Page 69 of Scrimmage

He laughs. “You’re saying that like you had no idea.”

I shake my head no slowly. A fucking football player, both of them. I don’t know how Alexi ended up grouped with a bunch of narcissistic assholes, but I refuse to believe he is one of them. He might be annoying, but he isn’t a dick.

“Jesus, Ashland, you really didn’t? I thought you were bullshitting that you don't know who we are.” Koda looks shocked.

“Uh, no. I don’t watch. Football is pointless.”

“This is a football school,” Koda snorts.

“No.” I shake my head adamantly. “It has one of the best art programs in the country.”

“You’re not an art major,” he points out.

I glare. “Penny is.”

“So you came here just because Penny did?” It sounds pathetic when he puts it like that.

“She wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t.” Is that true, though? It definitely felt like it at the time. I didn’t want to go anywhere but away. She pushed me to apply and told me it would be the beginning of our lives. She showed me enough college movies to convince me that it would be a good idea, even if it was for the stories. Did I do this for her, or did she do this for me? No, we did this with each other.

“What did I say?”

“Huh?”

“I said something that upset you.”

“Don’t pretend you give a shit what I’m thinking, Koda. You want to fuck me, and we can do that. It doesn’t require talking.” I push my way to the bar and order a drink, gulping it down before I get another.

I glance over to the table where everyone is gathered, and my mind runs. Penny looks so comfortable there with Cole, Ava, and Vale. I’m getting the awful feeling that I’ve somehow been holding her back. If I go over there I’ll end up running my mouth and fucking up their night. I’m about to dip when Alexi and Koda both slide up to the bar, trapping me between them.

“What are you drinkin’, Ashy?” Alexi smiles.

“Tequila.”

“So we’re really going to take Thirsty Thursday all the way, then?”

“If you’re too much of a wuss you’re welcome to grab a mojito or whatever you losers drink.”

“Don’t you dare talk shit about mojitos.” Alexi gasps, putting his hand to his chest.

Koda rolls his eyes. “When we were in high school he spent an entire cruise flirting with drunk soccer moms and getting them to feed him mojitos. He’s never gotten over it.” It’s the first time he’s ever said something normal to me. Not that soccer moms giving an underage boy mojitos is normal.

“Can’t relate. Never been on a cruise.” I sip my drink.

“You’ve never been on a cruise?” Alexi’s jaw drops. “That’s, like, the easiest summer vacation ever. Your parents don’t have to watch you, and you can run around and get into trouble. Seems like it would be your scene.”

“Sounds like something rich people do.”

“Right.” Alexi quiets. “Well, what did you do for family vacations then?”

“This is supposed to be happy hour,” I point out.

“You can’t tell me that you don’t have one good vacation memory.”

“Okay, fine. One time my mom’s dealer took me to a theme park on my birthday.”

Alexi looks like he regrets asking. “Got it.”

“What theme park?” Koda asks.

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