The Bad Boy (Black Mountain)

Alex glared at his roommate, but kept his mouth shut. Yeah, it did suck, but he didn’t need someone else pointing it out.

“So? What are you going to do?”

Alex scrubbed a hand over his face, scruff covering his jaw, but didn’t bother responding.

“You kick ass on the field, and putting you on probation is really going to put a hurt on the team.”

“Yeah, dude, I know.” Alex wasn’t a cocky asshole who knew he was an asset to the team. It was just a fact. “Truthfully, I don’t know what the fuck to do. Coach said I have to get my average up if I want to play again, and when I talked to the academic advisor she said the same damn thing.”

Racer leaned back, bags under his eyes and the scent of booze still clinging to him from the heavy drinking he did last night no doubt.

“So, in other words I’m royally fucking screwed.” He brought his cup of coffee to his lips and took a long sip of the nasty shit. It was bitter and lukewarm because he’d been nursing the hell out of it. “But it’s my doing.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Jordyn came into the kitchen and headed toward the fridge. Without looking at them he said, “What the fuck are you pussies doing?”

Racer chuckled and then groaned, closing his eyes and rubbing his head. “Alex has his panties in a twist because he’s flunking a class and it brought his GPA down.” Racer squinted his eyes open and looked at Jordyn, who was looking at them over his shoulder.

“Yeah, and? Why in the hell do you care about that?” Jordyn asked Alex. “You’ll graduate no matter what.”

Alex finished off his coffee with a grimace. “Because I’m now on probation from the team.” He pushed his now empty cup away and folded his hands behind his head, stretching his muscles. At Jordyn’s blank expression Alex said, “I know you could give two shits about football or anything sports related, but I actually enjoy it and am fucking good at it.” Jordyn raised an eyebrow but kept quiet. “But being put on probation sucks balls, man.”

Jordyn closed the fridge and turned around to face them, leaning back and resting against the counter. “So what class are you failing? Maybe I can help?”

Alex snorted, and Racer and Jordyn looked at him curiously. “Human Sexuality,” Alex said matter-of-factly. For a moment neither of them said anything, but then they both busted out laughing.

“No shit?” Racer finally said and smacked the table, his grin wide, but then was finally followed by a grimace.

“I bet you thought Human Sexuality was all about… sex, yeah?”

Alex ran a hand through his hair and knew the strands were all sorts of fucked up and sticking all around his head. “Okay, so yeah, I thought it would be easy credits. I’d talk about sex and all that, but clearly that was not what the class was about.”

Jordyn just shook his head. “Dude, you really thought Human Sexuality was about people actually having sex?” Jordyn repeated what he’d pretty much said just moments before, and it was clear he was trying to rein in his amusement. He failed miserably.

Alex flipped him off.

“I mean, yeah, it has to do with sex, but shit, dude, even I wouldn’t take that class. Who in the hell wants to learn about sex in society and all that?”

He didn’t bother responding because Jordyn wasn’t looking for an actual answer.

“So I take it you guys can’t help me out?”

Racer snorted and Jordyn made some kind of grunting noise.

“Sorry, I can’t help you out.” Jordyn went back to rummaging through the cupboards.

They sat there for several more minutes before Racer spoke again. “What about Mary?”

At the mention of Mary, Alex’s entire body tightened instantly. “What about her?”

“She’s smart as fuck and tutors,” Racer finished off his coffee and stood. “Yeah, man.” He nodded like he’d just figured out the solution. “She would totally be able to help you out.” Racer stumbled out of the kitchen, followed by Jordyn carrying a bag of chips, and for a long moment Alex sat there thinking how there was no way he was asking Mary for help… and simultaneously thinking about how that’s all he wanted to do.

And it has nothing to do with passing this class and everything to do with being alone with her.

6

Mary belly-flopped on her bed, just face-planted right on the twin-sized mattress and let out a contented sigh.

After a full week of working at the café, tutoring, and doing her own studies, she was physically and mentally wiped out. And for the next couple hours she had absolutely nothing to do aside from take the most glorious nap imaginable.

Just as she closed her eyes and was about to let sleep claim her, the shrill of her cell phone ringing had her groaning. She blindly reached over to her bedside table and felt the edge of her phone graze her fingertips. Cracking an eye open she saw it was her mother and a groan spilled from her lips before she could stop it.