Page 108 of Good Boy

Chapter 32

The KissCam Starts Now, Fans

Jess

For the very last time, I stand in front of the tiny dorm room mirror on the back of our door and check my outfit. “What do you think?” I ask Violet. I’m wearing skinny black jeans and a low-cut cashmere sweater, my boobs hiked up to my chin by my most ambitious bra.

“You look hot. As usual.” Violet sits on her own bed with a textbook, looking blue. “You know there’s a quiz tomorrow, right?”

“Yep. I studied all afternoon. It’s going to have to do.”

“Because you have other things to do tonight. Like Blake Riley.” Violet tries to apply her usual snippy tone to this remark, but it doesn’t quite work. She watches me with jealous eyes.

“Take a study break, Violet,” I urge. “Call Keith. Have a quickie and then quiz each other.”

“He’s gone to a bar to watch the game on TV.”

“So go with him.”

She just shakes her head. Apparently her folks really were less than pleased with her exam performance last month, so she’s hitting the books harder than ever these days. “It just won’t be the same around here without you.” She casts an eye over the duffel bag and two boxes on the bed. Jamie will show up any minute now to pick me up. After the game, we’ll unload my stuff in the parking garage of what is now my building too.

“Violet, you won’t miss me. Think of all the quiet you’ll get now. And nobody will eat Cup Noodles on the sly and hide the evidence in the student lounge trash.”

She looks properly horrified. “Cup Noodles? Gross.”

“They’re very budget friendly.”

“What’s budget friendly?” my brother asks from the doorway.

“Hey! You look great,” I tell him. “Even if that shirt is an awfully bright color for you.”

Jamie looks down at the lime-green check pattern on his shirt and smiles. “I love this shirt. Are you ready to go?”

“Born ready.” But now Violet looks stricken. “Okay, let’s hug it out, bitch.”

My roommate gets off the bed and gives me one of her angular hugs. The girl could take some lessons from Mama Riley.

“I’ll still see you in class. You know that, right?”

“Now you have to commute to school,” Violet points out.

She’s right, but it’s totally worth it. All that extra time with Blake and the puppy. “How is Puddles?” I ask my brother, releasing Violet.

He grins. “Took a couple of new pictures. Couldn’t help myself.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket, unlocks it, and shows me the screen saver.

“Awwww,” Violet croons.

Puddles—named by Blake, of course—is rolling on his back on the rug like a frowsy milkmaid in a haystack. I can’t decide who I’ll cuddle first tonight, Blake or the puppy. Maybe both at once. Is that weird?

“Let’s do this.” Jamie picks up my box of textbooks. “Jesus. This is a backbreaker.”

“Sure is!” I say cheerfully. I have almost as many shiny, complicated textbooks as Violet now. I’m not afraid anymore. The work is still hard, but I can tough it out. I grab the duffel and heft my smaller box. “Come on, baby bro. Let’s go beat Dallas!”

***

Traffic slows us down, unfortunately. By the time we’re speed walking through the arena corridors, the game is already in progress.

This time, Jamie and I don’t head for his usual seats. Tonight we’re watching from the WAGs box. I follow my brother up an escalator and down a corridor to a set of shiny turnstiles. Before we reach them, Jamie digs something out of his shirt pocket and hands it to me. I look down at a plastic team ID card with my photo on it.

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