by L A Cotton
“And if he isn’t all talk?” Cameron dropped down on the bench next to me.
“I can handle Thatcher.”
“Like you handled him when he was at The Alley putting his hands on Hailee?”
“That’s not fair and you know it.”
“You’re right.” He let out a strained breath. “I’m sorry. I just can’t stand the idea that he was anywhere near her.”
“It won’t happen again,” I said, even though I knew it was a promise I couldn’t keep.
“You don’t really think he’ll show Friday, do you? Maybe we should talk to Coa—”
“Have you lost your fucking mind? The last thing we need to do is take this to Coach. If Finnigan finds out about this, it won’t end well for any of us. He’s already watching my every move.” Determined to ‘clean up’ the reputation of the football team, the new principal had made it his priority to make sure his football team behaved. Except, it wasn’t his team, not really. A fact he hated. But Coach Hasson and the school board could only protect us so much.
The need to get Thatcher back burned through me. But I had to be smart about getting payback. Because the team had worked too damn hard to risk everything.
I’d worked too damn hard.
“Thatcher will get what’s coming to him,” I said quietly, feeling vengeance boil my blood.
“That’s what worries me.” Cameron gave me a pointed look before standing up and grabbing his bag. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said before walking away.
There was a day when we did everything together. But now he had Hailee and everything was different.
And fuck me, if it didn’t suck.
I grabbed my shit and headed out. I didn’t expect to run into Asher and Felicity in the parking lot, laughing and joking like old friends.
“We’re thinking of heading to Bell’s, you want to come?” Ash said with an easy smile, as if she was part of our group now. I frowned, my eyes sliding to hers in question. She lowered her face, heat creeping into her cheeks.
“What, are you two now like fuck buddies or something?” Felicity blanched while Asher’s eyes shuttered as he let out a heavy sigh.
“Jase, come on, it isn’t like that—”
“Whatever. It’s none of my business. You do you, but I think I’ll pass.”
“Maybe I should go,” her soft voice drifted over me like a warm current. I was being a dick, but she was everywhere I fucking turned.
“You don’t need to go. I said we’ll hang out and we will.” Asher narrowed his eyes on me, daring me to argue. Then it hit me, that maybe this was all part of some game. His way of trying to get me to admit I liked her.
I didn’t.
She just got under my skin. That was all.
But as I skulked away from them, I wasn’t so sure anymore.
“Let’s go, ladies, onto the buses.” It was Friday evening and the entire team and cheer squad were crammed onto four buses that would take us to Fenn Hill. Our fans following in their cars behind us.
It was a sight to behold; half the town making the forty-minute ride to come out and support the Raiders. But everyone wanted to see us win; to move one step closer to State. And it helped; having a big presence in the crowd at away games. Their constant roar like fuel to the fire.
Our fire.
I watched from the window as Cameron said goodbye to Hailee. Felicity and the new girl lingered on the periphery, pretending not to watch. All week I’d avoided her; and all week my mood had deteriorated.
Fucking girls.
Let them in and chances were they would screw everything up, but keep them at arm’s length... and chances were they would screw everything up. It was a no-win situation.
I’d rationalized that my strange fascination with the girl who made lists and attended book club and owned some downright fucking ugly shirts was nothing more than the fact she’d been a virgin and I hadn’t rocked her world because Hailee walked in on us.
The plan had been to fuck her out of my system with Jenna, but I was starting to wonder if I just needed to fuck her again. I shook the stupid idea out of my head. Going there with Felicity again was a one-way street to a headache I didn’t want or need.
With everyone finally on board, Coach Hasson stood at the front, staring out at us the way he did whenever we had a big game ahead of us—which was every game we ever played.
“Listen up, ladies,” he boomed. “I want your best behavior tonight. We’re playing away from home which means you’re not only representing your team, you’re representing the school, and the town. I expect nothing but professionalism, understood?”
A grumble of ‘Yes, Sir’ echoed around me as Coach’s hard stare bore into me. He was still pissed about the game against Millington and he had every right to be. But he wasn’t the one out there, on the field. Sometimes decisions were taken out of our hands; sometimes the decision was made so quickly you didn’t have time to weigh up the consequences. You were all up in some fucker’s face before you could stop yourself.
“Hey, you okay?” Cameron nudged my shoulder.
I gave him a tight nod. I was more than ready for the game. Eager to get out there and kick some Falcon ass. It was everything else that was sitting heavy on my chest. As if I needed any extra pressure, Grady leaned over the top of my seat and shoved his cell in front of me. “Did you see this?”
“Grady,” Cam warned, but it was too late. My eyes ran over the tweet, jaw clenching at Thatcher’s taunt.
@ThatcherQB1: What’s that I hear? The Raiders crying like little b%&$es #Falconstakenoprisoners #Raidersbetterhide
“He’s just trying to get in your head.” Cameron said, snatching the cell out my hand and shoving it back at Grady, mumbling something to him about ‘stopping that shit’.
“Yeah, well it’s working,” I said coolly.
“You can’t let him in, man. He knows the Eagles are out of the play-offs and now he’s trying to sabotage our shot.”
I concentrated on my fist as it pressed against my thigh, uncurling and curling it. Squeezing until the blood drained from my hand. Thatcher was under my skin, like an annoying itch you couldn’t quite get rid of no matter how hard you scratched.
Asher’s face appeared between the gap in the two seats in front of us. “Maybe we should just go over the river and give him what he wants?” Mischief lit up his face. Asher might have been the joker of the bunch, but he was always down for a rumble.
“Seriously, you think that’s going to solve anything?” Cameron let out a frustrated breath.
“Better than sitting around waiting for him to come at us.” Asher turned back around.
“Don’t listen to him,” my best friend’s tone was serious. “Thatcher will get bored eventually.”
But for as much as I wanted to believe him, I couldn’t. Thatcher would keep coming, keep pushing my buttons, until eventually I snapped.
Because we were more alike than I gave him credit for. I’d hurt his sister... and now he was determined to hurt me. I’d been arrogant enough to think I was untouchable. Believed Thatcher couldn’t hurt me because the list of people I gave a shit about was next to none.
But I cared.
Deep down, I fucking cared. And I hated it.
Because caring made me vulnerable.
It made me weak.
Something I couldn’t afford to be.
Felicity
“Remind me why I agreed to come to this thing again?” Mya grumbled as I dragged her and Hailee to the concession stand for pre-game refreshments.
Fenn Hill had a much smaller stadium than our school, but it didn’t stop the crowds swarming. Our blue and white painted faces and shirts and ball caps barely made a dent in the sea of yellow and green.
“It’s fun,” I yelled over the noise.
“Fun?” Mya arched a brow, glancing at Hailee who threw up her hands.
“Don’t look at me. I’m only here for Cameron.”
“I’m confused,�
� our new girlfriend said. “I thought you hated the football team and the whole ‘institution of the game’?” She air quoted Hailee’s words from earlier this week.
“Oh, we do,” I explained. “But we’re also embracing it this year.”
“Right.” Mya frowned. “So which one do you want?”
“Want?” I spluttered, almost choking on her insinuation.
“Well, yeah. I mean it makes sense why she’s here.” Mya pointed at Hailee. “But what I can’t figure out is why you’re here if you’re not crushing on one of—”
“There is no crushing,” I rushed out, a little too quickly. “I so happen to enjoy the odd game of football. Even if the whole institution is whack.”
“So you’re in denial.” Her brow went higher.
“I’m not...” The argument dried on the tip of my tongue. “I just want to support Cameron and the guys.”
“The guys? You mean Asher and Jason—”
“Well, well, if it isn’t Chase’s girl and the sassy one.” Thatcher’s friend, the one he’d called Gallen appeared, his predatory gaze fixed right on me. “Looking good, baby.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” I blurted out.
“I came to see the game, what else would I—”
“Is Thatcher here?” Hailee was as white as a sheet.
“You didn’t think I was going to let Gallen here have all the fun, did you?” Thatcher rounded his friend and narrowed his eyes on Mya. “Who’s the new girl?”
“No one to you,” she retorted, folding her arms over her chest.
“I didn’t know Ford had taken to slumming it with hood rats.”
“You can’t say that,” I shrieked, stepping in front of Mya, shielding her from Thatcher’s superior smirk. “You don’t even know her.”
“I have eyes, sweetheart.”
People were watching now. Even the hot dog guy was gawking at us instead of doing his damn job.
“Just go,” I lowered my voice, my eyes pleading. “You’re making a scene.”
Thatcher edged closer, taking the air with him, until my breath caught in my throat. “You’ve got balls; you know that, sweet thing? I was planning on playing with Chase’s girl a little more, but perhaps I’ll play with you instead.” His hand snaked out and brushed the side of my neck, eliciting a violent shudder inside me.
“Get your fucking hands off her.” Mya stepped up beside me, anger rolling off her. “Before I scream.”
Thatcher’s head whipped over to her and a twisted smirk graced his deadly expression. “Screaming only makes me hotter, baby.”
Smacking his hand away, I stepped back, pulling Mya with me. Gallen smirked, making no disguise of the fact he was blatantly eye-fucking me.
Bile rushed up my throat. These guys were pigs. Worse than anything I’d ever witnessed from Jason and the team, and that was saying something. They didn’t look like guys who wanted to have a little fun with us. They looked like guys who wanted to humiliate us.
To hurt us.
“Come on,” Hailee said, her voice quiet. “We should go.”
I pulled Mya away, trying to ignore the two sets of eyes biting into my skin. “Do I even want to know?” she asked as we abandoned hot dogs and melted into the sea of people.
“Oh, that was Lewis Thatcher, the quarterback and alpha-jerk of the Raiders rivals, The Rixon East Eagles.”
“I’m sorry I asked.” She half-laughed. “So when you said Rixon takes football very seriously, you really meant—”
“As serious as a heart attack.” My lips curved in a tentative smile. “It can get kind of crazy. There is no love lost between Jason and Thatcher.”
“And here I thought moving to some small town in the ass crack of nowhere was going to be boring.”
“Hey,” I protested. “Rixon isn’t in the ass crack of nowhere.”
“It isn’t the city either. But I’m glad Principal Finnigan stuck us together.” Her expression softened, something I suspected not many people got to see.
“Me too. Come on.” Linking arms with her and Hailee, I pushed all thoughts of Thatcher out of my head.
We had a game to win.
“Holy crap, this is invigorating.” Mya grinned beside me as we watched our offence celebrate a touchdown. Their sixth of the game.
“What did I tell you? Hate the players, don’t hate the game.” Flashing her a wink, I chuckled, bouncing on the balls of my feet, waving my hands in the air like a crazy person.
Hailee was quieter, her eyes zeroed in on Cameron as he fist-bumped his teammates before jogging off field.
It was the fourth quarter and we hadn’t seen Thatcher and his friend again. But we’d watched the Raiders kick the Falcons ass all over the field. Our fans, although four times smaller than the home fans, were louder, hungrier, and the buzz in the air was electric.
“Almost there,” I squeaked, grabbing Hailee’s hand and squeezing.
I knew how important it was for her to be here for Cameron after everything they had been through.
The final whistle went and our tiny section of the bleachers erupted. Even Mya was on her feet, hooting and hollering as the high of the win settled deep in our bones.
It was weird. Throughout high school I’d never been part of anything. I wasn’t in band or on the cheer squad. I didn’t get invited to parties or to join the debate team or compete for an athletics club. I had Hailee and our simple lives—hanging out at The Alley, gate-crashing the odd party, eating our body weight in ice cream at Ice T’s—and it was enough.
Until I wanted more.
Until I wanted to soak up every experience I could in senior year and experience all the things I’d never gotten to because we’d been outcast by our peers all because of Jason and his stupid grudge against Hailee. But here, cheering on the team, I felt like I belonged.
As soon as the players disappeared off field, we all filed out of the bleachers and into the parking lot where the team buses were waiting. The second Jason appeared, leading the team out of the Falcons’ building, a huge round of cheers greeted our heroes. The guys split off, searching for their friends and families among the gathered crowd. Cameron and Asher made a beeline for the three of us, while Jase chatted to Coach Hasson and his father. I pretended to listen to Asher as he recounted every play and pass, every tackle and sack. Really, I was watching Jason. His tight expression as his father gripped his shoulder as he talked animatedly with the coach.
“Fee, baby, what’s got your...” Asher craned his neck around, the sparkle in his eye dimming. “Oh.”
“Sorry,” I gave him my best smile. “You were saying?”
“Well, I was about to invite the three of you to the party at my house tomorrow...” I hated the dejection in his voice but there was no use in trying to fix it. He’d seen me looking at Jason, and I knew he knew how I felt.
Even if I’d never told him.
“You like to party, Mya?” Asher slung his arm around her shoulder, and I swear a small growl formed low in her throat. “Message received.” He edged away, shooting her a lazy grin. “But seriously, you should come tomorrow. My place is the only place to party. Hailee will be there, right, Hails?”
“I guess.” She shrugged, glancing up at Cam who was too busy staring at her with such emotion I was pretty sure he hadn’t heard a single word Asher had just said.
“I’ll go if Felicity goes.”
My head snapped over to Mya and she lifted a brow, some indecipherable expression on her face.
“What do you say, Fee, baby? Party at mine tomorrow?”
A few weeks back, my immediate answer would have been yes. It was on my list, a rite of passage for kids of Rixon High. But that was before sex with Jason; before the heated looks and stolen kisses. Before Asher’s puppy-dog eyes followed me everywhere.
God, everything seemed so complicated now.
“Will there be dancing?”
“There is always dancing.” His brows waggled suggestively.
<
br /> “I’m not talking about that kind of dancing, Asher.” I’d heard the stories.
“There can be any kind of dancing you want.”
He was flirting. Nothing he hadn’t done a hundred times before, but every time he did it, I felt more and more confused.
“Fine, we can go.” My eyes slid to Mya who gave me a curt nod. She was hard to read. But I didn’t miss the way her eyes lingered in Asher’s direction.
She liked him.
He liked me. At least, I think he did.
And I liked Jason.
If this didn’t have disaster written all over it, I don’t know what did.
“Yo, QB,” Asher beckoned Jase over. He strolled toward us, his eyes cool. “We heading to Bell’s later?”
“Not tonight, my dad wants to... celebrate. But I’ll be at yours tomorrow.” His gaze found mine, narrowing. I could feel it running over my skin, burning. He looked wired. The adrenaline of the game, no doubt.
“You good, Jase? You look a little—”
Jason broke our connection to glare at Asher. “I’m good,” he growled. “Coach wants us on the buses stat.”
“Guess this is goodbye, ladies. Until tomorrow?”
Jason paused, glancing back at us. “You invited them?”
“Well, yeah, I didn’t—”
“Whatever.” He stomped off, and I let out a shaky breath.
“What crawled up his ass?” Asher asked Cam.
“I think it’s just the pressure of everything.”
Or the fact he was a moody asshole.
Coach Hasson and his assistants began rounding up the team to get on the buses, while a few fans lingered to wave them off. We hung back too because we were those girls now.
Strangely, I didn’t mind.
“Do you think we should have told them?” I asked Hailee as she made moon eyes at Cam.
“And worry them for nothing? No.” She folded her arms around her waist and I saw the flicker of doubt in her eyes. Hailee didn’t like keeping secrets, least of all from Cameron. But we’d decided not to tell them about Thatcher being here to avoid any more trouble.
