Page 28 of Devil's Bargain

FIVE

“Excuse me,” I say, pushing my way past seated students on the bleachers, my hands ladened with snacks. Look at me being all polite.

“Oh, shit!” Nina ducks down to pick up the bag of candy that she dropped. “Tell me again why I’m attending a Hedgewood High football game so you can ogle a certain football player.”

I sink down on the bleacher, careful not to spill my drink. “Because Nina, you’re my best friend and the only one I trust not to make fun of me right now.”

Nina’s perfume permeates the air as she plops down beside me. “Trust me, it’s fucking hard not to.” She eyes the cheerleaders on the field while they wave their pom-poms in the air and nearly knock each other out with high kicks. “This is like waking up in an alternative universe.”

I roll my eyes, sucking on my straw. The ice clinks in the paper cup. “At least pretend that you’re enjoying yourself.”

“Is that what you’re doing? Enjoying yourself?”

My lips curve as the lights fade out and the music starts up. The football players run out in a line. Rick is at the front. “I do now!”

“God, those tight leggings should be illegal.”

I laugh. “Hot, right?”

Nina steals my drink and takes a sip, ignoring my surprised laugh at her cheek.

I snatch it back. “You have your own drink.”

She stands up and hollers along with the rest of the people in the stands. I get up too. She leans in close and shouts over the noise, “You should sit on his shoulder pads. Without any panties on.”

“On or off?”

She looks at me questioningly.

“You said I should sit on his shoulder pads. You didn’t specify if he’s wearing them or not.”

The two guys next to us give us funny looks. Nina ignores them as she shrugs and says, “Well, if I was you, I would want the tongue action, but if you prefer to rub off on sweaty shoulder pads, who am I to judge? You do you, boo.”

“Boo?” I’m in stitches now.

“It sounded good.”

We sit back down. I take another sip of my drink, watching Rick put his helmet on. His shoulder pads make him look even bigger than usual. It makes my mouth water, or maybe it’s the fizzy drink I’m slurping.

“It’s not a cock, you know.”

I lower my drink.

Nina gestures to it. “You were getting a bit excited there.”

“I was not!” l laugh incredulously.

As the game starts and Rick passes the ball, Nina rummages through her bag of sweets. She picks a jelly snake and bites off its head. “I feel like I haven’t got a clue what’s going on.”

“That’s because we don’t.”

The crowds go nuts as Rick runs with the ball. Nina tears off another piece of the jelly snake with her teeth. “Something is happening.”

I laugh. “You think?”

She hums. “When are you going to fuck him?”

The guy next to her looks over.

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