Chapter Nine
TRAIN
Dark clouds skatedacross the sky, but every now and then, the sun would make an appearance, albeit briefly. Football practice happened rain or shine, especially the day before a game. Two solid days had passed since Montana came to my house. I’d been taken by surprise that a girl I barely knew would have my back like she had when we’d run into Nina. Maybe I could trust Montana. Maybe she wasn’t the type of girl to stomp on my heart. I also liked Montana a little bit more for not asking why my mom was in a wheelchair. That told me she didn’t pry into other people’s business.
In the four short days since I’d met her, she was making it difficult for me not to break my own promise of no girls this year. Not to mention, she’d traded T-shirts and jeans for low-cut semi-see-through blouses, colored bras, and short shorts. Granted, most girls wore short shorts to school. The principal didn’t have a strict dress code unless a girl’s butt was hanging out. Regardless, Montana wasn’t most girls, not with her long, long legs. Not only that, she’d been wearing her hair up, displaying a smooth neck that drew my attention to her cleavage—big, round, and inviting. If her physical appearance hadn’t caused me to walk around with a semi-boner, her stubborn and feisty attitude pulled me to her yet pushed me away.
“So what did you want to talk to me about?” Austin asked as we walked out to the field. “Is Coach sticking to his guns about Montana trying out for football?”
“Didn’t bother to ask Coach.” I also hadn’t broached the subject again with Montana. I was trying like a motherfucker to stay away from all girls, although I was having a hard time since Montana sat next to me in computer class and I thought about her constantly.
“So you didn’t get Montana to drop football?” Austin asked.
“Dude, I want her to drop her pants. Okay, I said it.”
He slapped me on the back. “Feels good to get that off your chest, doesn’t it?”
Not as good as I would feel getting laid, and by no one but Montana. I knew if I had sex with some chick, I would be envisioning Montana, and that wouldn’t be cool. “I overheard something at Montana’s house that I probably shouldn’t have. It’s been bugging me.”
Austin shifted his helmet from one arm to the other. “Please tell me she has an older sister.”
I nudged him with my elbow. “You like Reagan.”
“That I do, but I can look.”
“Anyway, Montana said to her mom, and I quote, ‘Someone saw you in the grocery store yesterday. They know you’re here.’ Odd. Right?”
“Her mom is hiding from someone?”
“That’s what I’m thinking, and I threatened Montana to drop football, or I would blab about her mom. Yet I really don’t know anything about her mom.”
He chuckled. “Dude, you’re messed up. But that’s what I love about you.”
“Yeah, we were made for each other.” I rolled my eyes. “I’ve done some research on her mom and Montana but can’t find anything on the Internet.” Not that I’d expected to, especially if her mom was in the FBI or CIA, although I doubted she was employed by either organization. The way Montana had sounded led me to believe her mom was running from someone or something, maybe an ex-lover or the federal government or the law in some state.
The team, Austin, and I gathered on the field and started in on our stretches and pre-warm-up routine.
Austin bent his upper torso over his legs so that his hands were touching his cleats. “Tell Montana you were eavesdropping and ask her about her mom.”
I joined Austin doing the same stretch, and the entire team followed suit. “Seriously? I’m trying to get her to not try out. The chick is stubborn.”
“Here’s an idea,” he said. “Ask her out. Get on her good side. Then she’ll not only come clean about her mom, but she’ll give up on football. You’ve always been good about weaving a spell that chicks fall for.”
I grunted as we continued stretching. Maybe he was right. I should ask her out for many reasons other than football. Or maybe I should let the cards fall where they might, although I wasn’t ready to ask her out. If she said no, I would only become more of a dick, and if she said yes, then I would be breaking my no-girls rule and could set myself up for heartache. The latter scared me more than her on the team.
Coach Holmes jogged out from the sideline then blew his whistle. “Listen up. After a discussion with the administration, Montana Smith will be trying out.”
“No way,” Derek said on my left.
Austin laughed.
I scowled.
The rest of team complained.
Coach blew his whistle. “Enough. With Adler gone and Cruise hurt, we could use a good kicker. That is if she can kick.”
A drone of grunts, growls, and mutters peppered the air.
