The Trouble With You

by L A Cotton

  “Remember that quiz we had to do at the job fair last year?” Flick said, her eyes darting to the tables the football team occupied. “How many girls do you think answered jersey chaser for the ‘where do you see yourself in five years time’ question?”

  I snickered. “Too many.”

  “It’s so pathetic.”

  “Desperate,” I added, feeling a strange dip in my stomach. Ignoring it, I pushed my plate away, slid on my glasses, and pulled out my sketch pad and pencils.

  “What’re you working on?” Flick leaned over to get a better look. “Wow, that’s good, Hails, really good.”

  Pride swelled in my chest. I didn’t draw for other people, but it never hurt hearing someone appreciated your art. The piece, a sketch of kids filing into school I’d titled ‘first day rush’, had taken me hours but it still wasn’t quite finished. I liked to carry a project around with me for moments like this.

  Moments where I needed to escape all the bullshit that came with being Jason Ford’s step-sister.

  “Hmm, Hails.” Flick’s voice ruined my concentration and I glared at her.

  “What?”

  “Is that any way to greet your... friend?

  I glanced over my shoulder to find Asher Bennet standing behind me, a smug grin plastered on his face.

  “What do you want?” Pencil poised between my fingers, spine rigid, I readied myself for whatever bullshit he was about to throw my way.

  The tables surrounding us had grown quiet. Everyone knew Jason and I were step-siblings. Everyone also knew there was no love lost between us. He didn’t usually come after me during school, preferring to keep our games out of the public eye, so whenever he or one of his friends approached me, it usually warranted everyone’s attention.

  “I just wanted to return this.” He plucked something from behind his back, dropping it on the table in front of me.

  My eyes widened and then narrowed at him with contempt. “Where the hell did you get this?” Heat flamed my cheeks as I covered the familiar black lacy bra with my hands, slowly dragging it toward me. It was a stupid question, one I already knew the answer to, but he’d caught me off-guard.

  “You left it at my house.” Asher stroked his jaw, raising his voice a few decibels to make sure everyone in the immediate vicinity heard him. “When we... you know...” His brows quirked up, a wicked smirk plastered on his face.

  The table across from us all snickered, a low rumble of whispers starting to build around me. Son of a bitch. I balled my hands into fists, my nails biting into my palms. There was no way to spin this to my advantage and from the arrogant glint in his eye, he knew it.

  I knew if I looked over at the football table, Jason would be watching his plan unfold just the way he’d hoped. I was foolish to let my guard down. But after three days of radio silence, a tiny part of me had hoped he’d finally called a truce. Stupid girl. There would never be a truce between us, and I’d stopped wondering a long time ago why he hated me so much.

  But I refused to just roll over and take his shit.

  I couldn’t.

  Keeping my glare on Asher, and not the football table, I stood up, and before I could stop myself, I slapped him. The crack of my palm against his cheek pierced the air and his eyes darkened. “What the—”

  “You promised,” I cried with Oscar-worthy gusto. “You promised you wouldn’t tell anyone. I thought… I thought I meant something to you. I thought you loved me.”

  He jerked back. “L- loved you?” Asher laughed but it came out all strangled and wrong. “I never said—”

  “Sure, you did.” I inched closer to him, lowering my eyes and gazing at him with what I hoped were convincing puppy-dog eyes. “Right after we… did it, you said you loved me.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jason moving toward us, anger burning in his blue eyes. Knowing I had his attention, I continued. “I know you’re worried about what Jason will say, Ash, but it’s okay.” My hands slid up his chest and his expression fell. “We can be together. Jason won’t… Oh, hi, Jason.” I finally looked at him.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” he seethed, derision rolling off him.

  Stepping back, I moved closer to Jason, cutting us off from prying eyes since we had the attention of the entire cafeteria now. “You think you’re so fucking slick,” I said through gritted teeth, still smiling. “You’ll have to try a damn sight harder than that to embarrass me.”

  The second I said the words, I saw his eyes light up. Crap. I usually didn't bite, but he got under my skin so much. Too late now though, I’d openly challenged him. And Jason never backed down from a challenge.

  One of the few things we had in common.

  “Jase.” The sound of Cameron’s gruff voice startled me. I hadn’t even realized he had approached us. My eyes lifted to where he stood to the side of Asher. “Come on, she isn’t even worth it,” he said coolly, not even flinching as the words left his lips, his eyes refusing to meet mine.

  But I did flinch.

  Even now, after all these years, it was hard to forget Cameron wasn’t a good guy. He was a jerk, just like my step-brother and Asher and the rest of the football team. But until this week, he’d never been so obvious about his dislike for me. Not that it really mattered because the feeling was entirely mutual.

  Flick had it wrong.

  So wrong.

  Cameron didn’t want me, he wanted to ruin me. And aside from being my step-brother’s little bitch, I had no idea why.

  “You should listen to him, Jase,” I mocked. “Wouldn’t want people to think you were—”

  “Okay, Hails.” Flick’s arms came around my waist and she started yanking me away. “I think your work here is done.”

  The three of them stared after me, a mix of confusion, contempt, and challenge glittering in their eyes. Most girls would have been afraid. Most girls would have run off to the bathrooms and cried over the possibility of the most popular guys in school coming after them.

  But I wasn’t most girls.

  “What the hell was that?” Flick hissed the second we spilled out of the cafeteria. She shoved my messenger bag at me.

  “What? I wasn’t going to stand by and let Asher do that.”

  “But calling Jase out like that?”

  With a small shrug I took off toward the art studio. I had a free period next and Mr. Jalin was more than happy for me to use one of the rooms, as long as I cleaned up after myself. And I needed to paint away my frustrations.

  Flick caught up to me. “Hey, I didn’t mean—”

  I ground to a halt and met her apologetic gaze. “I know. I just… ugh! He’s so infuriating. Do you think I want to spend senior year going back and forth with him? Trust me, I don’t. But I can’t do nothing either.”

  I’d tried that before and it didn’t work. In ninth grade I’d decided to ignore them. If I didn’t react, they’d get bored, right?

  Wrong.

  The final straw had been when Jason paid Macaulay Denver to ask me out to the spring dance. He was so sweet and insistent, and we shared a common aversion to the football team. It had been impossible to say no to him, but I should have known it was all a ruse. I should have known my twisted step-brother had something to do with it. But I was fourteen and I wanted one night of teenage normalcy.

  Macauley’s mom had driven us to school and like a true gentleman, he’d opened the door for me and held my hand as we walked into the gymnasium. After finding us a table, Macauley had made sure I was comfortable before going to get us a drink. I’d watched the other kids dancing, laughing, and smiling, and for those few precious minutes, I’d felt like one of them. Until ten minutes later when I saw Macaulay making out with his real date, Sarah McKrinsky. Jason had taken great pleasure in telling me the truth, smirking down at me with Cameron and Asher flanking his side like evil lieutenants. I could have run out of there with tears in my eyes and my heart in tatters, but I didn’t. Because Jason underestimated me. He failed to realize
that every time he toyed with me, every time he tried to beat me down, it only made me stronger. And my walls were so impenetrable now, I wasn’t sure there was anything more he could do to hurt me.

  Much to my step-brother’s annoyance, I’d stayed at the dance that night. Flick and her date were more than happy to let me play third wheel and we’d danced and laughed until the music died and the lights came up. Macaulay had even apologized; saying he felt bullied into going along with it. After all, you didn’t tell Jason Ford no. Even then, at the tender age of fourteen, people treated him differently because of his talent on the field. Because of his father’s legacy. Ninth-graders rarely had college scouts come out to see them, let alone ask for a verbal commitment to their school, but Jason did. I soon realized it was only going to get worse as he got older. Ignoring him wasn’t going to work, so I had no choice but to step up and play his games.

  It was hardly any surprise when I never got asked out again.

  “I know, I know.” Flick sighed. “I just worry about you. I know he’s never taken it too far, but something feels different this year.”

  She wasn’t wrong. I felt it too. The change. The shift in the air.

  But what choice did I have?

  This was my school, my life, and I’d be damned if Jason Ford stole that from me too.

  Cameron

  I left Asher and Jase in the gym with the excuse I had to meet with the guidance counsellor. I didn’t, but they didn’t need to know that. The halls were empty as I made my way to the art studio. Hailee had a free period which meant there was only one place she would be. So it was hardly a surprise when I found her in one of the smaller rooms. The door was ajar and I slipped inside, closing it behind me. It was a risk coming here, but no one would dare question me. And if anyone did run their mouths, I’d spin it to my advantage. Say I was doing Jase a favor, warning her to back off.

  Hailee was straddling a chair, her back to me. Her dark blonde hair was pulled up in a messy bun, strands falling around her face as she swiped the paintbrush against the canvas in long angry strokes. Every now and again, she paused, inclining her head, revealing the delicate slope of her neck. The oversized shirt she wore—no doubt to protect her clothes underneath—combined with her black framed glasses, shouldn’t have looked so appealing on her. But it did. It looked as sexy as fuck.

  She chose that exact moment to pull out the ear buds I hadn’t noticed she was wearing. Hailee’s shoulders stiffened as if she sensed me, and she glanced over her shoulder. “Get out.” Her voice was cold, her eyes not much warmer as they locked on mine.

  Throwing up my hands in surrender, I said, “I come in peace.”

  “Do you take me for a complete fool?”

  The verdict was out on that. The way she’d flipped Jason and Asher’s little prank earlier was reckless. Amusing as shit, but reckless all the same.

  “I’m here to run damage control.”

  “Damage control?” Her brow shot up, and Hailee swung her leg off the chair to stand up and face me. “We’re not friends,” she said lifting her chin in defiance, and my dick twitched.

  Jesus, this girl made me crazy.

  “No, we’re not.” But there had been a time when I’d wanted that—to be her friend.

  Fuck, I shouldn’t have come here. Scrubbing a hand over my face, I released a frustrated breath.

  “What do you want, Cameron?” Hailee folded her arms over her chest, cocking her hip to one side. “I’m busy.”

  “You need to back down, Sunshine,” I said, and her honey-brown eyes flashed with contempt. Damn this girl. This stubborn reckless girl. I hadn’t realized but I’d started moving toward her as if she was reeling me in with some invisible thread.

  “Cameron, what are you…” She swallowed, staring up at me as I stopped right in front of her. The air shifted around us, thick and heavy. I’d always kept my distance from Hailee. Looked but never touched. But standing here with her right there, I wanted to touch… fuck did I want to touch her.

  Surprising us both, I reached out, plucking a strand of hair between my fingers. “Back. Down.” I said quietly despite the warning woven into my words. “Jase needs to focus on the team, on the season; he doesn’t need to be distracted with your games.”

  Her gaze widened, her soft-pink lips parted as she sucked in a sharp breath and swatted my hand away. “My games?” She almost choked on the words. “Fuck you, Cameron. You know this is all his fault. He’s always hated me. He pushes and pushes. But I won’t break. I’ll never break.” Hailee trembled, the vibrations rippling off her.

  “Are you sure about that?” I cocked a brow at her, stepping further into her space, forcing her backward. Her legs must have hit the chair because she stumbled. My hand flew out to her waist, steadying her, and tiny bolts of electricity zipped through me as our eyes collided. Hailee stared at me, her gaze wide and clouded with confusion. Shit. She’d felt it too. I’d felt it Monday as well, the morning when I’d teased her about her t-shirt.

  This was bad… really fucking bad.

  Yet, I made no move to pull away. Pull away dickhead.

  “Cameron. What the hell are you—”

  I lowered my head, bringing us face to face. Her eyes simmered with anger, but I didn’t miss the way her breath caught again. “Walk away, Sunshine. Jase will get bored eventually if you just back the fuck down.”

  “Been there, done that, and it didn’t fucking work,” she seethed. “Two words… Macauley Denver, remember that?”

  Remember it?

  I’d been plagued with the memories for weeks.

  Ignoring her, I said, “One of you needs to back down before shit really hits the fan, and we both know he won’t walk away.”

  Jase played with Hailee, but it was all harmless shit. Sure, she might have got her feelings hurt occasionally or suffered the odd embarrassment at the hands of the kids at school, but it could have been worse… so much worse.

  This time was different though. Last season had been tough on Jason. Tensions between the Raiders and the Rixon East Eagles were higher than ever, and he was gunning for blood. I knew it was likely Hailee would be caught in the crossfire. Jason used her as his own personal punching bag. But after calling him out earlier in the cafeteria… Hailee might as well have been the red flag and Jase the bull. I didn’t doubt he was already planning his retribution. And, this time, it wouldn’t be some childish prank.

  She inhaled a harsh breath and my eyes automatically went to her mouth. I closed the distance between us until my lips were hovering right over hers. “Last warning, Sunshine,” I whispered, so close I could almost taste her. “Back down or don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Her palms shot out, slamming against my chest and I staggered back. “Fuck you, Cameron. Fuck all of you.”

  “Hailee, come on—”

  I hadn’t meant to use her name, it just tumbled off my lips. But she cut me off. “Get out. Get out before I scream, and I will. I’ll do it. You might be a Raider, but I don’t care.” Her eyes were wild, drilling into mine with such hatred my stomach knotted. But it was a good thing. She needed to hate me.

  With a smirk, I started backing away. “Don’t come crying to me when he ruins you.”

  Her face blanched and I knew she remembered every prank, every time Jase came after her. Before she could ream me out some more, I slipped out of the room and got the hell out of the art studio.

  Telling myself I hadn’t almost just kissed her.

  “So, what did Miss Hampstead say?” Asher asked as we met up outside class.

  “She just wanted to run by my college applications again.”

  Jase scoffed. “Like she doesn’t know exactly where you’re headed.”

  “Nothing’s a given,” I said quietly as we made our way to the locker room.

  “You’ll be at Penn with me.” He spoke the words with no hesitation. None. As if it was already a done deal.

  I gave him a hard look. “I’m not the golden boy of
Rixon.” The corner of my mouth lifted. “There’s no guarantee the scouts will—”

  “They’ll want you,” he said, cutting me off. “You already know they’re interested.”

  “I need to have other options though.” Besides, I wasn’t even sure if the call did come, that Penn was what I wanted. It was an Ivy League school and Ivy League meant expensive. So even though it was one of the top football programs in the country, when I had interest from Pittsburg and Michigan State that would most likely come hand-in-hand with athletic scholarships, there was a lot to think about.

  “What’s up with you?” Jase shoulder-checked me as he shouldered the door. “You’ve been in a pissy mood all morning.”

  “He needs to get laid,” Asher chimed in, slinging his bag onto the bench. “What’s it been, man, like a month?”

  “Fuck off.” I yanked off my tee and balled it up, throwing it at him.

  “Party at my house tonight?”

  “You know it. But don’t invite Khloe or the cheer squad,” Jase said. “It’s only the first week of the semester and I’m about done with her shit already.”

  “Maybe we should invite Hailee?” Asher grinned. “Mix it up a bit.”

  Jase’s eyes widened, his nostrils flaring. “Seriously, you’re going to talk to me about her. Now? Do you want someone to end up in medical?”

  Asher clapped him on the back. “Call it motivation. Coach said you needed to bring your A game this season.”

  “I always bring my A game, fucker.”

  “Well you can bring your A+ game then.”

  “Did I hear someone say party?” Joel stuck his head around the locker cages.

  “Yeah, at my place tonight. Spread the word. But no cheerleaders. Invite the gymnastics team though, those girls are as flexible as fuck.” Asher grinned. “Hey, Cam, maybe you can hook up with Miley?”

  “Maybe I will.” I smirked. Miley wasn’t a stage five clinger like most of the girls at Rixon.