Page 102 of The Cheerleader is Off Limits

“I’m sorry I ruined your homecoming.”

“You didn’t ruin anything,” he says before grabbing the pair of dark sunglasses tucked into his shirt and sliding them onto his face, disallowing me from seeing his eyes at all. “Don’t give yourself so much credit.”

“Right. Look, I’m sorry. I never meant to lead you on or hurt you, and I am so sorry if I did.”

“You didn’t. You were clear you weren’t into it. Just wasn’t expecting it to be because you were on Coach K’s dick.” He chuckles, and I scrunch my nose as irritation washes over me.

“If you could refrain from being crass, that would be great. I get you’re pissed, but I don’t deserve that.”

He leans forward, and I pray I sidestep any of the metaphorical landmines of this conversation with what I say next. “I know it’s weird, and in a way, it feels like I picked him over you, but it’s not the case. So don’t feel like that. I met him before I started school. We hit it off. But I lied about my age and what I was doing in Maryland. He had no idea that he was going to see me in high school. What reason would he have? I told him I was going to Towson.”

“You were messing around with him before school started?”

“Yes.”

“You really think I was going to rat you guys out?”

I let out a quiet breath. “I don’t know. I knew you were mad, and you stormed off. Did you tell anyone else?”

“Nope. I’m not an asshole,” he says while glaring at me.

“I’m not!”

He lowers his sunglasses and stares at me from over the tops of them. “You fucked another guy while on a date with me. Even if we were just friends… seems like asshole behavior to me.”

I nod. “That’s… fair.”

“I’m not going to say I haven’t done something similar.” He shrugs, and I roll my eyes. “Hey, game recognizes game.”

His words hit me hard because I never meant to hurt anyone. Truthfully, the only person that I thought would get hurt in all of this was me. “I really am sorry for this. I never meant to drag you into it and I know I don’t deserve it but I hope you can find a way to forgive me.”

RIVER

There’s a knock on my office door, and when I look up from the box of things I’m packing, I see Mack in the doorway. “You moving?”

“My lawyer suggested I come in and get anything I might need in case I’m prohibited from reentering the building.”I rap my knuckles against my desk a few times.

“Oh geeze, you got a lawyer?” He groans before coming into the office and dropping to the couch and kicking his feet up on the table like he’s done hundreds of times. “What about me gives the vibe that I would be a snitch? I’m offended.”

“It’s my brother and your motives weren’t exactly clear last night.”

He nods. “I talked to your girl.” He picks up a football that’s sitting on the table and begins playing with it, tossing it up in the air. “I was never going to tell anyone. I was just pissed when I said that. And I also meant it in the abstract way, like you're going to blow up your life all on your own if you’re going to be messing around with a student in a school bathroom.” He shakes his head. “I mean, come on, even students don’t do that. That’swhy we have cars? The fuck? And you have a whole ass house to yourself.” He shakes his head while giving me an incredulous look.

“It wasn’t my brightest decision.”

“And what the hell would I look like snitching on my football coach, the year I need the most help deciding what to do next. I get you fired and then our whole season goes down the drain along with all my scholarships and money that schools are practically throwing at me?” He snorts. “My mama ain’t raise no fool.” I chuckle, and he points at me. “I’m not running a suicide for the rest of the year, though.”

“I think we can work with that.”

“Or burpees.”

“You’re pushing it. Do you want to be the best or do you want to be lazy?” I ask him.

He lifts one eyebrow. “I want to be a little self-righteous because you fucked up my guy.”

“I know.”

“And you still have eight months.”