Crimson Catch (Game Time #1)

by S. M. Donaldson

  “I do have a life, you know,” I blurt out. He rolls his eyes. “Why don’t you just have one of the Bs or maybe those dumb chicks that give him morning blow jobs help out?”

  He shakes his head, getting irritated. “Didn’t you hear what I said? Someone who’ll teach him and not be a distraction. Those girls are distractions.” It’s nice that my brother thinks so highly of me though. Insert sarcasm. He basically just told me I’m a super brain, but homely enough that he won’t have to worry about his little quarterback falling for me.

  Fuck, I can’t deal with my brother right now. I stand up, taking my plate to the sink and sigh. “Fine. Have him find me tomorrow so we can set up some kind of schedule or something.” I’ll just add this favor to the list. Favor number 48,963. One day maybe I’ll have enough favor credits I can knock off a bunch of banks or kill someone and he’ll have to take the wrap for me. “I’ve gotta get going to my practice.”

  He doesn’t say anything though, he just continues scarfing food while I go outside to wait for Clementine to pick me up.

  CHAPTER 3

  Collin-

  “So here’s your buddy bag. There are lots of goodies in there and maybe a couple of coupons for some fun stuff,” she whispers huskily.

  I peak into the bag, seeing one I wanna cash in. “Hmm. I thought I was supposed to get this on Fridays. Maybe we can cash in one of those right now,” I say, leaning into her ear. As I pull back, she nods eagerly. Taking her hand, I pull her to a stairwell that goes out to our band room. No one ever uses it anymore. Before I have time to say anything, she’s working my belt loose, unbuttoning and unzipping my pants. She’s on her knees with me in her mouth before I can think straight.

  I lean back against the wall, closing my eyes and just enjoying the feel, when suddenly I hear the door at the bottom of the stairs open, slamming against the bar behind it. I jump. “Shit,” I say as I snatch Ciara up and stuff myself in my pants.

  I look up to see a windblown Joelle Prescott, James’s sister, giving me a sickened stare. She’s wearing a frumpy t-shirt with some local band on it and a baggy pair of jeans. Her dark hair hangs in a loose ponytail at the base of her neck, a few fly away pieces shielding some of her face. We’ve gone to school together our entire lives, but I don’t really know much about her. She’s always been quiet and reserved. Ciara shakes her head and rolls her eyes while wiping the edge of her mouth. “Jeez, Joelle, you know how to ruin a good time, don’t you?” She makes the motion like she’s shooing her. “Go on. This is a grown-up zone.” She cocks her head to the side, poking her bottom lip out.

  Joelle shifts her backpack on her shoulder and gives us both a look that says ‘fuck you’. “Sorry, I wasn’t aware you’d started conducting business in here, Ciara. I thought you pretty much stuck to the dugout, locker room and truck stop. I’ll be sure to add stairwells to that list,” she says so matter of fact that it’s funny as she walks away. I start laughing and Ciara gets pissed.

  “Ugh, she’s such a fucking goodie goodie. How she’s James and Janae’s sister I’ll never understand.” She sighs.

  “Janae, as in her little sister? Isn’t she in like the seventh or eighth grade?” I ask, confused.

  “Yeah, eighth, but she’s a cheerleader so I’ve hung out with her some when we work with the younger kids. She’s way cooler and a lot more fun than Joelle,” she says with distain dripping from her mouth when she says Joelle’s name.

  I shrug. “Well, I need to go anyway. I actually have to meet with her brother. I’ll cash that in later.” I tug at the tip of her ponytail.

  I make my way to the library and see James sitting at a table talking to someone. He looks pissed, but there is a shelf in the way so I can’t see who he’s talking to. Rounding the corner of the book shelf, I freeze. He’s talking to Joelle. She’s probably telling him what she just walked up on. Fuck. He’s gonna kick my ass. I would kick my ass if I had a sister and she walked in on that.

  Before either of them realize I’m there, I hear her say, “Why am I always the one stuck doing you favors? I have a bunch of stuff going on. Can’t you just find someone else?” She sighs, “I do have a life, you know, of my own. It’s not one like yours but it is a life.”

  “No, Jo, you told me you’d do it.” Just then they realize I’m there.

  James stands up. “Hey, Collin. You know my sister, Joelle. She’s gonna be your tutor.”

  Fucking A.

  She rolls her eyes at both of us. “She’s trying to tell me she has other things to do, but she’s my little home body so no worries. She can help you out. You two set up a schedule or something and I’ll tell Coach it’s handled.”

  He walks off before either of us can say a word. I slide into the chair across from her. She gets a spiral mini binder looking thing out. “Okay, let’s go over this so we can work out a schedule.”

  Once she opens it, I can see her calendar. Damn, she has stuff written everywhere. “Okay, I know you guys have practice every day until four-thirty. Right?”

  I nod. “Yeah, except-.”

  She cuts me off, “Friday’s. I know, I have games, too.” She looks back down, dismissing me. “Okay, I have band practice Monday night from six-thirty to eight-thirty. Thursday from four-thirty to seven and I have section practice Wednesday from three to six. On the in between times of those days, I have to work at the hardware store. I also work until James gets out of practice on Tuesdays.” She doesn’t sound much like a homebody to me. Just a different life.

  “So it looks like Tuesday’s gonna be our day then, if you’re free after James and I get finished with practice,” I say, assuming.

  “Yes. Since I’m assuming you’re way too busy on Saturdays,” she says, clearly annoyed.

  Shit, I have to try and make this right. She’s my only hope right now for passing these classes. I’m sure I made an awesome impression earlier, considering she looks like she’d rather be anywhere but around me. “I…ugh…I’m sorry you walked up on that earlier. I need to get on top of my grades so please, can we just move past it and do this?” I try to communicate how much I really need her help.

  “Fine, let’s just get started.” She takes out the syllabus for our English and Geometry. “Okay, let me see your last few quizzes.”

  I grab the papers out of my backpack. “What class do you have right now?”

  “I have study hall. I normally work on some other things, but today James said Coach got you out of Ag this period so I could get started with you,” she says matter of fact like as she looks over the quizzes from my Geometry class. “Okay, what’s going on in English?”

  I show her my last couple of papers from class and she glances over them. “So I take it you don’t like writing or reading.”

  I shrug. “Nothing interests me. I don’t care about stories from back then. How can they even relate to things today?”

  “What kind of stories do interest you?” she asks while looking back down at the papers.

  “I don’t know, I don’t really read. If I have to, it’s something current, sports, mystery.”

  She nods. “Okay, how about you read this book?” She takes out a book that’s rumpled up. “Read it and do a comparison essay. I’ll proofread it, then I’ll talk to Ms. Jones, she likes me. I’ll tell her I’m working with you and maybe she’ll reconsider your grade.”

  “Okay, so what makes you think I’ll like this book?” I ask, looking at the rumpled book. Catching Dreams - P.J. Scott.

  “Let’s just say I’m sure you’ll relate to it. It’s young adult, a high school, mystery, sports, catty bitches and drama. I feel that if people relate to a book, they’re more inclined to enjoy reading it.”

  I stick the book in my backpack just as the bell rings. “Okay, um, is there any way we could get together tonight since it’s Tuesday? We have that Geometry quiz on Thursday.”

  “Um.” She fidgets with her bag. “Yeah, I can meet you after practice somewhere.”

  “How about my
house? My parents have their meeting with the town counsel and Brock has JV practice until six-thirty.” I don’t need my little brother in my business either. Next thing I know, he’d tell everyone I was hooking up with her.

  She gives a shy shrug. “Sure, works for me.”

  “Do you have a ride?” I ask as we start out the doors of the library.

  She stops in front of a small group of lockers and fiddles with a combination lock, snatching it open. “I can get James to drop me off. Can you get me home? I don’t get my license for another month and a half,” she replies as she changes out some books in her bag.

  “Yeah, I can. Thanks again for doing this, I know you don’t really want to. Can I please just ask you for one more favor?” She gives me a small nod. “I just don’t want everyone knowing my business.” I give her a small smile. I don’t know why I feel this uncomfortableness with her. Hell, we ate sand together on the playground, I’m sure. The fact that she can blow me off, though, seems refreshing. I have so many girls that even though we’re in tenth grade, they act like I’m their money ride out of this town.

  As Ciara and her crew come in the doors to the hall, Joelle shakes her head. “It’s not a big deal. I couldn’t tell anyone even if I wanted to. I signed an agreement. I’ll see you around five.”

  Before I can say anything else, she shuts the locker and quickly but quietly walks away.

  “What was that about?” Ciara snaps, crossing her arms, I’m sure to purposely shove her boobs up. “She asking for her turn?” She leans close to my ear. “Or does she want you to coach her on how to give excellent head like you were getting this morning?” Her snarky mouth about Joelle seems to get under my skin. Jeez. I can’t stand catty girls. I thought Ciara would be fun, but it seems like not so much.

  “None of the above.” I tip my head to them. “Sorry, ladies. I have to get to class.” Don’t get me wrong, Ciara is hot and all, but sometimes I just want to be left alone.

  CHAPTER 4

  Joelle-

  Why in the hell did I give him that book? What if he figures it out? I see copies of the book floating around with some of the people in school. Don’t get me wrong, it’s flattering, but this was a little too personal. It was my original copy.

  I walked away from him before I could ask for it back or I had to watch Ciara flirting with him again. Does she have any shame? I mean she comes off like a complete slut, but maybe she’s not. I shouldn’t judge her. I don’t know her and Collin…and it’s not like today is the first time I’ve seen him being inappropriate. He’s got this sexy Joe Jonas vibe about him. On the plus side, I still find him to be a little bit of an entitled dick.

  My friend Clementine taps me on the shoulder. “Hey chica, what’s up?” Clem plays saxophone in the band, but she’s also a starter on the softball field.

  “Not much,” I say, leaning against a locker.

  James pops up next. “Did that work out okay?”

  Clem flirts with him. “Hey, James. Team is looking sharp this year.”

  He gives her a soft smile. “Thanks.” He turns his attention back to me.

  “Yes. That worked out. I need you to give me a ride over there after your practice today.” He looks at me questionably.

  I don’t want to tell Collin’s business. “I’ll explain later,” I grind out.

  He finally nods and walks away. Clem turns to me. “What was that all about?”

  I shrug. “I’m helping him with something.”

  She shakes her head as we walk while she slips her other arm in the strap of her backpack. “One day, Jo, you gotta stand up to all of these people who use you. As hot as I think your brother is, and even if I’d like to lick him with my tongue like an ice cream cone, he uses you all the time.”

  I’m a little grossed out by what she’s saying. “Bitch, don’t tell me shit like that about my brother, that’s just gross. I just ate about an hour ago.” She laughs at me. “I’m serious, I’m going to have nightmares now.” I tip my head to the side. “Thanks so much.”

  “Anytime, friend. Anytime.” She laughs, walking down the hall.

  Band class is my last period of the day. It’s normally where I decompress. I beat the shit out of my quints and by the end of class, I’m refreshed. It helps me go to the hardware store and deal with my dad. Not today, though. Today, I’m a ball of damn nerves. It’s not like I’ve never been around Collin. It’s just the simple fact that he has this entitlement about him. This ‘I’m a football player blah blah blah.’ See, I just don’t care for that. Don’t get me wrong, I love football. How can you grow up in the south and not? It’s like a law or something.

  Growing up with my dad, he swore the best days of his life were when he played high school football, before he blew his knee out. Where he pretty much reminded us on a daily basis that if he hadn’t blew out said knee, he would be playing in the NFL and not stuck in this small town with three kids and a wife, owning a shitty hardware store.

  Sad part is, all of this is true. A late hit took him out of the last game of his senior year. All of the schools who had been stumbling over themselves to offer him anything to get him to play for them just backed away. So he went to the local community college for a two year business degree to help when he took over the hardware store from my grandpa. My mom lived with very strict parents whom she terrorized, and they made her go to the local college. Mom and Dad had grown up together, but weren’t close until college. They dated for the entire two years and then she got pregnant with James, so they rushed and got married. Three kids later, here we are.

  Walking into the store, I grab my apron. “Hey, Dad,” I call out.

  He comes around the counter. “Hey, Jo. We got a shipment in just a little bit ago. Why don’t you start getting it put away?”

  “Okay. When James gets out of practice, he has to drop me off somewhere before he can start work. It’s not far, though, so it’ll only take him a second.”

  “Damn it, I was hoping you could stay with him today. I have a meeting to go to,” he growls. By meeting he means meeting his friends at the bar.

  “I’m tutoring one of the football players in English and Math for Coach Fagan. Today is really the only day I can help him, he’s one of the starters. If I don’t help him, he’ll be benched.” I played the coach and starting player card. Yep.

  He lets out a loud breath. “Fine. James will be fine here by himself after I leave.” As he walks off, I hear him talking about how much time I’d have if I weren’t wasting time in the band. Then I could actually do something productive for the team.

  I start stocking the rolls of tape that came in.

  For him, my brother and sister are the only ones being supportive in this town by being a football player and cheerleader. I don’t understand how he sees it that way. It’s not like our school is really cliquey, we honestly don’t have enough people to be really cliquey. The only true clique we have are the Queen Bs. Sure, they’re cheerleaders, but the rest of the cheerleaders don’t act like them.

  I see James pull up outside at a quarter until five. I grab my book bag, calling out to my dad that James will be right back. Once I get in the car, I sigh. “Hey. How was practice?”

  “Good. Coach said thanks for helping out,” he says, looking ahead on the road.

  “Well, heads up. Dad is pissed that I had to leave because he had a ‘meeting’ and he was going to leave me with you. More than likely you’ll be closing up by yourself tonight. I told him I was helping someone on the team, that’s the only reason he quit bitching at me,” I say, staring out the window.

  James shakes his head. “Meeting, my ass.”

  “Yeah, he walked away grumbling about me wasting my time in band. If I wasn’t doing that I could have time to be productive for the team,” I say, fiddling with my bag strap.

  “Seriously? He said that?” James says, raising his voice.

  “Not to my face, but I heard him,” I mumble to the floorboard.

  “Fuc
king asshole. What does he expect you to do? Football? Cheerleading isn’t your thing. The band does help out, they cheer just like the cheerleaders do during the game.” This is why I love my brother. He can be a self-serving jerk, but he’s got my back.

  “Plus, you aren’t the girlie-girl type. I mean can you imagine you hanging out with the Queen Bs? Hair all up on top of your head with makeup on, all flirty? That’s more Janae’s scene. That’s not you. You’re more natural.” He finishes his rant as we pull into a large circular driveway.

  “Thanks for the ride. Collin said he’d give me a ride home, but I’ll have him swing by the store to drop me off so I can help you close up,” I say quietly.

  “Thanks, sis.” As I close the door, he pulls away. Looking up at the large house that will never be my future, I think about my brother’s words. Can you imagine you hanging out with the Queen Bs? Hair all up on top of your head with makeup on, all flirty? That’s not you. You’re more natural. Natural might as well be another word for plain or homely. Moments like this I wish I could trade my brother for a really loyal dog.

  CHAPTER 5

  Collin-

  As I step out of the shower, I hear the doorbell ringing. Grabbing my towel, I wrap it around my waist and run to the front door. Swinging it open, I see Joelle on the other side. “Hey, sorry. I was a few minutes late getting here. I had to talk to Coach about the tutoring thing so I didn’t get a shower before I left the locker room.” I realize she’s still standing outside and I’m at the front door in my towel. This is just what my dad needs to hear from our neighbor. I can hear him now. ‘Son, it’s not about what actually happened, it’s about what it looks like happened. How can I run a town if I can’t run a house?’ Shaking my head, I step back. “Shit, I’m sorry. Come on in. I’ll run and get dressed.”