Page 2 of Still Bruised
“You know it,” Foster murmured, handing over her bookbag.
She lifted her lips to his, and he leaned in for another brief kiss before wandering down the hall toward his own homeroom.
Two of his teammates, Rick and Aaron, sidled up on either side of him a few feet outside the door. Three sophomore girls stood near their doorway and giggled as they approached.
“Congrats, Foster!”they all cheered in unison before giggling again.
“You do realize it was theentire teamwho won?” Rick snapped at them.“Dumbasses.”
The three girls frowned, flinching back.
“Be nice,”Foster said under his breath to Rick.
Rick rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”
Foster shoved Rick inside their homeroom before he could be more of an ass and eyed the girls. “Ignore him. He’s grumpy when he’s not had breakfast.” Foster turned to glare at Rick as he entered. “Stop being a dick.”
“How amIthe dick? All I heard this weekend was how amazing our quarterback did Friday night, like you were the only one on the goddamned field. Everyone’s givingyouall the glory and forgetting about us.”
“Forgetting?” Aaron grumbled. “People have been congratulating me all morning.”
“I was the one who ran in that last touchdown, but no one’s said much of anything to me,” Rick said, ignoring Aaron.
“Because you’re a dickhead and they’re afraid of you,” a girl in the next row said to Rick.
“Fuck you, Mia,” Rick snapped at her.
And then he literally barked. A few times.
“Stop it,”Foster growled at Rick.
Rick chuckled, frowning. “She’s a dog. Barking is all she understands.” He glared at Mia. “Isn’t that right, girl?”
“And you wonder why no one’s congratulating you,” Foster muttered.
“Kiss my ass, Golden Boy,” Rick snapped.
Foster rolled his eyes and shook his head before offering Mia a look that he hoped told her how sorry he was for what Rick said before moving into his assigned seat behind her. He glanced to his left. Rick. He hated Rick with a passion, but he did his best to keep the peace because they were teammates.
The team was everything, and they had to work together.
As coach said, they were family.
You didn’t always like family.
There were moments when he wanted to put his fist right in the middle of Rick’s face, but he kept it in control. Somehow.
The late bell rang, and everyone took their seats. Seconds after the bell, Jude flew into class and slid into the empty chair in front of Rick’s. He typically flew in at the last second, likely to avoid Rick as much as he could.
With good reason.
Mia leaned over to whisper something at Jude. He turned to reply and when he did, he glanced at Foster over his shoulder, their gazes locking for a second. He’d worn long bangs for so long Foster could barely remember what the guy looked like without that and all the eyeliner. They’d known each other since they were little and had at one time been somewhat friends. Like back in second grade or some shit.
“Eyes forward,” Rick growled under his breath before he kicked the back of Jude’s chair.
Jude turned to glare at Rick but said nothing before facing forward.
The morning announcements began, the familiar drone going in one ear and out the other. Rick turned to Foster with a mischievous smile. Foster tensed, wondering what he was about to do. It was probably something for Jude.
