Page 63 of Raise Hell

“Fine.” Her expression is droll. “What has you so despondent? That’s a nice five-dollar word. Or, even more appropriately, what has you acting like something crawled up your ass and laid eggs?”

I don’t actually have a reason for why I’d rather not be here.

At least, not one I can tell her.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I just woke up a little pissy this morning. Maybe my period is about to start.” I give her a smile I hope looks genuine. “Let’s watch the game. Go Knights.”

Felicia takes off her hat that is emblazoned with the school crest and plops it on my head. “And now you look the part.”

Before I can tell her that green is definitely not my color, I hear a voice pipe up behind us.

“Didn’t think I’d see you here, Olivia. Having fun?”

I turn my head to see Anya and her friends taking the seats behind us. Her smile seems genuine, but I can’t say the same thing for the girls with her. Girls who I’ve definitely caught staring at me while they whisper behind their hands, but who have never bothered to say a word to me.

Ignoring them isn’t an option, no matter how much I want to do just that. “You, either. This is my friend, Felicia.”

Felicia’s smile fades just a touch as she regards the other girls. “Hello.”

“Nice to meet you. Do you know Serena and Maisie?”

Felicia opens her mouth to greet them. Serena, the slightly blonder of the two, abruptly cuts her off.

“Aren’t you a freshman?”

“Uh…yes.”

“Freshman are over there.” Serena points to a section on the far side of the bleachers, near the very top. “You shouldn’t be in this section.”

“I invited her,” I break in, before Felicia has to respond.

Serena just stares at me. “That doesn’t explain anything.”

Anya smoothly interrupts. “I think what she means to say is that good tickets are hard to come by. We’ve been on the waitlist for these seats since freshman year. You must have gotten really lucky with the lottery this year.”

Felicia spills the beans before I can stop her. “Drake gave some tickets to Olivia.”

“No, he didn’t!” Maisie seems to be reacting more from shock than because she’s actually calling Felicia a liar. “I just mean, you’re not saying that Drake Van Koch personally gave you tickets to this game?”

I shrug. “Yeah, pretty much.”

All three of them just stare at me for a long moment with equal expressions of shock.

The whistle blows for halftime. I turn to look as the players jog off the field, admiring the hard glutes and thighs as the opposing team passes to get to their bench.

Anya leans over my shoulder. “What exactly is going on between you and Drake Van Koch?”

I only hesitate for a split second. “Nothing.”

Her tone is incredulous. “Handing out tickets to games is a big deal. Most of the guys only do it when their family is visiting.”

“If you say so.”

“There really isn’t anything going on?”

I turn back to look at her. “Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying.”

“You sure? Because it looks like he’s headed over here.”

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