Page 29 of Cheap Shot

I’d never tell to anyone, even my closest friends, that Coach admitted that a few of us were given more leniency. Neither Benjamin nor Ethan could afford to get complacent. Coach Hiller understood there was more at risk for the seniors. If we got in trouble, it affected the entire team, not just with the outcome of games, but in the school’s reputation. No one wanted to draw negative attention to the program.

I was on thin ice, but so was the entire team. I had to be careful. I couldn’t take any chances for a while, if at all. There was too much on the line, and nothing was worth my career.

Chapter 11

Haley

Cassie, Ella, Krystal, and Sadie were like that first gulp of air after holding your breath under water. I hadn’t realized how close to drowning I was until Sadie and Ella looped their arms around mine and led the way into the party like we did this all the time.

The four of them pulled me into their group without missing a beat, and within hours, it felt like I’d known them for years. We were always laughing and teasing, creating an energy around us that drew others in. In the weeks that followed that first party, it only took moments for a group to gather around us, usually consisting of guys.

Having friends made forgetting about Reid a little bit easier. He was still in the back of my mind but no longer taking up so much of my concentration. Our texts grew more sporadic, and I no longer waited next to my phone, hoping he’d reach out.

When I told Ethan about my new friends, he sounded relieved. He told me to have fun and be smart but reminded me I could always reach out to him if I needed help. It was nice knowing he was only a call away, but he gave me the space I asked for.

Since our first night together a week ago, the girls and I hung out several times. Either getting food or going to a party. Since Emery basically moved out, I continued my open-door policy, and it caught on. We called out to each other to see who was home before inviting ourselves in. This was what I pictured when I thought of living on campus. I was finally getting the dorm experience I’d hoped for when I started at West Penn.

Ella, Sadie, and I were in their shared room, finishing homework before going to a party. That was another thing I liked about them, they didn’t blow off classes or assignments. They were serious about staying on track while also enjoying themselves when they were done.

“What are you wearing tonight?” Sadie asked from the floor. She was lying back with her feet resting up on her bed.

She was a spitfire with a sarcastic sense of humor that kept everyone laughing. She had light brown hair that flowed down her back to her hips, and she seemed to lack the ability to feel embarrassment. She simply did what she wanted and did not care one bit what anyone else thought, even if she was the only one dancing in the room with all eyes on her. It surprised me that she was an actuarial science major. She didn’t strike me as the type to want to work at a desk, crunching numbers, but she said the material came easy to her and the job salary was high.

“What’s the theme again?” I asked. Cassie told us that we needed to dress up for this party.

“Back in the day,” Sadie answered. “I think the frat was too lazy to pick a specific decade, so you’re just supposed to dress up for whichever one you want.”

“Can I wear low-rise, flare jeans, layer a few tank tops, put a belt over them, and say I’m the two-thousands?” Ella asked.

Ella was another anomaly. Her blond pixie cut had pieces of pink and purple along the tips. She had the palest of skin speckled with freckles which matched her whimsical personality. She was always smiling and didn’t seem to take much seriously, but she was studying pre-law and had already taken the practice LSATs and passed even though she was only a junior.

“Only if you flat iron your hair pin-straight and bring a sequined bag,” I added.

Sadie burst out laughing. “I wish we had time to get extensions and add thick streaks in our hair.”

Ella giggled. “That would be perfect.”

“Wait, do you actually have any of those things?”

Ella stood and went to her closet. “I think I have flare jeans from a party last year.”

She started to look while Sadie dropped her legs to the carpet and rolled onto her side to watch. “I’m pretty sure I have black gaucho pants if you want to use those.”

“What are you going to wear?” I asked.

“I have a cute flapper dress I don’t get to wear enough or a daisy mini dress. I’ll have to borrow Krystal’s go-go boots if she’s not wearing them.” She reached for her phone and started typing.

“Do you have anything?” Ella asked me.

“I’m not sure. I might be able to put something together for the seventies or eighties.” I hadn’t packed dress-up clothes when I moved. Going to themed parties required friends, and I thought it would take longer for me to get to this point. When I stuck my head out into the hall, I hoped it would lead to one night out of my room, not finding my group.

“Krystal and Cassie will be here in about ten minutes. They both have a better selection of clothes than we do. I’m sure they have plenty for you to borrow.” Sadie tossed her phone down next to her.

I finished my last assignment due this week, and the group project with the moochers was turned in, so I gathered my books to drop off in my room before the others got here. Once they went into party-prep mode, it looked like a tornado hit. Clothing, shoes, makeup, and bedding ended up trailed from one room to another as they bounced between. Since I had little to offer this time, I shut my door and headed back to Ella and Sadie’s room.

“There you are.” Cassie greeted me with a grin.

She was gorgeous with warm tan skin, big brown eyes, and wavy brown hair. She was from Puerto Rico and had a slight Spanish accent. She was all sweet and sass and had curves in all the right places and usually left a line of drooling men in her path. She was studying to be a nurse and planned on returning home after graduation.