by R. M. Lynn
However, maybe she did care because at the end of the day when I went to meet her at her locker like I did every day, she was standing there looking up at Marcus Williams like he was the funniest, most attractive guy she’d ever spoken with.
“So, you’ll be there?” he was asking her as I stepped up behind her, and his eyes raised to mine. “Whassup, man?”
“Nothing much,” I muttered and looked down at Daisy as she smiled up at me.
Her smile broke hearts everywhere, I swore by it. She’d changed a lot since our childhood, but the one thing that always remained was that smile. Her green eyes had turned more emerald with age and her blonde hair grew a tad darker while the freckles that lingered across her cheeks and nose lightened. And suddenly, as I looked down at her, realizing she’d unbuttoned her shirt enough that as I stood over her, I remembered that she’d changed quite a bit from the scrawny tomboy I grew up with. Daisy was all woman now. Her tits were encased in a black lace bra, and I swallowed as I looked back to Marcus with a tight expression.
“What’s going on with you guys?” I forced myself to ask and slapped an easy smile on my lips.
“I was just making sure Daisy was coming to my party,” Marcus answered with a grin directed her way.
“And are you?” I wanted to know as I glanced back down to her while her face tipped up toward mine with my question.
She dragged her teeth over her full bottom lip, and I flicked my eyes back to hers so that I couldn’t focus too hard on her fuck-me lips. She shrugged one shoulder and gave a shy smile as she looked back to Marcus.
“Maybe you’ll see me there,” she told him, and fuck me, was she flirting?
Daisy was many things, but she was far from a flirt. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen her do it, and I was pretty certain she never had a real boyfriend. There was that one time during sophomore year that she’d been on a few dates with Kevin Houser, but I was certain it was more casual than anything else. Last year, she’d dated Nico Remes for a couple months. He told everyone she was great at head before she found out he was telling all his friends about what she looked like naked and dumped his ass. I wasn’t sure if any of it was true because she refused to talk about it when it happened. When Dash and I found him after school, and he held him down while I beat the shit out of his face, she really didn’t want to talk about it. We all pissed her off after that.
Nonetheless, Daisy wasn’t exactly playing the field, and to see her like she was now did something weird to me. Whatever it was, I didn’t fucking like it. Marcus was a douchebag. He was the team’s cornerback, but he just made first string this year. He let it go to his head, and he was a cocky bastard most days. However, he threw killer parties, and he was our teammate, so we played nice. However, he didn’t deserve her. That much I knew.
“Cool,” Marcus murmured all too softly for my liking and gave her a smile. “I’ll be looking out for you then. Don’t disappoint me, okay? I’d really like to see you.”
“Better run off to the locker room, buddy,” I interjected coolly before Daisy could reply. “Coach wants a meeting with all of us before practice. Wouldn’t want to be late.”
He shot me a cocky grin before giving a nod to Daisy and walking off down the hall. My eyes shot lasers at his back, but I pulled my attention back to the girl in front of me as she slammed her locker shut and glared up at me.
“What’s that look for?” I chuckled out and ran my thumbs over her eyebrows to ease the crease there. “Marcus is a tool. You should be thanking me for getting him off your back. And by the way? You’re welcome.”
“Maybe I wanted his attention,” she grumbled and shook her head at me. “You wanted to claim me as one of you, so now you get to deal with the consequences.”
“You’re welcome for that, too, by the way,” I shot back as she stomped down the hall toward the exit. “Hey, c’mon, Daze, don’t get mad.” I jogged after her and pulled on her elbow once we hit the sidewalk outside. “You want me to lay off, I’ll lay off. Okay? I’m sorry for interrupting… whatever the fuck that was back there. Just… be careful, alright? Marcus isn’t always what he seems.”
“Is anyone really who they say they are?”
I didn’t reply as we headed to the field where I waited until she settled at a spot in the bleachers before heading off to the locker room. Colt and Dash greeted me with fist bumps. Once the team was in their practice jerseys and pads, Coach appeared and had us circle up. He grumbled on about how the season began next weekend, so while we had this weekend off, it was important to not act like fucking animals. His words, not mine. We weren’t supposed to party or anything of the sorts during the season, but everyone knew players like Colt, Dash, and myself had an unspoken free pass. That’s what happened when your daddy owned half the town and you were one of the best players in the state. They’d never drug test us willingly, and if we were caught partying like the incident that happened last year? Slaps on the wrists at best.
Once the team meeting concluded, we headed out to the field to run drills. Any time there was a brief pause in the practice, I’d glance up to make sure Daisy was still there. Sometimes she’d catch me and give a small wave to which I’d acknowledge her with a jerk of my chin. Once practice was over, I showered and changed in the locker room before walking her back to my car to drive us home like I always did. I wanted to talk to her about Marcus some more, but when I pulled up to her drive, she gave me a smile, said her thanks, and hurried inside.
With a sigh, I headed to my own house and pulled the car into the garage before hefting my stuff inside and dropping it all in the entryway. The house was empty, as it usually was. Mom left years ago, no longer able to keep up appearances or remained tight-lipped about her husband’s regular affairs with women only a few years older me. Last I heard from her, she was somewhere in the Maldives, living off the alimony Dad paid her every month. While the sum was more than enough for any ordinary person to live off of, sometimes it wasn’t enough for Laurel Tate. I only ever heard from her when she called me to hassle Dad into sending her more money. I accepted a long time ago that Laurel was never meant to be a parent. I wasn’t sure my father was either, but at least he came to as many football games his workload allowed for.
Dad worked in the city half an hour away, where he often stayed nights at the penthouse he owned there. It was originally bought to hide his affairs, and while he still brought women there, it was mainly used as a place to crash after late night hours at the office. Dad was one of the top attorneys in the state and owned his own firm after inheriting half from his father and buying out the other half in his early thirties. On top of this, Dad spent a good part of his inheritance on buying out businesses all around town or investing in new ones, which turned into a major profit for him.
The housekeeper came during the day, so the house smelled clean, as always, and I headed through the house to the large kitchen nobody ever actually used, not even Mom when she lived here. The place was always stocked full of food, and my dad had put the number for the private chef on call on the fridge for me, but I rarely used it. I was capable of making my own meals. I pulled my head out of the fridge when my phone dinged with an incoming text. Opening up the group chat I had with Dash and Colt, I nibbled my lip as I read.
Dash: I heard Marcus personally invited Daze to his party tomorrow night.
Colt: What a tool.
Dash: I heard from another source that he’s hoping to find out what kind of panties she wears.
Fuck that, I thought to myself as I typed out a message to them.
Maddox: I’ll take care of Marcus personally.
I’d fucking kill the bastard if he took advantage of Daisy in any way. We met basically when we were born. My mother and hers used to be best friends. Now that my mother had run off with some guy she met on some visit to Jamaica, leaving behind her life of luxury and her son, the entire town of Summerset and the elites that once called her a friend had written her off completely. They were more tha
n ecstatic at the time, though, to find out they’d be having a baby only months apart from each other. I was born in August and Daisy in March. We’d been together nearly every day growing up, and whenever shit got rough, with her parents or with mine or any other bullshit, we were there for each other.
Daisy was wholeheartedly my best friend.
And I’d be damned if I let some prick like Marcus hurt her.
◆◆◆
Nine o’clock the next night, I waited in my kitchen with Dash as he took back a shot of Fireball and wondered where the hell Daisy was. She texted me an hour ago that she’d meet me at my place with Logan. However, they’d yet to show up, and Colt was on his way over to drive us to Marcus’s. I wanted to get there before Dash got himself too inebriated.
When there was a knock on the door, Dash threw his hands up and shouted, “Fucking finally!”
I rolled my eyes at him and went to answer the door. I had to do a double take when the door opened to reveal Daisy and Logan. Daisy, the girl who never wore makeup or dresses or anything of the sort, stood there in the shortest black dress I’d ever seen. The top was held up by the tiniest straps and wrapped around her tits and waist so tight, it was a miracle a nipple didn’t pop out. The skirt of it flared out and barely hit the top of her thighs. Her mass of wavy, blonde hair was down and hit just below her tits. Logan had to have done her makeup because I’d never seen it like that before. Her lips were painted a deep red and her eyes were done all smoky-like, making the green of her irises brighten. The only things that even resembled the Daisy I knew were the black Chucks on her feet.
“Holy shit,” I heard Dash exclaim behind me, and then he was there behind me with his hands on my shoulders as he peered past me at Daisy. “Is that you, Daze?”
“Oh, shut up,” she snapped and pushed past us until she was in my entryway. “Lo made me do it.”
I glanced at Logan as she laughed. Her blue hair was done in a tight, high ponytail, and her makeup was done the way it usually was with the dozens of piercings in her ears and the one in her nose. She was wearing a tight dress that hugged every curve she had, and I watched as Dash looked her over appreciatively as the girls walked into the kitchen in front of us.
As Logan and Dash chatted while he poured a couple shots, I stood off near the living room. Daisy grabbed two shots from Dash and brought them over to where I stood, handing me one.
“Be honest,” she whispered and looked down at the ember liquor. “Do I look ridiculous?”
“While I like you and the way you dress on any other day just fine,” I murmured back and clinked my shot glass to hers, “I think you look fucking incredible right now.”
I took my shot, and she did the same before she looked to her feet and muttered, “Thanks, Maddox.”
I was pretty sure she thought I was saying it to be nice. However, she did look incredible. I briefly wondered who she had gotten dressed up for. I really hoped it wasn’t for fucking Marcus, but I had an aching feeling that she did. I didn’t have much time to think too hard about it because my phone pinged with a text from Colt, letting me know he was outside for us.
“You guys ready?” I asked and took the shot glass from Daisy and went to the kitchen to set them in the sink. “Colt’s outside.”
Dash let out a whoop before pulling Daisy and Logan under both of his arms and pulling them toward the front door. Colt’s parents each bought him a car for his sixteenth birthday two years ago. The Porsche and the Range Rover. I supposed it paid to have wealthy divorced parents. They both tried to say they loved him and his younger brothers more based on the amount of expensive things they bought them. That night, he brought the Range Rover so we could all fit, albeit it’d be a tight squeeze. Logan somehow managed to snag the front seat, quickly hooking her phone up to the aux cord, while poor Daisy was squeezed in the middle of me and Dash in the back.
“I’m going to light up,” Dash announced as we pulled away from the house and made a move to dig into the front pocket of his jeans.
“Fuck no you’re not,” Colt snapped and made a quick glance to the back. “Wait until we get there. My mom will fucking kill me.”
I smirked and raised my arm to rest along the back of the seat behind Daisy. They bantered back and forth while Logan and Daisy sang every word to Billie Eilish’s all the good girls go to hell on the way. We parked some ways down on the already packed street Marcus’s house sat on, and the second we all climbed out of the car, Dash lit up a joint and took a long drag.
“Daze, you good if I head in?” Logan asked as Dash passed the joint to me. “I told Trish I’d find her. She’s inside waiting.”
“Yeah, sure,” Daisy insisted. “I’ll come find you. We’ll be right behind you.”
Colt snatched the joint from me just as I raised it to my lips, making me scowl at him as he took a quick hit and passed it back, saying, “I’ll walk you in, Lo.”
Logan gave a coy smile as he went to her side, his hand going to her back, and I took a drag from the joint as I watched them walk off.
“Fucking prick,” Dash grumbled. “That was mine tonight.”
I smirked, taking another hit and already feeling the effects before Daisy took it from me and snapped at Dash, “She’s not a toy you can just claim, you know.”
“You’re right, baby. Where’re my manners?” Dash replied with a bow. “I just want to know what her natural hair color is before I graduate. You feel me?”
I let out a chuckle as Daisy smacked his chest before taking a huge hit from the joint, and my eyes widened slightly.
“Holy shit, Daze, cool it,” I warned and took the joint from her, handing it back to Dash.
She’d smoked with us plenty of times, but she wasn’t exactly a pro. I didn’t need her getting sick later on, and I’d feel like shit if it were because I didn’t stop her. She rolled her eyes at me, but she’d thank me later, so I didn’t respond. Instead, Dash finished the joint, put it out with his shoe, and I put my arm around Daisy as we headed for the house.
I could hear Post Malone’s Congratulations blasting through the speakers inside before we even hit the front door. The second we entered the house, it felt like we were immediately swarmed. It was easy for Logan to find us again, and as Dash pulled Colt to him to say something lowly, Daisy was dragged away from me and pulled away by her.
“Hi, Maddox,” I was greeted with by Audrey Taylor, and I gave her a small smile while my eyes glanced up in hopes of figuring out where Daisy ran off to. Her hand went to my abs, and my eyes locked back to her. “I almost decided to leave. I’m glad I didn’t.”
“Yeah, me too,”
Audrey was attractive with dark hair and light eyes. Her body was fucking near perfect, and I’ll admit my eyes lingered whenever we had practice at the same time and she danced around in her cheer uniform.
She said something back to me, but my eyes found Daisy again in the crowd, now in possession of a red solo cup with Marcus at her side. I decided then it was time for me to get a drink. I excused myself from Audrey, told her I’d find her later, and gestured to Dash and Colt to head out to the back with me. We walked right by Daisy and Marcus, and while Colt and I walked around them, Dash shoved right between them and grabbed Marcus by his shirt collar, pulling him close. I couldn’t tell what he whispered to him, but suddenly, he shoved him away and walked toward us with a laugh.
“She’s going to be pissed you did that,” Colt told him as we got to the backyard where the keg sat with five or six coolers full of other shit. “Not to mention, it’s his fucking party.”
“Yeah, and what?” Dash laughed out as he got himself a beer. “What’s he going to do? Kick me out?”
He wouldn’t, and we all knew it. Marcus wanted so badly to be one of us. Further motive for him trying to get with the one girl we gave a shit about. I didn’t say anything further because Avery and Riley suddenly approached with their fuck-me dresses on tight and their pouty lips turned up in coy smiles.
“
Hi, boys,” Avery hummed and stepped up to me, her tits brushing just under my chest. “Hi, Maddox.”
“Hey,” I muttered tightly and took a subtle step back.
Avery, like most girls at Whitewater Academy, was beautiful and mean. She was entitled and snobby, and she walked around like she was better than everybody. She used her assets to her advantage, and of course, we all looked. I’ll admit she’d had at least two of our three dicks in her mouth, but I’d never say who.
Okay, it was me and Colt.
However, in my defense, it was my sophomore year before she started getting overly aggressive toward Daisy. Sure, she’d been catty, but it hadn’t gotten as bad then.
Riley stepped up to Dash, who had no shame in looking her over with a smirk. I downed half my beer and sent a look to Colt. He gave a short nod and put a hand on my shoulder before pushing us back inside, away from Avery. I’d lost Daisy again, and my eyes looked for her all on their own accord.
“Mac, just let her have some fun,” Colt said like he knew I was in search of her. “We brought her to get her out of the house and to show her a good time. We don’t need to babysit her. Nobody’s going to touch her. Plus, Logan’s with her.” He looked over my shoulder and smirked. “Also, pretty sure Audrey is giving you fuck-me eyes, so I think you should focus your attention on that.”
I looked over my shoulder and discovered this was in fact true, giving a smile to Audrey. I knew Colt was right, and I knew Daisy could take care of herself if anybody did try something. I was three beers in when I finally found her again. I was in a corner with Audrey, simply talking, when I stopped mid-sentence at the sight of her. She was dancing with Marcus in a way I’d never thought I’d see her dance. The way her hips rolled to the beat of Antisocial by Ed Sheeran and Travis Scott made my vision blur.
“You okay, Maddox?” Audrey murmured and put a hand to my forearm.
