Page 9 of Keeping Score

“Want to meet up after school and grab a coffee?” I furrow my brow confused.

“Aren’t you meant to be at training?” He shrugs.

“You’re worth blowing it off for.” Oh God, there it is. I need to distance myself from him or risk him getting the wrong idea. I’m not the type of girl who leads a guy on.

“I have dance practice after school.” His face falls, and I feel like shit when he nods and turns back to face our professor. I try to tell myself that I’m doing the right thing but guilt is a bitch and that is why I tack on. “Raincheck?” He snaps his gaze back to me and beams.

“Yeah, of course, I shouldn’t miss our first training anyway.” How he can go from sad puppy to happy in a split second stuns me but I don’t comment. I wave bye to Garrett as I head across campus to meet with the team, excitement thrumming through me and my body starts to vibrate with the need to move. Dance has always been an escape for me. It helped me deal with the darkest time of my life. I round the science building and smackinto a wall–correction, not a wall, just Darius. He glares down his nose at me like I purposely ran into him. Not wanting to ruin my good mood, I try to step around him but he blocks my path.

“What’s your rush?” Taking a deep breath I crane my neck back and look at him, I hate that his eyes can still hold me captive, they’re like a vortex that can suck you right in.

“I have class,” I mumble.

“Hm, going to shake your ass, why am I not surprised?” I bite down on my tongue and count to three to try to calm myself but it doesn’t work.

“Coming from the guy who loved it when I shook it for him?” I scoff to drive my point home. Darius strikes out so quickly I have no time to prepare. He grips my arms, then spins us until my back is against the building and he is crowding my space.

“Usedto like it, now all I can picture is the amount of cocks you’ve had inside your loose cunt.” My eyes widen and my jaw unhinges at his crass words. I shove at his chest but he doesn’t freaking budge and that causes my ire to grow.

“Leave me the hell alone, Darius!” I snarl.

“Transfer the fuck out of my school and I will. How trash like you got in here, I’ll never fucking know. Open your legs for the dean and he may just put in a good word for you at your new school.” I don’t know what comes over me but one second my hand is at my side and then in the next, it’s cracking across Darius Lockhart’s cheek. We both stand here with wide eyes, shocked that I would ever dare lay my hand on him—I’ve never hit anyone in my life! He bends down until he is right in my face, he is so close his lips ghosts over mine, his brown eyes are so dark they look almost black. “You’re gonna pay for that, you washed up has been!” He pushes off me, causing me to smack against the wall harder, turns and storms away, leaving me standing here swarming in my own anger.

Fine, he wants to play this game, then I’ll play it better. I’ll show him what it’s like to playoffsidebefore I score the finaltouchdown. I decide here and now to put a plan into motion that ensures Darius will be the one stunned the next time we encounter each other. I’m going to make him eat out of the palm of my hand. I just need to keep my heart out of it because it won’t survive being broken by him a second time.

I manage to keep up with the team for our first official practice but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t beat. My body is aching and my calves are burning from the workout they were put through. I look over at Chelsea and it grates on my frail nerves to see her smiling and standing at attention ready to go another round, the girl is a fucking robot.

“Into positions,” Coach Telford shouts. Cody and I groan as we drag our sorry asses over to the others and prepare to run through the routine one final time. Coach told us that the school is considering allowing us to headline the halftime show for the finals of the football game if we make the finals. This would be the first time in CHU history that the cheer squad wouldn’t be headlining the event.

Darius

Coach rode us harder than he ever has before. We’re all sweaty fucking messes and my muscles burn in the most delicious way, but I know for the rest of the week I’m going to be fucking sore. We clamber into the locker room breathing like overweight pieces of shit. I ignore the banter of the team and head straight for the ice baths, knowing that is exactly what I need after a training like today. I strip off my clothes and leave them in a heap beside the metal, oval-shaped tub as I climb in. I suck in a sharp breath the moment I hit the water. Gripping the sides, I take deep breaths preparing myself as I slowly slip into the tub. The water is so cold it burns. I slink back and rest my head on the edge of the tub as I settle myself to stay in here for fifteen minutes. Not two minutes after closing my eyes do I hear the guys amble over. I peek one eye open to see Beck, Saint and Crue undressing. Corvin hates ice baths and refuses to willingly getin one. Coach normally has to make his ass and he whines the whole fucking time!

“Dudes, coach is on a warpath,” Saint says as he climbs into his bath. Crue hisses like a pussy but not Beck, he gets in the tub on my other side and doesn’t need any time to prepare himself, just sliding in like it’s a fucking spa bath.

“He has no choice, we have to be ready for the game against the Dolphins in four weeks,” Crue supplies. At the mention of the Dolphins, my grip on the edge of the tub tightens.

“They won’t win, we got the best QB in the fucking state and Darius is the best halfback out and Beck won’t let any of them through. We’re solid. That fucker Hayes will be taken down a peg or ten.” The guys are the only ones who know what started my hatred for Hayes. I didn’t have any reason to hate the cunt, considering he’s the QB and not my rival but Corv’s. That bastard has had it out for me since we started playing in little leagues and it just grew to the fucking point the cunt fucked my girl at a party. Seeing my arch enemy in the same bed as Leah tore my fucking world apart—that one night changed everything.

“That fucker isn’t taking the W, I don’t care what we have to do but we are scoring every fucking touchdown!” I growl. The guys nod and grunt their agreement. The bath is no longer cold thanks to the anger thrumming through my veins, if I see her near him at the game I am going to go nuclear on their asses and I don’t give a shit if Corvin sees. I’ll make sure the whole fucking school knows Leah Williams is a slut and will give it up to anyone.

I kick the stand on my bike down and kill the ignition as I climb off. I peel my helmet off and rest it on the seat as I make myway to the house. I push the door open and freeze at the sound of girlish laughter. I slam the door shut and storm into the living room to find Leah and her two friends Cody and Katie sitting on the couches. At the sound of my arrival they all turn to face me. The two girls look scared—good, they should be. Not Leah though, the dirty little minx sits there with an angry look on her face.

“No hoes in the fucking house,” I snarl. Leah’s eyes narrow to angry slits.

“They aren’t hoes. Believe it or not, not every girl is a hoe, Darius!” she spits.

“Nah they may not be butyouare!” I snap. Her friend’s faces pale while hers slackens with shock. “Have them out of here within an hour… Actually, just fuck off with them. I have company coming over and I would hate for you to finger that used-up cunt at the sounds coming from my room.” A hurt look crosses her face but I don’t stick around, storming out of the room and heading up the stairs to my room. I kick my door shut once I’m inside and shuck my bag off my back and dump it on the bed before dropping down beside it. I’m full of shit, I didn’t have plans for anyone to come over but now, I need to find someone. I pull my phone out of my pocket and scroll through my messages when I spot the unopened ones from Courtney I think her name is. I click on it.

Shit, her name is Chelsea and she is Leah’s friend. I don’t remember fucking her but I do remember the betrayed look on Goldie’s face when she saw me with her at Shayla’s party, so I decide she is the perfect person to help me out tonight. I could use a good fuck as I’m too tense and need a release, and it’s all the fucking blonde downstairs fault.

Up to tonight?

I don’t have to wait a full minute before her reply comes.

Too fucking easy.

My cock isn’t even hard at the thought of her. No girl makes us work for it and that right there is the problem. They think fucking one of us will boost their reputation. It may be but the truth is it just shows how fucking easy they are to give it up to us.

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