Page 28 of Kickoff

“Nope. My schedule is full. I’m busy. And not in the mood.”

I jerked my arm away with more force than necessary, and she struggled to keep her balance.

“Can we be friends?”

God, was she deaf or just stupid? Just stupid, I guess.

“I don’t think so. We have nothing in common, and I already have plenty of friends.”

She moved in front of me, stopping my escape, and crossed her arms over her chest. “Is it about Lydia Santos? I heard you two were an item over the summer. Is this some sort of devious plan to get back at Cowley High? Because you know she’ll go back to Copperman in the end, right? Sorry to be the one delivering the news. I hope you’re not in love with her because it would be heartbreaking to waste time on a girl who will never love you back.” She winced and pretended to gag. “C’mon, Mase. You and I both know you can do better than her. If the goal was to mess with the Cowley High team’s mind, then you’re a god. Screw them.”

I was so going to be late. “Seriously, Tan? Being a bitch is so last year. Grow up. And if I hear another word against whoever I spend time with, you and I will have a problem.”

She batted her eyelashes again. “Oh, I like Mason’s game face. I can be your problem anytime. Is roleplay something you might like? We could bring the whole quarterback-captain of the cheerleading squad thing to the bedroom. I think it could be fun. Is that what you had in mind?”

I blinked. “What? I don’t even know what you’re talking about. Tan, stop being delusional about us. Not happening. Please, move. I have places to be, and you’re in the way.”

She yelped as if I had just slapped her. “You don’t have to be cruel, Mason. Unless it’s foreplay, I’m not sure it turns me on.”

She was impossible. Seriously, was this a prank and someone was filming this exchange? “No foreplay. No nothing. We’re not together and never will be. Now, go and annoy someone else, and let me be.”

Her lips swelled into a pout, and she twisted a strand of her hair around her finger. “You are no fun, Mason Pierce. You used to be the life of the party and this school.”

“We’ll continue this entertaining conversation some other time.”

I walked around her to leave when her hand splayed over my chest, and she stopped me, moving to the tips of her toes to kiss my cheek. “Oh, so we will get together, right? I can’t wait.” She winked.

Jesus. This was getting more ridiculous by the second. “Whatever.”

I stormed forward only to halt when I noticed Melinda, who was squatting down and picking up her scattered stuff from the floor, her face curtained by her brown hair. Wearing a purple striped shirt with jeans and black ballet flats, she looked beautiful. We hadn’t really crossed paths since the night I walked her home a week ago. I wouldn’t call us friends, but at least we proved we could be civilized around each other, and she hadn’t ripped my face off since. I kneeled beside her and lifted her books in my hands. She looked at me. Her face was paler than usual and her eyes, glassy. She motioned to stand, but I stopped her with a hand. “Hey, are you okay?”

She swallowed, avoiding my gaze. “Yeah. All good.”

We stood at the same time, and she snatched her books from my arms to stuff them into her bag.

“You don’t look so fine to me.”

She stepped back, putting distance between us, eyeing me with an expression I couldn’t decode.

“Mel?”

Her eyes rounded, and her hand flew to cover her mouth. Without an explanation, she spun on her heels and emptied the contents of her stomach into the nearest trash can.

“Fuck. You’re not all right.” I went to the restroom to fetch paper towels and handed them to her so she could dab her mouth. “Come, sit.”

“No. I’m great.”

“Stop lying. You are not okay. Are you being stubborn on purpose, or is it a me-thing?” I kept my hand on her arm in case she got dizzy and lost her footing.

“Mase, I said I was fine. Let go of me.”

I did as she asked. “Whoa. Are you always this charming when you’re sick?”

Her eyes threw daggers at me, but some of the tension in her back vanished. “Sorry. It’s just that… Never mind.”

“What is it?”

“Nothing. You should be at practice. You’ll have to run extra laps if you’re late.”