Page 12 of Dark Things
Maybe I’ll leave them a little present.
5
Colter
My breath quickens as the ball is snapped into my waiting hands. I look out and find Staff open in the distance. I launch the ball, excitement thrumming through me, as I wait for him to make the play.
The sound of helmets clashing surrounds me, but my focus is on Staff and his ability to defy gravity as he leaps in the air, catching the ball and making the first down.
This is only practice, but damn, it feels good every time we make a play. “That’s it, Staff!” I shout as the guys run back to our huddle.
“Awesome play,” Haunt says. He’s been here for a few practices so far and seems nice enough, even if the girl he was with the other day is standoffish. How he got on the team as a senior is a mystery. I don’t even think he’s played ball for a college team before, butthat's the coach's problem. I just execute the plays and win games.
“Thanks, let’s switch this up a bit. Spread left, X Ringo 32 smash. Break,” I call, the boys lining up in formation. Haunt takes off and weaves in between the defense, so fast it’s almost impossible to track his movements, but I see the opening and let the ball fly.
“Get it, Haunt!” I scream before stepping back to watch.
He catches the ball, running at full speed. Staff is right behind him with another player blocking to his left. He speeds past the end zone, scoring.
“That’s it! Fucking hell, did you see that?” Clark asks from next to me, slapping my shoulder. “He’s going to be fire in the first game. New Paltz isn’t going to know what hit them.”
“Yeah, he’s proving to be better than I thought,” I reply, checking the next play we need to work on. Maybe senior year will go better than anticipated. If we make it to the playoffs and then championship, getting drafted into the NFL might be guaranteed.
I slam my locker closed,exhausted from practice. I just want to go home and eat my weight in something I’m not supposed to and sleep until tomorrow. The rest of the players are gone, leaving only Staff, Brooks, and me in the locker room.
“So then she starts correcting my knowledge on continuity analysis. I couldn’t believe the balls on this chick. I mean me, Stafford-fucking-Fitzgerald, challenged in Mathematical Analysis.”
I chuckle as I walk around the locker banks to see Staff telling his sob story to Brooks, who looks like he could not care less about this baby tantrum.
“She’s hot, though,” Brooks says, slipping on his T-shirt.
“Yeah, but when I approached them after class she was so angry. I have no idea what it was about, maybe Colt spilling coffee on her? I don’t know, but there’s definitely something about her. And when she walked away…”
“That ass, right?” I ask, smirking. I take a seat on the bench next to my two best friends. Most times Staff doesn’t notice girls. He leans towards going out with guys, so she must be something special for him to take notice of.
“It was like a ripe fucking juicy peach, but that’s besides the point. She was so smug about it.” He slams his locker closed, grabbing his backpack and stalking toward the door.
“How dare she,” Brooks whispers in my ear, a bright smile on his face.
“I heard that, dipshit,” Staff calls from up ahead, causing both Brooks and I to chuckle.
“Don’t be so butt-hurt. Maybe you metyour equal in math dorkiness,” I say, swerving around the hit that’s coming my way.
He scowls, squinting his eyes before continuing on. “I have no equal.”
Now Brooks and I are full out laughing. Staff’s face is so serious; he truly believes he has no competition when it comes to being a genius—well, not since Belle, but that’s something I choose not to think about. It hurts too much, even after all these years.
“Enough talk about the new girl. Let’s think about what we’re eating for dinner. Pizza, Chinese, or maybe Mexican?” Brooks asks, getting his phone out.
“I vote for tacos. I could devour a few of those birra ones that we got the last time,” I say, mouth salivating thinking about all that goodness.
Brooks makes a humming noise, pulling up the delivery app. “Staff? Chicken or fish?” he asks, because even though we should all be eating healthy, Staff is the strictest of us. I think he’s had fun a whole ten times in the last five years. The rest is rules, traditions, and regimens. His whole personality changed. He’s no longer the prankster who used to cause mischief. He even wears suits most of the time like a forty-year-old CEO.
“Fish, but only two and get an order of guacamole so I can eat it with the cut veggies I made this morning.”
I gag behind my hand, watching Brooks type in our order as we get into Staff’s Audi. It doesn’t make sensefor us all to drive since we share a house on the outskirts of campus.
“Should be here in forty minutes,” Brooks says, sliding into the backseat while I take the passenger.
