Page 56 of Catch Me

The next Monday at school, Oscar doesn’t show. I notice in English that he isn’t there, and I happen to catch a conversation between two girls lamenting the fact that he wasn’t in one of their classes either. It seems like everyone else realizes he and Sasha aren’t together anymore, too, so girls will be jumping all over him with his new available status.

When we woke the morning after the party, everyone else was gone except Lex and Cade. Reid told them what he’d done. I pushed him into it. He wanted to just tell them about what Oscar and Coach talked about, but I told him he couldn’t do one without the other. They reacted the same way I did, especially Lex. His nostrils flared, and although he sat and listened to what Reid had to say after that, I’m not sure the issue is resolved between them yet.

Cade smirks across from Reid at the lunch table. “If he doesn’t show up for school, he can’t practice. I didn’t think he’d quit. I thought for sure he’d go with the offer Coach gave him. He probably thinks anything but quarterback is beneath him.”

Lex shakes his head. “Coach gave him an opportunity. It’s up to him to take it. Honestly, I didn’t think he was this stupid. This would still allow him a spot on one of the best teams in the state. He’ll still get scouts. And, he’s still up for the All-State, so what’s the deal? He can’t go back to Rawley Heights. Not that he’d want to, but besides that, every other team in the state has a quarterback. We’re in the latter part of the season. Unless he wants to do some major digging to see which teams got a quarterback who sucks, he’s stuck.”

“Not to mention that Sasha put his family up in a townhouse here and got his mother a job. I’m not sure they can just leave now.”

Cade’s gaze narrows. “If Sasha’s done with Oscar, you can bet their asses are already out of that fucking townhouse.”

I hadn’t thought of that. Shit. What if Oscar isn’t here because he literally has no place to live?

“You feel bad for him, don’t you?” Lex asks.

I press my lips together. I can feel the heat of Reid’s gaze on me as I think about choosing the perfect words. “I know he’s an asshole. There’s probably no changing that, but I just can’t help but think that if he’d grown up here, he would be a different guy.”

“He’d still be an asshole,” Cade says. His gaze moves to Jules’ empty chair. She isn’t at lunch because she’s studying in the library for a History test, but I can tell he wishes she was.

“I don’t deny that. You guys are assholes too.”

“Hey,” Lex says, looking truly injured.

I give him a look. The three of them know what they’re like. I don’t need to explain it to them.

One of the guys on the D-line comes over, clapping Reid on the shoulder. “Shit. Did you guys hear about Drego?”

My back straightens as I look over my shoulder at the guy.

“No. What?” Lex asks.

“Jumped,” the guy says, his eyes widening. “Probably from those same dudes who were out front of the school that day. That shit must’ve sucked. They—.”

“Is he okay?” I ask, interrupting him.

Reid stiffens next to me.

The guy shrugs. “In the hospital last I heard. Trumbly talks to him.” The guy motions with his head toward another football table. I follow his gesture to see Joe Trumbly, a senior. He’s been a staple on the team even though he’s not as good as most of the guys. He’s decent, however, not good enough to play college ball by any means.

Lex stands from the table. “I’m going to get the scoop.”

Cade sighs, looking from me to Reid, then follows after him.

Reid looks over his shoulder. “Thanks for letting us know, man.”

The guy claps him on the shoulder again and goes to sit down with his tray of food. Reid immediately turns to me, his expression stormy.

I lower my gaze from the accusations in his eyes. “What?”

“I don’t like the idea of you feeling bad for Drego. He’s a punk.”

“I didn’t say he wasn’t. Maybe I’m just being naïve, but he did help us,” I remind him. “With Sasha.”

“Yeah, only because it suited him. Think about it, Briar. He only helped because it didn’t affect him. He already had my spot. He had Sasha. In some fucked up way of his, he thought what Sasha did was wrong, so he helped out in that respect, but do you think if I asked him to give me my spot back, he would? Do you think he wouldn’t do something else that benefited him and fucked us over? Like he’s already done to me?”

“No, I think he would do all that,” I say, keeping my voice low even though Reid’s rose. “I didn’t say he was a good person. I just feel bad for where he grew up is all. That he had to worry about having a hard life. Which is obviously true since he just got jumped.”

“He got what he deserved if you ask me,” Reid says.

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