12. Bring It On Part One
12
brING IT ON: PART ONE
OLIVER
“I’m so sad I’m not in your group,”
Quinny Cooper runs her tanned, freshly manicured finger over my bicep. “Like, really sad.” I look down at her and she pouts her pink glossy lips at me, still trailing her finger up and down my arm, watching the action.
“Yeah, uh, me too.” I distractedly reply as I look around the field, wondering where the fuck Mallory is. Quinny trails her finger lower and lower, down to the waistband of my jeans. She reaches up on her tiptoes and whispers into my ear.
“You already know how flexible I can be.”
Quinny Cooper is captain of the dance team. We met at a party freshman year, and have hooked up a few times since then. She’s cool, just not my type. I mean she’s hot, I'm not saying she isn’t. She just doesn’t do it for me.
Not to say that she’s not worthy, nor does she deserve anything less than the best, it’s just that I'm not that guy. Which is why we haven’t slept together since last year. In fact, whenever I see her at a party, I always steer her towards Tommy – he seems like he’s into her, but she just won’t take the fucking hint. I’m sure she was hoping to be on my team today so she can spend time with me and convince me to go home with her.
Today is Covington’s annual Sports day, where all the sports teams in the college compete to win a trophy and a prize. You pair up with another team, and whoever wins gets a bigger budget for the year. The Grizzly’s always team up with The Hard Hitters – Mallory’s volleyball team, and we always win. Since Quinny and I started hooking up, she always tried to convince me to join The Covington Cats, Quinny’s dance team. Whoever Mallory was hooking up with at the time did the same thing too. Last year Preston Wheeler on the lacrosse team almost managed to convince her to pair with him instead of me, but I swooped in, making up some excuse that the coach wanted her to pair with hockey.
It’s a load of shit. But nobody ever questioned it. Our team colours are green, so I'm dressed in a green pullover with light blue jeans. The activities are usually light, no sportswear acquired. It’s just about having some fun. Hockey pairs with Volleyball every year, and there’s no changing that.
And to be completely honest, I'm shocked that more people aren’t aware of my feelings for her, considering I glare daggers at anyone who tries to approach her in public.
Just as I search the field for her, a wave of goosebumps attacks the back of my neck, I can’t help but to smile. I angle my back so I'm leaning slightly, and before you know it, I almost cower over when something – someone – jumps onto my back. I instinctively wrap my hands under her thighs and straighten up, resisting the urge to rub the area with my fingers.
She giggles as she peers her head around my shoulder. I hear her before I see her. Even when she isn’t making any noise. Her light giggle has been living in my brain rent free for three years. Her hair is down today, her brown waves just dusting her shoulders. Her uniform of choice is an apple green crop top with dark blue jeans. She looks fucking gorgeous. She looks like me. She looks like she’s mine.
She wraps her arms around my shoulders. “Olive Oil, I have been looking for you for ages – despite you walking around, looking like a giant green flag.” She smiles at me, and it’s too sweet. I have to look ahead. If I looked at her, I'd get lost in those chocolate pools. Her freckles. The casual pinkness of her cheeks.
I could stare at her all day and never get bored.
“I could say the same for you, Marshmallory.”
I really hope my voice was even when I said that.
She smiles. I can’t see her face, but I know she is. And as she rests her chin in the crook of my neck, the guys strut over. I’ve never been more thankful to see Captain Cockblocker in my life.
Shawn and Courtney walk hand in hand, wearing matching outfits, as always. Black jeans and a baggy light green tee. But Courtney ties her shirt in a knot around her belly button. Her long black hair falls in waves down her back as Shawn lightly brushes his fingers through it for the brief moment he lets go of her hand.
Tommy opted for a green tie–dye baggy shirt under a pair of blue denim dungarees. A faded pink ball cap sits backwards on his head, a small round of strawberry blonde locks peak out the sides. He’s holding his skateboard in one hand, and waving the other in the air as he tells a – probably overly dramatic – story to Cory.
Cory is wearing a pair of baggy brown corduroy trousers with a light green shirt that says ‘theatre is cool & so is this shirt’ . Juliana made him wear it last year when he said that theatre was pointless and so is her degree. She made him wear it for an entire week. Right now he’s engaged in Tommy’s story, but there’s something lingering behind his icy blue eyes. It’s always there when Juliana isn’t around.
“Cap, M.E.G.” Tommy lifts his hat off his head and tips it our direction, like a cowboy addressing a cute lady.
M.E.G. Mallory Elizabeth Grace. But also a reference to, you might have guessed it, The Notorious B.I.G. I won’t go into too much detail, but freshman year we all went to a karaoke bar and she may or may not have chosen Mo Money, Mo problems as her song choice.
Caleb Sanders, president of our school’s societies, walks onto the field with a megaphone in his left hand, and a clipboard in his right.
“Okay, first of all, I’d like to thank everyone for wearing their team colours today, we appreciate the enthusiasm from you all. But unfortunately there’s been a change of plan. The Swim Team had a last–minute change in their schedule, so they unfortunately cannot be with us today. The same goes for Dodgeball, which changes things in terms of numbers.”
Don’t say it. Don’t say it. Don’t say it.
“We’ve had to make a slight change to the groups.”
Fuck.
“We’ve texted everyone with a list of names. Those who have been chosen are the team leaders, and will choose whoever they want on their team, regardless of your sport. The winners on the team will all receive extra money for their sport team’s budget. Please grab a coloured top accordingly from the table at the edge of the field.”
Mallory drops off from my shoulders as I slide my phone out of my back pocket, no text yet. I look over at her to see her staring at her phone screen, a frown etched on her face .
“You okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just my mom. She’s still blowing up my phone.”
“Maybe you should–”
“I got my text!” Someone shouts.
I get out my own phone, and when I check my messages, I feel my heart plummet to the pit of my stomach.
Covington U Sports Dept
Good afternoon everyone! Below are the students we have chosen to be team captains for this year’s sports day! The chosen students will choose four other students to be on their team! Pick Wisely!
Your team captains are:
Quinny Cooper, Gus Russo, Mark Soloas, Fin Sterling, Alexander Hanger, Maisie Heir.
Quinny is captain. So is –
Mallory’s phone busses in her pocket, and immediately, I feel my heart being ripped clean out my chest.
“It’s Gus… he wants me on his team.”
“Which is perfect,” Quinny says, looping her arm with mine. “Because I want you on mine.”
If I wasn’t on a field full of people, I’d scream my fucking lungs out right about now.