“Bring it on bitch, I’m not scared of you. You are the least of my worries.” My eyes flicker briefly to J. His head is cocked to the side like he is assessing my statement and now I wish I wouldn’t said it because I think I just said too much.
“We’ll see about that.” She backs away and turns to J. “When you are done wasting your time with her, I will be waiting for your return.” Return? Please tell me J didn’t date that snob.
I spin on my heels, disgusted by her and head to the cafeteria.
Lucky for me, there are five people between J and I.
“I have to ask you something later,” J says out of nowhere while we are standing in lunch line. Darn it! How did he get behind me?
Wait-what? Ask me something? He ignores my confused look and keeps talking. “Remember to tell all the other guys no.”
“Why can’t you just ask me now? Why wait until later?”
J leans in close to whisper in my ear. My breathing falters from his close proximity. “Because I want to ask you in a certain way and I can’t do that here. Besides, it will give you a reason to think about me the rest of the day,” he smirks and I almost want to slap that smug grin off of his face. He is affecting me and he knows it. J pulls back slightly so that his face is directly in front of mine, his lips are a couple inches from mine. His tongue darts out and licks his lips. His eyes then drop from my eyes to my mouth like he is debating whether or not to kiss me. “We have practice after school so you have two choices. You can either see if Jess will take you home and then we’ll swing by after practice and get you or you can stay here and watch us practice.”
I rack my brain trying to figure out the best option while I leave the line with my lunch and head to an empty seat. If I go home my parents may not let me leave. If I stay here I probably would be bored, but I could work on my homework while they practice. Wait, practice what? “Practice what?” I ask when J takes his seat next to me. Bo takes the one across from us by Jess.
“Oh, my bad, I guess I never told you. Bo and I play football. He’s the quarterback and I play running back,” J says proudly. I know little about football. I know that the quarterback hands the ball off to another player or he throws it. I know that they score touchdowns, too. Other than that I don’t know anything else about it.
“Cool, uh, are you any good?”
“Good?” J sputters while Jess and Bo laugh loudly. “We’re alright, nothing special.”
“How many games have you guys won?”
Bo groans when I say “you guys”.
J snorts. “I think the better question is how many games have we lost.” Jess nods her head in agreement.
“Are you guys that bad?” I emphasize “you guys” because I know how much Bo hates hearing me say it.
“Thanks for kicking us while we’re already down, darlin’.”
“Oh please, I was surprised to hear you say that you guys suck. I figured your ego would be bigger than the cafeteria.” I wave my hands around, gesturing to the smallest lunchroom I’ve been in. That’s only considering I’ve been to bigger schools.
“I never said we sucked, you two did,” Bo pointed out. “I think I’m pretty awesome thank you very much.”
“I think you need to tone that ego down several notches there, Bo, don’t you think?” Jess chimes in.
I thrust my finger in his direction. “See I’m not the only one!” Jess and I high five each other and laugh at his annoyed expression.
“J, how ‘bout a little help here?”
J shakes his head. “Nah brother, I’m sorry, but you’re on your own against these two.”
“Thanks brother, I really appreciate you having my back,” Bo grumbles. “I’ll remember that next time.”
The rest of the lunch period is spent with Jess and I conversing about our interests. I swear she and I are so much alike, we could be sisters for sure.
J leans closer to me. “Have you figured out what you wanted to do yet?”
“Yeah, I guess I’m staying.” J’s face lights up like a kid looking at his idol. “I’m just going to work on my homework while you do your thing.”
“I hope coach let’s practice out early,” J mumbles. I think he sort of meant to say it more to himself than to me.
“How long do you normally practice?”
“Until about five thirty or six,” he replies. Mom and dad are going to flip their lid when I don’t show up until dark. Then again they may not even care. They go out all the time so I think it’s only fair that I get to.
Yeah, here’s hoping time goes by fast because I swear all my brain wants to focus on is the supposed question he’s supposed to ask me later.
Chapter Nine
J
I’m a blubbering mess, a nervous wreck, all because Cassie is sitting on the bleachers to my right, about twenty feet away from me. She makes me want to be a star on the field. I don’t just plain out suck, I’m actually pretty good. A running back can only carry the team so much, though. Eventually, the opponent picks up on the best players and shuts them down. That’s usually when we start getting creamed.
Practice actually has been great today. So far no one has had butterfingers and dropped a pass, which is odd since every one of us drop at least five passes or handoffs per practice. Maybe we are actually going to do better this season?
My eyes drift over to Cassie once more. She’s got her feet propped up on the row in front of her with her books in her lap working on her homework. She must’ve sensed me watching her because her head snaps up and her eyes met mine. She gives me a small smile then turns her attention back to her notebook.
I walk over to where some of the guys are huddled up and join the circle.
“She turned you down too?” I hear Colt ask Ben like he couldn’t believe it.
“Who turned you two crazy asses down?” I ask just to rub it in their faces.
“Cassie turned every one of us down for Friday night,” Colt bellyaches and the other guys grunt their disapproval. I want to smirk and gloat in their faces, but I don’t because I haven’t asked her yet and she may turn me down.
“Really? Did she say why?” I ask to get more information.
“She turned us down because she said she wasn’t going.” Well crap, it looks like the odds of her going to the bonfire with me are slim to none. Though she did what I told her to, in the roundabout way I told her. “Who’s she here for anyway?” All the guys turned their heads to me expectantly.
I have no problem letting them know she was here for me. “She and I are going to hang out after practice.” I pretty much gloated in their faces. The whistle blew and we broke our huddle to resume practice. Thank goodness too because I can see the questions in their eyes.
Coach finally calls practice at six o’clock. I change out of my pads quickly and rush Bo who was moving as slow as a dang turtle just to piss me off. When Bo finally changes his clothes, I throw my bag over my shoulder and walk out of the field house. I try to make it not look like I was in that big of a hurry, you know, trying not to look as head over heels as I already was. If the guys knew how badly I had it for her, I would never hear the end of their relentless razzing and griping about how she’s mine and not theirs. My eyes draw to her automatically like a target finding its bulls-eye.
By the time I reach Cassie she is just finishing up putting her stuff away. “Are you ready?”
“Ready to know what your question is,” she fires back. She stands and starts making her way down the bleachers. She was two steps from the bottom when she started swaying like she was going to fall. I quickly grab her hand and my arm shoots around her waist to catch her before she falls.
“You really are accident prone, Cass.”
“I wasn’t until I met you.”
I laugh and keep one arm around her as we descend the last two steps down the bleachers, thankfully without incident. “I can take that as a compliment you know.”
“How so?” she asks when we reach the grass s
afely.
“Well, it could mean that I have a high effect on you.” I wink, dropping my arm from her waist. I start walking to Bo’s truck, leaving Cassie with her jaw hanging open behind me. Yeah, it’s safe to say that my statement was pretty accurate. “You might want to close your mouth. Unless, of course, you want to eat flies,” I yell over my shoulder against my better judgment.
I hear a war cry come from behind me so I turn around just time for her to plow into me and knock us to the ground.
Her fists beat into my chest as she yells, “Why must you two bug me so much! You and your brother are giant ass thorns in my side and for the record I’m not attracted to you!” She continues to wail on me as I try to grab her wrists to stop her.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Bo relaxing on the bottom seat of the bleachers laughing his ass off. “A little help?” I grunt out.
Bo shakes his head and laughs harder. “You’re doing just fine little brother.” I’ll remember that next time you need my help.
I finally grab her wrists with both hands and stop her swinging arms from beating my chest. Her hair is now in a tangled mess, her breathing is erratic, and she is straddling me. She must’ve just noticed it too because she quickly jumps up and stomps off with Bo right behind her. I get up quickly and follow suit.
My hand closes around her forearm and I spin her around, stepping closer to her so that her back is against the truck. I lean in so my face is inches from hers, resting my hands against the side of the truck. “If you weren’t attracted to me sweetheart it wouldn’t bother you so much that I get on your nerves now would it?”
Her eyes snap up to mine, anger swirling in them. She can deny it all she wants, but I know the truth.
“In your dreams, cowboy,” she seethes likes she’s so mad at me she could scream. She is so cute when she is mad, which is practically all the time around my brother and I.
“You know my mother always told me to chase my dreams.”
Her brows draw together in confusion, obviously not getting the meaning behind those words. If she’s has caught on she hasn’t given any indication of it. Her eyes haven’t softened at all, they are still hard, challenging. She doesn’t back down, that’s for sure. She has so much spit and fire packed in her lean body it drives me crazy.
“Are y’all gonna stand there and decide whether you want to kiss each other or not or are y’all gonna get in the truck?” Bo calls from the cab, interrupting my heated staring match with a girl who won’t admit her feelings to me.
I back away from her side step to open the passenger door for her. I wait before climbing in the backseat so I can help her up, only this time she refuses to let me help her. She slaps my hands away when I go to reach for her. I almost groan out loud at this stubborn girl. I watch as she struggles to get her foot up to the rail, knowing that the probability of her slipping and falling is pretty high. I am ready to catch her when it happens. I also am ready to crack a short person joke, too. I am practically destroying any chance of her saying yes to me by wanting to piss her off. I couldn’t help it, though, it was just so much fun.
The ride home consists of Cass and me staying silent as we listen to Bo trying his best to sing. I know he is doing it just ‘cause he knows he is pissing Cassie off. I want to punch his arm and make him stop since I don’t need her pissed off when I ask her to go to the bonfire with me. But Cassie actually smiling around us doesn’t last long before one of us gets on her nerves or make her mad.
“You’re so annoying, Bo!” she yells over him singing. “He is so awful at it,” she adds to me.
Bo continues singing like he didn’t hear her at all, even though we know he did because the smile on his face proves it.
I get more nervous the closer we are to my house. I really want her to go to the bonfire with me on Friday night. I want to introduce her to all there is to do around here. Cassie seems like the type who loves adventure, even though there are times she seems closed off.
Mom and Dad are conveniently gone again. I really want Cassie to meet my parents, yet so far they have been gone when we arrive home.
Mom did leave us something to eat so all three of us head straight to the kitchen to dig in. I fix Cassie a plate and pour her something to drink before fixing mine. Dinner passes quickly and before I know it my time is running out before I have to drive her home. I grasp Cassie’s hand and lead her out the back patio door. I sit down in the swing, pulling Cass down next to me. I let go of her hand, moving my arm behind her, resting it along the back of the wooden swing.
I gaze at Cassie as she stares out into the night at the stars. “It’s really beautiful out here at night, J.”
My eyes rake over her beautiful face. Her eyes gaze in wonder to the sky above us, the stars reflecting in her eyes.
“I know what else is beautiful,” I murmur as I gaze at her.
She whips her head over to me and cocks her head to the side, looking at me like she isn’t sure of what she just heard.
“You heard me,” I murmur, answering her unspoken question.
Looking away, she shakes her head. Even though it’s dark, I know she is blushing.
“What are you doing Friday night?” I blurt out. I figure it’s now or never. Normally, I wouldn’t be so nervous, but I’m about positive is she turns me down for Friday, it means she won’t go out with me.
She nervously tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “Um, nothing, probably homework.”
I shift in my seat, turning toward her slightly. “How about you skip the homework and spend some time with me?”
She cocks her head at me. “And what will we be doing?”
“Well, we will be dancing around a fire, sippin’ on some Bud Light, and hangin’ out with Bo and others. Jess will even be there.”
“Is this your way of asking me to the bonfire?”
“That depends on what your answer is.”
“What if I don’t know how to dance and what if I don’t like Bud Light?” she challenges, a smile forming on her lips.
“The dancing I can teach you, and as for the drinkin’, there will be plenty of other choices.”
Please say yes. Please say yes.
She softly sighs. “I don’t know if I can go, J.”
I gaze at her expectantly, wondering why she can’t or won’t go. “Why not?”
“I don’t know if my parents will let me.”
So she wants to go, she just isn’t sure if she can. Interesting. “We will cross that bridge when we come to it. All that matters right now is that you just agreed to be my date to the bonfire.”
“Is it really that big of a deal to you if I go with you or not?”
“Hell yeah, Cass. I’m on cloud nine right now. This is kind of like our first date.”
She turns her body slightly in my direction. “I take it you were worried I’d say no?”
“No,” the lie slips off my tongue automatically.
She leans forward, looking me dead in my eyes. “Liar.”
I lean forward, noticing the slight change in her breathing. “Okay, yeah, I definitely was worried you would say no. I really like you, Cassie, and I want to give us a try.”
Her eyes cast down to her lap, her fingers knotted together. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, J. Don’t get me wrong, even though you are a giant thorn in my side, you seem like a good guy. It’s just we barely know anything about each other.”
I place my hand over hers. “That’s what dating is for, Cass, to get to know one another. If you’d let me, I’d like to know all about you.”
When she looks up at me, a smile forms on her face. “Okay.”
A grin breaks out on my face. I raise her hands to my lips and place a feather like kiss to her fingers. Right now, I’m the happiest man alive.
Chapter Ten
Cassie
I have put off asking my parents if I can go to the bonfire as long as I could. I’m standing at my bedroom door trying to muster up the courage to
walk in the living room to ask them. I already know their answer, I am just hoping a miracle will happen and they will say I can go. Maybe I shouldn’t ask them and just sneak out? If I ask and they say no, they might watch me closer, then I definitely wouldn’t be able to go escape without them noticing. Ugh! This shouldn’t be so hard!
I decide against asking them knowing I shouldn’t even go anyway. I leave my bedroom, walk right by them, and out the front door. I will just come up with an excuse to tell J. Part of me wants to go so I can get out of the house, but the other part of me wants to hide away. It’s sad that leaving the house has me in a slight panic since I never know when we will be caught. I’m not stupid, I know one day they will catch us. Running for the rest of our lives doesn’t sound appealing anyway. Because of my parents and their stupid addictions, I will always be looking over my shoulder, wondering if today is the day.
Bo and J are turning in my driveway the moment I step off the porch. Dang it, I was hoping I could walk to school this morning. I’m back to wanting to ignore them, at least for today, and maybe tomorrow. Maybe they won’t be able to tell I’m lying to them.
Sure enough, J asks as soon as I climb in Bo’s truck. “Are we still on for tomorrow night?” Tomorrow night? J must sense my fake confusion because he adds, “The bonfire?”
I pretend I forgot to tell them. “Oh crap! I’m sorry I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“My mom is making dinner so they want me to stay home and spend some time with them.” I hope they buy that load of crap.
“What time do they go to bed?” Bo asks.
What kind of question is that? “Umm…it depends sometimes ten, sometimes eleven.” Why did he ask that?
“When they go to sleep just give us a call and we will sneak you out.”
I nervously tuck my hair behind me ear. “I kind of don’t have a phone.”
“What? How can you not have a cell phone?” J asks, astonished.
I just shrug. I know why, but I can’t tell them.
“Well…” Bo taps his index finger against his chin. “How about when they are asleep you shut your light off. One of us will come to your window and tap on it to let you know we are here. Sound good?”
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