“Give us a chance. Give the selection a chance.”
“Hell, no. I don’t know you guys. I don’t want to get to know you guys. This is all … it’s wrong. If you had any sense, you’d leave me alone and find a girl who wants all your attention.”
“What’s going on?” Gideon asked, joining us.
We were all covered in sweat. “Nothing.”
“Do I need to give you guys detention?” Coach asked, yelling across the field.
“She won’t come to the party with us,” William said.
“I never go to any party.” I glanced over Gideon’s shoulder and saw the glare from Coach. I quickly jogged past them, doing the laps.
We did the laps three more times before Coach got us all to stop. To cool our bodies down, he told us all to do stretches.
I was about to head to Heather when someone banded their arm around my waist and pulled me back.
“Not happening,” William said.
“Damn it. Just let me go.”
“Nope. You need to cool your body off, and I know just the trick.”
I didn’t like the way his palm rested against my stomach as if he had a right to touch me. He didn’t. None of them did.
One look at Heather, and I saw Dante had intercepted her as well.
Gritting my teeth, I had no choice but to stretch with him. When everyone lay down, William took me to the ground, grabbing my foot and lifting it up. “This is supposed to feel good here.”
He placed his palm beneath my thigh, a little too high up.
I glared at him, tense.
We swapped legs, and then we were told to change partners.
“You can be on top any time you want to, princess.”
I grabbed his leg and pushed a little too harshly. He moaned. “That’s right, baby, make it hurt.”
The urge to kick him in the balls was strong. I showed restraint.
Once the cool-down stretches were done, Coach let us all know the first couple of weeks were going to be obstacle course training. It was designed to help the football team with reaction times. Everything we did was for the football team.
The lesson was done, and I felt so much relief to be getting back into the changing room. I didn’t swap my clothes, instead grabbing my bag. Heather did the same.
“I don’t want to eat in the cafeteria for dinner. How about I take us out to pizza? Your place. You can have your fake pizza.”
I burst out laughing. “There is nothing fake about it. It’s so good.”
“I don’t know how you can eat that stuff.”
My name was whispered in the air.
With no other choice, I had to open my eyes. There was no way I could get changed.
Damn it.
Why had my life begun to suck so bad? I hadn’t done anything to anyone else.
“Whoever it is, you’re going to get reported to the principal and then your ass will be kicked out of here.”