Play Hard, Love Harder

2

Next morning, as Lily and I are showering after track practice, she asks me about the rumor. "What is all this fuss about?"

"Nothing, she says I am not part of the team anymore," I answer.

"Can she do that?" asks Mila from the next shower.

"Exactly my point, Mila. It's like if Jenny tomorrow would kick you out because she's in love with your boyfriend. It is so stupid."

"Wait, is she?"

"Uh?"

"Jenny, is she in love with Derek?"

"Of course not! Mila, come on, keep up."

"Mila, you idiot, how could you think, even for a second, that I love your boyfriend?" shouts Jenny, aggravated, from down the room. "I wouldn't do that to you, besides he's not my type."

"Yup, I know. Sorry, babe," Mila blows a kiss to Jenny. "Just a second of blind jealousy."

Everyone bursts out laughing at that, but then the conversation goes back to Heather.

"That girl is nuts," comments Lily when I tell them the rumor was fake.

Dana joins in on the conversation. "Girls, you see! That's why I prefer ugly boys, less struggle." She shrugged her shoulders with a smile, as if to say, am I wrong? "And what did you do, Olly? You took one of the most popular and hottest guys at school. You fucked up, girl!" At that, I can't stop laughing.

"Yeah, I bet he's got a long line of girls waiting for you to get out of the equation," says Jennifer.

I glare at her. "Thanks, I really needed to hear that, very perceptive," I say sarcastically.

"Wait, you didn't let me finish. I was about to add that you need to keep him happy."

"Ew, gross!" replies Lily, backing me up. "are you implying she need to keep him satisfied sexually?"

"Boys will be boys" Jennifer replies. Poor girl, she got cheated on last semester, and worst of all, her boyfriend blamed it on her, specifically saying that he cannot wait forever for her to be ready to have sex. She was still a sophomore when it happened, so I understand her feelings, but after she dumped the guy, she did not deny herself to guys anymore, as if that is the only way to keep them. The fact that she feels this way is just sad.

I decide to head out and go find the man himself. "Thanks for the talk, bye girls."

I find Jake talking to Jasper in front of the gym, his back facing me, so I approach him silently, snaking my arms around his waist from behind. Without interrupting his conversation, he puts his hands on top of mine and then swiftly moves me so that I am hugging his side. They were discussing next week's game strategy. Jasper looks at us, grinning. "Hey Olly! Can you share some love with me too? I'm kinda feeling left out here by myself." I look at Jake, who rolls his eyes, but then he lets me go, so I hug Jasper and give him a loud smacking kiss on his cheek. He sighs as if to say, 'Okay, alright, I really needed this,' then says, "I need a little of your pixie dust for my next game. Will you be there?"

"Of course I am. First game of the season, I'll be there cheering for number 7," I say, looking into Jake's eyes with a soft smile, then turn to Jasper again. "And the whole team, naturally. Don't worry, Jas." Freshman year, my brother started this stupid superstition before every game. I had to give him a kiss on his right cheek, say 'You got it,' and slap his left arm. It was what I did for his first high school game, and as the fourth quarter was ending, he stepped out of the three-point line and threw the ball perfectly into the basket, giving our school a one-point lead and winning the game. From then on, he asked me to do the same at every game. The following year, as Jake would play with him, he asked me to do the same for good luck. As I became more comfortable with the guys on the team and got to know them better, some of them asked if I could "give them some of my pixie dust" because they said I looked like Tinker Bell. Anyway, now it's kind of a tradition.