"I swear, if I'm dying tonight because of you, I'm gonna haunt your ass so hard, Harrington!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah! I'm gonna go full Poltergeist and shit!"
"Then bring it, Graveswood."
"Challenge accepted."
***
In which after years of suppressing their...
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Chapter Fifty-Six: Trouble On And Off The Basketball Court
(The Pollywog, Part. 2)
***
When Rowan entered the gym to get some studying done for her free period, she wanted to immediately backtrack when she caught sight of a familiar, ratty mullet. She'd gotten lucky in not encountering the asshole all day, but now, here he was, a dickwad-smile on his face and wearing nothing but shorts—which made Rowan want to roll her eyes; what was with boys and their allergy to shirts?—teeth flashing in a wicked grin. He hadn't noticed her yet, and Rowan was contemplating just leaving but she'd always come this third period since Eddie was in gym and he was usually the first one out and she liked to keep him company/let him copy off her and listen to music together, a ritual that had started this semester. She couldn't leave him alone, knowing he would never leave her alone.
And besides, she didn't run from assholes. Not even assholes like Billy Hargrove.
So she strode into the gym, and made eye contact with Hargrove, who finally saw her. His eyebrows raised slightly, as if surprised to see Rowan, before he grinned luridly even as he glared at her heatedly.
Rowan only flipped him both middle fingers and returned the glare, before she turned and stomped up the bleachers, sitting on the highest one and getting ready to do her Physics homework as she put her headphones on to listen to the Judas Priest tape she'd borrowed from Eddie last time she was in his trailer.
"Graveswood!"
Rowan's head jerked up and she saw Steve standing there, a confused look on his face.
"What're you doing here?" he asked, the question out of genuine confusion rather than true malice. "I thought you didn't do sport."
"I don't. I'm here to study and do homework while you all run around like idiots chasing a ball to throw into a glorified laundry basket," Rowan deadpanned.
Steve rolled his eyes and huffed.
"Of course. That makes sense," he muttered. He cracked a grin and questioned, "You still gonna cheer for me on the sidelines?"
"Please, as if you and your ego need it," Rowan snarked with an eye-roll.
Steve rolled his eyes as well, but that grin wasn't leaving his lips. "Hey, my ego isn't as big as you think."
"I doubt that," Rowan deadpanned, but she couldn't keep a smile from tugging at her lips.
Steve looked at Rowan, and opened his mouth as if to say something when the coach yelled, "Harrington! Stop chit-chatting and get back on the court!"
Steve nodded and turned back to Rowan. "I have to go. Glad to have you as moral support, Graveswood!"
"In your dreams, Harrington!" Rowan shouted back as Steve ran onto the court and the other teen boys, including Eddie, congregated, a basketball in the middle as the coach said things that went over Rowan's head before he went to the sidelines and raised the shiny whistle to his lips.
