Chasing the New Girl - (Complete)

Chapter 9 - Roller Gals Diner

Jolie waved at Austin before walking down the bleachers to get over to the fence where he was. She watched as he pulled off his helmet and shook his shaggy wet hair, running a hand up through it as he smiled down at her with his straight white teeth. She had never been into football players before, but she had to admit, seeing Austin in that uniform was starting to make her change her mind.

"Hey, what did you think of the game?" he asked her as fans walked by patting him on the shoulder and telling him good game.

"Normally I'm not into football and I don't know the rules or anything, but cheering with your Mom was actually fun. She got me into it."

"Good. I'm glad you had a good time," he smiled. "I just wanted to let you know I've gotta go to the locker room and shower and change and then I'll meet you out here in a few to go to Roller Gals," he said before running towards the tunnel, holding his helmet in his hand.

Ten minutes later Jolie was leaning over the fence looking out at the field when a tall figure came up very close behind her, so close that she could feel him pressing his lower body against hers and he slid his hands under her shirt and placed them on the sides of her bare waist.

"Austin? That was fast," she said, standing up straight and turning around with a smile, but her face contorted into a look of shock and disgust when she saw that it was actually Chaz Hernandez behind her.

Instinctively she pulled her hand back and slapped him across the face really hard and the nearby onlookers gasped and then started laughing.

"Don't EVER touch me like that again you perverted creep!" she screamed in his face. "Keep your fucking hands to yourself!"

She felt so violated and couldn't believe he thought touching her like that was okay. She barely even knew him and she hadn't given him any signals that she liked him. She pushed his chest back so she could get past him and ran towards the parking lot with tears burning in her eyes.

She found Austin's Jeep and sat on the step rail, trying to catch her breath. Her heart was pumping hard from adrenaline and anger as a tear rolled down her cheek. A few minutes later she finally spotted Austin walking towards the Jeep lugging his heavy duffel bag on his shoulder, wearing jeans and a t-shirt with his hair wet and tousled from the shower. She was filled with relief because she felt safer when he was around, in case Chaz came back.

"I was looking for you. I thought you were going to wait by the field for me?"

She stood up and sniffled, walking forward and grabbing him into a hug, laying her head against his chest and sobbing.

"Ummm, did something happen?" he asked, dropping his duffel to the ground and wrapping his arms around her, patting her back awkwardly.

She was sniffling and trying to catch her breath as she told him in a shaky voice, "I was leaning over the fence looking at the field, waiting for you to come back when I felt someone come up behind me and press their lower body against mine. Then they slid their hands under my shirt around my waist."

His eyebrows raised.

She was having trouble getting the words out as she cried. "At first I thought it was you, but then I turned around and saw Chaz standing there."

His eyes widened. "Oh shit. What did you do?"

"I slapped him really hard across the face and ran over here to your car," she sobbed, as a tear ran down her cheek.

He took a deep breath in and let it out, running both his hands over his face and then looking down at her, thinking as he studied her face.

"What are you thinking?" she asked him hesitantly, feeling self conscious under his stare.

"I was just thinking about what you said. You made it sound like you were okay with what he was doing when you thought it was me behind you," he said with a curious expression and then a slight smile came over his face and he rubbed the back of his neck, laughing softly.

That was when she realized what she had said and her face flushed red and she looked down at her feet to avoid looking at him. Her awkward silence spoke volumes.

He could obviously tell how uncomfortable she was because he said, "On second thought, you don't have to answer that. Are you ready to go to the diner now? I'm starving."

She was relieved for the change of subject.

"Yeah, I'm starving too," she nodded, walking over to the passenger side door as Austin threw his duffel bag in the back and climbed into the driver's side.

When she climbed in the Jeep and shut the door, Austin was looking at her like he wanted to say something, but instead he just exhaled and turned the key.

Without saying a word he turned on the radio as he pulled out onto the road and she looked over at him and smiled as they both started rapping along to it in unison. They drove down the road towards the diner with the windows all the way down, wind whipping through her hair, as they both rapped loudly, laughing.

He knew exactly how to cheer her up and pretty soon she had forgotten all about Chaz. Austin pulled into the parking lot of a small 50's style diner that had a neon sign that said, 'Roller Gals.'

He shut the Jeep off right as the song ended and she smiled over at him and said, "Thank you for cheering me up Austin. It seems like I always enjoy myself when I'm with you. I can't even imagine what school would've been like here if you weren't my next-door neighbor."

"Even if I hadn't lived next door I think we still would've hung out, because you're pretty amazing," he said with a smile.

"I think we would've too," she agreed. "I was afraid I wouldn't make any friends here, but we clicked right away."

She noticed his smile immediately fade when she used the word friends.

He sat there for a few seconds, before giving her a forced smile and then opening the Jeep door and getting out, walking towards the diner with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans. She felt so confused. Ever since she met Austin she had a little crush on him because he was so handsome and nice, but she wasn't sure if it was more than a crush. Would she really want to be more than his friend and actually date him if she had the chance? He was hot for sure, but something felt like it was holding her back, like a nagging feeling in her gut.

Maybe that nagging feeling was just fear because she had never dated anyone before and putting herself out there for the first time was scary. She was really afraid of being rejected or getting her heart broken. She wasn't sure if Austin even liked her that way anyway. She got out of the Jeep and looked up, seeing him standing at the entrance of the diner waiting for her, looking as gorgeous and perfect as always, but he didn't look happy. Something was obviously bothering him.

She followed him inside the small rectangular shaped diner that had neon signs hanging on the walls, a jukebox playing oldies, brightly colored booths and a black and white checked tile floor. A waitress wearing a poodle skirt and a tight shirt with a scarf tied around her neck zoomed by on roller skates carrying a tray full of burgers, fries and milkshakes.

Jolie looked around the diner and saw several familiar faces from school. The whole football team, all the cheerleaders including Mandy, her new friend Bailey and even Blaze McDaniels was here. He was in a corner booth in the back sitting with a couple rough looking older guys.

"Ummm, I need to run to the restroom real quick. I'll be right back," she told Austin before walking away. Since she had been crying earlier, she wanted to check and see how bad she looked since half of the school was here. She probably had makeup streaked all over her face.

When she went in the bathroom and looked in the mirror, swas relieved to see that wasn't the case. It wasn't nearly as bad as she thought it would be. She got a paper towel wet, dabbed a little soap on it and wiped it carefully under her eyes to remove the mascara, ran a brush through her hair and put on some lip gloss. She couldn't help but laugh a little at herself. She had never cared about her appearance before so all of this still felt a little weird.

When she went out of the restroom she didn't see Austin anywhere, so she slid into an empty booth and started reading a menu to kill time. That's when someone slid into the booth across from her and she lowered the menu to see Blaze McDaniels, smirking back at her.