A Guy Like Her

People Only Use 'Pumped' When They're About To Do Something Stupid

Chapter Twenty-Five
-People Only Use 'Pumped' When They're About To Do Something Stupid-

Jake had been M.I.A. all day, he hadn't replied to any messages that I had sent him and I starting to get worried. I played the day over in my head, trying to figure out what went wrong. Had he heard me talking to Taylor in his room this morning? Had he seen that god forsaken devil hickie on my neck when I was talking to them after they came from the gym? Had he put it all together and wanted absolutely nothing to do with me? I really couldn't blame him if that was the case. I was a self-confessed fricken weirdo! The self doubt was doing my head in as I headed for the basketball courts at lunchtime.

Through this whole process I had noticed something about guys that I really admired. Unless you were a complete douchebag they would welcome almost any guy that introduced themselves and asked to play. There didn't seem to be a boys club that you needed exclusive membership too and they weren't snobby. They just wanted to hang and run around. Girls were so much more suspicious. You're guilty until proven innocent. There are rules and regulations you need to follow unless you want a lifetime ban from their girls club. Guys were just like "Oh, you're chill? Here catch this..." Or at least they seemed to be like that anyway.

"Yo, Lockie," Darko called to me and threw the ball at me as I stepped onto the court. Completely unprepared I fumbled it, half jarred my finger and dropped it anyway.
"Are you drunk?" Taylor laughed. "I could have caught that blindfolded, asleep and getting laid all at the same time."
"Shut up man, I was unprepared," I snapped at him.
"Rule forty-nine, any object thrown with reasonable speed and accuracy MUST be caught," he smirked at me.
"Bite me," I glared at him and picked up the ball at my feet and threw it at him.
"See, it's pretty easy," he taunted me holding the ball that he caught easily.
"Just like your mum last night," Jake appeared out of nowhere. The few guys around us burst into laughter.
"Here," Robbo passed Taylor his bottle of water. "It's for the burn," Robbo gave him a smirk that made Taylor growl at him from the back of his throat as he threw Robbos water bottle back at him.
"Let's just hurry up and start playing. I'm skins," he declared and stormed off towards the hoop.

Without much discussion we all made our team decisions. Jake stripped off his shirt and threw it onto his backpack. Robbo kept his shirt on and knocked elbows with me giving me a comrades grin.
"Take Jake, ill take the mighty bruised ego," he told me, nodding to where Taylor was sinking the ball through the closest hoop waiting for everyone else. I walked over to Jake and gave him a friendly shove.
"Where you been all day? Got a girl you're not telling us about?" I asked, not just to tease but because that was also a real possibility. He could have figured it all out and ran away so fast in the other direction that he could have tripped into the arms of someone else.

Bet it's that bitch Jessica. Perfect, not pretending to be a boy, girl next door Jessica. Blergh.

"To be honest, not sure what I have anymore," he just shrugged, catching the ball Taylor threw to him and swiftly throwing it towards the hoop giving himself three unofficial points.
"What happened?" I asked, my heart beat starting to pick up. "Aren't you dating Kathy's roommate? I thought all was good there?" I could feel the panic rising in me.
"So did I, but a lot can happen in a small amount of time and apparently history always repeats itself," he shrugged and my stomach twisted. I only had half an idea of what he could be talking about but I knew one hundred percent that he had heard me Taylor's room this morning.

Damn. Damn. Double damn.

What could he possibly be thinking right now? He hadn't ripped off my wig with a triumphant 'HAH!', but maybe he was waiting for the right, more private moment. He was a good guy. I could see Taylor shaming and naming in public but Jake was too sweet for that... Right? I gave him a half smile as I didn't trust my voice to be steady anymore. "Forget about it. Lets just play," he sighed and walked past me towards where the boys were about to start.

Jake wouldn't look at Taylor the entire game. He was super duper pissed at him. The biting remark when he showed up seemed now to be a childish way to get a reaction from him than silly teasing. Even though they were on the same team, Jake had (quite impressively may I add) completely alienated Taylor from every aspect of it. Jake had just sunk the ball again and Taylor stood behind him with his arms wide open.
"What the hell, dude?" He asked, openly confused about the whole situation.
"Gotta keep something from your greedy reach," Jake glared at him as he let his shoulder drop into Taylor's as he passed, making Taylor stumble backwards. Taylor looked to me questionly as I shrugged and shook my head at him. I had no idea what had hit Jake and I also had never seen Jake this pissed at anyone. It was mildly frightening, but that was only because it wasn't directed at me. What the hell had Taylor done to him?
Taylor took the hint and let someone come on court to play for him. Within moments of Taylor's feet having stepped over the painted line on the bitchumen Jake returned to his normal self.
I couldn't wrap my head around it. How could he be publicly angry at Taylor and not me if he'd heard me in Taylor's room this morning. He's not stupid, he would have put everything together and figured out we were both lying to him. ... But as he came towards me as I grabbed the ball as it was thrown to me, there wasn't the bitter cold he'd given Taylor. I turned around and backed into him. Bouncing the ball with my right hand I reached my left back and tried to push him back.
I could feel his warm skin against my arm and his chest almost completely engulfing my frame as he defended me as I attacked. It was the worst moment to bring myself back to being a girl. I was basically grinding right back into him and pushing harder to get him where I wanted him. On the court that is... I reminded myself that i was currently a guy. I was grinding my ass into his crotch to get us closer to the basketball hoop, not the bedroom. His breathe was in my ear and I looked over my shoulder at him and gave him a smirk that he returned that made me bite my lip instinctively, he watched my teeth sink into my bottom lip and I swear I heard it but feeling close enough to the hoop I straightened, turned and went for the shot. Unprepared Jake got a mouthful of my hoodie where he still crouched slightly towards me. Instead of falling backwards onto his ass, his hand grabbed mine.

In a moment his arm grabbed me around my waist and his hand grabbed a handful of my backside as he pulled me closer to steady him. We looked at each for the most awkward second of my life. He was clearly shocked too. He'd reacted the normal way I did when I bite my (or his, just quietly,) lip. He'd inhaled sharply. Where the length of myself was pressed up against him for a moment as he grabbed me around my waist I could feel things I shouldn't be able too. We shot apart like we were magnets with the same charge still looking at each other wearily.
"I have to go," Jake told me looking like a deer in the headlights. I nodded as much as I could, which was minuscule in reality and watched him run off the court like there was fire under his ass.

I walked off the court after a moment. Two people were quick to take our spots and continue the play. I sat down next to Taylor and looked at him.
"Why do you look super freaked out right now?" He asked with a shadow of a smirk on his face.
"Jake just grabbed my ass..." I murmured, still playing it over in my head, "...and I think he liked it..." I trailed off and Taylor looked at me for a moment before bursting out laughing.
"What?!" He demanded.
"Did you not just see what happened?" I asked throwing my hand towards where we just stood and he nodded.
"Yeah, you sunk the ball. Congrats," he chuckled.
"No, no," I shook my head. "Before and after, did you see the way Jake behaved?" I asked and he shook his head this time.
"Nup. Seemed normal basketball play to me," he told me looking confused.
"Do you think he knows and he's pissed at you and playing stupid with me so he can mess with my head?" I asked and Taylor looked at me for a long moment before shrugging.
"I don't know, but I wish he'd just say what's on his mind and punch me if he's pissed at me. No where near patient enough for this girly pissed off ignoring me crap," he grimaced and I patted his back twice in sympathy before standing.
"Let's go get drunk," I sighed.
"What? Now?" Taylor asked, "it's a little early but alright."
"Not now you moron. I meant tonight. I've never been out as..." I trailed off gesturing to myself dressed as a guy. "I want to experience the mysterious art of buying drinks for girls that aren't actually interested in sleeping with me," I told him and he rolled his eyes at me.
"Well you're in luck my friend, there are plenty of bitches around here that love to do exactly that!" He exclaimed, clapping his hand down on my shoulder.
"I'm pumped for this, dude," I laughed and Taylor sighed and shook his head.
"Rule twenty three, Walters. People only used the word 'pumped' to explain their excitement when they're about to do something really stupid."
"This whole last week and a half has been majorly stupid of me," I rolled my eyes at him.
"Yeah," he sighed. "I guess that's true."