Page 32 of Weak Side

Ford gasped in between laughs. “You told her you were gonna get themback?You’re stupider than I thought. What girl would wantusedpanties back from someone, let alone a puck bunny? And where were the puck bunny’s panties? I feel like I’m missing parts of the story.”

Aasher snorted. “That’s because you are. Either way, we need to see this.”

“There is nothing to see. I’m going to give her the panties, then chill for the rest of the night, and get a good night's sleep for the game tomorrow.” I pumped the brakes at a stop sign and gave them both a look that an unimpressed father would give to their sons. “Something you both should be doing.”

“It’s six p.m. Where is she? The Bex? Let’s go get dinner, and then you can slip her the panties beside her tip.” Ford bit his lip to hold back laughter, and I cursed him under my breath.

It was Thursday. That meant she was at rehearsals. Thursdays were her long days. I kept all this information to myself because it would only give Aasher and Ford more ammunition to use against me. Everyone already assumed I had a hard-on for my roommate, and if they were aware that I knew her schedule, they’d run with it. I didn’t have a hard-on for her, though. I knew my last roommate’s schedule, too, but it just so happened that he was a male, and no one seemed to make a big deal out of that, now did they?

“She’s at dance practice. Or rehearsals? I don’t know what to call it. She’s doing her ballet stuff.” I questioned myself, not fully understanding what Bexley U dancers did. I knew, for a fact, that she wasn’t a part of the dance team that performed during basketball games, though, because I’d seen up most of their skirts and I’d remember looking up hers.

Ford whistled. “She does ballet?”

“Shut up or I’ll make you stay in the car, Ford.”

“And miss out on dancers? They’re flexible as fuck. Consider me a mute.” Aasher laughed under his breath, and before I knew it, we were pulling into the auditorium. The chill in the air cooled my heated skin, and I grabbed onto the bag tightly as Aasher and Ford murmured behind me, following me like two little ducklings.

“I bet you ten bucks that she’ll blush.”

“I bet you ten bucks she’ll slap him.”

I spun around before opening the doors and glared at them both. “I bet you ten bucks I’ll slap the shit out of you both if you don’t shut up.”

Aasher grinned at me before looking over at Ford, who pretended to zip his lips. We were all wearing our black BU Hockey hoodies, and I knew we were going to stand out like three giant billboards the second we walked in there. I wasn’t necessarily sure what to expect, but there was an unfamiliar part of me that was excited to see Claire in a different environment.

Could I have waited until later to give the panties to her? Sure. Or I could have just left the bag on her bed because I knew she wouldn't get in until late, and there was zero chance I’d see her tomorrow night unless she came to the party after the game—fat chance of that.

There was loud music coming from the two large doors that were off to the right that was like a beckoning call to the three of us. The bag that Claire’s new panties were in suddenly felt heavy in my hand, so I opened it up and grabbed them before stuffing them into the pocket of my joggers.

“That’s even better,” Aasher said sarcastically from beside me. “Pull them out of your pocket and hand them to her in front of everyone. I’m gonna win this bet.”

Ford half-laughed, but I drowned them out as I slowly pulled the door open and snuck inside the back of the auditorium. The stage was glowing brightly. The lights were centered on the two people in the center. There weren’t a ton of dancers running around in tutus and classical music pouring through the speakers like I had half-expected. Instead, I counted four girls and one guy huddled in the corner of the stage, all of them sitting quietly, unaware of the three of us walking in and taking a seat near the back.

The song“Control” by Zoe Wees suddenly began playing from the speakers, and the moment I saw who was dancing, everything else faded. Claire’s brown hair was pulled into a bun on the top of her head, showing off the delicate curves of her cheeks and slender neck. Her skin was glistened with sweat, and although I saw the puffiness of her eyes from lack of sleep, her softness stole the attention of the entire space. She was agile on her feet, and each twist of her body made my heart pound a little harder. I hardly noticed the male dancer that was dancing with her until his hands grabbed her waist, and he lifted her above his head. My hands immediately went to the arms of my seat, and I gripped the plastic with force. I felt Aasher’s eyes on me, but I ignored him as I continued watching Claire dance with an absurd amount of talent.

My throat closed as I watched her twirl to the corner of the stage. I watched with bated breath as she took off on light feet and leapt into the guy’s hands. The breath escaped my chest, and chills coated my arms when he slowly dragged her down his body, holding her as if she were as light as a feather, and then, just like that, the music stopped, and my heart resumed normal beating.

Fucking Christ.

I pushed myself back into my seat, and for the first time since leaving the locker room, neither Ford nor Aasher made a single remark. The group of dancers that were sitting near the corner of the stage popped up, and they all squealed with excitement. It sounded like a bomb was going off in my head as I was fully snapped out of the complexity of what I had just watched.

Ford quickly stood up, his theater seat screeching in the process, and he began clapping. “Well done, Bryant!Woo hoo!”

I pinched the bridge of my nose and wanted to knock the stupid right out of him, but I couldn’t force myself to remove my eyes from Claire and her wildly shocked expression from across the auditorium. Her jaw fell open as her chest continued to heave up and down from the exertion of her dancing.

Everyone turned to stare, and the looks of confusion on their faces only propelled Ford to clap harder. Some would say that Ford loved attention, and they were absolutely correct.

The dancers began dismantling across the stage after saying something to Claire and her dancing partner. Ford coughed under his breath for me to get on with why I was there in the first place.

Right.

Panties. Claire.

On legs that were feeling a little unstable, I smoothed out my expression and fell back into my usual arrogant self as I walked down the long aisle toward her. There were stairs on both ends of the stage, but instead, I placed my hands on the floor of the stage and propelled myself upward and landed on two steadier feet than before. Claire stood in the far back corner with a girl I knew had to be her friend because Claire didn’t laugh with people like she was laughing with her. Her smile wavered as she saw me walking toward her with my two idiot friends trailing behind me.

I stopped for a brief second, and as if on cue, Ford ran straight into my back. I spun around and gave him a look that made the amusement on his expression disappear for a moment.

Claire brushed her friend off when I stopped in front of her. Her arms went over her light-gray sweater that she was wearing over her black leotard, and the tights she had on were sheer and made her legs lookthatmuch smoother.

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