Chapter 6 – Chelsea
“Hi Christian,” I say, as if I came over to talk to him, even though he and I don’t have the best history.
I’ve always thought he was kind of spineless and weasel-like for some reason, even before he hit on me and I had to turn him down. Although we still talk to each other when we see each other in classes or at games, I obviously wouldn’t be coming to talk to him if I didn’t have to invest some pretext to talk to the new guy who is sitting with him.
“I was just coming over to…”
“Hey there,” says the new guy, reaching out a hand for me to shake.
I like the way he makes the first move, even if he was too chicken shit to come over to me on the field.
“Wesley Reynolds,” he says, as I shake his strong hand. “Transfer student.”
I just stare into his dark brown eyes, forgetting why I even came over, other than to look at them.
“We came to meet the new guy,” Taylor says, to Christian, lightly poking my side with her elbow. “The cheerleader welcoming committee.”
Oh yeah.
Good ole Taylor.
“Chelsea Thompson,” I say, unable to hold back some light laughter. “Sophomore.”
“And I’m Taylor Hudson,” Taylor adds.
Wesley shakes her hand next, but I notice it’s with a less enthusiastic grip.
“We’ve actually come to invite you to a party,” I say.
Taylor elbows me again, but not as nicely, this time.
“A party already?” Christian jokes. “Aren’t you even going to pick the new cheerleaders first?”
“Oh, they’ll be chosen by then,” I say. “The party is this weekend, and it’s in part to welcome the latest cheerleaders. It’s at my dad’s lake house.”
“Nice,” Christian says. He raises his eyebrows at Wesley. “I’ve heard about the cheerleaders’ parties, and that they’re a lot of fun.”
I ignore the bitter tone in his voice, which reeks of offense at never having been invited to one himself.
“But they’re usually not at the coach’s lake house. And football players are usually banned,” Christian continues. “Due to, as I’ve already warned you, Coach Thompson’s strict rules against anyone on the team fraternizing too much with his daughter…”
So that’s why Wesley hadn’t come over to me on the field. Christian had already let him in on my dad’s rule. Although my dad may have already told Wesley himself. He tends to make quite the production out of announcing it.
“You’re not banned this year,” I quickly blurt out, wanting him to shut up already. He didn’t have to keep rubbing salt in the wound. “You’re both invited.”
I stare straight at Wesley, as if issuing him a dare. And he stares right back, as if accepting it.
“Just don’t let the whole team know about it,” Taylor says, looking at me as if she can’t believe I’d invited even two players. “It’s by invitation only. And obviously, don’t let Coach Thompson know about it…”
“Obviously,” agrees Christian, while rolling his eyes.
“Well, see you around,” I say, reluctantly tearing my eyes off of Wesley to join the food line.
“Looking forward to it,” he says.
And there’s that tingle running down my spine again.
As soon as we’re out of their earshot, Taylor protests.
“Chelsea! What were you thinking?”
“What?”
I bat my eyelashes and do my best to play innocent.
“I know you’re dead set on inviting your latest heartthrob but was that really the best way to do it? Inviting Christian too? What if they go and blab their mouths…”
“It’ll be fine,” I tell her, as I peer at the less than appealing lunch choices.
Apparently Taylor is more afraid of my dad’s wrath than I am. Or maybe, since this is the first time I’ve openly challenged his rule, I’m more curious about Wesley than afraid of my dad.
“Okay,” she says, with an exasperated sigh. “I hope you’re right.”
“I want to get to know him.”
I can’t help but notice the whininess in my voice.
“I know it’s a stupid thing to do, but I want to do it anyway.”
“It’s just that I think you should be careful,” she says, her eyes pleading with me. “I know you’re really into this new guy, but if your dad finds out…”
“You’re right,” I tell her. “I am into him.”
Don’t ask me to explain it, I silently will her, because I can’t.
And she doesn’t. She probably just knows.
I’ve never risked falling for a guy on the football team. I know my dad would be so mad, and it just hasn’t been worth it.
I’ve never even been attracted to many of the guys on the team, so it’s never really been hard to not disobey my dad. Most of the players have always seemed like empty headed jocks.
But there’s something about Wesley Reynolds I can’t ignore.
Sure, he has a cocky swagger and an overconfident manner that lets me know he’s probably used to playing the field in more ways than one. He isn’t even my normal type.
But I just want him. I don’t know why.
“I only want to look at him a bit more up close,” I tell Taylor, trying to be convincing. “I know he’s on my dad’s team, so he’s off limits, but I need a better look at him.”
She shakes her head.
“I’m just going to look,” I insist again. “I don’t have to touch…”
“Sure, Chelsea,” she says, as she reaches over me to grab a salad, because I’ve been too busy thinking about Wesley to decide what I want to eat. “Whatever you say.”
She knows me better than that. And I know myself better than that, too.
For better or worse, I just want to get up close and personal with Wesley Reynolds.
I don’t want to actually go all the way with him of course. I’m not ready for that level of closeness. I’m still embarrassingly inexperienced.
I just want to hang out with him for a little bit. Maybe make out just a little bit.
Just one party. Just one crazy, rebellious night of hooking up with him, and I’m sure I’ll get this obsession out of my system, and my dad will never have to know.