Page 97 of Game Plan

Oh God. Abort, abort, abort. This was terrible.

Mason raised his arms at the same time our professor entered the classroom through the door at the front.

“I told her not so long ago I loved playing hot dog with her.”

People wolf-whistled.

Mason sighed. “Not in a frisky kind of way. Geez, guys. Not everything is about sex.”

“Look who’s talking? Jocks are man whores. Everyone knows that.”

“Who’s this guy?” a girl sitting a couple of rows down asked.

“Mason Pierce, your star quarterback,” Mason replied with a smirk, pride shining in his eyes.

Donovan clasped his hands. “I knew it was him. Mel, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Very long story,” I said, keeping my head down and trying to be invisible. In that instant, I wished my dromedary-brown knitted dress would swallow me or that I could just slide into one of my knee-length boots.

“Shepard, I think you still don’t believe me when I tell you you’re the one for me, and I really want us to be together. This is me, now, proving you wrong. You know how much I hate being the center of attention unless I’m on the field, but I would do just about anything to show you I’m not kidding and I’m all in. What do you say?”

I felt all eyes on me. I hated the attention even more than Mason did. Why did he believe asking me out in front of my sociology class was the way to my heart and the proof that he was serious about us? My face was burning up. When we talked about grand gestures, this was not what I had in mind.

“Say something,” a girl on my right said.

“Yeah, don’t be a bitch. Give the guy what he wants,” a guy added.

“Have you lost your voice?” another student asked in an accusing tone.

“Seriously, why don’t you say something? Are you dumb? The guy is a catch, and he wants to be with you.”

“Dude, you’re wasting your time. She’s not worth it.”

“Yeah, move on. Find someone else.”

“Ask me out,” a girl said. “I’ll even suck your dick right now if you agree. I’ll let everyone know whether it tastes like ketchup or mayo afterward.”

Mason’s face fell as we stared at each other. All the voices around me faded.

What do you say? he mouthed. Do you believe me now?

I shook my head. I’m sorry. I…I can’t. Not like this.

I won’t give up. I haven’t said my last word.

Before either of us could add anything else, the professor took matters into his own hands. “It’s enough, folks. Please, you can empty the content of your heart later, Mr. Pierce. My classroom isn’t the place to do so.”

People around me booed.

I slouched lower in my seat.

“Wow, that was entertaining,” Donovan whispered. I had forgotten he had witnessed the entire show. “Are you okay?”

I hid my face in the crook of my elbow. “I’m not sure.”

“What was that all about?”

“It’s been going on for quite a while. We almost got together last year, and I ended up dating the guy he hated the most after I relapsed. Not my finest moment. We’ve been hanging out together a lot in the last few weeks. It feels right, but…”