Page 13 of Escape Velocity
The thundering footsteps get closer to him and his skin prickles.
One thing football players do is let you know about their presence. They will not be ignored; they are built to be seen and heard.
He tenses up as the heavy footsteps pass him, hopingthat he will go unnoticed. He hears a snicker from one of them.
“Damn bro, you didn’t have anything else to do on a Friday?” one of the jocks says, which probably is a whisper that Mason isn’t meant to hear, but he hears it.
Mason tightens his lip, and tears immediately threaten to fall out of his eyes, but he keeps his eyes on his paper as he swallows the sting building in his throat.
He doesn’t want to get upset over an offhand comment like that, but it stings. They don’t know it’s one of the only ways he can get his mind off what’s bothering him.
The gym is probably what got their minds off whatever stresses they are having, and Mason never makes fun of them for going all the time, so why should they make fun of him for studying?
He hears the sound of a thud, like someone getting pushed. Mason quickly looks up to see none other than Callum Brown shoving one of the players. One of the groups of football players, an insanely large and tall one was batting his hands off of Callum, who appeared to have just slapped his shoulder.
“Lay off him, Trav. He’s practicing, just like we do,” Callum says before skirting his eyes over to meet Mason’s gaze.
Mason’s heart stutters and he immediately lowers his gaze back to his paper, hoping that neither Callum nor anyone could see his glistening eyes. He didn’t want to give Callum the satisfaction.
Clearly, Callum has unknowingly defended Mason, and Mason isn’t going to wait with bated breath for Callum’s face to scrunch up with disdain and replace his defense with something offensive instead.
Instead, Callum says nothing and walksoff with the rest of the group. Mason blows out a long breath, thankful that Callum decided not to say anything.
He quickly looks up again to see Joel Whitlock, one of Callum’s friends, studying him curiously, his gaze bouncing between Callum and him as they round a corner to another part of the library.
Mason scrunches his nose in disdain, remembering how much of a jackass Joel had been when they were in high school. Just another person to add to the list that was keeping Mason in Northwood still.
The rumbling of the football players fades, and Mason relaxes.
There used to be a time when Callum would defend Mason from bullies on the playground. They’d steal his glasses off his face, they’d rip his books out of his hands, and they’d scribble all over his homework.
Callum would always steal everything back. Callum would always try to make things right.
Now, he doesn’t really care very much about what happens to Mason or who says what to him.
Callum is still a protector, just not Mason’s.
Mason wishes he knew how they ended up this way. They used to be so close. They are similar in some ways.
They’re both led by their passions and their drive.
They don’t fold when things get to be too much; they fight back.
Mason always had a sharp tongue. He got that from his mom. Homing in on the perfect one-liner that could sink someone was something he reserved only for Callum. Only for when Callum decided to be an asshole to him.
He sags in his chair and balances his pencil on his index finger, watching as is teeters slightly from oneend to the other.
He doesn’t have it in him to do anymore imaginary problems; they were taking on a life of their own in his reality.
He has to write an article on all of those players, and now he’s on their radar, exactly what he doesn’t want.
His phone buzzes. He desperately hopes it’s not from his mom.
Jenna
Dinner date?
He sighs in relief and lets Jenna know he’s coming.
