Bailey’s short legs moved quickly to keep up with my long strides. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
This was the difference between Bailey and Dallin. Even when we were kids. Dallin was always the one who was up for anything. He wasn’t reckless or stupid (well, sometimes he was stupid, but that was beside the point), he was willing to try just about anything once. And he had endless optimism.
On the other hand, Bailey was the voice of reason. Not any less fun, she just wanted to think things through before she acted, weigh the consequences before each decision. She was also more likely to consider someone else’s feelings before either Dallin or I. We weren’t heartless, just dumb.
“Don’t try to talk me out of this, Bales. I’m hanging by a thread as it is.”
“Well, doesn’t that tell you something? Jamie!” she called out when I ignored her.
Stopping short, I turned to her with a sigh. “Don’t. I’m doing this, Bailey. So, just. Don’t.”
She didn’t say anything more. She studied me with an intense expression while I waited for it to clear. Eventually, her face cleared. She was still worried. She wouldn’t be Bailey if she wasn’t, but she didn’t try to stop me.
When we came to the point in the sport complex where you had to choose between cross country on the left or football on the right, for the first time in our high school career, Bailey and I parted ways.
It was just like I remembered. I’d had my doubts. All morning. After leaving Bailey to fend for herself at cross country practice. The whole way to the football practice field. I wondered. Would I really go through with this? Defy my mother while following my heart?
Good grief. It was just a stupid game. I kept telling myself that as Coach Reno ran us through reps. It was me and two other guys trying out for the vacant quarterback position. Todd Christenson, a junior with a decent arm from the baseball team, and Micah Porter, a senior who outside of school I’d only ever seen at the skate park. Football didn’t really seem to be his thing, but he wasn’t bad.
I’d studiously avoided Dallin’s gaze after seeing him when I first arrived at the field. His face split into the shit-eating-est grin I’d ever seen. Dude was going to break my concentration with his I-told-you-so-ness.
We took snaps from Ethan, the center, for over two hours, rotating between the three of us as we each attempted various plays. I could tell right away that I had a stronger knowledge of the game. Todd was accurate and had the muscle, but he struggled to remember pass patterns. He admitted to me that he hadn’t played football since his Pop Warner days and he’d only tried out because Coach Reno had begged him.
Micah, on the other hand, obviously didn’t feel like being social at all, barely speaking two words to either Todd or I. I wondered why in the hell he was here, not that he sucked, but he just didn’t seem that into it.
“I thought you said you didn’t play football?” Allie asked me during one of our water breaks. Her pretty blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she wore cut off jean shorts with a t-shirt I’d bet a week’s allowance had once belonged to Connor.
“I said I couldn’t play. There’s a difference,” I told her before chugging the paper cup filled with watered down Gatorade. At least it was cold.
Allie eyed me curiously, but I didn’t offer up any more information. Chucking my cup into the trash can beside the water table, I smiled and waved a little before running back out to practice. Didn’t want to get called out for flirting with Allie. Coach Reno was notorious for embarrassing players for that kind of thing. Plus, I wouldn’t want word getting back to Connor. I was man enough to admit he could kick my ass and I would rather not cross the guy.
Before calling it quits for morning practice, Coach had us run sprints with the rest of the team. I was more of a distance runner, but I was still the fastest guy on the field, easily lapping the receivers and running backs.
At the end of practice, we listened with the rest of the team as Coach talked about the upcoming scrimmage and details about practice for the rest of the week. When he was finished, he asked the three of us to stick around while the other guys made their way to the locker room. I finally allowed myself to meet Dallin’s eye and he gave me a thumbs up before jogging off the field.
Shaking my head at my friend’s antics, I turned my attention to Coach Reno. He wanted to speak to each of us individually.
“You think he’ll make a decision today?” Todd asked. Coach was talking to Micah. It was hard to read what was being said, but there was a lot of listening and nodding on Micah’s part while Coach talked a blue streak.
“I don’t know. How do you think you did?” I asked.
Todd shrugged. “I don’t know. To be honest, I was glad to see you and Micah here. I don’t really want to play football. I have an opportunity to train with a nationally recognized pitching coach in about a month and I’d rather do that.” Todd tilted his head and gave me a sideways glance. “And I really don’t want to get my ass hurt playing football and wrecking my baseball season.”
Huh. Todd didn’t even want to play. It wasn’t so surprising then that his conversation with Coach Reno was way shorter than Micah’s and soon he was heading toward the locker room with a grin in my direction. I lifted my chin in acknowledgement before turning my attention to Coach who was walking toward me.
After shaking my hand, he got right down to it. “Jamie, I want you to be our quarterback.”
I stared at him when he didn’t say anything else. I hadn’t expected him to come to a decision so quickly.
“I don’t have time to mess around. We have a scrimmage next week and our first game the week after that. Two weeks isn’t a lot of time to get a new quarterback on board with our system, but you seem to catch on real quick.” His penetrating gaze asked the question his mouth didn’t.
“Yeah, uh, Dallin Ralston and I are good friends. We talk football a lot.” That was understatement. I didn’t know the playbook or anything, but between watching games and working through things with Dallin, I was familiar.
Coach just nodded, still watching me. I worked to not clear my throat. I wasn’t intimidated, but it was just occurring to me how badly I wanted this. It wasn’t just an idea or a possibility, it was real. It was really happening.
If I wanted it to.
“You have the strongest, most accurate arm. Your endurance from cross country will only help you. You’re obviously familiar with the weight room. Your height is an advantage as is your knowledge of the game. Those are all things I can’t teach, at least, not in two weeks.” Coach paused, reaching to cup the back of his neck with his hand. “I think you’re a leader, Jamie, and without Sanders and Coleman on the field this year, our team needs some leadership. Micah’s too timid to be that for us, but I’ve asked him to join the team regardless. He will continue to practice and take reps at the quarterback position, but ultimately I’d like to groom Justin Critchfield for the starting position next year by keeping him on the JV squad this year.”
I thought about everything Coach said and it all made sense. I was oddly pleased that he wanted Micah to play. I hadn’t really gotten to know the guy, but I could see he tried and he wouldn’t have shown up if he didn’t want to play. I wondered why he wasn’t on the team already?
“I understand, sir.”
Coach nodded. “Good.” He stopped there and released a breath. “I tell ya, I gotta ask, son. Why the hell haven’t you been playing? Coach Pascal remembers you from youth football and says you’ve always been good. What made you stop?”
What to tell him? I didn’t want to reveal the fact that my mother had forbidden me to play. Not that it really mattered. I was eighteen and could sign my own forms. I just didn’t want him to investigate further into my situation and alert my mom to the fact that I was playing again. I still hadn’t figured out how I was going to deal with that and I didn’t want anyone beating me to the punch.
“Oh, you know, some family issues my freshman year and th
en, I guess I’d just gotten away and never got back in. I love football, though, and I’ll do my best.” Hopefully, he’d be satisfied with my answer and not look into it any more than that.
Coach’s hand clapped down on my shoulder as he smiled. “I believe you. And thank you. You’ve just saved our season by coming out today.”
No pressure there.
With those terrifying words, he jogged off the field toward his office, leaving me to try to not have a full-blown panic attack.
What in the hell had I just done?
Chapter 7
Bailey
Word spread fast and Jamie became an instant celebrity. I shouldn’t have been surprised. He was already popular and marginalized as a sex symbol, why not add in the jock stereotype? I hadn’t been prepared for the groupies, though.
School started and with it came all my insecurities. I wasn’t a complete troll, but there was no way I could compete with the underwear model wannabe’s. Nope, I was firmly and comfortably situated in the girl-next-door niche and I was just fine with that. Usually. I’m not going to lie, even to myself, I’d give just about anything to have the confidence the girls hanging all over Jamie possessed.
Alas, that wasn’t me.
And it sucked. For years, it’s been Jamie and I on the outskirts of the football fandom. Him because he didn’t play and me because I was, well, me. Dallin had always maintained a certain level of popularity just because he was athletic, playing football and basketball. I’d always had Jamie to pal around with in the lower tiers of our high school’s social stratosphere. But not this year.
Why have I never made any girl friends?
“Has Jamie Barnes always been so hot?” Oh, yeah. That was why. I wanted to tune out the girls who’d been gossiping about Jamie since I’d arrived at my locker but I couldn’t. A) Because they were literally right next to me and I needed stuff out of my locker and B) they were talking about my best friend.
“Who cares? He’s hot now.”
Their comments made my gut burn painfully, but that didn’t keep me from continuing to eavesdrop on their conversation.
“Did you guys hear?” one of them asked.
“What?” Three or four voices asked in unison.
“I heard some girls talking about Jamie.”
“Everyone’s talking about him. What’s new about that?”
I wondered the same thing.
“I guess, he cut quite the path all summer, making out with a different girl every weekend, sometimes two. Girls have been talking about taming the NCMO King and getting him to commit to a relationship. Whoever can get more than NCMO-” the girl who was speaking paused and the other girls giggled. I rolled my eyes. She wasn’t being that sly. “Anyway, it’s either that, or dates. Three in a row. Like a challenge or whatever.”
“No way. Jamie hasn’t gone out with anyone since Allie.”
It surprised me how much these girls new about Jamie. Not that it was a secret he’d gone out with Allie. Pretty much the whole school knew that. But knowing his dating schedule? It was a bit stalkerish.
“Well, girls are going to be throwing themselves at him left and right, now that he’s on the football team, his popularity has skyrocketed.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t mind making a play for Jamie. That boy is fine.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. Whipping around, I confronted them. “Are you guys crazy? Jamie is a person. Not a piece of meat.”
None of them seemed shocked by my outburst. Now that I was looking, I recognized all of them. They were juniors, a mix of girls from the dance team and cheer squad. I figured they were hanging around because Jamie was surrounded by seniors and these girls were waiting for their turn. It was pathetic.
One of them, Erica Pullman, who I realized had been doing most of the talking, narrowed her eyes on me.
“Really, you’re worried that we’re looking at him like a piece of meat? Jamie didn’t get the nickname NCMO King for nothing.” Erica sneered. “Don’t be a hypocrite just because he’s your friend.”
“Two people agreeing to kiss and have fun when both of them understand what’s going on is not the same as a bunch of girls challenging each other and going after him without him knowing what is really going on.” It made me sick, especially since I halfway agreed with what they were saying about Jamie. Maybe he did deserve what the girls at this school had planned for him.
“Whatever. He’s hot and popular and will kiss anyone with lips.” Erica’s spiteful gaze raked over my body from head to toe and back up again. She smirked. “Probably even you. Can’t blame a girl for not passing up a challenge like that.” With that parting shot, Erica and her friends turned on their heels and sauntered away, leaving me angry and shaking.
I didn’t get a chance to talk to Jamie until after practice when he gave me a ride home. I ultimately decided not to bring up the conversation I’d overheard at my locker that morning. Jamie was a big boy. He could fend for himself. But the knowledge was burning a hole in my brain and when he stopped by my house after dinner to see if I wanted to go for a walk around the neighborhood, I’d worked myself into a fine lather.
It didn’t help that the house had been a wreck when I walked in and dinner was burning on the stove while Mom fed Delia on the couch half-asleep. To top it off, Preston ran around in his potty training underwear and nothing else. I’d managed to salvage the top half of the rice in the pot, although it had a distinct scorched flavor, and get Preston into a pull-up diaper and pajamas. It was a little early to be getting ready for bed, but I wasn’t about to change him again later.
Yeah, so by the time Jamie rang the doorbell I was more than ready to get out of the house. Jerry, my step-dad, had finally gotten home from work a few minutes earlier and was making Stella and Benson clean up the front room while he did the dishes and kept Preston out of trouble. Mom had escaped to her room as soon as I walked through the door.
I really hoped Delia was going to be my last sibling.
“Hang on, I’ll go get my shoes,” I called over my shoulder as I ran up the stairs to my room. I came back down to find him under a pile of my siblings.
“You know, you don’t have to let them do that,” I told him as we headed down the block.
Jamie shot me a lopsided grin. “It’s okay. I don’t have any siblings, so it’s more fun for me than it probably should be.”
I could see that, but it was still kind of embarrassing how much they hung all over him every time he walked in the door. If they did that to me, I’d never walk in.
“Is baby girl sleeping any better?” he asked as we rounded the corner on our block.
“No, and I feel so bad for my mom. Preston is a handful on his own and she has to deal with him and Delia all day after not sleeping all night.”
Jamie shook his head. “Kinda makes you rethink parenthood, right?”
He didn’t know the half of it. “It’s the best kind of birth control.”
Jamie’s step stuttered, one leg landing at an awkward angle and I thought he was going to fall down.
“Whoa! Are you okay?” We both stopped so he could get his wayward limbs under control.
“Birth control?” he choked out, his face all shades of red.
I raised an eyebrow. “I have actually reached the age where procreation could occur, James.”
His eyes bulged and he choked for real, coughing badly enough I became concerned and pounded on his back.
“That was not at all how I imagined our conversation going,” he said a few moments later, his voice broken and scratchy from his near-death experience.
I had to laugh. “Oh, my gosh. I didn’t know your eyes could get that big.”
“You just said ‘birth control’ and ‘procreation’, Bales. It threw me off.”
“I guess. I almost had to perform the Heimlich.” That made me laugh even more.
“Not funny.” Jamie glared, one hand propped on his hip while the other pounded against his chest as he continu
ed to cough a little.
“Oh, it was funny.” I giggled. “Remind me to never mention anything to do with having children again. I wouldn’t want you to die on the spot.”
“I’m an eighteen-year-old guy! What do you expect?” His eyes opened wide again and he threw his hands in the air, which would have looked ridiculous on anyone but him.
“A little maturity, Barnes. It’s not all that unusual for a girl to think about things like that. And I am a girl, you know.” I swear, he and Dallin probably wished I’d been a guy living next door for all they ever acknowledged my femininity.
“Why does everyone think I need to be reminded of that? I know you’re a girl, Bailey.” He had one hand back on his hip and his brows were bunched together as he studied me. I could almost see the gears working in his mind.
I put up my hand. “And we are done with this awkward conversation.” I started walking before he could protest. It took him a few seconds to follow and he had to jog to catch up. He stopped me with a hand on my arm.
“Bailey-” I’d never seen him so serious. “Are you,” he cleared his throat. “Are you seeing someone?”
Was he for real? When would I have time to be with anyone? I was always with him! “Are you kidding me right now?”
His eyes bounced back and forth between mine, our faces were that close. The sun was beginning to set, sending the warmest light reflecting off his skin. How could I be seeing someone when the only guy I ever saw was him?
Uncertainty colored his gaze. “No? I’m not kidding? You’re the one who said birth control. Why would you say that unless...” his voice trailed off awkwardly.
Now, I was the one with my hands on my hips as I glared at him. How had things gotten so off kilter? How had our friendly walk turned into this?
“Not that it’s really any of your business, but no. I’m not seeing anyone.” Except I imitated his deep voice when I said ‘seeing anyone’. Because that was mature. “And I was just being funny because my siblings make me want to rethink ever having kids sometimes. In the future. Long, long, far in the future.”
The Perks of Kissing You (Perks Book 3) Page 5