Somethin' About That Boy

“Don’t really care who I piss off, to be honest,” Banner said. “I just want to play.”

Titus nodded. “We got your back. And Kerby is a bit of a dick anyway. I was honestly not looking forward to this school year at all having to deal with his shit.”

Ahh, so he was a football player.

Made sense.

Anyone that hot had to be.

I took another bite of pizza and washed it down with a gulp of white milk right out of the small container.

I’d royally screwed up the opening of the cardboard milk carton, and was drinking haphazardly out of the side, trying to do it without spilling.

When I moved on to opening the next one, a long muscular hand reached for it and opened it for me without saying a word.

I looked over just in time for him to work his magic and hand it back to me with the little triangle open at the top, and not mangled in the least.

I blinked at him in surprise, causing him to wink.

Feeling funny now, I took a small swig of the milk, tried not to think about his hands being where my mouth was now, and continued to eat pizza.

“Why did you move here?” somebody asked.

I assumed that particular question had been directed at Banner, but I wasn’t going to look over to find out.

Keeping my head down as I ate, I tried not to think about Banner’s closeness, either. Or the heat of his body that I could practically feel seeping into my left side.

To keep myself distracted, I kept looking around the cafeteria.

Everybody was looking at us.

Not one person wasn’t aware of our table in some way.

That was when Symphony, pissed off, went through the lunch line and kicked up a fuss with my mother when there was no more pizza.

Seeing what was going on, I made to stand up, but my mother made eye contact with me across the room, telling me in no uncertain terms that I was to stay exactly where I was or else.

I stayed, but I wasn’t very happy about it.

Eventually, the teacher that worked the lunchroom to make sure there were no problems came over and told Symphony to leave. But that didn’t make me feel any better either.

God, I hated her.

With a passion.

“I gotta go,” I murmured, taking a bite out of the piece of pizza in my hand and before I grabbed my bag.

Shouldering the heavy duffel, I picked up my tray and headed for the trash, grabbing that last half-finished slice before putting my tray away.

When I was heading out the door, I made sure to make eye contact with Symphony as I walked out. And moaned as I viciously tore into the bite of pizza.

She narrowed her eyes as if she was saying ‘challenge accepted.’

Bring it on, little girl

I said with my eyes. You don’t mess with my mama and get away with it.

I was pushing through the doors and out into the sunshine moments later, very aware of what I’d just done.

Symphony wouldn’t be able to let this go. Not with how she was practically shut down in front of the entire senior class.

I was so lost in my thoughts, and what this would mean for my senior year, that I didn’t hear the fast footsteps approaching until they were right on top of me.

“Perry.”

I looked up and over my shoulder to find Banner right there.

I blinked, stopping, and stared at him.

“Umm.” I paused. “Yes?”

He held out my sweatpants.

“You forgot these.”

Then, without another word, he left, shoving his huge hands into his pockets as he moved.

He didn’t even have a backpack.

Where did he keep his shit?Chapter 4

People say I act like I don’t give a shit. Newsflash, I’m not acting.

-Perry’s secret thoughts

Perry

My breath was sawing in and out of my lungs on the last quarter of a mile.

I could see Tempy in the distance, at least two, if not three minutes ahead of me.

Not that I was surprised by her ability to outrun me. At least I was keeping her in sight.

Flo, on the other hand? I couldn’t even see her anymore. That meant she was at least five minutes ahead of me.

I wasn’t dead last, however.

Rebel and Echo were behind me, and Blue had straight up tried to skip practice altogether because she was on her period and cramping. Meaning she was at the back and barely hanging on.

The last half a loop was around the outside of the football track. And I hated running this part of the loop.

Mostly, I ran to feel free. I loved running. It was my me time.

I ran to escape people, not see them.

Yet, Coach always had us running around the school’s loop just to be safe.

The school’s loop consisted of running out of the gym, around the high school parking lot, down and around the elementary and intermediate. Around the bus station, then back around the back side of the high school. Which then led us right around the football field to pass their fieldhouse before we were once again back at the gym door.