Dare You to Chase the Soccer Player (Rock Valley High Book 5)

by Lacy Andersen

  Joe lay back on the bean bag chair and gave a pathetic little kick of his leg as I maneuvered my Mortal Kombat player with an impressive button combination that slaughtered his warrior with a resounding KO!

  A string of curses fell from his lips as the screen in front of us flashed and his character fell to the ground in a useless heap. “Okay, that officially stunk.”

  “Better luck next time, Joey.” I did my best to smile at him sympathetically, but the competitive gamer inside of me was leaking out. “We could always go another round, if you’re up for it.”

  “What’s the use?” Joe threw his head back dramatically and sighed. “You know you’re going to win. You always win. Even when I cheat.”

  I grinned at him. Joe Brewer was two years behind me at Rock Valley High and one of the few guys who would still play with me. He was a bit pudgy in the middle and had round cheeks, which was probably why he constantly liked to remind anyone who would listen that he just hadn’t lost the baby fat yet. He was always trying to pull one over on me, but Joe had yet to beat me in this game or any other. It wasn’t his fault. I was just that good.

  Gaming was my life. My mom said I spent more time in the virtual world than the real world. Maybe that was true, but she had no idea of the possibilities beyond the surgical room she spent all day in. In this game, I was an immortal warrior. In another, I was an elfish princess. And in another, I was a soldier in command of a troop of soldiers, out to save the world from alien invaders. Virtual reality was often better than actual reality, especially for a junior at Rock Valley High. If anyone asked me, we could’ve skipped forward to the whole graduation thing years ago.

  Not that anyone ever asks me anything.

  “Come on, Joe, let’s go another round.” I squared my shoulders toward the TV and readied myself for the next battle. Math homework could wait. I needed another win.

  Joe shook his mane of curly brown hair and leaned back to look out the open doorway into the main lobby of the after-school club, the permanent scent of stale popcorn and gym shoes wafting our way. This was a popular place for gamers to congregate. There were foosball tables, ping pong, computers for homework, and even tutors for anyone who needed them. But best of all was the vintage collection of gaming systems in the back room. These days, I spent most of my time gaming on my phone, but sometimes it was fun to break loose and dominate on an old-school Nintendo.

  “They posted the tournament yet?” he asked, craning his neck.

  I shrugged, trying to maintain my cool, even as my heart rate sped up at the mention of the huge announcement all of the gamers had been waiting for. “Don’t think so. You actually gonna enter?”

  “Heck, yes! I heard a rumor that the winner gets a trip to Florida.” He grinned, stretching his thick arms above his head. “Imagine scoping the beach for babes all spring break. Now, that’s my kind of a grand prize.” When he caught my wry expression, he chuckled and rushed to correct himself. “I mean, imagine scoping the beach for dudes?”

  My answer was an emotionless stare in his direction.

  I swore, sometimes these guys forgot I was a girl. Just because I could hold my own in a video game... Of course, it didn’t help that I wasn’t exactly a girly girl, either. No makeup for me. Ninety percent of my closet consisted of black t-shirts. And my unruly wavy blond hair was best kept under control with a beanie. It was no wonder they all forgot. And besides, in their world, there was no room for girly girls.

  Or girls in general.

  “Yeah, okay.” I chucked a nearby throw pillow at Joe’s head and pushed myself out of the bean bag. It didn’t make sense to dwell on it. Things would never change. “I think I’ll leave the dude scoping to the rest of the girls.”

  Scoping dudes wasn’t exactly on my to-do list. Not for the next decade, anyway. All the boys at Rock Valley High were pretty much duds. And the only good ones were dating my two amazing best friends.

  “Wait, you’re not going to enter?” Joe stared at me with eyes so wide they almost appeared cartoonish. “But why? You’re a better gamer than any of those jerks out there.”

  I smirked at him, a flash of pride warming my chest. “I know.”

  “Then, why don’t you enter?”

  With a noncommittal shrug, I tossed my remote into a nearby beanbag. Joe didn’t get it. He never would. None of those guys would want me in the competition. They’d all gang up against me, just to keep me out. Girls didn’t game – at least, not in their tiny world. I was much happier keeping to myself and playing random competitors on the Internet. Competitors who didn’t know who I was.

  I brushed my hands together and gave Joe a sideways glance. He’d fallen back into his bean bag as if my refusal to join the competition had mortally wounded him. “If you’re not up for another round of getting your butt kicked, let’s go check the bulletin board. I’m dying to know the prizes for this year, even if I refuse to compete.”

  A girl could dream.

  He jumped up from the chair and flashed a gap-toothed grin. “Now, you’re talking. Let’s go.”

  We left the gaming room and entered the main lobby. Sure enough, a small group of guys had gathered around the bulletin board, signaling that the tournament details had finally been posted. My pulse throbbed with anticipation.

  Maybe entering in local competitions wasn’t my thing, but I’d been waiting all day to hear about the details. The Rock Valley after-school club did a big winter gaming tournament every year. Each tournament was for a different game. Normally, the prizes were stuff like gift cards to the local batting cages or restaurants. Nothing crazy impressive. But this was the first time they had a legit sponsor. Some bigwig named Fred who’d moved from Rock Valley to Silicone Valley had donated money for his hometown competition.

  Rumors were flying about what kind of prices would be involved. A sports car? An extreme vacation? A fully loaded new gaming system with all the bells and whistles? The thought of it could make a kid’s heart flutter.

  Not that it mattered to me. I never entered those kinds of things.

  Didn’t mean I couldn’t be a little curious, though.

  “Hey man, they finally announce which game it’s going to be?” Joe pushed past me to join the other boys ogling the bulletin board. “Tell me it’s Borderlands. I might actually stand a chance.”

  Nearing six-foot-tall, without heels, I had no problem seeing over my little gaming buddy. My height might have been the bane of my existence, but even it came in handy once in a while. I chewed on my bottom lip and squinted at the black poster that had been tacked up since I’d arrived at the club.

  Was that...? Yes, I was pretty sure the world Battlegrounds was highlighted in neon orange letters with matching colored snowflakes surrounding it. A promise of a five-thousand grand prize for the winner was underlined beneath it, charging the air around the bulletin board.

  A bolt of excitement went through me. I couldn’t help it. Battlegrounds was only my all-time favorite game ever. It was an app-based virtual world game that traveled everywhere I went on my phone. This was going to be epic.

  I slipped my phone out of my pocket and opened up the app, pulling up the messages box. Joe wasn’t my only gaming buddy. I had one other, but we’d never met in real life. At least, not as my gaming handle. Battlescar13 was the only other guy I talked to on a daily basis and we were both obsessed with Battlegrounds. He would’ve loved to know about the tournament, but it had been a week since I’d last messaged him. Things were...complicated, to say the least. And I wasn’t sure if that friendship was even a thing anymore.

  “Out of the way,” a gruff voice called out. “Make room for the real gamers.”

  I cringed at the sound. That voice had resonated enough times in my nightmares to give me an automatic flight or fight response. And right then, I chose flight. No need to start a fight today and dampen my excitement. But as I stepped backwards, Michael Corrigan appeared through the crowd, wearing his usual cocky grin.

  “Battl
egrounds? Sweet! Sounds like none of you losers are going to stand a chance this year.”

  He leaned in toward the poster, squinting at the small words printed underneath. His wavy dishwater blond hair fell into his steel gray eyes. With high cheekbones and a sharp jawline that could cut glass, Michael was often the subject of the girls’ daydreams at my school. He came packaged with an athletically toned hockey player’s body and a height that soared even over me. But what those girls didn’t know was that behind the gorgeous smile was a cruelty that turned on anytime I came into the picture.

  It was the handwriting from his nasty note that I saw burned in my retinas every time I closed my eyes. A torn piece of paper he’d slipped into my backpack when he was in eighth grade and I was in seventh. It was because of him that none of the other guys would game with me anymore.

  Michael Corrigan and his big mouth.

  I took another step backwards, not in the mood for a battle of the wits, when Michael’s searing gaze snapped to my face.

  His lips curled up in a mocking smile, as if he’d known I was trying to make a break for it, and he cursed loudly. “Oh look, everyone, it’s the wanna-be girl gamer. Careful. If she didn’t take her Midol this morning, she might get all emotional on us. Anyone bring a hanky?”

  Anger coursed through me as the guys around us laughed at his stupid joke. My feet planted into the wood floor beneath me, unwilling to submit to a plan of flight when that jerk had yet to be put into his place. I gripped my hips with claw-like hands and glared as hard as I could at him, willing him to spontaneously combust before my eyes.

  “Eat my dust, Corrigan. You know I’m more of a gamer than you’ll ever be.”

  He cocked his head slightly to the side, his eyes glittering. “Not in a million lifetimes, Frye. No girl’s ever won the tournament. You can talk all you want, but unless you’re willing to go head-to-head, you’re never going to be the top.”

  I harrumphed, but the boldness I’d felt only seconds ago was fast fading. Technically, he was right. A girl had never worn the tournament. No girls had ever entered. They’d made it clear as day that this was a boy-zone only. No girls allowed. How was I supposed to combat something like that all alone? Now wasn’t the time. Flight was feeling like the better option. “Whatever. I don’t need to keep proving myself to you. I beat you years ago and I can still beat you today.”

  His eyes narrowed just a smidge and the angles of his jaw grew sharper. It was a certified fact that Michael hated to be reminded of the time I’d beat him in an impromptu Call of Duty battle years ago at his own birthday party. Usually, the slight deflation of his ego brought me joy, but in a room full of guys waiting for me to have an emotional outburst, it was more nerve-wracking than satisfying.

  “You know what, I’m tired of talking about that stupid game.” He made a face. “If you want to talk big like that, you’ve got to pay up, sweetheart. In fact, I dare you to put your money where your mouth is. Why don’t you sign up now?”

  I lifted my chin, even as my gut rumbled with unease. Face-to-face confrontation was never my style. I preferred to settles scores on the virtual battleground. But Michael and I had never battled since middle school. And I’d mostly stayed away from his little gamer group. No one wanted me there. I wasn’t going to force myself into where I wasn’t wanted. I had more pride than that.

  “Nah, I’m good.” I turned away, talking over my shoulder. He wasn’t going to get me all riled up. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “I don’t want to bruise your fragile male ego. You might never recover.”

  Two steps away was all I got before his mocking laughter made me freeze. If I were a cat, the cold sound would’ve raised all of my hackles. Instead, it made me grind the perfectly straight teeth my parents had thrown thousands of dollars at to correct my overbite.

  “Told you guys. That’s why girls shouldn’t game. They’re only good for one thing...”

  I spun on my heel so fast I almost made myself dizzy. With a finger pointed at Michael’s nose, I got right in his face. “Good for what, Corrigan?”

  His lip twitched. “Oh, I think you know.”

  I wanted to wipe that nasty smile off his face, but a solid form stepped between us, breaking my concentration. It was Michael’s ever-present shadow, the other half to the twin duo who had done their best to make my life miserable since middle school.

  “Elizabeth.” Gabriel Corrigan gazed intently at me, his dark lashes blinking heavily, as if he blamed me for creating a scene. A deep, disapproving frown pulled on his mouth, made to look only more severe by the jagged scar that raced down his right jawline.

  “Gabe,” I shot back, using the nickname I knew he hated.

  The slight twitch of a jaw muscle was the only outward sign that I’d gotten to him. “Done here?”

  “Not sure.” I crossed my arms and cocked my hip with as much sass as I could muster under the situation. At least a dozen pairs of eyes were watching this confrontation go down. “Your brother was just enlightening me on the one thing he thinks girls are good for. He’s a real winner, that one. The Women’s Liberation Movement should recruit him.”

  There were snickers in the crowd around us. Gabe stared at me for a long beat and then turned stiffly to glance at Michael rolling his eyes behind him. Despite the fact that the twins were almost mirror images of each other, their personalities couldn’t have been more different. Where Michael always had something nasty to say, Gabriel hardly ever spoke. But he was always there when his brother decided to be a jerk, so I counted them both as pains in my rear.

  And until they both graduated at the end of this year, that was never going to stop. The only way to put them both in their places was to prove once and for all that I truly was the best. Even if it meant putting my neck on the line.

  My body was buzzing with so much frustration, I couldn’t even check myself.

  Maybe it was time to take a stand.

  It was now or never.

  “You know what? Maybe I will enter the competition.” I pushed past Gabriel and up to the poster on the bulletin board. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, making it a little hard to be rational. Before I could second-guess myself, I ripped the poster off the wall and rolled it up into a tight tube in my hands. Stalking toward my nemeses, as if I didn’t have a care in the world, I gave them both a cocky smirk and slid the poster into my back pocket. “There. Now I’ll prove once and for all that girls can be gamers. Guess we’ll see just how fragile that male ego is when I win.”

  Furry danced in Michael’s eyes. He crossed his arms and glared at me. I was pretty sure he hadn’t expected me to take the bait. Beside him, Gabriel’s disapproving frown grew deeper. He mirrored his brother’s position, his muscular arms flexed over his chest. It would’ve killed me to admit it aloud, but it was an intimidating sight. Two of the school’s best hockey players staring me down, as if they wanted to crush me to dust. I swallowed down my nerves, desperate not to let them know they’d gotten to me.

  “See you later, boys.” I pushed between them with a careless wave of my hand. “Make sure to take your Midol before you get all emotional. Wouldn’t want you bursting into tears on us.”

  It wasn’t until I got to the parking lot was I able to breathe normally again. I leaned against my old Chevy Cavalier while my heart raced. That had been intense. I had not been prepared for how much courage it would take to stand up to the Corrigan brothers once and for all.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket with a message. With a shaky hand, I took it out and looked at the screen. Battlescar13 had messaged. It was one of over a dozen unanswered messages he’d sent me since last weekend.

  Battlescar13: Dude—they chose Battlegrounds for the next tourney!

  I closed my eyes to block out his words. A week ago, I would’ve been excited to see that message. Battlescar13 had been one of my only gaming friends these past few months. But for all he knew, I was the boy I claimed to be on my profile. Not the sixteen-year-old girl wishing th
at she didn’t have to hide behind a fake profile picture to be taken seriously. He’d never understand.

  Especially since Battlescar13 was none other than Gabriel Corrigan’s online alter-ego.

  I’d been chatting with the enemy for months and didn’t know it until a week ago.

  Slipping the phone back into my pocket, I thought about that poster in my back pocket. It was hard to feel bad about losing my mind a few minutes ago when this was all I’d ever dreamed about. Never mind the cash prize, this was a chance to prove that I belonged. And all the girls who came after me. How could I turn down a dare like that?

  Jutting out my chin, I summoned all the courage I had and made up my mind on the spot. I was going to enter this year’s annual winter gamer challenge. And I was going to win. No one – not even Michael and Gabriel Corrigan – were going to stop me.

  That was a promise.

  Thank you for reading an excerpt from Dare You to Catfish the Hockey Player! Make sure to order it here before it returns to full price!

  About the Author

  Lacy Andersen is the author of several series, including the Billionaire Matchmaker, the Monstrana Paranormal Romances, Faking Ever After, and the Dark Angel Wars. When not writing or dreaming up stories to tell, Lacy is busy running after her kiddos, watching Netflix with her husband, or reading the latest releases. She has a serious addiction to cotton candy, loves to compete in any type of game, and is currently planning her next trip around the world.

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