The Ten-Year Game Plan

Chapter 13- Donovan

I debated saying no. For like half a second. It was the sundress she was wearing that wore me down.

"Or maybe I don't need to tell you at all," Winston muttered beside me and I glanced at him confused. "Nevermind. I'll catch up with you tonight."

My best friend walked ahead into the locker room giving Josie a friendly nod hello before leaving. The rest of the guys were still filtering in and I didn't really want them hearing her yell at me so I nudged her over a little further on the wall, away from the door.

I leaned against the wall, my legs were noodles under me after those sprints and I needed some support if we were going to go four rounds again.

"I'm sorry, okay!" She burst out, "For... whatever I said. It was mean and I'm sorry."

I couldn't help it, and I knew that it infuriated her, but her apologies always made me laugh. It was something about the way her bottom lip pouted and her eyes looked crazed— as if she was rejecting the apology the moment it came out.

Before coming to school here I could count on one hand how many apologies she had given me in her life. Now that I was here, it felt like I was getting one every other week.

I tried very hard not to laugh because I owed her one too. She bit her lip and suddenly I didn't feel like laughing anymore. Her long hair was pulled back away from her face, but there were still light colored tendrils falling into her eyes.

"I'm sorry too." I said, "I should have called or texted before my phone died to let you know what was up."

She fiddled with her thumbs, scratching at the nail, something she only did when she was nervous.

"What was up?" she asked and then in a hushed whisper, "you're not actually doing drugs are you? I just said that to be a dick but—"

"Are you worried about me, Fish?"

I couldn't help the smirk that crossed my face, but when she crossed her arms with that annoyed expression on her face, I almost regretted it.

"No. I just..." she sighed a little, "I mean, yeah. Kind of."

Kind of? Kind of. Kind. Of.

It was a strange thing to think, and I couldn't totally explain why, but 'kind of' just became my favorite phrase.

"I'm okay, Josie," I told her, trying to hide my surprise at her admission the best that I could, "promise."

Her green eyes softened when she looked up at me.

"That's the first time you've called me by my name since you started here."

I chuckled, rubbing my hand through my sweat-slicked hair a little nervously. Was that true? Figures. I usually tried to avoid saying or thinking her name as much as possible.

"Don't get used to it or anything," I told her. She shook her head.

"Don't get used to me apologizing," she said. I glanced down at her, and her expression didn't match her words. She was smiling. At me.

I let out a laugh that I hoped didn't sound breathless or forced. "Already am, Fish. You're apologizing to me at least once a week. Gonna go to a guy's head eventually."

She groaned, shaking her head.

"I know... you honestly just..." her green eyes widened and she clamped her mouth shut, "never mind."

Some of the guys had already started trickling out of the locker room, heading to their cars to go home. I should've been with them, but I much preferred trying to figure out the words she wanted to say but wouldn't.