Page 57 of Hard Hitter

Turning back around, he let out a long sigh, "You guys are probably right."

"Exactly! Yes!" Chris pumped his fist. "After we win our game tonight, we'll go to the mixer andyouare going to begin your reckless adolescent phase."

"He's a late bloomer, folks," Jett said, slapping a hand to Quinn's back, "but I think he'll catch on quick."

Nearly two months after Quinn's declaration to really enjoy being seventeen, it had become abundantly clear that he had been squandering his potential simply holding out for one girl, amazing as she was. His classmates had forgotten all about the homecoming scandal and his new reputation as a badass lady-killer had reached, well, just about everyone.

At that first post-game mixer, he had danced with several girls, and had to be pulled away from a hot and heavy lip-lock session at the end of the gym corridor with a girl when Chris had told him if he wasn't walking home, they needed to get going. In most of his classes, hehad girls asking to pair up with him for in-class work and asking him for help when they clearly didn't need it. Most of the girls would flirt shamelessly, giggling at everything he said and using any excuse they could find to touch his arms or shoulders. Frequently, Quinn would take advantage of these cues and ask the girl out.

By December, his confidence had been elevated to the point that he rarelyaskedthe girls if they would like to go out with him but simply told them he was taking them out. The lines “Go out with me this weekend” or “Let me take you out tonight” were now regular and frequent pieces of his vocabulary bank, and they had yet to fail him.

Despite all the fun and female attention he was receiving, the reason for it was painfully clear every time he caught sight of Rae. She was still dating Liam, and Quinn couldn't help the tight squeeze in his chest every time he saw them together. It was a reminder that he was simply stalling, distracting himself until the girl he really wanted was available again.

Thankfully, Quinn had two classes with Rae in which he felt he could pretend nothing had changed. They talked and worked together whenever there was partner work or free time. It wasn’t as if their friendship had collapsed because of her relationship or his flings, but they certainly spent far less time in each other's company in and out of school. No amount of third-base hook-ups could stop Quinn from missing Rae's companionship as much as he did.

It was the week before winter break, and Rae walked back to Quinn's locker with him after their shared chemistry class. There was a small group of girls huddled near Quinn's locker when they approached, but upon registering Rae’s presence, they dispersed abruptly.

"Wow," Rae said as she watched the fleeing trio. "Sorry, Casanova, I didn't mean to cockblock you there."

Quinn furrowed his brow and looked at Rae with puzzled amusement, "I don't thinkyoucan cockblockme."

"What do you mean?" Rae asked, her attention still on the retreating girls.

"I could cockblock you by preventing you from getting some, but it doesn't work the other way around," Quinn explained.

"I thought it was like...blocking you from giving your cock to someone else," Rae said, her expression perplexed and adorable.

"Uh, no," Quinn chuckled, turning the combination lock on his locker.

Her eyebrows raised. "Huh, I guess I've been using that all wrong." She blinked a few times, then set her gaze on Quinn. "What are your plans for the holiday break?"

"Probably just hangin' with the guys," he shrugged. "And you? Spending Christmas in Paris with your new beau?"

Rae's eyebrows pulled together. "Why would you think that? And since when do you use words like 'beau'?"

"I was trying to appeal to your French side," said Quinn. "And I don't know. We peasants don't know what you fancypower couplesdo on your holidays."

"I think I'd take you to Paris with my family before I took my newbeau," Rae replied with an eye-roll.

Quinn closed his locker after grabbing his gym bag. He cleared his throat, trying to sound more casual than eager. "Trouble in paradise?"

Rae gave a small shrug, falling into step beside him as they began their trek down the hall. "It's fine. He's not much of a conversationalist."

"Maybe you should try grunting," Quinn offered, biting his lip and failing to repress his grin at his own joke. "Pound on your chest a little bit."

Failing to conceal her own giggle, she pinched his arm. "He's not a caveman, Quinn."

"Could've fooled me," Quinn said.

"Well, you only see him, like, on the football field, or in the locker rooms, or weight room. You guys all sound like cavemen in that environment," Rae said. "We just run out of things to talk about and then it's like, guess we'll just make out or fool around. Honestly, Quinn, I think my lips are getting chapped."

"Spare me the details.”

"Oh, sure, I have to listen to every last detail of your endeavors from every girl you've gone out with, but you have a right to complain when I talk about kissing Liam?" Rae said, incredulously.

"I don't have to hear about it. I can see it just fine."

Rae's cheeks flushed. "Oh, right." She seemed to glance around at their surroundings, figuring out where they were headed. "Are you going to the gym?"

---