The Ten-Year Game Plan

Chapter 16- Donovan / Josie

An arm was pressing against my chest. Winston's. I looked down at it and then at him. He was watching me with a warning expression on his face. That's when I realized that I started to walk toward where Hayden and his friends stood. My fists were clenched by my sides.

My expression burned and my best friend nodded.

"Not now," he almost pleaded, "after."

"You heard what he just said?" I blanched.

I couldn't understand why he was holding me back from doing what needed to be done. My vision was going a bit blurry, the edges tinted in red.

"Yeah, he's a dick, man. We all know that. You can't just hit him in the training room because he said something nasty about her."

I looked at him. "Why not?"

"Um, because you'd get benched for this game?! And with our luck that shithead would have to play in your place."

I gritted my teeth. "Trust me, he wouldn't be able to play afterward."

Shawn's brows raised, hearing the entirety of our exchange. I didn't really care at that point. I was still weighing my options on whether punching Hayden straight in the face would be worth the punishment I would take. I was leaning heavily toward yes.

"Wait, so it's true then? Josie, the one that was seeing Hayden for awhile, that's your girl now?"

"Not yet."

JOSIE'S POV:

Our school had a tradition for the football team that I usually never participated in. Today, however, I let Cam talk me into joining in. She was the dutiful girlfriend and I was a tagalong.

The students who were waiting to file into the stadium would congregate outside the locker room and form a pathway for the whole team to walk through before they entered. I always thought that it was a little bit too much like the soccer tunnels parents used to make for peewee soccer. Tonight, I didn't mind so much.

"There's Patrick!" Cam squealed, pointing toward the head that she spotted above the rest of the crowd.

We got here early enough that Cam managed to shove us toward the front of the crowd. Patrick reached her with ease and planted a long kiss on her lips. A really long kiss.

"Shit, Pat. Come up for air, huh?"

That voice was familiar. Donovan grinned down at the couple and then at me and I was surprised into returning it. That stomach thing happened again.

"Hi, Fish." he said.

The rest of his teammates passed by behind him. Winston waited a few steps behind his best friend. I waved a little at him and he shook his head, giving me a small but exasperated smile.

"Look," I said in response, pointing down to my jacket. He laughed.

"I didn't think you'd actually wear it."

"I told you I would."

"I like it."

"That's because you're a narcissist."

"For thinking you look good wearing my number? I don't mind being a narcissist for that."

Patrick and Cam finally stopped kissing and he ran off to catch up with the rest of the team. Winston was tapping his foot and the rest of his team was slowly disappearing. More people in the crowd were turning to look at us— the straggling quarterback. I knew half of them were wondering what he was doing talking to me.