His Reckless Freshman (Nolan U Basketball #2)

Jolie

Great. So now every guy on the Nolan U basketball team hates me.

This is just perfect!

What a great start to my audition article at the paper.

It’s not like I haven’t been trying to get into Kieran’s good graces ever since arriving here.

Yes, he’s allowed me to sit in on a few team meetings, but that’s about it.

I haven’t been given any actual assignments.

My cousin, Caroline, has been asking me about the school paper, and I keep giving her vague nods and answers, not wanting to admit that I’ve been desperately trying to find my place here but so far am nothing more than vapor in a chair.

So I sat in yet another team meeting this morning, my leg bobbing restlessly and feeling pretty damn low because my roommate, Julia, moved out this weekend.

I thought she was my soul sister. I had visions of four amazing years in college together.

She even tried to join the paper with me.

Had more success than I’ve had too. She was allowed to sit in on the Sport Digest interviews with the football team.

How cool is that! Plus, I know Kieran asked her to do a little research and write something for a column, although she never showed me what that was, and I’m not sure it ever ran.

But that’s not the point.

She got noticed.

I’ve pretty much been invisible, and now she’s just gone!

And only after a month here too. One month!

Which means this morning, I sat in that meeting alone, feeling like complete crap as our editor in chief handed out new assignments for the week…

“Heather, let’s run with your opinion piece on the school’s decision to remove vending machines from the dorms as part of a new wellness initiative.”

“Michael, we’ve been asked to do something on the performing arts program, so just pick an upcoming play or exhibit that they’re working on and give the department a little airtime.”

“Angelica, I’d like you to—”

“I’m already working on that piece you told me to do last time. You know, the one you didn’t run because you said it needed more work? I’ll be doing that work this week.” She gave him a tight smile, and the tension between them had me squirming in my chair like I needed to pee.

Kieran’s eyes narrowed, and although his lips were smiling, his eyes were doing the exact opposite.

“Thanks, Angelica.” Then he looked at the next person in the circle.

“Jax, just do your usual sports update, but I’d also like to go deep with a few of the teams this year.

Readers seem to like that. Maybe highlight some of the hockey guys.

Chicks are always drooling over them. I think it’ll up readership to have a few of the members highlighted.

Vicky can include some photos that make the guys look hot.

” Kieran’s upper lip curled in disgust as he looked back down at his iPad.

“Also check out the football team. They seem to be promising this year.”

“Got it. The Sports Digest: Football Edition was well received, so I’m sure readers would love to read more about them.

There’s been some good gossip circulating about the QB, Zander Donahue, too.

Might see what I can dig up there.” Jax tapped notes into her phone while Kieran nodded in approval and I wiggled in my seat, hoping he might finally look my way for once.

His brown eyes skimmed right past me, and I stared at his black spiral curls, clenching my teeth until he’d spoken to everyone in the room.

I could sense him about to wrap up, and this explosion kind of grew inside me until I ended up practically shouting, “Anything for me?”

Everyone looked at me then, which was… okay, kind of embarrassing, but I kept my eyes trained on Kieran. His lips twitched, and he gave me this smile like “I’ve been waiting for you to ask.”

Pointing at Jax, he said, “Why don’t you assist our sports reporter. Jax, you don’t mind, do you?”

The girl beside me gave him a tight smile and a stiff nod. I pretended not to notice her reluctance.

“Why don’t you write a feature as well? We’ll use it like your audition piece. If I like it more than Jax’s, we’ll run it. If not, it’s good practice for you, and I can stick you with a different reporter next time.”

“O-okay.” I nodded, barely able to breathe as I turned to Jax with a hopeful grin.

Her eyes narrowed in on me for a hot second, and then with a saccharine smile, she said, “Why don’t you take the basketball team?”

Michael snorted, then tried, and failed, to hide his laughter while Heather gave me a sympathetic smile and Angelica rolled her eyes.

“What’s wrong with the basketball team?” I asked them.

“Nothing,” Jax quickly shut her friends up while I gave everyone a mystified frown.

They walked their snickering selves away from me, and I pulled out my phone, quickly researching the Nolan U basketball team. It didn’t take long to realize that they finished in last place the previous season. Unlike football and hockey, these guys are struggling to make an impact.

Great. No wonder Jax suggested them—no one seems to care about Nolan U basketball, which means no one will want to read my article, which means it won’t run.

Ugh!

It took every ounce of self-control I possessed not to let my disappointment show. Instead, I forced a smile and thanked Kieran for the opportunity. Then I left that office determined to write the best damn article ever.

Until I put my big fat foot in my big stupid mouth!

Stomping up the stairs of Buckley Hall, I storm to my room, trying not to think about my royal screwup and how I’m going to fail this test and Jax’s article will get published and mine won’t.

I shouldn’t be surprised. I don’t know how to talk to stupidly tall, too-hot-for-their-own-good college guys. Why did I think I could approach them and suddenly be cool or smooth or elegant in any way, shape, or form?

I caught Darian Gomez coming out of Athletes Hall.

I’d been loitering there for the past thirty minutes, waiting for the tallest people to come out.

I’d already approached one guy assuming he was on the basketball team, but he just snickered, shook his head, and walked away without even talking to me.

But then I saw Darian, and I could just tell I was in luck. He was heading to his next class and obviously running late, so I jogged beside him. His legs were so long that I had to run just to keep up with his walk.

“So, I work for the Nolan U Star, and I’m writing a feature on the basketball team, and I was wondering if I could interview you.”

“Oh yeah?” He slowed, giving me an interested smile.

Eeeep, he was so good-looking and so tall. My stomach got all jittery. I liked the way his brown eyes sparkled as he gazed down at me. It made me kind of flustered, and I started jabbering away like I always do, getting way too excited.

“So, I’m not sure what angle I’m going to take yet, but I figured if I interview a few of you, I can find something good. Something that will make the team look better, you know?”

“Better?” He actually stopped walking to frown at me then.

I blinked, pretending not to notice his shift in mood, and tried to brighten my voice.

“Well, you know, you’re currently the worst team in the school, and I just want to highlight your good points. Change people’s perception of you. It’d be great to get more people coming to your games and—”

“The worst team in the school? Are you fucking serious?”

“I-I-I…” My voice petered out as I finally let myself take in his thunderous expression.

Plus, he just said the word “fucking,” which is ringing in my ears because I was never allowed to talk like that.

My parents were pretty strict on language, and so was the school I went to.

This one time, the girl next to me in class wrote the word “shitty” on a note and got busted and spent the rest of the day outside the principal’s office writing lines. She wasn’t even allowed a lunch break.

“You know what?” Darian spat. “No, you can’t have an interview. Wouldn’t want you wasting your time on the sucky Nolan U basketball team, right?” With a sharp huff, he spun away from me and charged off.

I stood on the path, chewing the end of my pen until I nearly got knocked off my feet by a bunch of burly giants who didn’t notice my skinny, insignificant self standing there.

But I couldn’t give up, right?

So I maybe worded things a little badly. I’d do better next time—which came about within minutes, because I saw Jimmy Li walking my way. At least I thought it was Jimmy Li. He was a tall Asian man, so it had to be him, right?

I ran toward him with an enthusiastic smile, and he jolted away from me like I was a charging bear.

“Hi.” I waved, trying not to notice his reaction. “I’m Jolie. I work for the school paper, and I saw that you play for the basketball team. I’d really love to…”

My words trailed off after he mumbled a quick “No thanks” and picked up his pace, actually breaking into a jog to get away from me.

“Like any of us are gonna talk to you. Not happening, lady.” That’s what the next guy said. He was tall with dark skin and spiral curls. He told me in no uncertain terms that none of the team will talk to me after the way I spoke to Darian.

I just had to stand there trying not to cry as he calmly dressed me down in this voice that was almost tender. Yet each word still felt like a brutal blow.

And now I’m standing in my dorm room, wrecked and… so alone I want to crumple into a ball and cry.

Clicking the door shut behind me, I stare at Julia’s bed. It’s naked, not even a sheet to cover the bare mattress. It’s like a slap to the face.

Because on a day that I desperately need someone to vent to, she’s not here.

I would call her or text her, but I’ve already done that twice since she left and still haven’t heard back. I can’t believe she’s ghosting me.

She left so suddenly and wouldn’t tell me why.

I even tried to blame myself to see if that would get the truth out of her. “Did I do something wrong? How can I fix it?”