- Genevieve -
Friday rolls around in an instant. I'm so done with all the whispers and stares made across campus especially as the girls and I sit in the dining hall.
Wherever I go trouble seems to follow me with pestering eyes. Inline at the salad bar, over at the pizza station, sitting down at the table farthest from everyone.
"Look it's Jenna Blake," one of Adrian's past acquaintances, Emma points out.
We all turn that way to see the expression on her face as she glares at me, "She looks majorly irritated," Nellie rolls her eyes.
"Not Gigi's fault Adrian likes her more than them," Mads says taking a spoon of yogurt in her mouth.
Shit, she's coming over here.
"Genevieve, it's Genevieve right?" I simply nod with a smile looking at her.
"What a beautiful name. Sounds French," because it is bitch? "I heard you and Adrian Castillo were together but I just wanted to let you know that he and I are kinds of a thing so if you wouldn't mind backing off, I'd really appreciate it."
I don't think he knows that Sweetheart.
Stunned at her bluntness I look to Nellie who stands up and towers over Jenna's condescending stance leaving her hand on the table as she sits over it.
"Jenna, you've never even been near Adrian let alone had a relationship with him. I'm pretty sure you've never met him either so I'll kindly ask you to stay away from her." Seh waves her away and I couldn't be more grateful.
I have the worst headache and excuse myself from the table-turning around into a hard chest. Looking up my cheeks are flushed and it feels warmer in the room.
"Cherry, where're you going?" He asks walking past me and taking the apple from my tray on the table.
He bites it and smiles down on me while I feel the sheer attention set over us, "I'm going home, I'm not feeling well."
He looks at me with worried and whispers, "Is it because of these shitheads?"
"No, I'm just tired," I lie. Instantly, he grabs my hand with his intertwining of our palms.
"I got you." He leads us out of the dining hall and even when we're out of sight he still holds my hand as his life depends on it.
"I'm sorry," he says. "I shouldn't have reacted that way, so violently I mean. And I'm the reason everyone's talking about you."
"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. My ego overrode my common sense and I couldn't see how you were just defending me. I really am sorry Adrian. Coffee apology?"
"What's that?" He asks and sometimes I forget that there's a world beyond just mine and Mads.
"It's just something I do with Mads. When we don't do our load of the chores we buy or make each other coffee to apologize." Sounds lame but it keeps the peace.
"I definitely want a coffee apology," he smirks. We head into the coffee shop a few blocks away and the whole time we're silently still holding hands and stealing glances.
"What's one thing you've always wanted to try in bed?" Before my brain can register what he's asked he starts laughing, "think of something Cherry?"
"I've never really done anything interesting in bed," I'm not a complete prude but my last boyfriend was an asshole and I didn't want him to be the person I gave my virginity to so we never did it.
"Are you a virgin?" I nod at him silently. It's not a big deal I just haven't found the right person yet. "Cool."
I contemplate an answer to his previously asked question, "I've always wanted to play strip poker," I say.
He looks at me, "Noted."
- Adrian -
Shortly after the coffee apology, I have to get to practice so I drop Genevieve home and get my ass to the court.
"Move it Castillo you gotta get down court," Coach yells. My breathing is harsh but I run past JJ who's on the other team and I make a slam dunk.
"Is it just me or is Coach being an extra hard ass today?" Devontae pants out. Before I can answer, Coach shows up from behind and puts his hands on our shoulders.
"I don't understand why you're all standing around talking. Run it again!" Fucking hell.
"You got it, Coach!" Luke exclaims. Suck up.
"Castillo get over here!" He yells, "Where the hell is your head at? You were supposed to pass to Beckham then make a shot at the half-court line."
"Sorry Coach," 'Sorry my dad drank his liver away and that's all I can think about I think in my head.
"Castillo, you're team captain. You lead these fools by example so set the one."
A firm nod and an 'understood' later I'm back on the court, my mind still filled with other thoughts but playing a lot better.
"Before you hit the showers, the athletics department is asking an English class on campus to write a joint article on this entire team starting tomorrow. They'll all be working together to create an editorial or something on you so be on your best fucking behavior. I don't need you embarrassing me."
"Come on Coach, when have we ever embarrassed you," Luke says with a frown on his face.
"Beckham you may be a good power forward but so is Dante don't make me substitute you," Coach warns. "And don't make me repeat the sushi bar story from last year's Championship game in Texas."
While I'd love to disclose the contents of that story it would cause bad memories for me.
Cherry, you got an English Class doing an editorial on my team?
Yeah, we just got the assignment. Looks like we'll be seeing each other tomorrow. I smile to myself thinking of seeing her more often.
I had a few hookups that lasted at most a few nights but most dates I've been on sucked. Most of the time we'd end up fucking in the bathroom before dessert came.
Can't wait.
Can't say the same.
You wound me, Laurence.
She sends me a kissy face back and all I can think is: Man, I am whipped.
- Genevieve -
Today Isabel and I join our sports journalism class to write an editorial on the team.
I meet with her at the Cafe across from my apartment and we grab coffee before meeting the class at the basketball courts.
I forget that Vivian Nash is in Isabel's class since she's a journalism major. Ignore. Ignore. Ignore.
"Okay class, I've partnered you all up in teams of two and you'll each take one basketball player. Let's start with Vivian and Alex to Adrian Castillo. Then, Genevieve and Isabel to Lucas Beckham..." He goes on but I don't hear anything after that.
Isabel being with me on this somewhat calms me. Vivian gets Adrian but from what I hear he doesn't like many people and she's most likely on that list.
We walk in and see the guys sitting on the bleachers together. I try looking natural but my eyes immediately lock with Adrians and he gives me that playboy smirk that makes me wanna fuck him and pass away at the same time.
He comes up to me as the class disperses and looks utterly disappointed at the news of either Vivian being his partner or me not being his partner. I decide it's the latter and look up at him.
"Sorry Castillo looks like we're not together."
"I can't believe Luke gets you and I get fucking Vivian Nash," he says so only I can hear. I look behind him and Vivian is impatiently staring at us.
I turn back to Adrian, "Tough luck, but for now, we gotta go do the assignment." Pressing a hand to his chest I walk past him and smile turning around before sitting on one of the bleachers.
"So this editorial, will it be focused on my talent or good looks?" Luke asks.
"Your ability to make everything about you is a talent in and of its own," Isabel tells him.
"If you were me, trust me, you'd talk about yourself all day," he snorts. He bounces the basketball in his hand up and down before I grab it and make a shot into the bin across the court, "Focus, please."
"Woah, maybe you should be our new point guard." A lot of people are now looking at us and while Coach King looks subtly impressed he soon masks it with his typical no-nonsense expression.
"I'd be honored but I'm sure Adrian would feel threatened by my presence on the team. Let's get started, this article will have separate bios for each player including a few personal anecdotes about you, and whatever you say about the team will be included in the main editorial," I explain.
"Ask away," he permisses.
"Tell us about your team. What's the best part about playing with the other men?" Isabel reads off of her notepad.
"Living with my friends is awesome. We're like a family to each other. Coach is pretty cool too and whether we win or lose we do it together."
"That was the sweetest thing I've ever heard a guy say," Isabel sobs.
"Maybe all men aren't trash," I say.
The rest of the interview is some basic template questions our professors gave us:
"Who's your biggest inspiration?"
"What's your favorite NBA team?"
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"
"Plans after graduation?"
"How does school affect your game?"
"Thanks, Luke. We'll send you a rough copy by next week with the editorial." We hug him and are about to leave when he calls our names.
Turning around he looks sad, "We should hang out. The guys and I were going to Gradys for dinner. You should come with us."
"I have an exam tomorrow, but G you should go," Isabel persists.
"Please. It'll be fun. Invite your other friends." Why not? I agree and grab my jacket fixing my hair then texting the girls.
Mads and Emma say they'll come but Nellie has a paper due tomorrow.
"Hey," I hear Adrian call. "You coming with us?"
"Yeah, I am. Luke insisted."
It's freezing today and there's no room inside Grady's since Monday nights are usually packed with their $15 for two medium pizza deals. Mads and Emma arrive and we all huddle together outside on a table covered in snow and frost. But this pizza, totally worth it.
"Here, take my jacket," Adrian offers. He removes his big black coat and wraps it around me, holding me close, and rubbing my arms up and down.
"Thank you, but won't you be cold?" I frown.
"I'm okay Genevieve. You, on the other hand, are completely flushed."
"Hey guys, we're having a chicken wing eating contest. Bets are who can finish twenty extra hot wings in five minutes. So far the highest number is 15," Jack, one of the workers tells us.
He goes to school at Westin but we've gotten to know him over the years when we come here.
"I bet I could beat all of you," JJ challenges.
"I guess we'll have to see. We're in, please put our names down," I tell the waiter. Everyone looks at me shocked.
"I don't think you know how JJ's stomach works. It's an iron-clad stomach." Luke warns me. I don't think he understands my love for food.
"She's gonna beat your ass," Adrian smirks. I begin to tie my hair back and although I'm a little nervous about taking the heat down I won't just back out.
"Alright, five minutes on the clock, twenty wings on the table. On your marks, get set, GO!"
The first four go down just fine but the fifth numbs my tongue. It's the two minutes and five seconds on the clock when I take another three down and then another. My hands are a mess but my mouth isn't as bad as I thought it would look staring at my reflection in the side mirror as I take another two wings down. I'm completely flushed and the inside of my mouth is heating up. I finish off two more and the timer rings.
I won. I knew I'd win.
The whole room cheers and JJ looks shocked that I beat him. I wipe my hands then my tears and Mads gives me a glass of milk which I frantically gulp down.
"So I thought I heard you say there's no way I'd beat you earlier," I tease JJ.
"Holy crap, that was fucking awesome," JJ laughs.
Luke double high fives me and Grady announce free drinks on the house for our table.
"We're best friends now. You're officially cool enough for us."
"I'm honored, Luke. Should I make us friendship bracelets?"
"Really?" He looks so happy it's adorable. "I've never had a female friend who I didn't want to fuck."
I can't tell if that's a compliment or not but I don't have time to decide because I feel Adrian's arms wrap around me from behind and his glance at Luke to leave.
Adrian wraps his arms around me from behind and whispers, "I can perfectly imagine what that mouth could do to me."
We walk to the edge of the street where you can see the city lights and ice skating rink and light-up skates families are wearing. The sky is a stormy grey with snowflakes surrounding us. We face each other, both hands interlocking as I lean up and he lifts my chin up slightly licking his lips. He tugs at my bottom lip gently then lightly nibbles on it before capturing his lips onto mine eliciting a soft moan from me.
We push back without breaking contact and then come back. He brings his tongue against my lips begging for entrance and I grant it. We moan together as he moves his hands up and down my waist and I keep one hand on his right cheek and the other on his shoulder. We break apart breathing heavily and looking at each other.
Suddenly a mound of snow hits us and we break apart panting looking into each other's eyes. Another snowball hits us and we turn our heads to see Luke.
"Yes, Luke? Do you need something?" Adrian says pissed off.
"Attention," he pouts. "But in all seriousness let's have a snowball fight." I chuckle digging my head against Adrians chest, turning it to face Luke. He wraps his arms around me before looking at me.
"You down?"
"Hell yeah," I smirk. Adrian and Luke are team captains and Luke insists on the first pick.
"I call Gigi," Luke says. I go to Luke's side.
"Traitor," Adrian calls out. Luke chooses JJ then Mads and Adrian chooses Emma and Devontae.
We huddle together as do they for strategy.
"Okay kids, we got this. We're all in this together. Coach always says, 'If you wanna win, you gotta get your head outta your ass and WIN."
What the hell does that mean, we break the huddle and start pelting snowballs at each other.
We call a tie after a few minutes but Luke claims we won.
I say goodnight to Adrian and the guys before the girls and I go home but in the back of my mind, I can only think one thing.
I kissed Adrian Castillo.