Tuition bills are racking up and if I can’t move up to a starting position, my parents aren’t going to help with tuition any longer. My pops says if you’re not the best then you’re wasting your time but I love competing. I was born to play. I’m fast as shit, have quick reflexes, and I’m solid under pressure. No way am I going to let a guy like Dominique Price get in the way of my future. I might not be the best yet, but I can be. He just needs to be knocked off his game.
The drive goes by quickly, the girls talking about babies and all the things I have zero clue about, but it keeps them busy and lets me clear my thoughts before we’re pulling up to PacNorth University. Allie directs me to the soccer field and I park at the rear, away from the rest of the cars in the lot. What she’s planning seems harmless enough but the girls want to be sneaky and shit, like this is some big covert operation.
We all get out of the car and I keep an eye on the pregnant one. Bibiana. I know she’s Emilio’s chick and obviously very pregnant. On the drive, I overheard her saying she still has a ways to go but no way can the girl get any bigger. She’s small. Over a foot shorter than me and all belly. If I didn’t know for a fact she was carrying E’s kid, I’d assume she shoved a basketball under her shirt. It’s that ridiculous.
With one hand supporting her swollen stomach, she follows Allie and Kasey out of the car and to the field. I take up the rear after claiming the box of forks from Allie’s grasp and scan the parking lot for anyone who might snitch on us.
“Thanks,” Allie mutters, but I just nod.
My parents and I have a lot of differences, but my momma raised me right. I’m not gonna make a girl shoulder this thing when my arms are free and I’m more than capable.
“No problem. So… what’s the plan?”
Allie pulls the hood of her sweatshirt up over her head. “Since it’s a Saturday and the day before Halloween, the field should be empty. Everyone is off getting ready for whatever campus parties are happening tonight and tomorrow.” Makes sense. “So the plan is to pretend we’re supposed to be here.”
“Is that why we’re doing this in the middle of the day?” Kasey asks.
“Yeah. If we tried to do it at night and someone saw us, they’d immediately assume we didn’t belong but since the only people who know what’s going on with the field are the players and the coaches, all of whom should be gone already for the day, we should be in the clear. We might get a few curious looks but no one is going to freak out seeing us.”
I tug on the back of her hood. “So what’s with the cover up, then?”
She rolls her eyes. “Habit. Come on.” We rush across the lot and slip through the gate onto the field and I set down the box. Allie immediately starts laying forks out on the grass in some sort of design.”
“What are you doing?” Kasey asks, saving me the trouble.
“We don’t have enough forks to actually fork the entire field so we’re gonna spell out a message.”
“What’s the message?”
“Tu madre, traidor.”
“Which means?”
It’s Bibiana who answers. “Your momma, you traitor. It’s some weird inside thing between Allie and Julio that none of us understand.”
Allie smirks. “You don’t need to. Just help me spell out the words. Deacon, you should probably play look out. I don’t think we can really get in trouble for a harmless prank but you’re an athlete and PacNorth is technically a rival school. If we get caught, I don’t want to be responsible for you getting a suspension.”
I nod. “Sounds good. I’ll kick it by the locker rooms since that’s where coaches or players are bound to head if any show up.” I leave the girls to their work, scrolling through social media posts on my phone. There are a few parties going down tonight back on campus I might check out when we get back. I’m not really into Halloween and dressing up. It’s never been my thing. But I don’t mind when the girls go full on Slutober and display all the goods. It’s like Halloween is a free pass to wear the least amount of clothing and not be crucified for it. Something you will never hear me complain about.
ONE HUNDRED FIVE
Deacon
It takes the girls over an hour to fork the field and I’ve blown through all my emails, looked at all the stupid videos on social media, and posted a few images to my Insta feed. Safe to say, I am bored as fuck. But they’re having a blast. Bibiana is scooting across the field in a makeshift crab walk so she doesn’t have to bend over, and Allie and Kasey are laughing and smiling, talking about who knows what, but it’s a good look on them both.
Kasey hasn’t smiled much lately. This is good for her. I heard the rumors that her mom passed, and she’s had a dark cloud following her these past few weeks, so seeing her be herself again, it’s good.
The click of heels on pavement draws my attention and I turn to see who it is only to do a double take.Holy sh—.My mouth drops open as I take in the woman walking toward me. She’s digging in the oversized bag slung over her shoulder, her gaze directed down and a small furrow between her brows. She hasn’t spotted me, but me and every other person—men and women alike—that she walks past, sure as hell spot her.
Wearing white skinny jeans, a low-cut sleeveless silk blouse, and strappy sandals with a small heel, she walks down the pathway like it’s a runway made just for her. Her hair is natural, an afro of loose corkscrew curls that billow out around her. Shorter curls hang down in front of her face, almost like bangs. She owns her beauty. Standing out amongst everyone she passes like she doesn’t care that she doesn’t belong. She’s not looking to fit in. She’s showing everyone why they wish they were her and could stand out.
She has smooth, dark bronze skin, full plump lips, and dark brown eyes that, even from here, I know I could get fucking lost in.
“Fuck me,” I mutter.
She’s almost to me and it’s obvious she’s heading toward the field. Something I can’t let happen now that the girls are wrapping up. I’m the look out. No way can I fuck this up when we’re so close to the finish line.
I step away from the alcove I’ve been chilling in and she’s forced to come to a halt. She doesn’t acknowledge me for the first few seconds. Still digging through her bag until she manages to pull out her phone, which I assume is what she’d been after. She studies me, brushing a coil out of her face.
