Good Luck, Babe!

Chapter 2

2 weeks later

“Fuck!”

Bradley almost strained his back as he set the box to the ground with a loud thud. How were books so heavy?

He stemmed his hands against his lower back and leaned backwards, stretching until he heard a few satisfying cracks.

His former room was empty now. This was the last box he had to carry down the stairs. Bradley hoped it would somehow fit into his car which was already stuffed to the brim. He had double checked the whole Gamma house for his belongings to make sure he had everything packed. Needing to come back for something he forgot would be too embarrassing to handle.

After what went down at the X-Games, the other Gamma members had made it very clear he no longer had a place here. None of them actually dared to say it out loud, but Bradley wasn’t stupid. He got the message.

Arranging for a new dorm hadn’t been too hard, his father was one of the university’s biggest investors after all. He’d gotten assigned an apartment in one of the pricier facilities. Apparently, it was the only one free at the moment since the university was in the middle of renovating or whatever. The only con: it was a double apartment, so he would have to share with somebody else.

Still, he figured that was better than getting the evil eye everywhere he went.

He’d chosen today’s date for moving out because he knew most of his former Gamma members had their day packed with seminars. One of them in particular. The building was pretty much empty but for a few people, so there wouldn’t be too many witnesses to the sad sight of him clumsily dragging his stuff down the stairs.

Bradley already knew his body would be hurting all over for the next few days. He was an athlete, not a body builder.

Wiping his sweaty forehead, he took a few more breaths until he felt like he had recovered enough to give it another go. Grabbing the cut-out handles of the box, he bit his teeth and willed his already trembling limbs to hold out for only a bit longer, lifting the box with an awfully strangled sound escaping his throat.

He really wished he could ask Tank for help.

Speaking of …

Just as he managed to stand up straight, the box pressed tightly to his chest and fresh drops of sweat running down his temples, he heard a deep chuckle coming from the main door.

“Oh, perfect”, he growled, turning to face his tormentor. “Don’t you have a seminar?”

His voice was straining with effort as he stumbled towards the door, now blocked by the massive Gamma. Tank let out another chuckle, casually leaning against the door frame.

“Skipped the last one”, he said with a gleeful smirk on his lips. “Wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

Bradley managed to glare as he was forced to stop in front of him. “Can you move?”

Tank had been mostly avoiding him for the past two weeks, and Bradley really didn’t blame him. Even now he had trouble looking the big guy in the eyes.

“Maybe if you ask nicely.” The grin on Tank’s face was teasing, right on the edge of cruel.

He knew Bradley was used to getting his way, and he knew it bothered him to be denied by someone else. But instead of getting angry, Bradley only felt a dull sadness twist through his chest.