by H. J. Bellus
“Freshman, right?”
I nod, suddenly feeling foolish for my psycho breakdown in front of Mr. Hunk-O-Rama.
“Yeah, sorry, I think I’m just tired.” I stand and my rubbery legs wobble underneath me. “Go ahead, I don’t want to mess up your workout.”
He chuckles, and that slight grin dances on his serious face. “I just nearly killed a freshman cheerleader. I’m not about to run along without making sure you make it back to the dorms.”
“Really, I’m fine. I may be a little, tiny,” I gesture with my fingers, “itsy bitsty emotional and exhausted, but besides that, I’m good.”
“When do you report to cheer camp?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
We begin walking down the running trail side by side.
“Your knees may be a bit sore.”
“Slightly,” I respond, as my knees sting like a bitch in heat.
I break into a slow jog and look out the corner of my eye to see Tuck keeping pace with me, and just like in the diner, I find it impossible not to stare. There are so many questions I want to ask him, but know it’s completely inappropriate. Like why he portrays such a dark vibe, his clothing, and if he can makes girls scream in bed.
Instead of exercising my mouth, I keep jogging, quickening my pace. My Beats bounce off the back of my neck as I find my rhythm. Tuck sticks quietly by my side.
“You can go ahead, Tuck. I’m fine, really.”
“What? You don’t think I can keep up with a cheerleader? Just because I’m quiet doesn’t mean I’m a pussy.”
I can’t help but laugh at his joke.
“What’s so funny, Miss Blue?”
“My dad always uses that line about not being a pussy.”
I kick in the last gear at my full gait and don’t say another word. Tuck keeps up with me step for step. When we hit the next sign on the jogging trail, I decided to take the eight-mile trek back to the dorms. It feels good to be running at full speed again. With each bend of my knees, I feel the crusted blood break.
Tuck’s heavy breathing makes me feel good because I know he’s pushing himself just as hard as I am. The light of my dorm comes into view, and I internally groan, never wanting this run to end. It was exhilarating before Tuck joined me, but since he did, the open air with his musky scent entangled in all of it made the workout more than satisfying. I could’ve done without the tumble, though.
I come to a stop in front of the dorm and take a second to catch my breath, heaved over, resting my palms on my kneecaps.
“Have a good day tomorrow, Blue Williams.”
I look up to see Tuck jogging in place, facing me.
“Did you Google me? How did you know my last name?”
“I have my ways,” he replies with his stone-cold, serious face.
“I see. Thanks for scaring the shit out of me and nearly killing me before I start my freshman year.”
My sentence rambles on, and I do that on purpose. I’m not ready for Tuck to jog away into the darkness. It’s too late for dinner, and I’m betting he’s not the tea or coffee type…I scramble to come up with an excuse. Tuck begins moving backward in his jogging stance.
“Where are you going?” My voice comes out more panicked than I’d like to admit.
“Home. Goodnight, Blue.”
Tuck continues to jog backward until his black outline fades away into the darkness.
“Goodnight, Tuck,” I holler back.
Within moments, I’m standing in front of the dorms all alone in the darkness, feeling exhausted and satisfied. Falling asleep will be easy tonight.
Tuck, who the hell are you beneath that iron-clad persona?
Chapter 3
Walking back into the dorm, it seems the crowds have gathered behind closed doors, as muted sounds escape each room I pass. Some sounds make my ears bleed. I’m surprised to see the door to our room cracked open slightly, and when I push it further open, Sophie and Lane are all sorts of tangled up…and very naked.
“Oh lord,” I squeal.
“Shit, I told you to lock the door.” Sophie slaps Lane’s back.
I snag a medicine kit off my dresser. “I’ll wait out here. No worries.”
Holy shit, unbelievable. I better become a betting woman.
My mom really thought of everything when she helped me pack and buy stuff for the dorms. An emergency first aid kit was the last thing on my mind, and I do remember rolling my eyes at her when she tossed it into the shopping cart at Target. And if on cue, my phone blares out Mom’s ring tone. I swear she knows everything that happens.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hi, sweetie,” her voice rings out. “Hi, baby Blue.”
Oish. I must be on speakerphone. My parents love this shit.
“Hi, Daddy.”
“How was your first day?”
“Good, Mom. It was really good.”
“Say bye to your dad. We’re just checking into a hotel for the night.”
“Bye, Dad. I love you.”
“Love you, too, Blue. Don’t go getting knocked up.”
“Deal,” I say.
I listen to my mom fumble with the phone while she turns off the speakerphone, and then my father slams the car door.
“Okay, I’m back. How’s your roomie?”
I giggle at my mom’s vocabulary and then prop the phone between my shoulder and ear. “Mom, I don’t even use that term. Sophie is fine. She arrived late, and well, then…”
“Well, then what?”
“She wanted to go out to eat, and I…”
Before I have the chance to finish my thought, my mom takes control of the conversation.
“Did you offer her some of your food?”
“Of course, Mom.” I roll my eyes. I really need to stop that shit. It may get me in trouble one day. “But she had already made a new friend, and they went out.”
“You got ditched on your first day in the dorms?” Her tone is bathed in horror.
“No, Mom. I told them I didn’t want to go, and it was a guy she’d met, and they are now currently finishing up bumping uglies in our room.”
I smile to myself as I pop open the tube of antibiotic cream. I’ve never kept anything from my mother, but her facial expressions as I revealed stuff like this are always priceless to see. I can only imagine her now.
“Oh, dear, where are you?”
“Out in the commons room. I took a slight tumble tonight on my run, and I’m just cleaning up the scratches.”
I’ll leave it at scratches when it’s more like craters and feels like fucking Jaws is gnawing at my kneecaps.
“How did you fall? Who were you with? Are you okay?”
And the rapid-fire questions begin.
“Just being a dumbass and running after dark. Only some scrapes.”
So, I guess I don’t tell my mom everything. I leave out Tuck and the larger cuts on my knees and my torn running pants. I listen politely as she gives me her motherly lecture and asks about twenty times if I need to go to the hospital. I know she’s made it into the hotel room because I hear my dad chime in just like he does every single time. “Shit, just tell her to rub some dirt on it and move on.”
Listening to the two of them eases my homesickness a bit, and by the time my mom’s done talking, I have both knees cleaned and bandaged up.
“Okay, bye, Mom. I love you.”
“Love you, too, Blue. I can’t wait to hear about your first day of camp, and remember Dad and I are coming to the first home game to watch you cheer.”
“Got it. Night, Mom.”
I hang up the phone, knowing the goodbyes could last a century with that woman, and it’s best to cut it short. I try to stand up and realize I may have gone a little heavy on the Band-Aids, as I’m unable to bend my knees. Walking like I’m on stilts, I laugh out loud at the day I’ve had and wonder if it’s any sign of how the year will go.
“You laughing again?”
I look up to see Ethan and a beautiful wom
an draped off his shoulder. My butt puckers up at the realization this must be Stephie the Ball Crusher. I’m unable to form a word, not knowing which direction to take. A, admit I know Ethan and had lunch with him. Fuck, that sounds so bad and incriminating. Or B, pretend I have amnesia and peg-leg it to my door. But, there’s a slight chance of naked bodies humping each other behind my door.
“Bad habit, I guess.” I shrug and take a few steps away from the couple.
“This is my girlfriend, Stephie.”
I cringe and turn around. I’m fully trapped and at their mercy, just like a rabbit under the teeth of a hungry coyote.
“Hi,” I barely squeak out.
“And how do you know her?” Stephie places a hand on her hip and stares down her boyfriend.
His stall gives me a moment to take in Stephie. She’s gorgeous from head to toe, with shoulder length blonde hair and long, lean legs.
“I had lunch with her and the boys today.”
My butt fully cramps from the tight puckering, and I kiss my chance of fitting in on the squad goodbye. I’d just pissed Stephie off and painted an overly large target on my back.
“Oh, nice, and what other females were there?” she spits out.
“It was just Blue.”
Might as well slit both wrists now and offer up my blood to the vampires of cheerleading hell. I’m toast.
“I went there on my own and had my own table. Lane started singing a song and being obnoxious. They really forced my hand,” I ramble on and wish like hell my knees weren’t locked tight with bandages. If I live past this encounter, I’m swearing off Band-Aids the rest of my life.
Stephie processes my words, but the look on her face doesn’t soften. If anything, she grows more and more pissed off at the whole situation.
“Stay the fuck away from my boyfriend and know your fucking role tomorrow on the squad, freshman.”
Clearly, she enjoys using the four-letter word. I only nod and carry on to my dorm in penguin fashion. This time when I open the door, Lane is standing and zipping up his fly.
“Sorry about that, Blue. We got carried away.”
“You don’t say.” I plop down on my bed and inhale the fresh scent of fabric softener.
“Yeah, really sorry.” Sophie sits up in her bed, guarding her chest with Lane’s shirt.
“How about we keep the bumping and grinding to Lane’s dorm?”
“Absolutely. You’re not mad, are you?”
I don’t have enough energy to explain how highly inappropriate her actions were, so I just shake my head.
“I told you Blue was a cool chick.”
“Get the hell out of here, Lane, before I decide to kick you in the baby-maker.”
And that’s when their eyes land on my knees.
“Good lord, who was the lucky man?” Lane asks.
I grab the closest water bottle and sling it toward his head.
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” He uses his arms to deflect the bottle.
Lane places one final kiss on Sophie’s forehead before he exits the room, shirtless. And then, without shame, Sophie sits up in bed, exposing her tits to the world, and slides on his shirt. I’m not sure if it’s an only child issue, but I’m extremely modest when it comes to lady parts. Even in locker rooms you can find me changing in a stall. I try not to stare at her perfectly shaped boobies and then wonder if they’re fake.
“That will never happen again, and you have to believe me that I’m not a slut.”
“Are you boobs fake?” slips from my mouth.
Sophie tilts her head in my direction. “Um, yeah, is that okay?”
“Oh, they’re great,” I explain.
“But really, Blue, I just got out of a bad break-up with my high school boyfriend of four years, and I guess I enjoyed the attention Lane gave me a bit too much.”
“You could say that again. I mean, he had you nailed less than two hours after meeting. You slut bag.”
Sophie goes pale and fumbles with the hem of Lane’s shirt as she tries to stand, not knowing how to take my comment.
“Gotcha,” I squeal.
She clutches her chest. “Oh my god, I thought you were mad.”
“Don’t mess with my cheer career or schooling and we will get along just fine.”
“Really?” she asks, clearly stunned.
“Really.”
“I’ll be right back.” Sophie cracks the door and rushes across the way to the bathroom, and I can only guess she’s cleaning up or stitching up. I’m not quite sure what you do after sex.
I, on the other hand, take the moment of solitude to wiggle out of my pants, trying not to rip off my bandages, and then cozy on up in an oversized cheer camp t-shirt and boy shorts and crawl back onto my bed. Just as I snuggle in, my stomach rumbles and I decide to pop a bag of popcorn. I mean, I need to eat something on the first night since my mom supplied me with enough food for an army.
Right as I climb in bed, Sophie comes back into the room. I pat the bed beside me. Since she’s already busted my bubble, I offer her some popcorn. I can tell she’s uncomfortable.
“I’m really not a slut, and the more time that passes, I feel awful.”
“Was his dick big?” I ask around a mouthful of popcorn.
I laugh at the shock on her face and inhale a kernel. I begin spastically choking and grabbing at my throat, indicating the internationally recognized choking signal. Sophie pounds on my back relentlessly, and then finally the kernel dislodges.
“Water,” I croak out.
She bounds from the bed and grabs the bottle of water I tossed at Lane and offers it to me.
“Who needs porn with these two?”
We look up to see Lane and Ethan staring at us from the doorway. I send both of them a “what the fuck” look.
“The door was cracked open and we heard some ruckus, and since we head up neighborhood watch, we had to investigate,” Lane says.
I point at Ethan. “You stay away. Stay far, far away from us. I don’t want your girlfriend to eat us for breakfast.”
They laugh loudly and clearly take it the wrong way, and most likely the perverts would.
“I’m serious. She already hates me.”
“Calm down, Blue, she just broke up with me,” Ethan says.
That’s it, I’m packing my bags tonight. First flight home. I’ll flip burgers before I endure the wrath of Stephie, AKA the Hulk.
“Are you freaking crazy? Now you’re in here?” I whisper-scream.
“Calm down.” Lane and Ethan both take a seat on Sophie’s bed.
“Get out now,” I demand again.
The men find it quite comical how upset I am.
“Really. It’s fine, Blue. She explained it was over, and we both kind of knew that last spring. It was just convenient.”
“Explain her threat then, Casanova!”
“Stephie is just a bitch,” Lane pipes up, and Ethan only nods.
“How long were you two together?” I ask.
“Most of high school and on and off through college.”
“And you’re going to be a junior, right?”
“Yeah, we both are.” Ethan signals between himself and Lane.
“She’s cheated on Ethan more times than Gaga changes at an award show.”
My eyebrows shoot up in surprise at how casually Lane just threw that out for us to hear.
“Whatever.” I finally throw both hands up in surrender. “Both of you out. We need to bond, and clearly I need to teach numbnuts here how to shut a door and lock the sucker.”
“Okay, one thing first.” Lane covers his chest with his hands, and I already know he has some sort of wild proposition for us.
“Be strong,” I whisper into Sophie’s ear, and she nods.
“If you two survive your first week at training camp, will you do us the honor of attending a summer party with us?”
Not even a millisecond passes before Sophie bounces up off the bed and wraps her arms around Lane’s
neck screaming, “Yes.”
I roll my eyes at her and hold back my gags. Yes, I’ll admit I’m beyond excited for my first college party, especially with football players, but never would I bounce off the bed and squeal to high hell like a stuck pig.
“Out now, boys.”
Chapter 4
An alarm shrills before the sun’s up. Both Sophie and I do our best to ignore it. Rolling over, I see her huddled underneath her blankets with her pillow encasing her head.
“Sophie.” My voice can only be heard between the bleeps and blares of the alarm. “Turn off your alarm.”
“It’s not mine, jackass.”
She’s right. My brain registers it’s my phone making the god-awful noise as I sit up to grab it. When it quiets, I notice a text from my mom. Rubbing the sleep from eyes and squinting, I can barely make out her message.
Mom: Rise and Shine, love bug! I set your alarm for you today. You don’t want to be late for practice. Remember Coach Lindsey said 7:00 AM sharp. Eat and show up early.
“Remind me to stab my mother.” I snuggle back down into the blankets.
“Why did you set your alarm so early?” Sophie’s voice is muffled through the pillow.
“I didn’t. My mom did. She wants us to get up, eat, and show up to camp early.”
“Well, let’s go.”
I peek from under the covers as Sophie springs from her bed. She’s literally gone from slumber zombie mode to full-on Sophie in a few seconds. Her swift actions cause my head to spin and I groan a bit. But it’s not until she pulls the covers from me that I want to outright kick her in the lady locker.
“C’mon. Your mom is right. Let’s go shower—of course, not together—and then eat and head to the cheer gym. It will be good for us to show up early since there are fifteen new freshmen on the squad. You damn well know not all of them will make the second cut.”
“You’re killing me.”
“Let’s go.”
In an attempt to make Sophie shut up and possibly shower, halfway asleep I get up and follow her across the hall. She makes good on her promise and does let me shower alone. Thank the good lord. Horror stories of showers and girls’ dorms flood my mind.
The hot water actually does the trick of waking me up quite rapidly, and to my relief nobody joins us in the bathroom area. Sophie and I both get ready quickly and snag an apple and yogurt on the way out the door.
