches?”
“No.” Morgan laughed as he held the door open for her. “He was pissed ’cause he had to sit the game out.”
“Maybe I should ask him to show me.” Covering her lips, she smirked when Morgan sent her a glare.
“Last year, this dude from the Timbers got slashed in the face. That shit was nasty. Damn…dude’s got a permanent hair lip now.”
“Eww…Morgan, that’s disgusting.”
“I got slashed once. Ten—”
“Ten stiches,” Gwen continued for him. “I remember. And you took pictures.”
“I was in the newspaper, too.” He grinned.
“Smiling like a jackass.” Her cheeks were red from her laughter.
“It’s a battle scar, Gwenie.” He motioned to the small scar on his neck.
“I thought you called them hockey hickeys.”
“No, a little worse than that. But I got a few of those, too.” He pulled up his shirt to show her his bruised sides.
“Ouch.” Gwen ran her fingers over the tender skin, skimming the surface of his muscular frame. “That’s a huge hickey.”
/> Morgan sent her an awkward smile.
“Does it hurt?” She pouted, a childishness to her voice. Suddenly, she punched him in the side, and he cringed. She laughed as she pulled away. Morgan playfully punched her back a few times. This ignited a mini fight, but it sizzled after a few seconds.
“Tacos?” She went to the freezer.
“Sure.” Morgan nodded, and then they made supper.
****
Gwen was at a Kat’s game that weekend and getting very annoyed with the customers. Everyone was rude, and she was stressed out. She was glad to finally close the window and clean up.
“So, how’d that date go?” Hailey asked.
“What date?”
“With that guy from your school Monday?”
“Horrible.” Gwen sighed, scrubbing the counters harder than needed to clean them. “I called Morgan to pick me up because Jake got too friendly with me.”
“Friendly?”
“He tried to kiss me.”
“So?”
“So?” Gwen turned to her. “It was barely five minutes into the date.”
“I’ve done worse in the first five minutes.” Hailey chuckled as she threw away some uneaten food. She had set aside a few pretzels and packets of cheese to take home.
“Like what?” Gwen’s tone was one of naivety, hesitation in her fearful words.
“Gwen…” Hailey paused to study her co-worker. “You’re not a virgin, are you?”
Gwen’s expression immediately went blank, her eyes avoiding her friends’.
“It’s fine.” Hailey patted Gwen’s shoulder. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“I’ve never…” Gwen looked down at her feet. “Even gotten the chance yet.”
“Would you…if you got the chance?” Hailey went back to work.
“I guess.” Gwen shrugged.
“Well, who would be your first choice?”
“Probably…” Her voice grew very soft, “Morgan.”
“You really need to pounce on that guy.” Hailey knotted up a garbage bag.
“Like how?” Gwen’s voice was whiney. “I try flirting with him, and he pushes me back.”
“He’s a hockey player. Just get rough with him.”
“How?” Gwen followed Hailey out to the dumpster, a bag slung over her shoulder as well.
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