Page 46 of Ours
“Getting to eat this much is the only good thing about being this dead-ass exhausted.” Nic popped his head up to see one of his teammates, Taylor, sitting across from him eating his own burgers.
Taylor Webb was a big guy, easily over six feet tall and pushing 220 lbs. He had dirty blonde hair and a big barrel chest, which made him perfect for his position of linebacker on the team. Nic had played with him since freshman year.
“Yeah, my mom’s been making all my favorite stuff on the nights before and after a game.” Nic smiled at the thought. His mom was awesome.
“Lucky. My mom can’t cook for shit.” Taylor tore another bite from his burger. “Uthually juth endth up ordering a couple of pithas.”
“I’ll be glad when it’s over… But I will miss all the food,” Nic said with feigned wistfulness.
Wordlessly, Taylor held out his burger to him in a “cheers” motion as he continued to eat.
“The struggles of being a high school football player,” Derek teased, having watched their display silently from his own seat.
“Hey, our lives areverydifficult,” Taylor half joked. “Just because we get out of classes, get hit on by all the cheerleaders, can eat everything we want, and just overall get special treatment doesn’t… Wait, what was I arguing again?”
Nic snorted, mouth full of burger.
“Harhar.” Derek finished off the last of his food, standing to throw away his garbage. “Well, unfortunately some of us are going to have to rely on academics to get us into college. Got another English project Cory and I gotta work on. Later, man.”
Nic waved goodbye as Derek turned to find Cory at the next table, talking animatedly to Stephanie about a new video game both had picked up.
“You gotta remember to use his gadgets,” Cory explained some of the game’s mechanics. “If you get surrounded, just throw down an electric web or a web bomb. It’ll give you the time and space to take down a couple.”
“Ugh, it’s just like in the Arkham games,” Stephanie grumbled. “I never remember to use those in combat.”
“Hey, Cor,” Derek interrupted. “Sorry, but we gotta get to the library if we’re gonna finish those papers today.”
“Do we have to?” Cory fake whined as he started to gather his things. “Sorry, Steph. Homework calls.”
“Aww.” Steph looked sad. “It feels like we haven’t gotten to hang out in forever. I miss you.”
“Aww.” Cory hugged Stephanie. It had been a while since the two of them really had a chance to talk. Probably not since… Well, explaining all ofthatto Steph might be a bit too much. But he could tell hersomething, like maybe at least that he was gay.“Miss you too. Promise we’ll talk later, okay? I’ll text you after school.”
“You better!” Steph shouted as Derek and Cory left the courtyard and headed to the school’s library.
“I swear, dude. I just don’t get it,” Steve, another of Nic’s teammates, spoke up, watching the exchange between Cory and Steph.
“Don’t get what?” Nic wasn’t following.
“Why you hang out with that loser.” Steve was still looking at Stephanie as she gathered together her own things. “I mean, Derek I get, he’s at least cool. But the girls that dork Cory hangs out with aren’t even hot. Why do you keep him around?”
Barely managing to stop himself from slamming his burger down, Nic was about to tear Steve a new asshole when Taylor beat him to the punch.
“Shut the fuck up, Steve,” Taylor said without even turning his head. “Nobody thinks any of that, except you. No one cares.”
“Hey, fuck you, man.” Now Steve was getting defensive. “I’m just asking why he hangs out with that runt.”
“Maybe if you focused less on that runt and more on your game, you might actually get off the bench before the end of the season.” Steve was third string and not a particularly good player either. He hadn’t played at all the last few games.
“What the fuck ever, dick.” Steve flipped Taylor the bird before leaving the table.
“Dumbass.” Taylor shook his head at Steve’s exit.
“No kidding.” Nic returned Taylor’s earlier burger salute. “Thanks, man.”
Taylor nodded his head, already digging back into his food.
“This MLA format shit is melting my brain,” Derek groused from his side of the library table, setting down his book. “I’m getting a soda. Want anything?”
