The Harder You Fall

by L A Cotton

  Hailee snickered while Felicity whipped her head over in their direction. “You really think they’re offended because you’re Latina?”

  “Oh, I know they are.” I sat back in the chair, taking a bite of apple.

  “It’s just so... so narrow minded. We had an African-American president for Christ’s sake.”

  “People are threatened by what they don’t know. And I don’t need to point out the obvious. Rixon is the epitome of hick town.”

  “We are not... Okay,” Felicity backtracked. “Maybe we are, just a little bit.”

  “I almost wish you hadn’t gotten with Jason just so I could make a play for him and really give the people of Rixon something to talk about.”

  “You could always make a play for another football player.” Hailee smirked, not saying the words we all knew she was thinking.

  “Me and Asher are friends. Just friends.”

  “But you could be more. You could be friends who—”

  “Do not finish that sentence.”

  “What?” Her hands went up. “I’m just saying, I’ve been sensing some more-than-friends vibes from the two of you.”

  I frowned at that. Sure, me and Asher had hung out a couple of times with Felicity and Hailee and the guys, but that was inevitable. Our best friends were all in relationships with each other.

  Our lives were entwined whether we wanted them to be or not.

  “I didn’t come here to meet someone. I came here to avoid guys. Period.”

  “Yeah, but come on, Mya, it’s senior year.” Felicity gave me her puppy dog eyes, the ones that had gotten us into trouble more than once since I’d arrived here.

  “Exactly.”

  They both rolled their eyes, chuckling at my reasoning. But they didn’t get it. They didn’t know that while I’d escaped to Rixon, part of me was still back in Fallowfield Heights with Jermaine. They couldn’t understand how it felt to know you’d left the one person you promised you’d always be there for, alone. They couldn’t appreciate what it was like to be scared for someone’s life. For your own life.

  They couldn’t know.

  Because although I was sitting at their table, sharing and laughing and joking about our lives and friends and what we were going to do over the weekend, the fact of the matter was they belonged here.

  And I didn’t.

  Regardless of how much I pretended.

  Asher

  “What do you think he wants?” I asked my best friend, Jase, as we made our way to the locker room. Coach had sent a text out at the ass crack of dawn, insisting the team be there at eight thirty sharp. It was weird. Especially since the season was over and we were State Champs.

  Only by association. “Thanks for the reminder,” I grumbled to myself.

  I hadn’t played in the championship game, or any of the play-off games for that matter. Instead, I’d sat on the sidelines, cheering my team, my brothers, to victory, all so my best friend and captain, Jason Ford, could play.

  “Fuck if I know,” he said, shouldering the door. The second we stepped inside, the rest of the team cheered, chanting Jason’s name like he was the motherfucking King.

  I guess to them, he was.

  He’d taken them all the way to State. In a place like Rixon that meant something.

  It meant every-fucking-thing.

  A couple of guys caught my eye, sending me a nod of appreciation. Some of them knew the truth—knew that the only reason Jason had got to play in the play-offs was because I’d taken the fall for him a few weeks back.

  Rixon High had a long-standing rivalry with the next school over, Rixon East, and things had turned ugly between Jason and their captain, Lewis Thatcher. It had all come to a head a few weeks ago, when Lewis lured Jason into a fight. Coach and Principal Finnigan had caught wind of it and threatened to kick him off the team. But it never came to that.

  I stepped in and turned the heat from Jase to me. People knew I was always down for a rumble and they knew I was stupid enough to do something like try to protect Jason. And even though, deep down, I was pretty sure Coach knew the truth, he let me take the fall. Because Jason was the best. Jason was the player the team needed to go all the way.

  And me?

  Well, I guess I was expendable.

  It had sucked watching my team fight their way through the play-offs for victory. Cut me to the bone when Jase had called me out onto the field during the championship game, going against Coach’s and Principal Finnigan’s orders for me to remain on the bench at all times. But I took it like the man I was. Football meant everything to Jason. But it was never the end goal for me. And I couldn’t see his dreams of going pro go up in smoke all because of some stupid fucking rivalry gone bad.

  “Ladies, look alive,” Coach Hasson boomed, strolling into the locker room looking far too alert for a Tuesday morning. “Now, I know you didn’t expect to be here today. The season’s done, it’s almost the holidays, and God only knows you all deserve some downtime after the play-offs.” Another chorus of cheers rumbled around the room. “Okay, okay, quiet down.”

  “Guys, come on,” Jason yelled when they showed no signs of calming down.

  Silence ushered over us and Coach gave Jase an appreciative nod. “I’ll miss that, Son,” he mused, stroking his jaw. Not saying the words we all knew he was thinking.

  There would never be another Jason.

  Someone to lead the team the way he had.

  Jason was the stuff legends were made of and there wasn’t a single person in the room who didn’t believe he was going all the way to the NFL.

  “I wish I could say this is good news, but honestly, after the last few months, I’m not sure you’ll agree.”

  Jase stiffened beside me and Cameron shot me a frown.

  “The news won’t break officially until this afternoon, but I’ve been given permission to tell you first.” Coach paused, stress lines crinkling his eyes. Whatever he was about to say wasn’t good. Which meant it could only be about one thing.

  Lewis Thatcher and the Rixon East Eagles.

  “Formal charges are being brought against Lewis Thatcher. I also learned this morning that Washington pulled his scholarship.”

  “Fuck yeah,” someone hollered as the guys began discussing Coach’s announcement.

  “Did you know?” I whispered to Jase who was still as statue beside me.

  “No,” he clipped out, his expression strained.

  “Hey, man,” that was Cameron. “This is a good thing.”

  “They’ll probably want Hailee to testify.”

  “Shit, I didn’t—”

  “Bring it in,” Coach yelled. “I’m not done yet.”

  There was more?

  I wasn’t sure Jason could take anymore, volatile energy rippling off him in dark waves. I couldn’t blame him though. If Thatcher had come after my sister and put his hands on my girl, I would’ve wanted blood too.

  “There has always been a bitter rivalry between Rixon and Rixon East. It’s older than you or me. But Principal Finnigan, and Principal Castrol over at East, have decided it’s time to lay the past to rest and make an example of what happened this semester. Rivalry on the field is one thing, but when it spills out into the community and starts affecting innocent people that is unacceptable.” His hard gaze found the three of us. “Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes, Sir,” everyone grumbled in unison.

  Coach continued. “Both Principals have decided that, in a show of good faith, an exhibition game will be held in the new year to raise funds for a local charity that supports young peoples’ mental health and wellbeing.”

  “You expect us to play them again?” someone balked but Coach didn’t get a chance to answer because Jason stormed out of the locker room, letting the door slam behind him.

  Coach let out a resigned sigh. “Can I trust the two of you to handle that?” he said to me and Cameron, and we nodded. “This isn’t an opt in, opt out scenario. Principal Finnigan made it very
clear he expects everyone to play, especially the senior players.”

  “Leave it to us, Coach,” Cameron said, going after him. I lingered, confused about what he was saying.

  “You too, Bennet. Principal Finnigan agreed you’ve served your punishment.”

  “I’m playing?” I didn’t know how I felt about that.

  “You’re still a Raider, are you not?

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Then you’re playing. Now go, make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.” With a sharp nod Coach Hasson dismissed me, and I took off after my best friends.

  It didn’t take long to find them. I only had to follow the sound of raised voices outside the gym.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Jase ground out, his back to me. “You’re taking his side?”

  “I’m not taking anyone’s side,” Cameron shot back. “But you really want to piss Finnigan off when we’re so close to being done with senior year? It’s one game. And maybe they have a point, maybe after everything, this is a good thing. Set a good example for the younger players coming up through the ranks.”

  I jammed my hands in my pockets, watching the two of them go at it. Cameron had always been the voice of reason, the person who had talked Jason out of doing something really fucking stupid more times than I could count. Me? I usually acted as the devil on his shoulder, goading him into some stupid prank or fight over the river in Rixon East territory.

  Today though, I remained quiet.

  “If I ever have to look at one of their players again it will be too soon,” Jase spat, dragging a hand through his hair.

  “Come on, man, Thatcher is off the team. Without him, it’ll be different.”

  “How can you be so… so fucking calm knowing what they did to Hailee?” He was seething now, his jaw clenched in anger.

  Cam let out a heavy sigh, tipping his face into the crisp morning air, his breath like a faint plume of smoke drifting skyward. “It’s over,” he slid his eyes to Jason’s. “Hailee is good. We’re good. And I want to focus on our last few months as seniors. Thatcher is going to get his, I promise.”

  I hoped for everyone’s sake, he did. Because from the murderous glint in Jason’s eyes every time someone mentioned his archrival, I suspected our best friend wouldn’t be able to let it go if the law didn’t find Lewis Thatcher guilty.

  “What?” Jase finally noticed me standing there. “You got nothing to say?”

  “Cameron’s right.” I stepped forward. “Let’s do it, one final play. Go out with a bang.”

  “We’re State Champions. It doesn’t get much fucking more bang than that.”

  Wincing, my eyes shuttered. Jason didn’t mean it as an insult. But it sure felt like one, when they’d earned it and I hadn’t.

  “Jase,” Cam warned, noticing my crestfallen expression.

  “Shit, Ash, I didn’t mean it like that.” Jason cussed under his breath. “I just wanted to enjoy the holidays. I didn’t want another game with the Eagles looming over us.”

  “One final play,” Cam reiterated. “Ash is right. We do this, together. One last time. Then we walk away with no regrets.”

  “Fine,” Jase grunted. “But if it all goes to shit, I’m blaming the two of you.” He said the words to both of us, but his eyes were on me, something passing between us. I wanted to believe it was gratitude, but I wasn’t sure. Jason wasn’t exactly good with his feelings.

  “I can take the heat if it all goes wrong, no problem. It’s what I do best.” It was a joke, but neither of them laughed.

  Jason groaned and then looked at Cameron. “One condition.”

  “Name it,” Cam replied.

  “You break it to the girls.”

  Laughter spilled out of me and the two of them looked at me like I’d grown a second head. “All I’m going to say is, good luck with that. It was nice knowing you both.” I clapped Jason on the back and left them to argue who was going to tell Hailee and her best friend Felicity, Jason’s girl, about the exhibition game.

  Telling myself I wasn’t bitter.

  Even if it was a huge fucking lie.

  “Hernandez,” I called out, spotting Mya Hernandez, my newest friend courtesy of Hailee and Felicity.

  “Go away, Asher,” she replied over her shoulder, but I broke into a jog, cutting her off before she could duck out of the building.

  “Why the cold shoulder?”

  “Not a cold shoulder, just a… shoulder.” Mya grinned and shit if I didn’t drown in her big brown eyes.

  “Asher?” she snapped.

  “Uh, yeah?”

  “I’m guessing you didn’t just chase me down to stare at me like I’ve got something on my face.” Leaning in, she flushed a little. “I don’t, do I?”

  “No,” I laughed. “You’re good.”

  A little too good, if the way my body moved in closer was anything to go on. But then, it had been weeks since I’d gotten any.

  “So… what do you want?”

  “You wound me, Hernandez. I thought we were friends.”

  “No, you decided we were friends after you lost Felicity to Jason.”

  “I didn’t lose…” She gave me a pointed look and I changed direction. “Fine, I thought Felicity and me were friend goals, sure. But what can I say? She doesn’t know what she’s missing.”

  My chest tightened. Not because I wanted Felicity. I didn’t; she was my best friend’s girl. But there had been a time, when Hailee and Flick first started hanging around with our group, that I’d thought maybe… nah, who the fuck was I trying to kid? She only ever had eyes for Jason.

  I was just the funny friend. The guy who made the girls laugh.

  “Goodbye, Asher.” Mya tried to move around me, but I stepped into her path.

  “Not so fast.”

  “Asher, come on.” She swatted my chest. “I have shit to do.”

  “Yeah, like what shit?” I smirked.

  “Homework and shit.”

  “Can I come?”

  “You want to come and do homework with me? Hmm, how about hell to the no?”

  “Come on, Mya, it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve hung out.”

  “That was different.” Her brows drew together. “That was with the group.”

  “So this could be our group.”

  “Two people hanging out is not a group, it’s a pair. It’s… weird.”

  “But I’ve never been to your aunt’s house.”

  “Because we’re not friends.” Mya darted around me, hurrying out of the building, but I gave chase.

  I needed her.

  “Mya, wait up.” She was already weaving between the cars in the parking lot. “How are you getting home?” I knew Felicity usually gave her a ride and she was with Jason.

  “They’re called legs,” she yelled over her shoulder. “You should try using them someday.” She had the balls to wink at me.

  Shit, this girl. She was like no one else I’d ever met. Ever since Mya Hernandez had arrived at Rixon High a couple of months back, she’d slid right into our group. Flick had been tasked with taking the Philly transfer under her wing, but Mya didn’t need a babysitter. She’d proved that more than once.

  Mya Hernandez was a fighter. Not scared to wade into a fight to protect those she cared about. But it wasn’t her strength that intrigued me. It was her scars. The ones she thought she kept hidden.

  Cussing out the stubborn girl, a new plan hatched when thunder rumbled overhead. I ran to my Jeep and ducked inside just as the first fat drops of rain began to fall. Throwing it into reverse, I backed out of the lot and tailed Mya as she pulled up her hood and hurried down the sidewalk.

  Slowing to a crawl, I wound down the passenger window. “Get in,” I yelled.

  “What?” She glared at me. “No. No!”

  “A ride,” I explained. “That’s all I’m offering.”

  “Just a ride? Because if this is a ploy to get an invitation into my aunt’s house, it won’t work.” Rain pelted down on
Mya, dripping off the peak of her hood and onto her thick lashes.

  “You need me, Hernandez, admit it.” I leaned over and pushed open the door, waiting. “Get in.”

  To my surprise and relief, Mya climbed inside, shaking off her hood before pushing it down. Her tight spiral curls seemed wilder, framing her face.

  “Thanks.” She belted up and tucked her hands under her thighs.

  “Scared you won’t be able to keep your hands to yourself?” I teased, expecting some sassy retort. But Mya was quiet, too fucking quiet.

  “Mya?” I asked.

  “Just drive, Asher.” She gave a resigned sigh, as if she’d broken her cardinal rule by accepting a ride home from me.

  And I didn’t know which cut worse.

  That she was disappointed at herself for giving in to me. Or the fact she felt the need to resist me in the first place.

  Mya

  “Well, this is me.” Asher’s Jeep slowed to a stop outside my Aunt Ciara’s house. It was an old farmhouse style place on the edge of town. A world away from the likes of Asher’s house with its huge yard, double garage, and lakeside setting. His was one of the biggest houses in town, a constant reminder that me and my new friend—and I used the term loosely—had completely different lives.

  I was the girl from the hood, running from her past and trying to hold it together long enough to finish senior year. While Asher was… well, he was the All-American boy next door. Popular, athletic, and drop dead gorgeous—if you liked that kind of thing. Messy blond hair, pantie-melting blue eyes, and a smile so charming he had half the town falling at his feet.

  He was also a giant pain in the ass.

  Unlucky for me, his chosen ass of the moment was mine.

  “Thanks for the ride.” I began to shoulder the door, but he snagged my wrist. My eyes flew to where his fingers curled around my wrist; his sun-kissed skin still three shades lighter than my caramel skin.

  Just another reminder of everything that was different about us.

  “Invite me in, Hernandez. I bet your aunt would love to meet me.” He had the audacity to wink. I smothered a groan.