Making Over the Jock

Chapter Two

"So what's the game plan?" Tony questioned, once I entered the eighth period photography class. Besides lunch, eight period was the only class I shared with Tony and it was quickly becoming my favorite. We always goofed off and cracked jokes the whole class period.

"Easy, stake out the boys locker after class and ambush him with my invitation for a makeover and tackle him before he escapes to the end zone aka football practice."

"Nice! Good plan AC," Tony replied, offering me a fist bump.

He often called me AC short for Assistant coach or Alexis Claudia – my god awful middle name. Tony had taught me to talk in "sports speak" and liked to refer to me as his assistant coach. I've never had a brother but if I did I imagine he'd be exactly like Tony. He'd taught me everything I know about sports and now I'm slightly obsessed with watching the NBA, otherwise I would have had no interest in it whatsoever.

I returned his fist bump and placed my backpack on the floor before sliding into the desk across from Tony. "So are you and Brett like friends?" I asked. I was fishing for information so that I'd be prepared for what Brett was like. If we were going to spend a month together I didn't want to be stuck with some psycho.

"He seems pretty nice but I don't really know him all that well since he always practicing with the starters," Tony replied.

As the second-string quarterback Tony wasn't all that important. We had an amazing quarterback who had given us a winning season last year and this season Tony's entire playing time so far has been approximately ten minutes over five games. For most of practice Tony is regulated to the sideline but he's perfectly okay with that. To be quite honest he believes that the less playing time he gets the better. He only really did join football because his father pressured him into doing it but Tony's real sport is basketball. Tony's is absolutely fantastic at basketball and last year as a junior he already had scouts at most of his games. Last season Tony's lowest scoring game was only 32 points; I know because I was at every single one of his home l games and I had him recant the stats for all his away games.

"Gee thanks for providing me with so much useful information."

At the moment my teacher walked through the classroom door and our conversation was cut short. My teacher droned on about the many different lenses used in portraits before the bell rang for the end of eighth period. I quickly gathered my books and prepared to run to the boy's locker room. There was absolutely no time to lose if I wanted this internship by the summer.

As I rushed down the hallway I briefly considered stopping by my locker. I shared a locker next to Cole Taylor, which was a blessing. I'd been crushing on Cole all of last year. It wasn't just that he was gorgeous but he was an insanely talented musician, was a great lacrosse player, and also had to be the nicest person I'd ever met; and okay, he also possessed the most amazing dark brown curls that I've fantasized on more than one occasion about running my fingers through. The fact that we were locker neighbors was a sure sign that we were destined to be together and end up prom king and queen.

Usually after eighth period I'd be able to catch him at his locker for a brief period and we'd exchange a greeting, a few jokes, and a flirty smile.

Lately I've become obsessed with all things Cole Taylor. Recently I'd started using strawberry scented shampoo once I found out that his favorite fruit was strawberry. My outfits almost always consisted of something blue because Tony told me in passing that Cole's favorite color was blue. Dylan said I was pathetic but I liked to think that it was all just preparation to ensure our future together. Even Lila couldn't understand my obsession, although she did admit that he had "magnificent looking hair" (her words not mine).