Page 59 of Crazy for this Girl

“Who’s your friend, Cal?” Glancing over my shoulder, I locate a guy with a matching black jersey, his mouth piece dangling from his mouth as his wet blonde hair sticks every which way.

Gross.

“Someone you don’t need to worry about,” Cal deadpans, then dismisses him by guiding us toward the parking lot.

“Bring her to the party,” he yells out after us. “She’ll have fun.”

My best friend ignores him, getting us a few feet before asking, “Where are you staying?”

“I booked a hotel. Can you drive me back to it, though? The cab fare was killer.”

“Yeah, absolutely. I just need to get changed real quick, but let me go grab my car keys and you can wait in my car.”

“I can just come inside and wait for you,” I offer. “No big deal.”

“It will be when the guys see you.”

“Huh?”

He shakes his head dismissively. “Nevermind. The guys here are…horndogs. I don’t want any of them messin’ with you.”

“I can hold my own.” I raise my chin. “I handle you.”

“I care about you,” he retorts as we cross the grass of the school. “They have no respect. Hence, why we’re not going to that stupid party.”

“Hey, Cal,” another male voice hollers out, and damn he’s Mr. Popular. “You going to the—” Cal’s head snaps around so quickly that I jerk back a tad.

“No, dude. I’m not—”

“You gotta go.” A skinny guy with another matching uniform steps in front of us, halting Cal and I in our steps. He smiles and doesn’t look like a typical jerk like the other guy was that just eye-screwed me a moment ago. “They’re throwing you a birthday party.”

“I didn’t ask for one,” Cal objects with a growl, and I’ve never heard his tone click that way. “And I have plans.”

“Let’s just go for a little while,” I coax gently. “It’s not a big deal. I’m here for the weekend.”

My best friend glances down at me at the same time the other guy says, “You only need to stay an hour, man. Then you can dip out with your friend.”

Cal opens his mouth, I’m sure to argue, before I cut in and say, “That’s fine.”

His jaw twitches before he gives me a curt nod.

Cal’s friend slaps his shoulder. “See you then, dude.”

We start moving again, getting closer to the school that’s nothing special, with a tan brick but fewer trees surrounding it like in North Carolina. Even the air feels different here, which is weird, but what do I know about traveling anywhere outside my state?

“Stay right here. I just gotta grab my keys from my gym bag.” Cal throws open the doors to the school and runs inside, leaving me standing with a bunch of players coming my way to do the same.

I get looked at a few times, and am only greeted with a few heys before Cal comes out and links his arm with mine.

“I won’t be long. I’ll take a shower at your hotel.” Heading toward the parking lot, I try one more time to see if he wanted to spend the night with his teammates. I crashed his night and didn’t think about there being a party.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go? I feel bad.”

“Why?”

“I forced you to go.”

He lifts his shoulders. “It’s fine. We’ll stay an hour like you said.”

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