tutoring the bad boy (remastered)

1: Truth or Dare, but Carefully

1: truth or dare, but carefully // chapter1 // freshman year

__________________________

"Come on, Drew, where's your head at, man? You've been staring off into space all night!" AJ throws a Hot Cheeto at my head, but Mickey intercepts it, red dust floating down to the carpet.

"I'm here, I promise." I grin. "Just thinking about tryouts."

"Ah, yes, the fascinating world of sports," AJ says. "Oh, please, Drew, tell us more about the only freshman impressive enough to make Varsity." His voice pitches higher, and he falls back onto the couch, hand over his forehead in a mock swoon.

From the floor by the Xbox, Mickey rolls his eyes. "Drama queens. Both of you."

I sit back with a laugh, sipping from my can of root beer. After a few days of grueling basketball tryouts, Coach had finally called me into his office. I laugh when I remember how nervous I had been.

"Drew, I've been watching you closely during tryouts, at the request of one of my sophomores. He promised me you were Varsity material, but I never take anyone's word for it," Coach had said, his eyes and body language betraying nothing. "Tell me, do you think you are Varsity material?"

I had swallowed hard, my mouth dry. I had been extremely thirsty, partly from nerves, partly from the drills the JV and Varsity hopefuls had just been running. 

"I don't know, Coach," I had said. "All I can tell you is that I have always been and will always be the most dedicated player on your court, no matter which way the game is going. Whatever team I'm on, whether I'm playing for you or for the JV or Freshman coach, I will give 100% at all times."

Damn it! I remember thinking. What kind of answer was that?

But Coach had just laughed. "So, that's your definition of Varsity material, is it? Dedication and effort? What about technical skills, physical condition, teamwork?"

Coach's tone of voice seemed harsh, but I had interacted with him enough over the past few days to know what his true temperament sounded like, thanks to poor Leo not paying attention during Coach's play explanations. I grimace at the memory, reminding myself never to be on the receiving end of one of Coach's tirades.

"Physical condition and technical skills are improved with dedication both on and off the court, so if I'm not satisfactory in either of those areas, know that I at least have the dedication to improve them. And as for teamwork, I believe you might be able to speak to that better than I could."

Since when had I started talking like a character out of an old-timey novel? I make a mental note to add reading old-timey novels to my list of enjoyable things to hide from my dad, right along with writing poetry and Taylor Swift.

Coach had stared at me, hard. One second, two seconds, five seconds... then he laughed.

"Drew, you are more than satisfactory in all of those areas. You run your mouth at the worst of times, but I think Varsity needs a little bit of sass and fire. You in?" Coach had winked, and I had finally seen the man that so many of the basketball players at tryouts praised.

"Yes, sir. I mean, Coach. I mean-"

"Relax, McCarthy. I, and the other assistant coaches, were extremely impressed with your talent, skill, and heart. Congratulations!" I had shaken Coach's hand, unable to contain the smile on my face.

"Drew!" A Hot Cheeto smacks me in the face. "Did you hear me?"

"Obviously not, AJ," I say, still smiling.

AJ Chase is humorously violent at times, but all in all a good friend. AJ, Mickey Stevens and I had all met the first day of freshmen year, when our biology teacher had made us lab partners. Well, correction; Mickey and I were lab partners, along with some other girl, for the first few weeks of the year. But then she had gotten tired of doing experiments mostly by herself and asked the teacher if she could switch with another group. Personally, I thought she was overreacting -Mickey and I did at least 20% of the labs together- but it didn't matter now. I've never been one much for school anyways. Of course, it turned out that she is my locker neighbor, and blah blah something about "having to see you every day". I had stopped paying attention after the first few sentences.