how persuasive I can be. You have Ag first thing, right?”
I nod, grinning. “Thanks, man. I hate you’re stuck doing this.” I wonder who he has to be persuasive to.
He shrugs. “No big deal. Just make me a promise that if I help you with this, you bust your ass to get us to State. I want that once before I graduate. The guy taking the snaps the past three years was a total d-bag. I know when I leave here I’m going into the family business. I want that one moment, okay?” He holds his fist out for me to bump.
“Okay, man. You got it. I’ll bust my ass,” I say, tipping my head before I dry off quickly and snatch my clothes on.
Stepping out of the locker room, I see the group of girls we refer to here as the “Queen Bs” leaning against the wall. Two girls in the tenth grade with me, Ciara Mitchell, Head B., and Karmen Pope, B. #2, and their new recruit, Karmen’s little sister Addison Pope, freshman. I’ve gone to school with these girls all of my life. In the small town of Everly, Alabama, you pretty much know everyone. We have two schools, an elementary and a high school. I know you’re saying where’s the middle school? The answer is right here at the high school, a yellow line painted on the sidewalks divides middle school and high school. The only reason they didn’t move me up to Varsity last year was because my dad felt like it was smarter for me to develop my skills with the guys who would be with me for the next three years than to move up to a group that was mostly graduating. We’re a pretty young team. Prescott is the only senior and Booker Daffin is the only junior. The rest of us are sophomores, that’s the reason Coach is right, I gotta step up and be a leader. Ciara flashes me a smile and starts walking toward me. Her boobs bounce as she walks, sucking on a lollipop.
“So Collin, I pulled your name to be my football buddy.” She touches my shoulder and leans in, where I have a clear shot down her shirt revealing a hot pink lacey bra as she licks and sucks on that damn sucker. “So I was just wondering, what kind of candy do you like?” Fuck, I’m starting to get hard right here in the damn hallway. It’s not like I don’t know how to act around girls. Hell, it’s not like I’m even a virgin, I got blown this morning before first period, but her perfume, that mouth and those titties do something to my dick. I’m a red-blooded American male, so sue me.
I give her a grin. “I pretty much like anything sweet.”
“Hmm. How about cupcakes? Do you like icing?” she says, licking her bottom lip.
I nod, shoving my free hand in my pocket, hoping to pull my jeans forward a little and give me some relief. “Yep.”
She reaches up, touching my cheek. “All right then, I’ll make sure your goodie bag is ready in the morning,” she breathes before sauntering off.
Dayum. This is the life.
CHAPTER 2
Joelle-
Sitting at our dining room table is never really a great occasion. My mom is pissed because James is late coming in from football practice, dad is “late” coming home from the hardware store we own again (code for at the local bar getting drunk), and my little sister, Janae, has taken it upon herself to dye her almost black hair stripper blonde. So my mom is pissed because not only has she worked a ten hour day managing one of the busiest medical offices in town, now no one is here to eat the meal she stopped off and got. Well, my sister is here, but she sent her to her room and I mean I’m here, but I’m always here. I try to keep all the levels even in this house. I take a bite of the piece of chicken on my plate. “Thanks, Mom. This is really good.”
She tries to smile at me. “Thanks, sweetie. How was band practice today? You guys gonna be ready for the first half-time show?”
I nod. “Great. It was hot, but I think we’ll do awesome.” How could I tell her that my practice is later tonight? She doesn’t even know that I go and come on Monday nights. I can’t complain that my back is killing me from toting