Page 111 of Treacherous
“Do you mind if I ask why, Cooper?” Jaz asks.
Cooper’s smile is as bright as the sun. “Well, there’s no real answer. I have never really thought about it. Or in high school, there wasn’t anyone I was attracted to or trusted enough to be intimate with.”
Jaz smiles back at him. “That’s really sweet, Cooper. Well, you’re a catch, so I don’t know any girl who wouldn’t want to snatch you up.”
Theo tighten his grip on Jaz’s leg and I muffle my laugh. Despite Cooper’s inexperience, I think most guys would be jealous of him purely because he is so naïve when it comes to women. Coops wouldn’t even mean to flirt with a girl but somehow that’s how it would come across.
“Alright, who’s next?” I say, wanting to move on.
“I’ve got one,” Willow says. “Never have I ever kissed someone of the same gender on the lips,”
Willow drinks and to my surprise, so does Jazmine. But what is even crazier is Cooper drinks too.
“Now, we’re talking, Powell. Do tell,” Aiden says, slapping Cooper's back.
Cooper rolls his eyes. “One of my friends in high school kissed me. He had struggled with his sexuality for a while and then one day asked if he could kiss me. I had kissed girls before, but obviously never slept with anyone, so I thought there wasn’t any harm in seeing if I liked guys too.”
“And what were your thoughts?” Willow asked.
Cooper shrugs his shoulders. “It was good. I’m not a fan of labels so I just go with the flow. If it happens again, it happens.”
“But enough about me, what about you and Jaz?”
Jaz and Willow laugh. “It was at a party in high school. Jaz was dared to either kiss a random guy or girl,”
“And I was too anxious to do that, so I just kissed Willow. It was barely a peck, though.”
I scrunch my eyebrows. I don’t even remember this party. I mean, I didn’t party that much in high school as I was too busy with hockey.
“Okay, I’ve got a new question,” Theo says. “Never have I ever kissed someone in this room?”
Theo, Jaz, and Sam all drink, while I try to remind myself to breathe. Oxygen rushes out of my chest and my eyes flicking towards Willow. I watch as she slowly brings the cup to her lips. I do the same.
Stupid. Fucking. Game.
Theo has a knowing smirk plastered across his face. I push down the urge to flip him off. Jazmine looks around the room, taking in everyone who sipped their cup. I watch as the puzzle pieces click into place for her.
“Wait,” Jazmine says, looking between us. “No.”
Five Years Ago – Meadow Beach
Missing hockey training to lounge around in our worn-down treehouse was not what I planned to do today. However, that is how I find myself–lying on my back, staring at the wooden ceiling.
I try to distract myself by following the cracks and water damage the treehouse has endured, but it doesn’t work.
Today I found out how high school really works, that there will always be toxic people pretending to be your friends.All my friends, who also happen to be my teammates, were discussing their new favourite topic: girls.
I mean, it makes sense. We are teenage boys but all of them were talking about who they’ve fucked and it hit me that I was the only person who hadn’t even kissed someone, let alone had sex.
I’ve been so caught up in hockey and dedicating myself to my future I forgot that sometimes you have to live in the present.
The worst part about this whole situation were the passive-aggressive comments that followed my declaration about never being with a girl. As if these experiences define your masculinity and ability to be a ‘man.’ I hate it. Even more, I hate that my sister’s boyfriend was part of this group bragging about sleeping with multiple people.
I knew I hated him for a fucking reason. And I will be telling my sister what went down because Jaz is my twin, my ride or die, no matter what.
So, she deserves to know her boyfriend is a piece of shit. His comments also didn’t match up because he has been seeing Jaz for nearly a year. If the asshole has been cheating on her, I won’t hesitate to deck him.
I sigh leaves me and my eyes flutter shut. Why the fuck am I letting these idiots get to me? I’ve got two more years and I will probably never see them again. My plan is to go to college, play hockey then make the NHL.
