Page 56 of Hard Hitter

"I'm glad I don't have siblings," Quinn said. "I wouldn't want anyone else to have to experience the same shit I do. I've got enough with having to take care of my mom when she...can't take care of herself."

There was a small pause before Alaina forced a shy smile. "I'm sorry, this conversation took a turn for the depressing," she said. "Sometimes I feel like we're just so surrounded by these rich assholes here, it gets exhausting trying to act like my life is just as perfect as theirs."

"Yeah, I guess it does," Quinn said, realizing he really didn't have anyone to talk to who could relate to his own situation. While he wasn't glad that others were suffering, it did feel a little less lonely knowing that he wasn't the only one without a happy family. "Are you coming to the game tonight?"

"Oh, no," Alaina replied. "I don't do sports. Participating, watching...not my thing."

"You sure? You'd look pretty cute in that cheer uniform," Quinn teased.

She raised an eyebrow and her look became almost threatening, "Don't. Just don't even go there. I'm not even going to be flattered that you think I'd look cute. I don't want anyone imagining me as a damn sideline cheerleader."

Quinn snickered, "Got it."

They had reached the doors and walked out toward the parking lot together. Chris and Jett were standing by one of the benches outside the door and greeted Quinn as he walked out, and he noticed their matching looks of intrigue when they saw he was walking and laughing alongside Alaina.

"Hey, Quinn andAlaina," Jett said, very unsubtly.

"Hey guys." Alaina held up her hand in a wave.

Quinn's focus had gone elsewhere at the sight of long blonde hair over a white, green, and gold football jersey, and those skinny jeans he swore she wore just to torture him. Rae was wearing Liam's jersey. Clearly this was more significant than her borrowing Quinn's baseball hats all the time. He was caught between feeling sick to his stomach and wanting to fucking level that smug bastard. When Liam wrapped his arm around Rae and grabbed a handful of her ass, that feeling became far less mixed. Quinn watched as Liam pulled Rae to him and kissed her, both hands now hanging onto her butt.

Quinn groaned in disgust, "Do they have to fucking do that in front of everyone?" At first he hadn't realized that he'd spoken out loud. When Chris, Jett, and Alaina all turned their attention to him, he added defensively, "Seriously, every time I turn around they're practically eating each other's faces. It's fucking gross."

"Those people are making out," Jett pointed to a couple pressed up against a Jeep who were essentially dry humping. "Does that bother you?"

No. But if that were Liam and Rae it fucking would.

"Yes," Quinn lied. "It's gross. Why can't people just do that shit in their cars? Or their bedrooms? Not everyone needs to see that."

"Maybe if you were getting some it wouldn't bother you so much," Chris said, subtly nodding toward Alaina behind her back while looking meaningfully at Quinn.

"Or maybe if you suddenly discovered you had a multi-million dollar trust fund, you could finally get Raelyn's attention," Alaina said, eyes traveling back and forth between Quinn and Rae.

"That's not why she's with him," Quinn insisted. "That's not Rae. She's...she doesn't care about that."

"Are you sure?" Alaina asked. "You guys have been friends for years and she's never considered even trying to kiss you? Wasn't her last boyfriend Ryan North? His dad's like a big shot administrator at the hospital, right?"

"So?" Quinn looked to Chris and Jett for support.

"I heard they went to the Dominican Republic or something last year for spring break and he bought a hospital just so he could write the trip off as a business expense," Alaina said. "Thoseare the kinds of guys your girl is interested in."

Quinn shook his head, "You don't know her."

"Maybe not," Alaina shrugged, "but maybe you don't know her as well as you think."

Chris and Jett stood awkwardly, looking down at their feet, not meeting Quinn's eye.

"See you around, Quinn," Alaina gave another wave toward Chris and Jett, who looked up just enough to give feeble waves of their own, before heading off into the parking lot toward her red Pontiac.

Quinn looked to Chris and Jett, arms out to his sides. "What the fuck, guys? She's your friend, too!"

Chris opened his mouth and paused while he contemplated his words, "Sheisour friend and I don't think she’s that shallow. But…" he looked to Jett for assistance.

"But she's with Liam, Quinn," Jett finished. "She picked him. Granted, I don't think she knew you were an option, but for now, maybe you should try finding someone else. Or just find a way to accept that you lost this round."

"You're seventeen, dude," said Chris. "We're supposed to have fun, make out with a whole bunch of girls, try to get to third base or see how far they'll let us go. We're not supposed to be hyper-focused on one person."

Quinn squinted over his shoulder where moments ago Rae and Liam had been sucking face. Liam was no longer there and Rae was now talking to a group of girls he knew were on the swim team with her. As if sensing his gaze, her head swiveled around they locked eyes. In spite of himself, his mouth curved into a small but friendly smile. He wanted to be mad at her, though he supposed she really hadn't done anything wrong. Rae returned his smile with a much wider one and a wave.

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