Chapter 10 – My Boyfriends Will Be Jealous
Saturday
“Do you think Leo’s spoken to Jacob?” I asked as I watched the last seconds of the game clock tick down. The Empire High Eagles were up by one touchdown. And Leo was about to kick a field goal. If he made it, the game would definitely be over.
“I mean, I’m sure they’ve spoken,” Sophie said. “They are playing together.”
“But do you think they’ve spoken about me?”
“Sh, your new boyfriend is about to kick the ball.”
I groaned.
“Long snapper!” Mr. Nigel yelled. “Placekicker! Don’t muff the punt!”
I wasn’t sure that last thing was correct...
Leo kicked the ball perfectly between the uprights and the crowd started cheering.
Including Sophie. She pulled me to my feet with everyone else.
I couldn’t help but clap. He’d helped them win the game.
And despite how awkward I’d made everything between us, Leo had been really nice to me last night. This was all my mess.
Leo turned toward me in the stands and flashed me a smile.
“Are you going to blow your new boyfriend a kiss?” Sophie asked.
I elbowed her in her side. “Stop it. Do you think Jacob noticed Leo staring at me?”
“I think that they’re both pretty preoccupied by the game.” Sophie sighed.
“What?”
“Look how hot Mr. Halifax is in his mascot uniform. I swear feathers really do something for me now.”
“I love that for you,” I said. The one good thing about unmasking my kiss thief was that I didn’t need to worry about Mr. Halifax anymore. At least that was a relief.
The buzzer sounded and the stands started shaking with everyone stomping their feet and cheering.
Jacob pulled off his helmet and waved at me.
Normally I’d cheer for him. But Leo was still on the field and I didn’t want him to have any reason to speak to Jacob. “Go Eagles!” I yelled instead.
Jacob smiled.
“I mean, whose ass looks that amazing in feathers?” Sophie said as she stared at the mascot. “It doesn’t even make sense.”
I didn’t look. I was too distracted watching Gigi. She waved her pompoms in the air as she ran onto the field. She jumped into Axel’s waiting arms, straddling him around his waist.
I turned away when they started making out.
“Come on, we should head to the party.” I wanted to be early so I could talk to Jacob as soon as he got there.
And also, I didn’t want to have to run into anyone from Jacob’s family right now.
Aunt Brooklyn had a sixth sense about knowing when I was feeling low.
And I couldn’t talk to her about any of this.
Sophie didn’t respond. She was staring at Mr. Halifax. He’d just lifted his oversized jersey and was flashing the crowd his feathery torso.
It would have been sexy if a football player was doing that. Not so much when it was our teacher in a bird costume.
I grabbed Soph and pulled her down the stands. “Where is the victory party tonight?” I asked.
Sophie laughed as we made our way out of the stadium and into the parking lot.
“Why are you laughing?”
“You seriously don’t know where it is? I thought your new boyfriend would have told you last night.”
I laughed. “Would you quit it with that?”
“I’m actually being serious,” she said as she climbed into her car.
I opened the passenger side door and sat down. “What are you talking about?”
“Scar.” She put the car into reverse and pulled out of her parking spot. “The party is at Leo’s place.”
Oh God. What were the odds? “Seriously?”
“Mhm. His parents are out of town on business. It’s going to be awesome. You know, we should host one of the parties this season.”
“I can’t throw a party at my place. Even if my parents were out, Briggs and Porter would catch us red handed. And my dad is a crazy person.”
“My dad would let me,” Sophie said. “Oh, or better idea. We can throw it at Natalivanka’s mom’s place.”
“Are you insane?! We already ruined a room!”
“We didn’t ruin a room. We elevated it. Come on, it would be so fun to host. And no one would ever find out.”
“I don’t follow your logic. It’s literally right below my apartment. My parents will feel their floor shaking if we play music loudly.”
Sophie laughed. “How cheaply do you think they made that apartment building? I doubt they could hear the music, let alone feel it in their hardwoods.”
“It’s a bad idea.”
“I love bad ideas.” She smiled. “I’ll let the guys know it’s a go.”
“Soph!”
“Scar! It’s our senior year! We have to throw an epic party to go out with a bang.”
That was all fine for her, because her dad was cool. I was just getting used to my freedom again. I didn’t want to be re-grounded. “Let’s just do it at your place then.”
“I’ve already seen the vision for Natalivanka’s mom’s. It’s happening.”
I sighed and looked out the window.
“Do you think Leo will try to take you to his room?” Sophie asked.
“You are getting too much fun out of this.”
“I just don’t know why you didn’t go to Jacob’s last night to unload on him, instead of agreeing to be Leo’s girlfriend so you could unload on Jacob tonight.”
“First of all,” I said. “I don’t like the term unload. That sounds very sexual. And second...time got away from me. And Jacob said he was calling it an early night so he could get a good night’s rest before the game. Plus I didn’t want to distract him before the game. It was an important one.”
“I don’t even really see why you need to tell Jacob anything,” she said as she made a turn.
“What are you talking about? I need to tell him everything.”
“The rules literally say that you don’t.”
“What rules?” I asked.
“The Single Girl Rules of course. Does Leo have eight abs?”
What? “I have no idea. Would you stop quoting those weird Russian rules!”
“I told you I was considering making them my whole personality. And the more I memorize, the more I’m thinking it’s a good idea. They’ll get you out of this pinch, that’s for sure.”
I sighed. I did want a way out. “What rule were you about to quote?”
She smiled. “I think I remember seeing Leo boxing at O’Reilly’s. He was ripped. So I’m going to say he has an eight pack. And I saw the outline of his cock in his gray workout shorts. He’s packing.”
“When did you see him in gray workout shorts?”
“In the footage from the men’s locker room. Before it was taken down,” she quickly added.
I must have made a face.
“And therefore Single Girl Rule #8 applies: If a man has eight abs and eight inches, he may not be refused. So just tell Jacob that.”
I laughed. “I’m not telling Jacob that. It makes it seem like I had sex with Leo. And that’s a ridiculous rule. I thought these were the Single Girl Rules not the cheaters anonymous rules.”
“But it applies!”
“To hookers.”
Sophie laughed. “I’m really feeling these rules. Oh! I have another one. Single Girl Rule #24: No blue balls allowed, finish what you start. You know...because you danced with him and he got a boner.”
“That was Zach the Stallion! And again...you’re making it sound way worse. I didn’t have sex with Leo. You’re making me out to be a whore.”
She gasped. “I would never. Single Girl Rule #26: Slut-shaming a fellow single girl is unforgivable.”
I laughed. “These really are the strangest rules ever. But none of these apply to my situation.”
“I think you’re wrong. You’ve literally done nothing wrong according to rule #8 at least. I don’t even think you need to tell Jacob anything.”
“I went on a date with Leo last night and agreed to be his girlfriend. I need to come clean about Axel spending the night. And I need to tell him about going to third base with Leo.” I groaned. “Worst night ever.”
“Or just...don’t do any of that.”
I shook my head. I was definitely doing all of that.
“Crap, I think I made a wrong turn. Does he live on East 87th Street or East 78th Street?”
“I have no idea.”
“You should really know your new boyfriend’s address.”
We both burst out laughing.
***
Leo didn’t live on 87th or 78th and we got completely lost. By the time we arrived, the party was already in full swing. I felt like my eardrums were going to burst as we walked through the foyer. Yeah...we’d definitely get caught if we threw a party in the secret lair apartment.
“Do you see Jacob?!” I yelled over the music. I’d really wanted to be here early to talk to him. What if Leo had already said something?
“No, but we’ll find him,” Sophie said. She hooked her arm through mine as we made our way through the makeshift dance floor that took up the entire living room. “How about some liquid courage?”
“Yes, please.”
We walked into the kitchen.
“Oooh fancy.” Sophie grabbed a bottle of tequila. “Someone must have raided his parents’ liquor cabinet.”
“Maybe we should put it back?”
“Are you crazy? This stuff is so good. You don’t even need a chaser.” She opened the bottle and poured us each a shot.
“Cheers,” we both said and tapped our shot glasses together.
I downed mine and was surprised that the burn wasn’t so bad. I guess that’s what happened when you had the good stuff.
Leo’s apartment seemed pretty similar to mine. It was very modern with sharp corners and stainless steel appliances. But it didn’t look like there was a second story. And it was freaking packed in here.
Someone bumped into me and I almost dropped the shot glass.
“Watch it,” a deep voice said from behind me. “That’s my girlfriend.” He put his arm around my shoulders.
Ah! Leo! I quickly ducked out from underneath his arm. “Nice place,” I said.
“Just wait until you see my room.” He leaned down to kiss me.
I put my hand on his chest. “I still need to break the news to Jacob. Have you seen him?”
“I thought you were going to tell him right after the game?”
I had said that. But I didn’t want to tell Jacob in the middle of the football field right in front of Leo. That would have been a disaster. “Sorry, we got lost on the way over here,” I said. “I’ll tell him now.”
“I think I saw him down the hall.” He pointed his beer bottle down a hall off the kitchen. “He’s probably in the game room.”
“Great,” I said. “I’ll be right back.” I hurried off down the hall.
One of the doors was open and it sounded like someone was firing a gun.
“Ah! Damn it!” someone yelled. “You shot me!”