14. Bring It On Part Two
14
brING IT ON: PART TWO
OLIVER
Gus has touched her fifteen times in the past ten minutes. Twice on the arm, three times on the shoulder, ten times on her lower back. None of them were friendly touches. They weren't we’re teammates I'm cheering you on touches. They were we’ve been on actual dates and hang out and I like you and going to touch you and kiss you touches.
What a jackass.
I don’t know if I'm mad at him for openly flirting with her, her for not telling me they went on dates, or the fact she’s flirting back. She didn’t stiffen or flinch when he touched her. Oh no. She even touched his fucking forearm when he won the fucking egg and spoon race.
Anyone could have won that race. big whoop.
“Careful, Cap. If you keep frowning hard your face will freeze like that.” Tommy is behind me, getting ready for the kids Archery – plastic crossbow and everything – but I can hear the humour in his voice.
“Fuck you.'' I bite out. I know they’re goading me into responding. They’re having the time of their fucking lives watching Mallory flirt with Gus. Boo–freaking–hoo .
Shawn walks closer to me, his arms crossed over his torso. “You’re jealous.” He says, matter–of–factly.
“I’m not.” I snort. “Why would I be jealous? What would I even be jealous of? Everything’s fine. Fine. Fine. Fine.”
“You’re jealous because he can flirt with her and you think you can’t.” Shawn raises his eyebrow. I huff out a sigh. I never actually told the guys I'm in love with her. I like to think I've been hiding my feelings for her really well. Gus is just an unforeseen obstacle.
“She likes him,” I grunt, my hands balled into fists at my side. Tommy and Cory join us, sitting on the grass, or pulling out the grass in Tommy’s case. I guess it's out in the open.
They all glare at me at the same time. “She’s allowed to go on dates, dude, she's just your friend .”
I resist the urge to dry heave.
She’s just your friend.
“Say it.” Tommy continues, not looking at me. “Just say it once out loud, bro. You can’t clear your mind unless you say it.”
I sigh. “She’s never been just my friend.”
They’re just words, but instantly I feel a million times lighter.
“Then fucking do something about it man. If you don’t want her dating other people, tell her . Don’t fucking glare at Russo like you’re staking an invisible claim on her. You know if you tell her she can’t go on dates she’ll freak the fuck out.” Tommy says.
“So will the girls.” Shawn adds, stretching his legs out, resting his palms flat on the grass.
“Jules will make us all watch some awful musical about feminism, and after the first theatre incident,” Cory says, pointing to his shirt. “I can’t do it again.”
Something tells me he will though. For her .
I join them on the grass, stretching my limbs out like starfish. “What do I do?'' I practically whine. If this was in front of anyone else on the team I'd be embarrassed, for sure. But not in front of them.
“Well, short of challenging him to a duel or a cheer off like in Bring It On, there’s only one thing you can do , bro.” Cory says, just staring at me, running his hand through his dirty blonde curls.
“Although, I think watching you and Russo compete in a cheer off would be baller…” Tommy adds.
They all grab a handful of grass and chuck it at me, while saying in chorus, “Tell her how you feel.”
“Or better yet, tell him.” Cory nods his head to Gus, who’s staring at Mallory from across the field, staring at her like she could be his whole world.
Fuck.
I pull out my phone as I stand up and make my way off the field. If I do have to come clean to Gus about my plan, I’m sure as fuck not doing it in front of everyone.
Me
G, meet me in the main locker room asap. Emergency.
GUSSIE
on my way, cap.
I’m leaning against the lockers with my arms crossed over my chest when I hear echoed footsteps. I place one hand in my back pocket. My thumb absently rubbing over the wrinkled sheet of paper I keep there. Gus walks into the empty locker room, wearing faded blue jeans with a loose neon pink shirt, a faded grey backwards ballcap on his head. He takes off the cap and rakes a hand through his hair, taking a seat on the bench near me.
“So, uh, what’s going on, Ollie?”
I swallow, kicking my foot off the locker. I just have to rip the bandaid off. “Look, G, we’re friends, our families are friends, so I'm going to be completely honest with you here.”
“Are you kicking me off the team or something?” He blurts out, rushing to stand. “Because if I did something then you know I can–”
“I like Mallory.”
His mouth immediately closes. Her name echoing throughout the room. He looks at me for a split second, then shakes his head, sitting back on the bench, resting his head between his legs.
Nobody speaks, so I decide to just go for it. “I have since I first met her, dude. She’s not just a friend to me.”
Silence envelops the room. Silence, and then one word.
“Why?”
“Because she’s the best person I know. She’s smart and funny. She likes the same things I like. She’s one of the few people I can be myself around without fear of being judged. She’s the person I go to when I’m having a good day, or a bad day. She’s the person I text when I hear something or I just need to rant to. She inspires me, she pushes me to be better. To be the best hockey player, captain and friend I can be. She’s the sweetest person I have ever met in my entire life, and I know without a doubt, there is nobody like her, and there will never be anyone else like her ever again.”
Gus just blinks at me, his eyes watering .
“She – I love her. I do. She’s it for me, man.”
Gus hasn’t said anything since he asked why I liked her. And just when I think he won’t, he looks down at his hands and says, “I asked you.”
I tense up.
“I asked you in the locker room Ollie,” Gus spits out. “I asked you if you liked her as more than a friend, and you said–”
“Nothing,” I say back with calmness. “I didn’t say anything.”
“But now you are.”
“Now I am.” I swallow the boulder sized lump in my throat daring to step forward. “I love her, and I'm going to tell her. I don’t know how she feels, but I'm telling her anyway.”
“I like her too, and I'm not backing down from this.”
“Then I guess she’ll have to choose.”
Gus stands up as he puts his hat back on. “Then may the better man win.” He heads towards the door but stops. He turns to look at me one more time.
“Che i giochi abbiano inizio.”
Let the games begin.