Everyday this week, Coach Clain had organised an early morning football practice in preparation for the weekend. Anyone not at the practices were off the team and would receive a month of early morning detentions. Was she allowed to give out detentions just for that? No one knew and no one was stupid enough to question her about it.
Playing football and being forced to listen to stupid Ezra Dickinson yell orders at him was not how Colby wanted to spend his morning.
After the whole team had played a match together, everyone kinda just went their own way and did whatever training they wanted. It had to be some sort of training though or else Coach would rip you a new one.
"Did you do it?" Finley asked.
"Huh, did I do what?" Asked Colby. The two began passing a ball between them.
"Yesterday. You said you were going to prove that you weren't a bottom. I'm just curious if you did it, man." Finley smirked at him.
Had he proven he wasn't a bottom? He'd definitely dominated the locker kiss, the shower was a bit of a draw. Technically, couldn't Colby only discover if he was a bottom by having sex with Ezra. It would be great for his revenge plan. Fuck him, get him attached then leave like nothing ever happened. But was he really okay with the idea of doing it? With a guy? With Ezra?
"No. I don't think I've proven it yet."
"Wait what? I was just joking, man. Are you actually trying to prove it? Like, for real?" Finley spluttered.
Colby completely fumbled the throw to Finley as he realised he may have admitted something. Something he didn't want anyone to know.
"Pffftttt. I was just joking too, bro. The look on your face right now. Hahaha! Priceless." Colby desperately tried to back track but Finley clearly wasn't buying it with the mischievous glint in his eye.
"It's cool if you are like I'm not gonna judge. I'm just surprised is all. Also, you need to work on your lying abilities, your fake laugh is awful." Finley looked past Colby and his teasing expression stopped, he looked scared. Colby wondered if there was a monster behind him, or even worse, Coach Clain. "Also, also, I think Ezra saw you fuck up that throw and is now coming over here."
"I'm not lying!" Colby insisted. "Wait. What did you just say?"
"He probably said something about working on your throws." That stupid deep voice. Just the sound of it pissed Colby off.
"I can throw just fine, Dickinson." He spat.
"Only using my last name? That's not very creative of you. Finley go practice with Brent whilst I give Colby a reminder on how to throw."
"Yeah, sure thing." Finley mouthed a quick 'sorry' to Colby, who just flipped him off in return.
"Your stance is all wrong. Spread your legs a bit more." Colby felt the heat of Ezra's hands through his leggings as he ran his hand down Colby's thigh, making him shiver. "Now straighten your back more." A finger ran up his spine, pausing when it got to his nape. "And angle your upper body slightly." Both of Ezra's hands now gripped Colby's waist and gently twisted him. Colby could feel Ezra's breath on his neck and the closeness of his body behind him.
Wasn't this closeness a bit unnecessary? Colby couldn't remember a time Ezra got this up close and personal during training.
"I know how to throw. Just because I don't do it like you do, doesn't mean I'm doing it wrong." It didn't come out nearly as intense as Colby was hoping, his voice was more hushed than threatening.
"I can throw the ball with my stance but you can't seem to do it with yours which only proves my point."
"You are so annoying. You think you're so perfect and everyone should be like you. You think you're better than everyone, that you can do whatever you want, take whatever you want from people."
For a second, Ezra looked surprised by the outburst but there was also a knowing look in his eyes that showed he knew what Colby was referring to, he then leaned in close to Colby's ear. He could feel the warmth of his breath. "Stay behind for a bit and meet me in the locker room."
With that he released Colby and walked off, leaving Colby even more confused and pissed off than he already was.
*
"Aren't you coming, man? I'm going to grab something from the vending machine before class starts." Said Finley.
Colby stared into his locker, unsure of what to do. The locker was filled with dirty sports clothes and one rotting apple core. He should really clear it out. He held the door open, the coldness of the metal contrasting with the warmth of Ezra's hands from earlier. Ezra had asked him to stay but why should he? He hated the guy. Surely he wanted him for something important, why else ask him to stay behind. What if Ezra was going to demand an explanation for what happened in the shower? Colby was not ready to explain why he did that. Nothing could stop him from leaving right now, grabbing a snack with Finley then heading to lessons. It would probably annoy Ezra which would help Operation Revenge. So he should go, right?
Heat rose to his cheeks as he tried to imagine, not why Ezra had asked him to stay behind, but what they would do if they were alone together again.
"Are you alright, man? Your face is all red, do you need to go to the nurse's office."
"Huh?" Finley came closer and rested his hand against Colby's forehead.
"You do feel pretty hot. Please tell me you didn't catch something from that party on Sunday. This is why I keep telling you not to drink from other people's cups. Germs and shit, man."
That must be it, he was just feeling a bit ill and that's why he's getting hot over the idea of doing something with Ezra. Hot not horny. Definitely not over that asshole anyway.
"I think I might go to the nurse's. It's a good idea." Finley put both of his hands on Colby's cheeks, they were nice and cool.
"Whatever makes you feel better, my precious little princey wincey."
"Are you acting like my mom right now? For your information, she doesn't call me that anymore. She calls me her darling Prince Charming. Get ya facts right." The two were laughing until there was a huge metallic BANG!
"Oh shit." Colby whispered. His plan of escaping before Ezra came for him had just crumbled.
Ezra held his hand firmly against his locker door. Even his friend Brent, who was sitting on the bench next to him, looked surprised by his actions.
"You all good, bro?" Asked Brent with caution.
"Yep." Popping the 'p', Ezra just smiled innocently at him.
"Okay, cool. You alright, Fin?" Brent asked Finley. Colby was pretty sure they didn't talk often but Finley would constantly gush about the guy.
"Oh, me. Yeah, yeah, I'm good, I'm cool, cool like a cucumber, you know. Aha aha aha." For the first time in Colby's life, he had seen Finley look flustered. Like seriously flustered. Like properly seriously flustered. What had happened to the chill Finley, the nothing-bothers-me-ever Finley, the no-shits-are-given Finley?
Colby could only stare at him in shock before he said, "Your fake laugh is just as bad as mine."
Finley wrapped his arm around Colby's shoulders and pulled him into a headlock. "Shut up, man." He whispered furiously.
"Are you blushing?" Asked Colby. "Why?"
Finley squeezed him even tighter. "I said shut the fuck up before I make you." He said through gritted teeth.
Colby looked at Ezra who looked just as confused, then at Brent. Brent was a good looking guy. Tall, dark and handsome but freakishly tall. The straight girls in the school often had debates over who was hotter Ezra or Brent. Why would Finley get so flustered around Brent?He was genuinely confused.
"You two are pretty close." Laughed Brent. Ezra looked pissed again.
"Yep, yep, yep. We've been friends for ages so yeah, we're pretty close. Pretty close indeed. Right, man?" There was an awkward silence as Colby didn't respond. He was still trying to wrap his head around Finley not only being flustered but rambling. Since when did he ramble?
The conversation went dead and they all stood quietly in the locker room. "I was just about to take him to the nurse's office." Said Finley finally disturbing the silence, "So we better go."
"Nurse's office. Why?" Ezra finally turned around from the locker now to face Finley and Colby. A look of concern on his face. First Finley is flustered and now Ezra was concerned? Was the world going insane?
"He just feels pretty hot so I thought maybe he was ill. I think he caught something at the party. Don't want him spreading germs around, you know. Aha aha aha."
"I change my mind, your fake laugh is worse than mine." That earned Colby a solid smack from Finley.
"Don't you have lessons?" Asked Brent. "I mean, I know you do we're in the same chemistry class."
"Yeah but it's okay, gotta look out for your friends." Said Finley and he punched Colby in the arm pretty hard.
"Ow! What I do that time?"
"Shut up."
"I haven't got any lessons now so I can take him." Said Ezra.
"Sorted then," Said Brent. "Shall we get going then, Fin?"
Finley's mouth hung open like a fish out of water. What's going on with him, this is terrifying.
"Yeah, let's go." He leaned close to Colby's ear. "Sorry, man. But take one for the team."
"I'm gonna break your kneecaps the next time I see you." Whispered Colby. Finley practically frolicked away with Brent and looked unfazed by Colby's threat. He must've thought Colby was joking but he was being oh so serious.
*
Is was really awkward. Colby and Ezra just walked next to each other in an uncomfortable silence. Ezra didn't look too fazed by it but Colby couldn't stop fiddling and cursing Finley in his head.
Just make conversation, anything he thought.
"What'd you think of the party on Sunday?" Asked Colby. Why would you ask that?!
"The party? I thought it was kind of boring at first but I was having a really good time by the end of it." A small smile graced Ezra's lips as he said that.
Good time? What did that mean? Did he remember the kiss, was the kiss the good time? Surely not or else he would've mentioned it. His ego would never have allowed him not to taunt Colby with it. Was he having a good time with someone else? Was Colby even the only person he had kissed at the party? Had he been with Joanna again? His thoughts kept spiralling with a thousand different possibilities of what the "good time" was. Every possibility that contained Ezra being with someone else pissed him off. I bet he was, typical fuckboy.
"What did you think of it?" The question interrupted the runaway train that was Colby's thoughts.
"I don't really remember most of it. I'm a bit of a lightweight so I remember getting there, having my first drink and then everything else is a blur."
"Oh." The smile fell away. "That's not very responsible of you."
"Alright, no need to lecture me, mom."
"You don't remember anything at all?"
Was this the right time to bring up the photo? Probably not. "Like I said nothing. You going deaf, dickhead?"
"I'm not deaf, I'm just amazed at your inability to hold your drink." Ezra's eyebrows knitted together and he refused to look at Colby anymore.
*
When they finally got to the nurse's office only Sophie was in there. Not a nurse to be found. He had never liked the nurse's office, sure there was a comfy bed to sit on but the rest of the office was covered in used coffee mugs and empty ibuprofen packets. Plus, the most the nurse could actually do for him is give him some painkillers and tell him to toughen up.
Before Sophie could notice them, Ezra pulled Colby out of sight.
"Are you sure you're not feeling well?" Ezra asked, his body uncomfortably close to Colby's.
"Yeah, I've just been feeling a bit..." He paused, unsure of how to describe himself. It was too early on in Operation Revenge to let anything slip yet, no matter how nice Ezra was pretending to act. Ezra might have everyone else under his spell but Colby saw right through his good guy act. "Since when did you care anyway!"
"Just trying to be nice." He gave Colby a quick peck on the lips before leaving.
"Hi Ezra!" Shouted Sophie when he came into her view.
"Hey Sophie, take care of Colby for me, won't you?" Why was Ezra acting like he cared? It was really getting on Colby's nerve but it was fine, Colby would bring him down eventually.
"Yep will do." Her cheeks turned the same colour as the red dress she was wearing.
Colby could only stare at Ezra as he walked away. The light coming in from the window dancing in his golden locks. He ran his finger along his lips, checking if Ezra had really kissed him. It had been so soft. He wasn't sure if it even happened.