Chapter 13 Captain
Chapter thirteen
Captain
Shepherd Kingsley
“Man, that final touchdown pass was crazy!” Pete shakes my shoulders as we walk through the quad.
We just won our second game of the season, our first home game and first game against a team that was actual competition.
The win showed Coach that all our practice paid off.
It also showed everyone that I can handle the ever-mounting pressure of maintaining the win streak.
The crowd was buzzing with excitement, and it bled over into all of us for the whole game.
My heart is still pounding even after the press interviews and meeting up with the guys outside the practice facility.
Now, we’re headed to an after-party hosted at one of the fraternity houses. I don’t go to every single one, but I didn’t want to miss the first of the season.
I laugh. “You said that already.”
“He wants the girls to hear him,” Zion says with a smirk. “It’s the only touchdown he scored tonight, so he’s got to make the most of it.”
Pete glares at Zion. They’re both wide receivers and tend to get competitive about who catches the most passes or scores the most.
“The best touchdown of the night was when Jack picked up that fumble and ran it all the way,” I say to change the subject, looking over my shoulder at Jack. “Never seen you move that fast, big man.”
The defensive lineman’s eyes widen. “I didn’t think I’d make it,” he admits.
“He was on oxygen until he went on the field again,” Pete says, eliciting laughter out of our whole group.
As we get closer to fraternity row, the noise level increases.
Soon enough, we’re surrounded by people shouting congratulations to us while music pumps through speakers.
The air smells like liquor, or maybe that’s the breath of all the people coming up to us.
After I take a few selfies with some less-than-sober peers, I push through the throng to get inside the party I came for.
The smell of alcohol and sweat is nauseating, but I’m used to it by now.
I’ve been to plenty of these parties. They can be fun, but they’re not exactly a way to escape the pressure of my position.
Something crazy always happens, and as team captain, it’s partly my responsibility to make sure none of my guys are in the mix.
The last thing I need is to be seen in a compromising position.
Then I’d be compared to my brother in a worse light than I already am.
Jason spent the early years of his career partying and drinking.
There was rarely a week where he wasn’t in the tabloids.
After a while, he straightened up and set his sights on being a role model and family man.
Since then, the press have mostly laid off him, but they’re still eager to drag the Kingsley name through the mud.
Which is why I have to be careful. I don’t want anything to do with those headlines.
“Kingsley! You made it!” Carson shouts directly into my ear while pulling me in for a back-slapping hug.
“You know I wouldn’t miss an Alpha Phi after-party,” I say with a grin.
“See, you say that, but I seem to remember you skipping a few last season.” He points at me with a blue plastic cup.
His black hair falls into his eyes and he pushes it back with his free hand.
There are flecks of glitter on his forehead, likely from one of the many sparkly women I saw on my way in.
“I’m surprised you remember anything at all from last year,” I joke.
He barks a laugh. “I’ve got a mind like a steel trap.” The liquid in his cup sloshes as he taps it against his temple.
“I’m sure you do,” I say as I scan the packed living room.
Carson keeps talking—something about the game—but I stop listening when I spot a certain curly-haired brunette laughing with a few other cheerleaders in matching uniforms. Though it’s common for cheerleaders to come to these parties, I didn’t expect Jasmine to be here.
Mostly because Coach would hate the idea of her surrounded by a bunch of drunk idiots.
Jasmine steps out of her group and starts to head in my direction, though she doesn’t see me yet.
Her gaze flits from person to person as she smiles and waves.
I don’t doubt that she’ll grow in popularity quickly if she wants to.
Maybe even if she doesn’t want to. She’s beautiful and smart and witty, plus a cheerleader with connections to the head coach.
Hopefully she knows to be cautious. A lot of people will want to befriend her for that connection alone. Especially guys.
When her gaze finally lands on me, it narrows. I count it as a win that she doesn’t scowl.
“Didn’t expect to see you here, Chamberlain,” I say as she approaches.
“You’re exactly where I thought you’d be,” Jasmine deadpans.
I grin. “And yet you still came.”
Carson’s incoherent babbling stops. His eyes rove over Jasmine in a way that makes me want to blacken them. Before he can say anything stupid, I redirect his attention.
“Hey, I think that guy over there is trying to steal something.” I point in a random direction.
“What?!” Carson booms, and storms off, only to immediately get distracted by a different girl in a cheerleading uniform.
“He seems…smart.” Jasmine laughs, and I join in.
“Hard to believe, but he’s actually an engineering major. Not a bad student when he’s sober.”
“I don’t think I’ll be asking him for help with my math homework anytime soon,” she says.
We watch as Carson gives the cheerleader his drink, then tries to do a cartwheel. It goes as well as one might expect. He lands in a crumpled heap on the floor, narrowly escaping taking a bystander down with him. The girl sinks beside him and checks on him, a worried expression on her face.
“I can’t believe she’s helping him.” I shake my head in disbelief.
“I watched her down three shots of tequila as soon as we got in the door, so that might explain it,” Jasmine says dryly.
“And what about you? Are you drinking tonight?” I try to pose my question casually.
She’s not holding a drink, but she could have been on her way to get one when we crossed paths.
If she does decide to drink, I’ll have to add her to my list of people to watch over.
I hope she says no because the stress of making sure nothing happens to her will be much worse than watching over my teammates.
She laughs. “Absolutely not. My brother-in-law would kill me if he found out. So would Bash. And…everyone else in my family, for that matter.”
It’s weird that she doesn’t mention her parents, but maybe they aren’t as protective?
Coach is certainly hard to beat with his speech about benching anyone who looks at a cheerleader.
I suppress a cringe. I’m breaking that rule on a daily basis at this point.
But watching Jasmine laugh and smile in the dim light saps away my ability to care.
It’s not like anything will happen between us anyway, so talking to her isn’t a big deal.
At least, that’s what I’m going to keep telling myself.
“Probably for the best,” I say.
She looks me over. “What about you? Are you drinking?”
There’s nothing in her tone to make me think so, but I can’t help but wonder if she’s comparing me to my brother again. His past is well-known. It wouldn’t be a stretch. I lift my hat and rake a hand through my hair.
I wave a hand. “Nah, someone has to keep everyone in line.”
She raises a brow. “And that’s you?”
“Your skepticism wounds me.” I place a hand on my chest in mock pain. “I am team captain, you know. That means Coach thought I was the most responsible player.”
The smirk that plays on her lips makes my blood heat with desire. “Judging by some of the guys walking around here, I’d say he didn’t have a lot of options to choose from. Best of the worst kind of scenario.”
I chuckle. “I take it you have higher standards than Coach?”
Someone calls out her name. She glances over her shoulder and waves, then turns back to me.
“I do,” she replies and takes a step back toward her friends.
“I think I could meet them.”
Her green eyes sparkle. “You could certainly try.” She hooks her thumb over her shoulder. “I think my friends need me.”
I dip my chin. “I’ll see you around.”
Her smile is stronger than all the alcohol in this house combined. “See you around, Captain.”
She turns and makes her way back through the crowd of people, her white skirt flouncing with each swing of her hips.
I run a hand over my face and laugh under my breath.
I’m in so much trouble.