RISKY BUSINESS

Chapter 4

FEBRUARY,
BLUESTONE HIGH SCHOOL
b r o o k l y n     l e s l i e     c o o p e r
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For half of my school day, I'd lost touch with my inner nerd and dozed off many times during class, which worried my teachers. They thought I was going through issues at home with my family and asked if I was okay, and each time I assured them that my family and I were doing fine and that I had some things —ones I chose not to share with them— on my mind.

It was currently lunchtime, and I was sitting beside Morgan on a park bench in front of a gate which was fenced around the two soccer courts. She had dragged me along to watch Luke play and to cheer him on, but I knew that wasn't the real reason. I knew it because when Calum walked into the fenced courts alongside her blonde boyfriend, she looked over at me with a grin. "Feeling cheery today? I heard that Calum loves when people cheer for him."

That made me roll my eyes, but I didn't leave. For some odd reason I wanted to find out if Calum was as good a soccer player as everyone said he was. "I'm far from cheery, actually."

This made Morgan frown. "What's wrong, girl? You've been acting off lately. Was it the dinner? Did Calum say something?" Now that I thought of it, I had been acting differently, ever since the day I found out that Calum Hood would be my new neighbour. I wanted to think that it was really my media project bugging me, but in reality, I think the sudden attention that the school's heartthrob had shown towards me had creeped me out and made me go crazy. I wasn't used to boys calling me hot, or offering to ride me to school, or even riding me home from school. I'd always been accustomed to hiding in Morgan's shadows and walking home by myself. "If he said something I can talk to Luke and—"

I spoke over Morgan, which caused her to stop. "I'm feeling really stressed out." I said simply, honestly.

Morgan's frown grew even more. "About?"

I didn't know how to word it without it making sense, so I spoke my mind freely, without deciding whether or not it'd be a good enough answer. "For one, the topic I was given for my media project makes no sense and confuses me beyond the ultimate reach of highest confusion," I started, furrowing my eyebrows after saying my first problem. Did that even make sense? But I shook it off and continued anyway. "And the fact that Calum so willingly keeps showing up isn't making things any easier."

I wanted to say more, but didn't. Calum wasn't worth my breath. He was just another typical boy.

I took a quick glance onto to field to capture Calum scoring a goal against Billy Kroger, a boy who I knew to be a highly experienced goalkeeper in soccer, and I arched my eyebrow up. In that second, as if he could feel my gaze, Calum's head turned in my direction, and a wide grin formed on his face when he saw my reaction. But it was what he did next that got me going.

He lifted the bottom corners of his black Nike t-shirt as if it were a skirt or dress, and did a little courtesy.

I had to look away, back at Morgan who was looking in Calum's direction with an amused smile on her face. "I think he fancies you."

Her words made me freeze instantly. "He does not." I spoke harsh enough to get her to turn her head back towards me. Her eyes studied my face and a look of confusion overtook the look that was once amusement. She opened her mouth to say something, but I beat her to it. "He's just another typical boy. He's popular, he's good looking, he's cocky and arrogant. He's a heartthrob, he uses girls like they mean nothing to him; which I guess they really don't because when has he ever had a serious relationship? The fact that you think this dull, conceded player fancies me is so out of touch with reality because he's nothing but a flirt and a major pest."