Page 2 of Fragile

Seb scoffs another laugh. “Master,” he mumbles under his breath. Hudson scowls, launching a pen at him, but he catches it—of course he does. “I’m just saying, when you get too tired out there, at least we can sub you, so you can go paint your nails and take a long bubble bath. We all know there’s only one QB trying to score anyway.”

“Poor little superstar out there all alone,” Hudson mocks as he wipes fake tears from his eyes. “Maybe we should look for another QB, really test your skills to share the field with them.”

“Fuck you very much. Honestly, though, I’d love a sub QB. But sadly, no one wants to take my title yet.”

“Yetbeing the operative word. I might not be QB material, but I’m coming for that C when you graduate,” Hudson muses,throwing him a wink as he continues teasing. “If not sooner. You better watch your back.”

Seb gives him the middle finger, and I stifle a laugh. The only time my brother would give up captaincy is when he graduates, so Hudson is completely out of luck until then. “You couldn’t handle the C, pretty boy.” Ignoring Hudson, he turns his attention back to me. “Most of the others have been keen. I mean, we need some more field time together, but you know how it goes with new recruits. They can be a pain in the ass.” Seb purses his lips, hiding a smile, pointedly looking over at Hudson again.

“Uh, excuse me.” He guffaws, trying not to get tangled in his tape, which he usually does. “As a newbie last year, I take offense to that. I’m awesome.”

Seb laughs. “Yeah,nowyou are, but we still needed to whip you into shape.”

“I’ve always been amazing. Just took you longer to see it,” Hudson grumbles.

“You saw them last week at the game when Devin got put in. The kid was too eager and didn’t listen to me. Think he needs a lesson in who’s captain.” Seb continues, ignoring Hudson’s sulk.

“Your ego never fails to impress me.” Indie looks down at my brother with a playful roll of her eyes.

Hudson and I both snort a laugh, and his gaze lands on me, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively as he asks, “So, Quinn, any new cheerleaders I should know about this year?”

“No,” Seb snaps, thrusting out his finger. “Stop chasing skirts and focus on football and school, Hudson. One of these days, it’s going to get you into trouble.”

“I like trouble.” He grins salaciously.

My eyebrow arches, thoroughly unimpressed with him and his playboy ways. “And that grin is exactly why I’m not telling him anything,” I say with a small sigh because, truthfully, he’ll findout soon enough when we all share the field for practice and games, but at least I can try to keep him away from girls for a little bit longer.

“I don’t like trouble,” Jay mutters, not looking up from what he’s doing, concentration etched on his face. “Because that means trouble for me too when I have to bail you out.”

“You love me, really,” Hudson says. Nudging Jay with his shoulder, he knocks the tape out of his hands.

“Sure.” With a snort, he bends down and stops it from rolling under the table. “We’ll go with that.”

The conversation between us all becomes hushed, but comfortable, replaced by the rustle of paper, ripping of tape, and clicking of pens. Watching my friends enjoy this makes me miss Miles.

“Did anyone talk to Miles this morning?” I ask no one in particular, but it’s my brother who responds.

“I saw him first thing, heading for the gym or maybe coach’s office.” He frowns, itching his chin. “Yeah, actually, I’m sure he had some stuff to go over with coach.”

“He never joins in.” Hudson pouts like he’s truly offended by it.

“Don’t worry, princess, you have less competition this way.” Seb leans over to ruffle Hudson’s hair, making it stick up every which way.

“Dude, not the hair!” Hudson yelps, batting my brother away.

Indie shifts off Seb’s lap to reach the dark gray tape. Seb tracks her every movement, but talks to the group. “I’m not kidding, though. Miles excels at everything he does. I’m sure his scrapbooking skills would even outshine Quinn’s if he put effort in.”

“There’s no way he’d be better than Quinn,” Jay replies, his eyes still on his paper.

A grin breaks out over my face, and I preen. “Thanks, Jay, I knew you were my favorite.”

“O mesmo para ti,” he says, and I rack my brain for what that means. He’s been teaching me some Portuguese, mainly because I bugged him to, but I’m loving it.

Tapping my finger against my chin, I close my eyes, trying to remember what we went over last week. “You said,same to you?”

“Very good. You’re catching on so fast.” Jay beams.

Hudson’s bottom lip sticks out for the second time today. “I wanna be someone’s favorite.”

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