Chapter 7
Dude, are those fingernail scratches? Bam asked. The Rapids running back leaned around me and looked at my back. Hell yeah, they are. He grinned. Little Ollie Tucker got laid.
I frowned. Why dont you tell everyone? He’d said it loud enough.
He turned around to face the rest of the locker room, cupped his hands around his mouth and said, Hey, everyone, Ollie got laid.
I punched him in the arm. Asshole. What the hell was that for?
You said I could, he argued, so I did.
Youre a prick. I glared at him.
He grinned again. Hell yeah, I am. Ive got no problem admitting it either.
I shook my head. Hasnt Grace figured it out yet?
Bam clapped me on the shoulder. Yeah, she has. Lucky for me, love is blind. So how about you? Who is she? Does she know you still live at home with your mumma?
I might have mentioned it. I opened my locker and pulled out a shirt. I slid it over my head and yanked it down into place before anyone else decided to check out my battle scars.
I wasnt ashamed of a single one. They meant Rubie was into me. The pain from her fingernails was a memory Id hang onto until I saw her again. One of many amazing memories.
Whats this I hear about you getting laid? Hawk, the Rapids star quarterback, leaned against the locker beside mine.
He was so loved up with his girlfriend Bec, I dont know how he had time to wonder about anyone elses love life. Honestly, they were one of the cutest couples out there. I was happy for them, even though I didnt know what a beautiful woman like her saw in a clown like him. He was one of my closest friends, I knew all his flaws.
Bam was right, love is blind.
I shrugged. I dont know what to tell you. Boy meets girl.
Hawk and Bam looked at me expectantly.
And? Bam asked.
And, what? I asked. What else is there to say?
Does she have a name? Hawk asked.
Maybe Ollie doesnt know her name, Bam said, directing his comment to Hawk.
I flipped him the finger. I know her name.
Bam turned his head to look at me. But you arent tellin us.
Hawk rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Would you tell us if you were him?
Bam considered that for a moment. Yes. Yes I would. Id tell us everything, down to the last juicy detail.
You would not, Hawk said. And please dont. Bec would not appreciate me hearing details about her best friends sex life. He stuck out his tongue in disgust.
You used to be fun, Bam told him.
Hawk scrunched up his brow. No I wasnt.
Bam chuckled. No, you werent. Youre always an old man, even though youre barely out of nappies.
Whos an old man? Chase, the team’s best wide receiver, rubbed a towel over his wet hair. His face was red from what must have been a hot shower.
Hawk, Bam said. He nodded toward the quarterback.
Chase nodded and hung the towel around his neck. That figures.
Whose side are you on anyway? Hawk asked.
Chase raised his hands to either side. I didnt realise this was about sides. But if I have to choose, I choose… He paused for effect. Mine.” He clapped Hawk on the shoulder. No hard feelings, man.
Yeah, yeah, Hawk said, I wouldnt expect anything else from you. He grinned.
Chase flipped him the finger. Good game today.
Yeah, Bam agreed. Even Hawk was on fire today. He gave me a funny look and chuckled.
Isnt he always? I asked.
Yes, I am, Hawk agreed. Thank you for acknowledging it. You didnt do too bad yourself.
I caught Chase giving me a funny look too, but when I looked directly at him, he looked away.
What did you do? I demanded.
Chase looked around him. Me? Nothing at all. Why, what have you heard?
I heard the coach say that anyone who pranks anyone else is going to be out on their ass, I replied.
That only applies if he finds out, Bam said. Im not going to tell him, are you?
So far theres nothing to tell. I peered into my locker. As far as I could see, there was nothing wrong. That didnt mean I was off the hook. Chase and Bam were both notorious for their pranking. Even if there wasnt a prank in the works, they loved nothing more than to make everyone think there was.
What the fuck? The shout came for a few lockers down. Henry Pinky Innocenti, the teams tight end, held out his shoe. He stomped over to the rubbish bin and tipped the shoe upside down. From inside it, a flood of confetti fell.
Chase snorted with laughter.
Bam chuckled, but hid it quickly when Coach Quinn walked past.
Like he always did, the coach stopped to give us all a dirty look. For some reason none of us could figure out, he didnt seem to like the four of us. I couldnt understand why. We were pretty awesome.
After a moment he continued walking, right past Pinky, who was cleaning out the last of the confetti out of his shoe.
If Coach Quinn saw anything, he gave no sign. I wasnt sure how he could have missed it. Maybe his mind was on the game. Wed only just beaten the Rockhampton Riverducks by a couple of points. That was to be expected at this late in the season. Everyone was at the top of their game. He was probably running scenarios through his head that would have given us a bigger advantage.
Arent you glad that wasnt you? Bam asked.
Just because it wasnt me this time, I said, doesnt mean it wont be next time.
Bam nodded. Thats true, he agreed. So, you gonna tell me how you have time to find a girlfriend? Coach would say you should be concentrating on the game, not getting some tail.
I can multitask, I said. I have many skills you dont know about.
He grinned. I just bet you do. As it happens I dont want to hear about any of them. As long as you keep your dirty mitts off my sister, then were all good.
I know better than to go anywhere near Chantel, I said. Bam was notoriously protective of his younger sister. So much so he almost got into a bar fight over her. He almost got kicked off the team because of it. The boss even hired a publicist, Grace, to help sort him out. I guess she did, because she moved in with him not long ago.
There really was no accounting for taste.
Good, Bam said. He clapped me on the back. Don’t you forget it.
You know, I said slowly, sooner or later she’s going to meet someone, fall in love, and do all the same silly things the rest of us do.
Not if I can help it, Bam said. If I can get her to go into a convent, that will work out well for everyone.
I laughed. Yeah, okay. Good luck with that. Ive met your sister, I don’t think that’s in the cards for her. She seems to have a mind of her own.
God help me, she does. Bam groaned. No guy is ever gonna be good enough for her. He looked around at us with narrowed eyes. Especially none of you clowns.
Awww, Bam, I thought you loved us. Hawk pouted playfully.
Hurry up, one of the junior coaches shouted. Its almost time for the press conference.
I grimaced. This was one part of the job I didnt like. Mostly because the other guys got questions about football, while I got questions about my looks. What were my plans after football? Was I going to go into modelling, or a movie career?
I bet it never occurred to any of them that I might go into sports medicine, or become a pool boy. No, correct that, they probably thought Id make the perfect pool boy.
Im gonna hide behind Ollie, Chase said, they never see me there.
They dont see any of us if Ollie is there, said Hawk. Theyre too busy staring at him.
Thats not true. I struggled to keep the irritation out of my voice.
No, Bam said, they notice Hawk plenty. He is almost as pretty as Ollie.
Thats true, Hawk agreed. Jealous?
Naw. Bam waved a hand in dismissal. Id rather have brains, and this smokin body.
Right. Hawk drew out the word. You keep telling yourself that.
Pinky stomped past. He stopped when he reached us. If I find out which of you assholes put that shit in my shoes, Im going to tear you a new one.
Hey, why do they call you Pinky anyway? Chase asked.
Because I pinky promise to kick your ass, Pinky growled. In my old team, no one put up with this shit.
Hawk grinned. Welcome to the Rapids.
Smartass, Pinky muttered under his breath before he stomped on.
Well, aint he a little ray of sunshine? Bam said sarcastically.
He has a point, I admitted. We really should be focusing on the game right now.
Bam gave me a look of mock alarm. Hey, dont go all adult on us.
Someone has to. I shrugged. I started towards the exit.
Isnt that the coaches’ job? Chase asked.
Sometimes I dont know how you guys get out of the house in the morning with clean underwear, Hawk said.
Who says its clean? Bam grinned.
I grimaced. That is not something I need to know.
Lighten up, Bam said. You think Grace would let me out of the house in dirty underwear?
Shes not your mother, I said.
Thats how we know Ollies underwear is clean, Chase said. Because his mum wont let him leave the house otherwise. Right, Ollie?
Exactly. I might as well humour them. If they were hassling me, they were leaving someone else alone. I didnt really mind it anyway.
She even bleaches and irons them before she puts them away in my drawer. She folds them too. She didnt do any of those things. At least, I hoped she didnt. That would be weird.
Of course she does. Chase nodded. They have to be nice for your mystery girl.
Yes, they do. I wasnt going to meet up with Rubie with dirty underwear. A guy had to have some pride.
We trudged through the exit and out to the room where the press would be waiting for us.
Of course, the first face I saw was Harvey Danbury. The reporter was notorious for stalking people like us, waiting to take embarrassing photos and dig up some dirt. He was exactly the kind of person I wanted to avoid. If he saw Rubie and me together, the whole world would know about it. I dont know who would hate that more, me or her. She didnt deserve to have her name dragged through the mud.
I kept my eyes away from Danbury and on the other reporters. I recognised most of them from press conferences throughout the season. Some were devoted Rapids fans, others were here to do their job.
Either way I did my best to treat them with respect. Any attitude from us, and they would drag the whole team through the mud, whether we deserved it or not.
Coach Quinn, the head coach, stepped up to field questions first.
Half-listening, I felt Danburys eyes on me. I tried to ignore him but I found myself glancing at him without meaning to.
He narrowed his eyes on me, like he could sense a story just by looking.
I gave him a respectful nod, but that was all hed get. Id have to be careful around him. If he even suspected I was seeing someone, hed probably turn up at my place, or follow me around.
No one said being famous didnt suck sometimes.
I turned away and focused on the coaches praising of the team.
I can virtually guarantee the Rapids will make the Down Under Bowl, he declared.
His words were met with a smattering of applause. Danbury just stood with the rest of the reporters, his eyes on me.
I smiled and pretended that I didnt suddenly feel like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders.