The Guy on the Right (The Underdogs 1)

Jamie: Whoa, easy tiger. Courtney, don’t get butt hurt. You deserved it.

Courtney: Someone’s in a mood.

Brenna: Can’t you ever be nice, Courtney? You just told me yesterday you missed him.

Courtney: I did not.

Brenna: She did, Teddy. We’ll be coming down soon.

My whole body tenses.

Teddy: Don’t come, I’ll be there for Thanksgiving. I’m busy. Gotta study.

Courtney: While you do laundry?

Brenna: I just wanted to show you how much Courtney looks like you with the new Snapchat filter.

A picture comes through of Courtney looking like the twin version of me and in no way can I un-see it. I fight the urge to hurl into the washer.

Courtney: You can all burn in hell.

Jamie: OMG THEY LOOK LIKE TWINS!

Brenna: Well they might as well be, they’re only eleven months apart.

Teddy: I will never forgive you for that.

Jamie: I’m going to make this into a pillow.

Brenna: OMG. I’m dying. I want one. Oh, make one for Mom too. CHRISTMAS GIFT!

Jamie: Done.

Teddy: Don’t you guys have anything better to do?

The replies come immediately.

Jamie: No

Brenna: No

Courtney: You know what? I’m better looking as a man than Theo is.

Teddy has left the conversation.

Sighing, I close the pantry and tuck my phone in my shorts. Heading through the living room, I pass Troy and Kevin who strain to see through me at the screen. Courtney is all about the tough love. And some of it may stem from the fact that she’s the one and only girl I’ve ever stood up to–physically. Through the haze of morning, I almost forgot the retelling of that story to Laney in the dark last night. My scattered thoughts collect as I remember the feel of her hand on mine, the sound of her laughter. I’d been at ease in a haze of booze and took comfort in the fact that I didn’t regret a single one of my confessions to her. It was unlikely I’d ever see or speak to her again. The thought of that sucks, and momentary regret cloaks me as I make my way down to the basement.

Theo

Pacing the aisles of the grocery store, I check the list Troy gave me and double back for a tomato with his crumpled twenty in my pocket. As usual, his demands exceed the chump change he gave me. I knew when he moved in, he was penniless. He has yet to pay his rent in full and his IOU’s are stacking up. I don’t mind doing the grocery shopping, because he does the yard work. I’m also the cook and adhere to his dietary restrictions. This doesn’t bother me either because I need to stay in shape myself for my own time on the field. Granted, I don’t deadlift the weight of my teammates.

I’m halfway back to produce when I hear a familiar voice utter some magic words.

“He’s a dick. I got tired of him. Total dick. Yeah, I know. Well, I had to figure it out for myself. Shut it right the hell on up with the, ‘I told you so’. Devin, you’re starting to sound like Momma.”

Stopping in my tracks, I redirect all my attention toward the woman pacing an aisle over.

It can’t be. Catching sight of her, my eyes trail down to the cowboy boots, just as she turns the corner and awareness prickles.