by Tia Siren
“Hey guys,” he started.
“Just get out with it,” George shouted from the crowd.
“Alright, alright. I’m getting to it.” Henry said. “You know how I’ve been a bit standoffish and rarely go out to the night clubs, or usually eat at home. Well, there’s a reason for all of that.”
Henry looked into Kara’s eyes for strength.
“I’m not a rich kid like all of you. I’m not cut from the same cloth. I know a lot of you only like to consort with your own kind, and I’m not that. I’m just a normal everyday poor kid who wanted to be liked.
“So, I lied to you all, and I hope you can forgive me.”
The group was quiet for a minute; more or less none of them really had an immediate response to his sudden bout of honesty.
“Is that all,” asked George, the loudest of them all.
“Well, yeah.”
The guys all started laughing, and Henry felt ashamed. He started to walk away from the front of the group.
“Here I thought you were going to tell us something serious like you were quitting the team.”
Henry paused.
“What?”
George hopped out and grabbed Henry.
“I think I speak for everyone here when I tell you that none of us care where you were born, or where you come from. You’re one of us.”
Henry tried his hardest to suppress the tears that were welling up behind his eyes, but he couldn’t. The rest of the team shot up from the various chairs and couches to give him a giant hug.
Henry made eye contact again with Kara from the middle of the crowd. She stood in the back laughing at the sudden outpouring of emotion.
The large crowd partied the night away, drinking and chatting. The team threw on their skates again and started another impromptu game of hockey in the backyard.
This time, though, Kara was there to cheer him on. He felt revved up, now free from the burden of his own lies and ready to make his way towards a more exciting future.
Kara stood in the back with her new friends.
“Ugh, you are too lucky, Kara. That Henry is probably the best catch of the entire school.”
Kara thought about it, and she really did feel lucky. She felt lucky because of the person she was dating, and felt excited to have made so many new friends.
She had finally been coaxed out of her shell, by the last person she expected. And, in turn, Kara pulled Henry out of his.
*****
THE END
SPORTS Romance – One Game at a Time
“So you’re the prosecutor this time? I will never understand why you like playing courtroom games with all your other friends,” Matt said.
I perked up, brushed the errant hair from my face, and took another sip of my coffee.
“You just don’t get it; the high of winning an argument. It’s like going skydiving, or what I assume skydiving would be like. I’ve never been, but I can imagine it would be quite a thrill,” I said.
“So, you’re saying it’s like winning a game? I think I know what that feels like, Holly,” he said with a smirk.
I’d known Matt for so long that I sometimes forgot how well he knew me. I could be a little scatterbrained at times, and he always called me on it.
“Right, like winning the big game,” I said with a sigh.
“You’re a mess when you’re excited,” he said with a laugh.
“Well, at least, I perform well in the moment. The rest of my team always says I give the best counter-arguments,” I said boastfully.
While I never really found myself attracted to Matt, I always found him especially handsome. He was tall and well built, lean and muscular in just the right areas, and knew how to hold himself well. I was more than a little jealous of his overwhelming confidence.
“Are you coming out to my party this weekend? You’ve missed the last couple months, and I was hoping that you’d get to meet my new girlfriend,” he said.
I paused a moment, somewhat speechless. He seemed to have a party every weekend, and I usually was capable of coming up with a good excuse to avoid attending, but having broken up with Albert, I couldn’t come up with anything.
I slumped into my chair and sighed.
“Okay, I suppose I can make an appearance for a little while at least. But, I can’t drink. I need to get a lot of studying done early Saturday.”
“Don’t worry; I won’t be the one forcing drinks down your throat. Besides, I know you don’t drink anyway,” he said, “Okay, I gotta get out of here. I have to meet up with April; she said she had a surprise for me, and I know what that means.”
He smiled that devilish smile he flashed when he knew that he would be sleeping with someone and stood up to leave.
I stood and gave him a big hug to see him off. I really was lucky to have as good a friend as Matt. He always stood up to the bullies that I seemed to always attract; meanwhile, I would tutor him when he was failing miserably in class.
He sprinted off for the door and gave me an excited wave as he left. I rolled my eyes and giggled at his silly behavior; he was a grown man but still acted like a schoolboy when a girl beckoned him.
I continued on with my work; I had an entire argument to prepare before Monday’s mock trial, and I didn’t want to be the person who lost it for our team.
“You look like someone who could use a break,” I heard a voice say from behind.
I whipped my head around and made myself dizzy in the process. When my vision cleared up, I saw a rather tall and large man standing behind me.
He had a smile plastered on his face, with chiseled cheeks and high cheek bones accenting his somewhat silly expression. His eyes twinkled with a deep blue hue, and a tousle of blonde hair was neatly shaved atop his head.
He walked his powerful build around and sat in the unoccupied seat beside me.
“Hello?” I questioned.
“Jeff,” he replied.
“Ah, hello Jeff,” I said, “I’m sorry, but I’m not in the mood for conversation, I have a lot of work that needs to be done.”
He picked up one of the many books I had lying around and examined it closely.
“Trial procedure,” he said in a monotonous tone.
“What of it,” I asked.
“Nothing, just trying to make sense of what you’re studying,” he replied.
I let out a deep sigh and tried to drink from my empty coffee cup. I slipped my current studies into the book on the table to mark the page and closed the book.
“If you need me to spell it out for you, the least you could have done is bring some coffee,” I said, shaking my cup.
He raised his eyebrows in a gesture of understanding, or flirting; I didn’t know which, and sauntered off. Before long, he returned with a pot and filled my glass before returning to the seat beside me.
“So, spell it out for me,” he said.
“I am the prosecuting attorney in a mock trial, and I have to study for my case. You understand what a mock trial is, right?”
“I think I get it,” he replied with a laugh.
I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to shoo him away, or keep him around as a distraction. My work was beginning to get a little boring without someone to talk to. I might not look it, but I’m rather social when it comes down to it.
“Is this what you do for fun,” he asked.
It sounded like he was being condescending, but it might have been something I imagined. So I answered as honestly as I could.
“It’s not like I seek this out for recreation, but I find the arguing enjoyable.”
“I object,” he said, jokingly.
I laughed awkwardly at his obvious attempt at a joke.
“Is this what you do for fun?” I asked.
“What, you mean making friends?” he asked in turn.
“Yes,” I replied, “do you like bothering people for fun.”
“I like bothering you,” he replied with a coy smirk.
“I can tell
you have a lot of friends,” I said.
I started to gather up my things, wondering where else I could go to work on my studies. My room was still probably occupied with Pauline and her boyfriend.
“Tell you what; I’m going to let you get on with your work. But, I won’t leave until I, at least, get your phone number.”
He produced his phone from his pocket and held it out to me.
I wanted to leave a fake number, but the sincerity in his face led me to believe that he wasn’t as bad a guy as he was portraying. He didn’t seem the arrogant and stuck up type, or at least, this just felt like a ruse. I punched in my phone number, somewhat begrudgingly.
“Great! I’ll give you a call sometime next weekend?” he said.
“We’ll see. I am a busy woman, after all,” I replied, gesturing to my work.
“And, I’m late for practice,” replied, jumping over the chair and sprinting from the coffee shop.
I stifled a giggle; I’d never seen anyone run that fast from a coffee shop before. I was still indecision about whether I’d say yes, were he to ask me out on a date. He was cute, but he was very different from the men I was used to.
I preferred men that were interested in their future; men that studied hard to find their place. I wanted someone who was stable and down to earth, and he didn’t seem to be either of those.
2.
My afternoon runs were probably the only thing keeping me sane. It was the only time of the day I could tune out my roommate and my studies; I could listen to some of my favorite music and just enjoy the moment. Matt would sometimes join me, but we never really chatted while on runs. I never minded his company, and he was one of the few people that could keep up.
The sidewalks were dotted with other students finishing their studies for the day. Thankfully the track was usually free for another hour, which made for a boring run, but it usually ended with Matt and me stopping for a smoothie.
He was already in the middle of practice with the rest of the team. He was quite a creature to watch on the field; his agile steps could get him out of any tackle, and his ability to throw was second to none on the team. This worked in his favor and made him starting quarterback within one year. He was probably the quickest to rise to that level in the history of the school. But, he never passed it off as a big deal. He always praised the team, and his fellow players loved him for it.
I continued my run, and amidst my third lap, I noticed another familiar face. It was Jeff, standing right in front of Matt. He was strong and confident, as well. When the play started, he showed his powerful build by easily holding back two other players. It was an impressive display, to say the least.
I probably should have been watching where I was going, but as things happen I bumped into another runner on the track and lost my footing. I quickly apologized for my failure and limped my way to a nearby set of standing bleachers to nurse my injured leg.
It wasn’t anything serious, to say the least, but I did take the chance to watch the guys play more football. I lingered longer than intended, and I’m pretty sure than neither of them noticed me.
Practice was wrapping up, and I wondered what I should do. I would have liked to just go talk to Matt and grab a small bite to eat before returning to my studies while at the same time I had a feeling if I were to walk over I would have been pulled in to a conversation with Jeff.
In my attempt to avoid the latter, I stayed toward the sidelines, doing my best to avoid both of their gazes. The two of them chatted and headed back toward the showers, but Matt was pulled aside by the coach. The two talked for a brief moment before splitting. I could tell it was good news. Matt didn’t always smile when he was happy, but being friends for more than ten years gave me an insight most didn’t possess.
Before he started off to shower I caught his eye, he just nodded in recognition without coming over for a hello. I figured he’d probably return when he was cleaned up.
I didn’t have to wait long, maybe fifteen minutes before he strolled back to me at the edge of the field. We started walking toward the row of shops that occupied the next block over.
“What did the coach tell you?” I asked.
“He told me that I could be team captain if I wanted to be, it’s a big honor,” he replied.
“That’s great,” I said, “I’m sure everyone would be excited to have you as captain.”
“Yeah, but I don’t know if I want to be,” he replied.
“Why is that,” I asked.
“It’s a big responsibility, and while I love being responsible, I have a lot of other things I am interested in besides football,” he said.
He was a good student, and probably as smart as, if not smarter, than me. He’d mentioned on a few occasions that he wasn’t sure if he was going to pursue a career in football, and I always teased him about it. His scholarship was in sports, and he was only here because he played. He had to go pro, if he could.
“How long do you have to decide?” I asked.
“About a week,” he replied, “I’ll figure it out by Monday.”
“How long has Jeff been on the team,” I asked.
“You know Jeff?”
“More like, he ran into me in the coffee shop the other day after you left,” I said.
“He’s been there since I started, but he’s only now getting into a starter position. He’s good. He’s in the running for team captain as well. Some of the guys don’t like him as much. He can be a bit of a glory hog from time to time,” Matt said.
I went quiet for a little while as we continued to walk.
“You’re not really interested in him, are you?” he asked.
I really didn’t know what to say, but I had a feeling that Matt wouldn’t let me out of this without some kind of answer.
“I don’t know,” I replied.
“He’s really not your type,” Matt added.
“Hey, I know he might not be my type, but it’s still my decision,” I replied in frustration.
“Whoa, back off,” Matt said with a defensive gesture, “I’m not here to judge who you date, but I’m your friend, and I wouldn’t have expected you to even show the slightest amount of interested in someone like that.”
“I’m really not sure if I have,” I replied.
“He’ll probably be at my party if that entices you to come,” he said.
“I’m still going, I give you my word,” I replied while giving him a friendly punch on the arm.
We continued to talk and had a small bite before I broke off and returned home. I was partially hoping that I wouldn’t run into Jeff at the party, and partially hoping I would.
3.
I took special effort in getting ready for the party. I wore the sexiest underwear I owned, for one. For two, I picked up a slinky dress that I only wore once before. Matt even told me I shouldn’t wear it again because it garnered too much attention from somewhat unsavory characters.
I felt the need to unwind tonight; my head was twisted in so many different directions. My classes were difficult and distracting, continually occupying every facet of my being. So, I prepared for fun.
My dress did a lot to show off my long and toned legs; along with my slight and skinny curves. And, while I might not have had a gigantic chest, I knew how to make do with what I had.
I left for Matt’s place at eight in the evening. It was getting chilly this time of the year, so I brought along a comfortable jacket. I glad that he didn’t live that far away, so I could just walk instead of taking a cab.
“You made it!” Matt shouted when I stepped up to the door.
He seemed to have some kind of sixth sense about my arrival as I hadn’t even knocked, yet. I rolled my eyes at his exuberance, an expression that he was more than used to seeing.
“Hey, Matt,” I said sheepishly, trying to pull my dress back down to my knees.
He looked me up and down and smiled broadly.
“So, who are you trying to impress tonight,” he aske
d, “Cause I hope you know that I’m taken.”
I punched him in the arm and entered, slipping my jacket off on the way in. There were only a couple other people there, and they were barely talking.
“I thought you said this was going to be a party,” I said.
“Most real parties don’t start until after ten; you’re early.”
I made the most of my time; starting out I helped him set up a couple of tables and gathered a large bucket of ice. He constantly reassured me that I didn’t have to help, but I felt like a dutiful guest. I’ve thrown parties myself in the past, and while they weren’t the standard college affair, I never minded having help setting up.
Then the door opened to a flood of guests. It didn’t take more than five minutes before there was a keg setup in the kitchen and enough snack food to serve a small army.
I laughed at how efficient college students could be when they had something to do that they were interested in.
I did my best to stay social, trying to talk to as many people as I could. Matt was hard to find in the midst of the chaos. He was a popular guy, so it was completely understandable that he would be hard to find. Still, he was one of the only people here that I knew. I would have liked to spend more time with him. Perhaps he could have introduced me to some people that I might have enjoyed talking to.
I got more looks from the guys than I was expecting. I constantly would shuffle and adjust my dress to make sure it wouldn’t ride up so much. To say the least, I was regretting wearing something so revealing.
Then I saw someone that I really didn’t want to see in the slightest. Albert walked in the front door with another girl in tow. I didn’t recognize her at all, but I was flustered seeing my ex already in a new relationship.
I ducked behind a dividing wall in the hopes that he wouldn’t notice me.
“Who are we hiding from,” said a familiar voice.
I looked over, and Jeff was sidled up to the wall with a handful of cheese puffs. I didn’t know how to put things gently, so I just put them bluntly.
“I’m hiding from my ex,” I said.
“Which one is he?” he asked.
