Chapter One (Jackson's Point of View)

335K 7K 477
                                    

Thank you everyone who has read this story!         

Chapter One 

Jackson

   My voice is getting hoarse from trying to shout over the loud music that is blasting through every speaker in this house.  My headache is thumping along to the beat and I am trying to wash it away with the warm beer in my red cup.  The overwhelming scent of Tina’s perfume is making me feel nauseous and I try hard not to cringe every time she rubs her perfume-drenched body up against me. 

            Don’t get me wrong, she’s hot, but that perk wore off about three weeks ago.  Now she’s approaching stalker status and all I can think about is shaking her loose.  I adjust my stance so that I can have a little more space between us, but she just moves right back in.  It’s like some sort of strange female territory-marking move; I move over a step and she slides over and rubs up against me.  It takes all the strength I have not to yell that she should just piss on me and get it over with. 

            I look around the room for an open pocket of air.  I know this sounds crazy, but right now I am shoved up against a counter in a packed kitchen full of my teammates and sorority girls.  The testosterone is thick, but the cackle of fake girl laughter is thicker.  It’s nights like this that make me miss my home town.  There is nothing like having a party out in an open field with plenty of room…and air. 

            Untangling Tina from my side, I motion that I need to head to the bathroom.  She makes a sad face, but then turns her back to me so that she can continue her conversation.  I push my way past the herd of college kids and head for the hallway.  I don’t really need to go to the bathroom so instead of turning right I make a sharp left and sneak out the front door.  The lawn in front of the house is littered with red party cups and a few beer cans.  There is also an empty keg on the porch so I am guessing that there has been a steady flow of alcohol since right after practice this afternoon. 

            Standing on the porch is not helping my headache since the music is loud enough to be heard a few streets away.  The shrill sound of girls screaming before being tossed into the pool only hikes up the intensity of my headache.  I kick a few cans on my way down to the farthest bricks in the short wall between this frat house and the apartments next door.  Finally I feel some relief as I sit in the darkness and drink my warm beer. 

            The street is packed with cars like always and there are a few people making their way up to the various houses along this strip.  I watch as girls stumble around in their ridiculous shoes and boys try hard not to notice how much that wrecks how hot the girl is.  After about fifteen minutes outside, my headache is all but gone and I am pretty much finished with my beer.  I am about to stand up to go back into the party to get Tina when I see the silhouette of a tall, thin woman walking my way. 

            Unlike the girls from earlier, this woman has walking on heels down to a science.  When she gets in front of the frat house however, she stumbles a little on the uneven ground.  I watch closely, trying to make out her face in the darkness.  The light from the house behind me shines a small distance, but she has not yet entered its range.  Finally, she stumbles into the light and completely steals my breath.  She is fucking gorgeous. 

            I’m not sure why she is smiling, but the smile along with the mystery of it has my heart pounding.  I think I heard a small giggle as she almost fell and I find myself leaning forward for the opportunity to maybe hear it again.  My prayers are answered when she hops around, slips her heels off and then continues her walk in my direction.  Maybe this night wasn’t a total waste after all.

Rookie in Love [SYTYCW 2013]Where stories live. Discover now