Page 9 of Foul Line

Just as I’m about to pick a place to sit, noise from the entrance wafts in and soon, Chase and his lacrosse friends are making their way into the mess hall. He catches my eye and smiles.

Ryan stands. In the middle of everything, he’s on his feet in seconds, his fists by his sides. He glares at Chase with a hatred I don’t understand, but Chase just casually ignores him. I don’t look directly over at the Ballers, but I can tell none of them like the idea that the Huntington College Lacrosse Team is here. It is a little different from previous years, but I honestly don’t mind. I walk forward to join them in line to get food. “Dale,” one of Chase’s teammates says when he sees me. “You want to sit with us?”

Relief floods me. “Yeah, I think I will.”

When we’re finished going through the small cafeteria line, filling our plates with barbecued chicken, beans, and potato salad, I follow the lacrosse players to a table in the far corner, the exact opposite side of the room the Ballers are sitting at. I can feel my teammates’ stares on the back of my head—another control method, I think. I’m sure they’d rather me sit at a table all by my myself, talking to no one. They don’t want me to be happy. They don’t want me to have anything, but I’m going to prove to them that I don’t care what they want. I’m going to do exactly what I want, when I want, regardless of what they think.

Sitting with the lacrosse team is actually nice. They regale me with funny stories from their last season. I can tell Chase fits in so well with them. It makes me jealous to see what a team really should feel like. I know I’m a girl playing on a boys’ team, but not having a dick doesn’t mean I should be a freaking outcast. In fact, me being dickless doesn’t seem to bother the Huntington Lacrosse Team at all.

When a few of them start talking strategy, Chase, who I’m sitting right next to, leans over. “Christie told me the end of the basketball season didn’t go that well for you.”

I poke at my beans with the plastic fork. “Did she now?”

“She said some major shit happened.”

I can tell he wants me to open up to him about it, but I’m not going to. That’s in the past, and I have so much looking forward to do. I shrug. “Nothing that shouldn’t have been unexpected.”

He glares over his shoulder. “I know those guys are fucking assholes. A couple of black eyes and some bruised ribs proves that.”

My jaw snaps shut. I knew they all punched him, but damn. Bruised ribs? “Are you okay?”

A small smile forms on his face as he turns toward me. “You know I just basically asked you the same question, and you sidestepped it instead of answering.” He places his fork down and angles toward me. “I know you don’t care that I care, but I do. Don’t trust them. Don’t—”

A voice hovers over us. It’s dark and sharp. “Tessa, a few of us are about to go outside and shoot around some.” I turn to find Hayes, Ryan, and a few of the other non-Ballers behind me. “You want to come?” Hayes asks.

I swallow. It means more that Hayes is asking, but still, no. They aren’t going to rule me here. “Actually, I’m not done with dinner. Thanks though,” I say sweetly. I turn back around and look at Chase. He and Ryan are glaring at one another, but I poke him in the leg. “You were saying?”

Chase turns around with a cocky smirk, and for a second, I honestly fear for him. The tension thickens right around us. Hayes and Ryan are fuming, and I honestly can’t say why. They made their choice. Actually, it was more like Sloan and Alec made their choice. Ryan and Hayes didn’t have shit to choose over.

Sure, the little voice keeps nagging me about Ryan’s declaration, but it doesn’t matter, right?

The other lacrosse players turn around now. It’s like everyone can feel it. “Actually, I was just saying,” Chase starts. “The guys and I are going to have a bonfire tonight on the beach. You should come.”

My reply is immediate. “Sounds like fun.”

A few of the guys whoop in excitement. One even says, “At least we’ll have one hot chick.” Hayes’s ice-cold gaze cuts to him, but the guy doesn’t even notice. The lacrosse team has already started lamenting that the only downside of having their little lacrosse camp here is that there’s no “P” for miles.

It makes me laugh.

Ryan and the others walk away, heading out the mess hall door that leads directly outside. As soon as they’re out the door, I turn to Chase. “Give me a sec, okay?”

I run out after the group. Hayes and Ryan are huddled together. The others are just a few steps ahead of them, so when I make myself known, it’s only Ryan and Hayes who turn.

“Don’t go near Chase again,” I tell them, putting on my best authoritative voice. “There’s no stupid claiming in place. You guys gave that up when Lake asked you to. As far as you’re concerned, we’re just at the same basketball camp.” Ryan’s practically shaking at the mention of Chase, but I don’t let it deter me. “I hope you guys brought your A game because I’m not backing down here. This is as much my turf as it is yours.”

After staring at me for a while, Ryan asks, “Is that all?”

I nod, then spin on my heel and head back toward the mess hall, bumping right into Sloan as I go.

Instead of feeling some sick satisfaction for telling the guys off, the skin where Sloan and I brushed against one another heats, then travels up my arm, over my neck, and to my face, so that by the time I sit next to Chase again, he’s asking me if I’m okay. Several different emotions war with one another inside my chest.

“Fine,” I tell him, needing to fan my face. “About this bonfire?”

I take all the information in, ignoring the voice in my head that’s telling me to go to Sloan to see if he’s okay. The dark circles under his eyes were even worse up close.

6

Basketball camp actually does have a curfew and rules, however, no one’s ever checked up on me. It probably has something to do with the fact that my dad runs it, and that I’ve never given them a reason to check on me before. Right now, as I leave the cabin at nine to head down to the beach, I’m pretty happy about that fact because I’m not worried about someone coming around my cabin at ten to see if I’m in bed by curfew.

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