Page 24 of Out of Bounds

I had no choice but to stuff my laptop back in my backpack and hurry after her while she strode to the bookstore.

"What’s on the shopping list?"

"No, Zariah, you don’t understand—" I caught her shoulder and wheeled her back before anyone saw. "I work—"

"Here? Isn't that done?"

I shot a look at the mannequin displays I’d cursed over last Thursday.

Alright, I hadn’t finished the list of things the athletics department had so graciously bestowed upon me, including contacting my bartending boss and Mr. White at the university bookstore. And of all days, I could see Mr. White’s outline behind one of the cash registers, snapping at a trainee.

"Don’t tell me you haven’t quit," Zariah said.

I stole another look into the bookstore. "The problem is, the jockheads need me for some photos tonight, and—um—I’m supposed to beherefor a stocking shift…"

"No two weeks' notice?"

"No two weeks' notice," I confirmed. "I’d have to do it…now."

"Then do it now."

"What if this doesn’t work out? What if I’m quitting my job fornothing?"

"Kass." Zariah gave me an exasperated look. "They had you sign NDAs. Do it. But do it after we get the employee discount." She wrapped her handcuff of a hand around my wrist and dragged me inside. "You’ve got to buy stuff anyway. Bite the bullet! One piece of shrapnel at a time!"

As if my phone wanted to chime in, it buzzed in my back pocket. Further arguments washed away the moment I saw the name on the screen.

"If it isn’t the man of the hour."

"Ryan?" Zariah peered over my shoulder.

Ball Dribbler: FRAT PARTY FRIDAY

"Uh…" Zariah burst into laughter. "Is that him? Why does he text like that?"

"I don’t think he does the whole electronics thing a lot."

It'd probably gotten locked and he’d never bothered to change it. The text lasted only a moment before an address appeared too, all caps. I'd traded in two bosses for a brand new grumpy one.

"Did I tell you about his acronym thing?" I asked, still pondering if I needed to reply.

"What acronym thing?"

"His teammate, Adam, convinced Ryan that D-T-F means directing the fact. A couple of weeks later, Ryan sent it to an assistant coach." I grinned at Zariah and we ducked to the back, away from the eyes of my coworkers. "Everybody had their phones confiscated for the weekend. They were convinced he’d been hacked."

Zariah snorted. "They fuck with him?"

"No, it’s more like…how younger brothers mess with older ones. Does that make sense?"

I’d seen him after the meeting, talking with some of his teammates. Maybe Adam played a joke on him, but Ryan had no problem rounding up his football players and getting them back in line. If I didn’t know he was the team captain, I could’ve guessed it.

"He’s pretty well-respected. I don’t think anybody would…mess with him for real. You know?"

"Besides you," Zariah amended.

"Yeah," I chuckled, typing up a reply. "Besides me."

Kassie: Our 1st press release there???

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