You’re being childish.
Football Player: So are you.
Me: Why are you this difficult?
Football Player: I can be easy if you want. ;)
3
NICK
I’m lying in bed tired as hell. The party ended 45 minutes ago and for the life of me I can’t remember why I once wanted to throw a party every weekend. Party every time we win a game… that’s what I said. Somehow, the guys thought it would be smart to start partying before we even have our first game. I don’t think I can handle another party next weekend. The moment the thought enters my brain I realize I’m starting to sound just like my brother.
He’d be pissed at the mess from tonight. The hockey team is a mess when they party. Tonight, they broke the only table the guys were too lazy to move into the basement. It’s still crazy to me that I had to come to the party and lay down the law. I had to come in and pretend to be a strict guy, though we all know that’s not really me. I kicked their asses out of our House. Eventually, I had to kick everyone out. Things were getting out of hand and we didn’t want the cops showing up. We’ve already had the cops show up too many times and we haven’t even started the season.
Luckily for us, the cops like us. But they like us a little less when they have to keep showing up at our parties. Underage drinking can only be tolerated and ignored for so long.
My phone buzzes in my hand. I know it’s a text from Amelia, she’s the one keeping me awake right now.
Smart Girl: I know you can be easy. I’m just wondering if you’re being easy with other girls.
Me: Why do you care?
I ask the question again because I really want to know what she’s thinking. I wonder what made her ask the question in the first place. I’ve never really considered whether she’s been seeing someone else. I shake that thought out of my head immediately.
Smart Girl: I told you already… I don’t want to catch anything.
Me: What don’t you want to catch? Feelings? There’s nothing else you can get from me.
I know my message will cause her gorgeous eyes to roll. She hates when I talk about her falling for me. She says it’ll never happen. She says she doesn’t want a relationship… at least not with me. I should be offended that she feels so strongly about this, but then I have her in my arms whispering my name and I instantly forget everything else she’s said. I’m sure she forgets it too, at least in the moment.
It’s better for the two of us this way anyway. I don’t do relationships and she doesn’t want one with me, though that kind of burns a little bit. All the other girls have wanted to marry me, basically, so her not wanting that at all is foreign to me. It’s good though. Feelings complicate things and what we have is easy. In a couple of months, she’ll be off to law school and I’ll be off to an NFL team and that’ll be the end of that.
Smart Girl: Please… you’re more likely to catch feelings for me than I am for you.
Me: You’re the one asking if you’re “the only one.”
Smart Girl: …
Me: Am I wrong?
Smart Girl: Clearly, you’re not going to answer my question.
Me: Not until you answer me first.
Smart Girl: I haven’t slept with other guys.
Me: Since when?
Smart Girl: What do you mean?
Me: Who was the last guy you slept with? When did you sleep with him?
I ask the questions both wanting to know the answer and hating what she may say at the same time.
Smart Girl: You don’t need to know his name. It was before you and I started…
I believe her when she says she hasn’t been with anyone else; she has no reason to lie to me. I like knowing that. We’ve been doing this thing secretly for six months now. Knowing she hasn’t seen anyone else makes me proud for some reason. I haven’t seen anyone else either, and even though she and the rest of the world may not believe it, it’s true.
Me: I haven’t slept with any other girls.
Damn, I really haven’t hooked up with anyone else since March. That’s a record.
Smart Girl: Somehow, I doubt that.
Me: I didn’t doubt your response, so why do you doubt mine?
Smart Girl: You’re Nick Hunter… football player… party