The Hockey Player (Matt Sturniolo)

He Doesn't Like Me

Aurora's POV

"No fucking way!" Raine's eyes widened. "He was here?"

"Yeah" I propped my feet up on the back of the bleachers below and rested my elbows on my knees. My parents were six seats away from me.

"He's got some balls" she smiled. "Dan would've had the whole team kick his ass if he saw him"

I sat with my best friend to watch our high school team play to win another championship. And I had no desire to be here. "Probably"

She folded a blanket in half and sat on it. "What did he want?"

"To tell" I took a deep breath and let it out again. "That he's been asking about me"

"And?"

"And he likes me" my cheeks flushed warm. Not the girly version, the regret kind, and I couldn't look at her. "Which was utter rubbish" I clenched my stomach and braced myself for her laughing. But she didn't. Why didn't she laugh?

"Is that bad?" Her voice swirled with....awe? "It sounds sweet"

"It is bad..." I trailed off and clasped my hands together. "A horrible, fucking embarrassing bad thing"

She rubbed my upper arm. "Because?"

"Because...I thought I liked him too" I frowned and stared at my laced hands. He wanted to use me. I should hate him, and all of me did, except for the annoying part of me that acknowledged his honesty and refused to be silenced.

"Aurora" she started, holding back a smile. "He's hot, he has big enough balls to admit he likes you, you like him back and you need to get laid-"

"He was using me, Raine" She almost fell off her seat. "He was using me to mess with Dan. I never should have kissed him"

I cupped my heated cheeks. How could I be so stupid? I saw through his bullshit and still gave him the benefit of the doubt. Assholes like that never changed.

"Full confession time" she smiled. I'm glad one of us found this amusing. "I suppose if someone came alone, to where his enemies are, and wearing only their stupidity just to see me, then I'd kiss them too"

What a romantic answer. I frowned and waited for her real answer. She rolled her eyes and let out a breath. "Fine, I'd let him cop a feel. That's commitment, Aurora"

I stared at her.

"So you kissed him before tonight's game? I'm proud of you"

"Uh...no" Based on the warmth on my cheeks, I guessed they were somewhere between scarlet and molten. "Before I left his house last Saturday"

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I was embarrassed" I felt my cheeks heat up. "He was nice and normal. It just happened"

After a pause, she looked at me with a frown. "Do you regret it?"

"Are you kidding? Of course I do! Did you miss the part when I told you he's using me?" I sighed and slumped over. "He tried to trick me into having feelings for him, so he could turn me into a mess and Dan would go crazy"

"Sadly, I can see that happen" she whispered. "That would've been an epic asshole on asshole beat down. He told you the truth?"

I closed my eyes. "Yeah. But then he listed off all this stuff about me, and I'm...confused. Now I have to see him tomorrow. He's his school's rep at these events"

Raine frowned. "Don't get me started on your brother, but Cox is an ass" her words didn't make me feel better. Yesterday, Principal Cox rejected my request to skip the blood drive and book fair. "I can't go tomorrow, but I'll go to the next event with you. What is it?"