The game started, and he did nothing but get in my face. I answered, but the terror of getting hit in the face with a ball made it hard to concentrate.
“James, you fucked up,” Marvin told him.
“Why don’t you join the little girls’ team and go fuck yourself.”
I decided to vindicate myself when it was my turn to bump the ball.
“I’ll show you, Hunter.”
He fixed his hair indifferently, which distracted me for only a second.
Concentrate, June, I told myself before landing my spike. It hit its target exactly as I planned—right in the face.
Only it didn’t hit that meathead’s face. I hit Blaze.
“Oh god, no! Sorry!” I shouted.
He lowered his head and face-palmed. He gave me a thumbs-up with his other hand, but the area under his ears was getting redder and showing to the contrary.
James applauded and only stopped when the teacher reprimanded him.
“Quit gloating and take him to the nurse’s office, Hunter!”
“What? Why me?”
“Because you’re the captain.”
“But I was having fun . . .”
“Go!” the teacher urged rigidly.
Hunter mouthed something that was easy to understand:I hate you, White.I replied by flipping him the bird. What else was I supposed to do?
29
Blaze
“That pain in the ass White . . .”
James muttered a string of unintelligible words until we got to the nurse’s office.
“You don’t have to come with me. Really. You can go vape if you want.”
He ignored me, and when I sat on the stretcher, he put my chin between his fingers.
“Let me see,” he said, inspecting my throbbing cheekbone. “What the fuck kinda hit did you take? If you don’t put ice on that soon it’s gonna be the size of a baseball.”
“I think it was meant for you.”
“Exactly. Her aim’s shit.” He licked his lower lip before instinctively biting it.
“How come every girl in school has an issue with you?”
“I don’t know, Blaze. You tell me, is there some tension going around?” He smiled. Two little dimples formed on the sides of his mouth, making my stomach quiver. Damn it.
I didn’t want to get distracted and end up staring at him how I shouldn’t, just like always. James grabbed the hem of his undershirt and wiped his face with it. The vee of his bronzed abs peeked out.Eyes up, Blaze.
“Same goes for Taylor? Becky seemed strangely fierce too,” I added.
