The Jock and the Bad Boy (COMPLETE)

SEVEN

cw: alcohol

I don't go over and talk to Thayer and then we win the game. I have to think that those two things are connected, because if they aren't then the only other explanation for my behavior is that seeing him made me feel weird in a not entirely negative way. And he knows I saw him.

My parents and sister are in the crowd too and they come to the bench to hug me after the game ends. "Good job!" My mom gushes.

I roll my eyes. "You guys are embarrassing," I laugh. Other people's parents are there too, so it's not like anyone is looking at us specifically, but still.

Jackson walks over. "Hi Mr. and Mrs. Channing," he smiles. They say hi back.

"I'm Sara," Sara says, offering her hand for a handshake. Jackson takes it. "You guys were great," she adds.

Jackson smiles. "I think the most important part is that we had fun and tried our best," he says.

My dad shrugs. "I mean, I'd say it's pretty important that you guys won."

I hear a laugh behind me. "Is he giving you guys the little league speech?" Carter cuts in. "I'm Carter, Jackson's co-captain."

"Couldn't do it without him," Jackson says.

"The asshole with the curly hair?" Sara mouths behind his back. I nod.

"Someone's throwing a party," Carter says.

I turn to my mom. "Can I go?"

"Will the parents be home?" My mom asks Carter. He nods. "What's the address?" He tells her. "And the mom's phone number?" He gives it to her.

"So can I?" I repeat.

My dad turns to my mom. "They did just win their first game of the season," he points out.

My mom nods. "Fine."

~

Music is blasting from the house when we get there. "Did you lie to my mother?" I ask Carter.

He shakes his head. "Not technically. Josh's parents are total whackjobs. They're here, but they're not gonna stop anything that goes down."

"Alright," I reply. We go in.

Whoever is in charge of the music is blasting pop music from the early 2010s. I wish I wasn't loving it. People are dancing in the living room. A girl pulls me in.

~

Carter eventually gets me to take a beer. I drink it and don't feel any different afterwards. I wander upstairs. A girl comes up to me. "You're new, right?" She asks. I nod. "I'm Nina. I heard you guys won?" Another nod. "Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. What's your name?"

"Eliott," I reply. "Nina's a pretty name."

"Thanks," she replies, "so is Eliott." I don't think it's a pretty name, but I take the compliment. "How do you like the school so far?" She asks.

I shrug. "I haven't really hung out with anyone besides Jackson and Carter, but they're cool. And everyone I've talked to in passing seems really nice."

"So no one's caught your eye?" She asks, twirling a piece of her hair around her finger.

This isn't happening. Before I can think of a way to shut the conversation down, I hear myself say, "Yeah, actually..." I'm not drunk enough to be this much of an idiot. Maybe I'm just not drunk enough, period. "Do you want to go get refills with me?" I ask her. She nods, seemingly excited. Fuck.