How To Get The Girl

Chapter Three

Luke, Peter, and Tommy all start laughing when they catch sight of my cheek, and I just stand there with a blank expression. "Yes, laugh it up everyone, because Jackson got slapped again last night." Once they settled down, I took the ball from Peter's hands, and looked at all of them. "Now that that's out of the way, are we going to play or what?"

"I just have one question," Luke says, raising his hand a little.

I turn to him and raise my eyebrows. "What?"

He smirks a little. "Did you at least get her number, or..."

All the guys laugh, and press my lips together in a thin line. I was so used to the guys messing with me about my little problem that it hardly bothered me anymore, but right now, my annoyance was begging to shine through.

"Luke, stop being such an idiot," Brayden shakes his head at him, and when I turn to thank him, he smirks evilly. "Of course he didn't get her number."

I clench my jaw as they laugh again, and look away in an attempt to keep myself from snapping at them. My gaze met Sophia's from the bleachers, and her brow was furrowed as she watched the guys laugh, her lips tugging downward in a frown. I could practically see the wheels in her head turning, but instead of continuing to stand here like a jackass, I look at the guys again.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to play." I announce, and then start bouncing the ball.

They all sober up and move on, deciding that laughing at my misfortune was no longer entertaining enough. Brayden, Tommy and I all got on a team together- skins- while Peter, Henry, and Luke were on another team. I walked to the sidelines and stripped off my shirt then threw it on the bleachers, glancing up to see Sophia still looking at me with a thoughtful expression.

Half because I wanted her to stop looking at me like she was analyzing me, and half just to mess with her, I lean toward her and say slowly, "Y'know, Soph, you shouldn't be staring at a shirtless man when your boyfriend is over there."

She rolls her eyes at me, her signature move. "I'm not ogling over your body, contrary to your beliefs."

"Then you wouldn't mind to stop staring at me," I give her a pointed look.

Sophia's troubled expression returns, and she glances up to make sure nobody is listening before she leans toward me, her voice lower than before. "I'm sorry for giving you so much shit about the girls thing. I didn't realize-"

I put my hand up to signal for her to stop. "You don't have to apologize. I really don't care when you give me shit."

And it was true. For some reason, I didn't mind when she ragged on me, because I knew it was all in good fun; after all, she was helping me get over it, not just dragging me down. The guys, though, were another story. As a guy, you get used the shit that your friends give you, and get over it. We weren't like girls: we didn't care about petty shit.

That being said, it did piss me off sometimes when they were being such dicks about it. 

Sophia nods, then murmurs, "Then I'll apologize on behalf of Brayden. He shouldn't be such a dick about it." 

Even though I appreciated her words and the sentiment behind them, I still kept my neutral expression on, not wanting her to know that it actually did bother me when the guys ragged on me so much. "Seriously, don't worry about it, Soph."