Page 78 of Scrimmage

“Here?” I look around the place quickly. Two guys are sitting on a set of bean bags five feet away pretending to still play whatever video game they were raging on before we walked in.

“Yeah, here. Better than the library.” He doesn’t wait for me to respond before he heads over to his locker, starts to tear his gear off, and meticulously organizes it. I’m so annoyed I can’t help but argue, already forgetting the situation in the library.

“The library is fucking quiet,” I point out.

Koda looks around slowly. “Sounds pretty quiet in here to me.”

“They’re afraid of whatever the fuck this is.” I gesture around him wildly. Each person I try to lock eyes with looks away. Koda rolls his eyes and reaches inside of his locker, yanking out a pair of expensive headphones.

“Here. They’re noise canceling. Now go sit down.” Then he heads through the door to the showers leaving me standing there in one of the most awkward situations of my life.

I don’t even know how to respond. I just sit at the table and try to connect my phone to the Bluetooth of the headphones. Since the drama seems to be over, the guys start talking again.

“Well, quite the show.” Alexi slides into the chair across from me. “Didn’t realize it was that serious. Guess I never stood a chance.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Pretty sure he's hated me since birth.” I'm about to smash the headphones because they won’t connect.

“He does not hate you,” Alexi snorts. “He brought you into the fucking locker room to study.”

“Yes, a room full of dudes who don’t want me here,” I glower.

He lowers his voice. “Nah, they’re just confused. Koda never loses his shit like he did today. He’s the most put together mother fucker I know, and today? He had a meltdown.”

Alexi’s back straightens as I let out a frustrated scream. Large hands swipe the headphones out of my mine along with my phone. Koda sinks into the seat next to me, and he is suddenly the pillar of calm. It takes him all of five seconds to connect them to my phone and open my music app to press play. He puts them over my ears for me. I chance a look at Alexi. He’s sitting there with a smug smile on his face and mouths ‘I told you’. I don’t know what the fuck he thinks he told me, but this whole thing is so bizarre that I just open my laptop and textbook and try to figure out where I left off.

A few bowls of snacks show up around the table, and I notice more of the guys sit around us and spread out their books. I feel the tap of an eraser on my hand, and I jump. Koda’s head snaps up, and he glares at the kid who decided to bother me like he'll skin him alive.

The kid clears his throat a few times. “You’re in my programming class, aren’t you? Bond?” I realize he looks familiar. He was the clipboard guy at the first football party. I’ve never noticed him in class.

"1301?"

“Yeah,” he says with relief. “Would you be able to help me?”

Everyone that has decided to stick around is intensely watching.

I follow his gaze to where a group of guys that are absorbed in our exchange are seated at another table. “Yeah, of course."

“So, uh, we all kinda need help." He gives me a sheepish grin.

“She’s not your fucking tutor, Smith,” Koda snarls.

Just to spite him I grab my book, stand up, and head over to the table, squeezing myself between two guys that must be linebackers. I spend twenty minutes explaining the concepts while Koda broods. By the time I finish, he has packed all of my stuff back into my bag and is hovering near the door with Alexi.

“I guess that’s my cue,” I sigh.

“Could we maybe exchange numbers,” Smith whispers. “We have a hard time with this stuff, and I dunno if you’ll be around…” he trails off.

“Yeah, of course.” I lean over and write mine on his notes quickly, give him a polite smile, and meet up with Koda.

Koda’s jaw is tight and he glares down with coal black eyes. “You gave him your number."

“With the way you scare the shit out of everyone here, I doubt any of them will text me unless it truly is homework related. Plus, I won’t be here long so they’ll need help when I’m gone.”

Koda stops in his tracks and balls his fists. “Why would you say that?”

“Say what?” I blink at him.

“Talking like you’ll be gone.”

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