Page 40 of Secret Puck
Rauthruss grunts a laugh. “He’s not wrong. Kids are assholes. At least until I got big enough they were scared to mock me.”
“That’s awful,” Jordan says. “Why would your parents name you that?”
Rauthruss stares blankly at him and doesn’t answer.
“Move over, freshman, let me show you how it’s done.”
An hour or two must pass while I refuse to give up my seat, waving off anyone else who wants a turn. “This is personal,” I tell them. “From one weird kid to another.”
The girl sitting next to me drapes her hand on my thigh. I have no idea how long she’s been there or how long she’s been touching me. I guess now I understand why Rauthruss was oblivious to the two hanging next to him earlier.
“You were a nerd?” she asks. “I don’t believe it.”
“Not a nerd just weird.” She looks at me unbelievingly, so I add, “Dead dad, non-functioning mom.”
The words have barely left my mouth before I regret them. I don’t talk about my family shit ever, but drunk Heath is a very sharing Heath. I don’t usually drink so much, but I ran out of beer several games ago and instead of getting up to get another, I switched to sharing gulps of the Mad Dog bottle Maverick is passing around.
I glance around and notice the party is starting to die down. Inside it’s me, Mav, Rauthruss, and the girls between us. Voices still carry from the deck outside.
“I’m gonna get some air.” Standing, I’m much more aware of how drunk I am. My legs feel a little too light and kind of wobbly.
The group outside is almost as small as the one inside. Adam and the girl he’s been seeing, Taryn, a few guys from the team, plus Reagan, Dakota, and Ginny.
Adam spots me first and his loud laughter barks into the night. “Gumby legs is back! Heath’s druuuunk.”
I lean against the railing beside Ginny. Her sweet smile hits me in the gut.
“Hi, Genevieve.”
“Hi, Heath,” she says, still smiling at me. “You look happy.”
“I feel pretty happy.”
“We should play sardines tonight,” Dakota says. “Is Maverick still inside?”
I nod. “Yep.”
“You guys in?” She looks around to everyone.
“What’s sardines?” Taryn asks.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Adam says, arms wrapped around Taryn’s waist, but his gaze is on Ginny.
“It’s kind of like hide and seek,” Dakota answers Taryn.
Ginny looks uncomfortable under her brother’s scrutiny, but her words are enthusiastic. “Yeah, let’s do it!”
The walk to campus in the dark with the fresh air sobers me up a little. Ginny’s still smiling like something’s funny as I walk beside her.
“What?”
“You’re lifting your knees so high. It’s adorable.”
“You’re adorable,” I fire back.
She giggles, links her arm through mine, and leans in. Her boob presses into my forearm and all I can think about is reaching over and squeezing it like a stress ball. I completely understand that this is not acceptable behavior for friends—drunk or not, so I don’t, but I think about it anyway.
At the edge of campus, Adam turns so he’s walking backward. “Ginny, you good?”
