Page 54 of Scrimmage

She chews on her lip. “I lost mine so I’ve been using Penny’s. It’s in her backpack.”

The sketchbook I stole that’s sitting in my side table is still mostly unopened. So is the crumpled drawing she tried to throw away at the library.

“In the back,” I realize. She nods. I slow down and pull off onto the shoulder.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

I ignore her and jump out of the car, heading to the back to grab Penny’s bag and shove it into her lap before taking off again. She stares at me with confusion. Eventually, she sets her phone in the cup holder, pulls out the pad with a pencil, and starts to draw.

Something about it relaxes me. It seems to do the same for her, too. I like the way she looks when she draws. I try to catch glances of what she’s decided to focus on, but the road is too dangerous to really look. We reach the top of the hills after passing through a few small towns and turn onto the driveway up to the lake. Ashland doesn’t even seem to notice. The crunch of the gravel wakes Alexi, who then wakes Penny. She looks over Ashland’s shoulder, analyzing whatever it is she’s contrived before stretching.

“I feel like I’ve got a sunburn.” Alexi stretches his arms.

Ashland packs the stuff away. “Take off your sunglasses.” He does. “Yeah, keep those on.”

“Fuck,” he chuckles.

The sun is setting over the tops of the trees. I pull up to the cabin we get every year. The moment the Jeep is in park Penny and Alexi take off inside. Ashland stands outside of the front door, pulling out another blunt from god knows where as I grab bags.

“Is that going to be a recurring theme this weekend?”

She lights it. “You’ll get laid either way so keep your comments to yourself.”

“Oh really?” I loom over her.

She blows smoke in my face. “I assume that’s why you’re here. I hear one of the Stacy’s made the trip out just for you.”

“You sound kinda jealous."

That makes her laugh. “Nope. Just glad someone else will be occupying your time so I can actually have some fun.”

I don’t like the way that sounds. “Right, so you can fuck the rest of the team.”

“Yeah, I’m actually on a life long quest to see dicks of all shapes and sizes.”

I turn away and toss the bags in the door, taking my own shit to the room I usually have. I don’t know where the fuck they all plan to sleep, but that has nothing to do with me.

I sit around pre-gaming with some of the guys from the team. Ashland and Penny disappeared a few hours ago to go on a hike. I wouldn’t take them as nature lovers, but I guess I don’t know shit about them. Those two in the woods seems like a bad idea, like they’d get lost. It appears that I’m the only one concerned. It’s not for them, just that two girls in the woods alone is the start to a slasher film.

“So, you two brought Penny and Ashland?” Troy asks.

“Alexi brought them,” I correct him.

“Do you have a thing with them?”

“Nah,” Alexi dismisses him. “We’re just really good friends.”

“Like really good friends orreallygood friends?”

“Shoot your shot. It’s your feelings that'll get hurt.”

I bristle. “Good luck. Ashland’s attitude makes her a six, tops.”

Troy laughs. “Dude, she’s a fucking twelve. That ass. Mm. Think I can get her to give me twenty minutes?”

Barnes puts his hand on Troy’s shoulder. “You only need three. Besides, Ashland is hanging with me tonight.”

“Does she know that?” I smirk.

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