Chapter 32
DANNY
We don’t hear anything about Nick and the other nimrods responsible for the list for the rest of the day.
Gossip about the situation didn’t even spread through campus, which, to me, doesn’t bode well.
It meant school administration was trying to salvage the situation, perhaps give Nick a mild punishment such as academic probation instead of expulsion.
I tried to keep my frustration bottled up during practice, but I messed up a few passes and got yelled at by Coach Clarkson.
It took everything in me not to seek him out afterward and ask if he knew anything about Nick, but I didn’t want to make him suspicious of my interest. I was afraid he’d guess about Sadie and me.
The fear itself was ludicrous. We weren’t hiding from anyone on campus that we were dating; it wouldn’t take long for the gossip to reach Coach’s ears.
It’s not until after dinner that my suspicions are confirmed by a text from Sadie.
SADIE: Nick and his wanker friends aren’t off the soccer team!!!! I’m going to murder someone.
I call her instead of replying via text.
“What happened?” I ask.
“I don’t know. All I know is the arsehole will only miss a few games and that’s it. That’s complete rubbish. What kind of message is the school sending? I want to break things.”
My hands have already curled into fists. I’m with Sadie on the breaking things ideas, but mine is more specific. I want to break Nick’s face.
“Do you want me to come over?” I ask.
“As much as I’d love to see you, I’m heading to Vanessa’s place. We need to strategize and think of a way to convince whoever needs to be convinced that the only acceptable punishment for Nick Fowler and everyone involved is expulsion.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
She lets out a heavy sigh. “Just… don’t do anything to Nick, okay?”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because apparently, I’m the only one who knows about your temper when provoked. Everyone else thinks you’re a levelheaded bloke.” She chuckles.
Another person saying this might have pissed me off, but coming from Sadie, it’s amusing.
“Are you accusing me of being a hothead?” I ask, not fighting the grin.
“No, just stating a fact. And that’s one of the things I love about you.”
My heart stops beating for a second, only to hammer against my rib cage in the next. A stretch of silence follows. I don’t know how to respond to that. Did she mean to say she loves me, or should I take it as a meaningless expression?
“So you love things about me?” I ask finally.
She mutters a curse under her breath, and it sounds distant. She must have pulled the phone away from her face.
“Sadie?”
“Bloody hell. Yes, Danny. I love things about you. Don’t let that go to your head.”
“Too late now.”
“You can be such a bellend sometimes.”
“I bet that’s one of the things you love about me,” I tease.
“You’re flirting with danger by taking the piss when I’m in a bad mood.”
“All right, all right. I won’t say another word, except that….” I pause, not knowing if I should confess what’s on the tip of my tongue.
“Except what?” she asks, her voice softer, uncertain.
“Except that I love things about you too.”
She doesn’t reply right away, but her breathing has changed, turned shallow. With the way my heart is beating faster and my lungs are squeezing tight, I’m betting I sound the same.
“If you wanted me to turn into melted butter, you succeeded, Danny Hudson. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
The line goes dead before I can reply. It doesn’t matter. I keep staring at my phone with a goofy grin. But then I remember the reason I called Sadie in the first place, and my amusement is replaced by anger.
I’m not going after Nick and getting myself expelled.
I’m not a dumbass. But that doesn’t mean I can’t get involved.
Practice is in the morning tomorrow, and I plan to arrive early to have a real talk with Coach Clarkson.
If there’s anyone who can apply pressure and force school administration to do more, it’s him.