I clamp my jaw shut so I don't scream again, and try to get a look at who's spraying us. I can't see through the spray of water, plus the sun is bright, and my hair won't stay out of my face. A moment later, the water disappears again and I look over to see Levi and Nate. I scowl at them.
"What was that for?"
"How about you two spraying each other? Because I count that as fighting," Levi tells us, and I make a face before pointing at Chase.
"He started it."
"You were complaining about the heat, what were you expecting?" He's smirking. It's irritating how unbothered by the cold water he is. We're both soaked right through, and he's smirking like he hasn't got a care in the world.
"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting you to just pick up a hose and spray me!"
"It seemed pretty obvious, considering-"
We're blasted with freezing cold water again, and I let out a little yelp and wonder if I could tackle whoever's holding the hose without being able to see them (yes, I'm a quarterback, I still know how to tackle) before the water shuts off again. I glare at Nate, who is holding the hose.
"What was that for?"
"Mostly to shut you up."
"Seriously, though: Chase, what were you thinking? Are you actively trying to get thrown off the team?"
"You know I'm not," he tells Levi. "It was all in good fun."
"It was," I say, before either Levi or Nate can argue. Chase looks a little surprised, then gives me a small smile. I look at him for a moment, finding it hard to look away.
Nate narrows his eyes at me, but seems to accept my answer. "Fine."
"Were you actually going to tell the coaches?" Chase asks, and I was definitely thinking the same thing, because technically, we're not on school grounds, and it was only water and there was no provoking or attempted hitting involved.
"No," Levi says. "We discussed it, though. Decided we'd just spray you both for punishment."
"You definitely just wanted to spray us," Chase says, and Nate grins maliciously.
"You're right." And he turns on the water again.
This time, he doesn't turn it off right away, and he also follows us if we try to get away. I growl in discomfort as I get hopelessly drenched, before feeling a warm arm settle around my shoulder.
"We go opposite directions, they can't follow both of us. Whoever gets away takes the hose away from those lunatics," Chase says, his lips brushing my ear so I can hear his low voice over the loud hiss of the hose and the laughter of 'those lunatics'. I'm caught between agreeing to his plan, or instead holding his arm around my shoulders a) for the warmth and b) because I kind of want to grab him around the waist and hold him against me for a really long time. He doesn't mind the water, he can be my shield, and I also just want to feel him wrapped around me and-
I nod, and his body warmth disappears. I start in the direction that he didn't seem to go in, and the stream of water follows me. Of course they choose me to follow. Well, Nate is the one controlling the hose, so it's not entirely a surprise.
Fortunately, moments later, there are twin shouts of surprise, and the water disappears. I let out a sigh of relief and turn to see Chase (still soaked) pointing the hose at them. I press my lips together to keep from laughing out loud and instead look at Nate and Levi, who are standing in the stream of water and look like they might rat us out to the coaches just for this, or possibly just murder us themselves. I grin at Chase, who's smirking widely as he drenches our chaperones. Unfortunately, one of them gets too close for his comfort, and he turns it off rather than try and fight them for it.
Levi, dripping wet, points sternly at Chase, who doesn't look like he regrets anything. "I'm going to kill you."
"We should have known when we saw them that close together," Nate grumbles, and Chase and I look at each other, both grinning.
Levi doesn't seem to be finished threatening Chase yet, though. "And to think I actually stood up for you when Nate and I were discussing whether or not to turn you guys in."
"He did have a pretty good argument," Nate says smugly, and Chase's eyes snap to Levi.
"You didn't."
"I had to."
"You could've waited until after you talked to us!"
"We don't trust anything you guys say. You'll do anything to stay on your teams."
Chase might actually kill Levi with his gaze. I move closer to the group, not quite sure where to stand but wanting to stand by Chase. Why? No idea. Well, actually-
Chase Jackson. It's Chase. Jackson.
I glance at Nate, who's raising an eyebrow at me probably as he reads my thoughts and deciphers whatever attraction I have to Chase. He doesn't say anything about that, though. Instead, he gives me a pointed look and says, "I hope you realize that we have football practice very soon, and we're not going to be sitting in my parents' car soaking wet."
I point at Chase immediately. "His fault."
"You were conspiring together."
"His plan."
"Wow, thanks," Chase says drily.
"You're still an accessory," Nate tells me. "Now come on, we have to dry off. Fast."
Essentially, what Nate means by this, is taking off our shirts and wringing them out to the best of our ability and then sitting on the hood of his parents (dark coloured) car. No, it's not comfortable, not by any stretch of the word, but I'm completely unwilling to miss football practice and it's too late to walk.
While we sit in extreme discomfort due to the burning hot hood of the car, our shirts sitting on the roof (which is thankfully freshly clean) to dry, Nate chews me out for getting him wet, fighting with Chase, etc., until finally coming upon the one topic that I was hoping wouldn't come up.
"So, Chase?"
"What about him?" I try to say it casually, but it's impossible for me to hide anything from Nate.
"You're sticking up for him, now. Twice, today."
I blush a little. "And I want to stay on the team. So what?"
"You kept looking at him, too."
"Noididn't."
"Yeah, you did. So, do you think it's because you're actually attracted to him, or is it because you're associating him with the dream you had during your-"
"Hey, Nate, Jordan, I was just wondering if-" Levi appears at the side of the car, Chase at his side, and blinks when he sees us both, shirtless, sitting on the hood of the car. "Oh, sorry, should we go...?"
Chase's eyes are already flicking over my chest, and he doesn't look like he wants to go at all. Interesting, I didn't know he was gay (or bi, or whatever. Has an interest in guys). Part of me wants to grab my shirt from the top of the car and put it back on, but I can't stop looking at the way he's looking at me. Like... he wants me. And oh no, no no no, it's not at all helping to get rid of whatever attraction to him I already feel. I want to hop off the car and go over to him and-
"Jordan?"
I blink and look at Nate. "Yeah?"
He rolls his eyes. "Were you actually not listening? Did you get water in your ears?"
"Maybe. Tell me again."
He sighs. "Levi said that Chase can drive us to practice if we can't dry off fast enough. He'll come back to get us afterwards, bring us back here for my parents' car."
"Sure." I try to seem casual about it, when in reality I just want to be around Chase for longer, after seeing him look at me like that.
"Great." He grabs his shirt off the roof of the car, and I sneak one last glance at Chase before doing the same. He swallows, before bringing his eyes to mine. And then, when he sees me looking at him- will wonders never cease- he actually blushes. I stare at him, fascinated.
My vision is suddenly blocked off as Nate drapes my shirt over my face. I grab it and scowl at him as I pull it over my head.
"Hey, could you guys give us a sec? I want to re-park the car, so the seats are in the shade," Nate says, hopping down. I follow as Chase and Levi leave. Nate climbs into his parents car, grimacing as he sits. He starts the engine, then rolls down the window and looks at me. "Oh, and by the way, I told Levi about your dream."
What are your thoughts on Jordan defending Chase? Any ideas for what Levi might have told Nate about Chase? What do you think of the way Chase was looking at Jordan? And the way that Jordan's thinking about him? How about Nate telling Chase about Jordan's dream?
So, so sorry for updating late! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, you can make my day and let me know by voting or commenting! Thank you so much for reading!