Page 16 of Player
I pause at the end of a jump series, my attention fixed on the clock.
Emery continues his torso circles without strain. He might not look it, but he's been training for a good two hours. I think Coach's exercises might be too simple for him.
"You don't have to be a jerk to everyone," he continues. "Couldn't we say the girls in our dorm are off-limits?"
"Are you trying to negotiate a ceasefire? Did Alabama send you? She's no match for me and she knows it. Though it's a sign of intelligence to retreat when you don't have the strength to handle it."
"Can you hear yourself?” he asks, exasperated. "This is crazy! You sound like you're talking about armed conflict! It's just a girl, Player. You can stop being a little prick."
I should get back to jumping to complete the last round of jump rope, but instead, I move closer to Emery.
"No way. Not before I win this game. I never lose, and you know it."
Emery returns my gaze, and I can tell he's not convinced by what I just said.
"I hope she's smarter than you," he finally comments. I furrow my brow, not sure I'm following him, and he adds, "I'd really like to see the great Player eat dirt someday."
He punctuates his statement with a laugh, and I feel my whole body tense.
"You're playing against your own team now?"
Emery raises his eyebrows. "Out there, on the field? No. But in this case, there's no team, no quarterback to protect. You're alone in this, Player. Don't count on me to help you mess with Dixie."
"You want to do her, is that it?"
My friend's eyes widen in surprise. "Not at all! I mean, she's hot, that's clear. But I don't have my eyes on her."
I turn away and shake out my rope for the last round. As I start to jump, Emery muses, "But hey, I'm not saying I'd say no if she was up for a one-night stand..."
The image of Emery and Alabama in action pops into my head, and without realizing it, I speed up my pace. I have no intention of screwing her, so I don't see why my buddy shouldn't enjoy a moment with Alabama.
But this idea almost makes me grit my teeth. If she sleeps with someone else, I might as well forfeit. No, Alabama will only want one man in the coming weeks, and that person is me.
Strengthened by my resolve, I finish the jump rope before moving on to floor exercises. After all, Emery’s not the only one who needs a strong core.
The more I think about it, the more confident I am: Alabama will fall for one guy. Me. I'll do whatever it takes to achieve my goal. And nothing is impossible for Player. When I want something, I get it.
Alabama better watch out!
7
DIXIE
The surfaceof the table is covered with so many flyers that it's now impossible to see the wood underneath.
"I had no idea there were so many clubs," Pia marvels.
This afternoon, Saphya, Pia, and I made the rounds of all the student organization booths during the campus activities fair. Following Saphya's directions, we took a brochure from every stand, which resulted in quite an impressive haul.
The colorful papers spread out before our eyes, and I have no idea what I'm going to choose. At OMU, it's looked upon favorably to get involved in an extracurricular activity, and I admit it would be a pleasant way to distract myself a bit when the pace of classes intensifies.
"There are so many choices!" Pia continues, picking up a few flyers that she studies carefully. "I'm torn between several clubs..."
"Sign up for all of them," Saphya suggests.
"I'll never have time to do everything. No, I think I'll focus on art-related ones."
"Isn't that already what you're majoring in?" Saphya asks her.
