The Player Next Door ✓

55 | Ovaries

Thank you @silent_singer_of_the_dawn for this poster!

I got carried away with this chapter, so it's a long one. Just wanted to give a heads up that you may want to get comfortable.

I've had a lot of requests for this first part.

Chapter 55: Ovaries

She doesn't know.

She doesn't know how she catches my eye every time she passes by.

I want her to stop and tell me, for once, that I'm not a jerk and that she's attracted to me. Why is that so hard? I hear it from randos all the time.

She got me curious. A genuine soul with a hilarious tendency to cause chaos. Brutally honest, in a way I try to be. And vulnerable, because she's so forgiving to everyone around her. That's Minnie. And that's what made me want to protect her... before I realized how strong she already was.

And how much stronger she's getting.

Her timing last night was perfect. I was leaving the grotto party after Jake's sappy singing. (My half-brother is trying to become Justin Bieber. The tattoos make more sense now.)

That's when she called my name and came to me with tears rolling down her face. She doesn't need to cry over me. I'm here. I've been here...

And I don't know why.

But she trapped me the day she ran over my laptop.

*End of Luke's POV*

The party last night had everyone talking. No photos were posted, per grotto rules, but whispers of it were in the air.

It isn't scandalous if it isn't a secret. That's the grotto motto.

Because a lot of scandals are still under wraps.

Luke was handing in his history homework after class, when the teacher asked him to stay behind. He let others walk past him as he approached her desk.

A girl dropped her notebook front of him. He picked it up, sweeping his hair out of his eyes. She smiled giddily and hovered in front of him, before darting off.

He remembered junior year when girls were dropping pens and books and bumping into him in the hallway all the time. It's calmed down a bit since then. Maybe they got less clumsy.

Or maybe they realized that 'accidentally' bumping into a guy doesn't start a chain reaction of a romance story.

His teacher wanted to talk about the midterm assignment. "I enjoyed your paper, Luke. Your writing is impressive, but I can see that you actually put work into the analysis this time."

He flicked through his paper, skimming the comments she'd highlighted on the sides of each page.

Suddenly, Austin came barging through the classroom door like it was his own home, (as usual). "Heyo!"

"What's up," Luke nodded to him, before returning to the conversation with his teacher, "Thank you, Mrs D. I'll read through it."

"Keep up the good work, Luke. Championships are won at practice. Isn't that what you say in basketball?" she smiled warmly.

Austin answered on Luke's behalf, "Haven't heard that one Mrs D, but we'll go compare notes..." Austin smiled while he steered Luke towards the door, "About our evenings."

The door slammed shut behind them and Austin exclaimed, "You disappeared last night!"

Some guy walked into the classroom after them and high-fived Austin along the way.