Chapter Nine

Her second lesson with Brittany a week later went much better than her first, probably because Tony wasn’t watching this time. She liked Tony, maybe more than she was willing to admit, but she felt self-conscious when he was there. How embarrassing was it that he performed the routine better than she did? She was the proverbial bull in a china shop sandwiched between two disgustingly beautiful dancers. She couldn’t help but notice that even Brittany seemed more relaxed without a man around. She wasn’t “on” like she’d been a couple days earlier.

After they finished, Brittany sat on a bench to check her messages. Allison approached her. “Mind if I sit?” Brittany was focused on her phone. She briefly glanced at the bleacher seat and shrugged, so Allison took a seat beside her.

This was hard for Allison, but she needed information and Brittany might be the only person in the world she could ask. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, Allison began. “I know we’re not friends or nothin’, but can I ask you somethin’?” Brittany didn’t appear to be paying attention, but Allison continued anyway. “What do you think of Tony?”

Brittany slowly lowered the mobile phone and rested it on her knee. She turned her head toward Allison. “Why?”


Allison took a deep breath. She wasn’t expecting her motives to be questioned. “Well, because I heard a lot about him before I actually met him, and none of what I heard was good. I mean, he has a nasty reputation, but now that I know him a little, well, it just doesn’t add up to the guy I’ve seen.”

“Uh huh.”

“So, do you think it’s true?” Allison asked.

“What’s true?” Brittany batted the question ball back to Allison.

Allison sighed. Apparently Brittany was going to make her spell it out. “You know. The date rape accusation. Do you think he really did it?”

“How should I know? I wasn’t there,” Brittany answered flatly.

Maybe she needed to pose the question a different way. “Um. Do you know the girl? The one who accused him?”

“No, not really,” Brittany shrugged. “I mean she’s not on the squad. I think I know who she is, but not personally or anything.”

“Okay, so, do you think she’d lie?”

“Jeez.” Brittany rolled her eyes. “Everyone always blames the victim.”

Allison flinched. “Oh. So you do think it’s true.”

“Okay, look.” Brittany set her phone aside and threw a leg over the bench to straddle it and fully face Allison. “Ordinarily I’d side with the girl in a situation like this, but Tony emphatically denied it from day one, and knowing Tony, I believe him. One look at those puppy-dog eyes of his and you know he’s telling the truth.” Allison was relieved to hear Brittany absolve Tony, but there was a pang of jealousy when Brittany described his eyes. “Tony has his faults but lying isn’t one of them.”

Okay, this is good. She was getting at the truth little by little and she was really glad that Brittany had a good opinion of Tony. Still, that jealousy instinct was getting louder. Was there ever anything romantic between Brittany and Tony? As a psych major, Allison paid attention to Brittany’s tone as well as her words, her body language, facial expressions, and eye movements. Brittany's demeanor was neutral when she talked about Tony, leading Allison to decide there was nothing but friendship between Tony and Brittany—maybe mostly because that’s what Allison wanted to believe. She guessed she could ask directly, but directness was never easy for Allison. “Um. How do you know him so well?” She hoped Brittany wouldn’t say they were lovers.

“We’re in the same business,” Brittany answered with a chuckle. “And I’m kind of a people watcher. I observe all the players,” she boasted. “After a while you get to know people’s character, ya know? A lot of the guys have huge egos, but not Tony. If anything, he’s just the opposite.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well, he’s hard on himself,” Brittany replied, “And I don't just mean football. I get the feeling he puts himself down before anyone else gets the chance. Kind of breaks your heart.”

Allison swallowed hard. Brittany’s description of Tony just deepened her feelings for him. She had a sudden longing to put her arms around Tony and tell him she was on his side. “So it sounds like you don’t think he did it.”

“Like I said, I wasn’t there,” Brittany reiterated. “There’s only two people who know the truth. Lookit Al, Tony’s a nice guy. I don’t know him as well as I know some of the other guys on the team, but he seems like one of the good ones. Still, sometimes even good guys are asses. If he was high or drunk or who knows what else, well, it’s possible.”

Back to square one. “Those are really serious allegations. I mean, if he did it.”

“This is just me speculating,” Brittany added with a light touch on Allison’s arm. “If you really want to know, why not just ask him?”

Her eyes widened. “Just? I couldn’t! I feel like I don’t know him well enough to ask such a personal question. I mean, it’s kind of hard to bring up somethin’ like that.”

Brittany laughed. “You’re really into him, aren’t you?”

“What? No!” Allison answered a little too quickly. Brittany raised her eyebrows and Allison could tell she wasn’t buying it. “I’m not sure. Maybe,” Allison answered truthfully.

“Like I said, ask him. Don’t assume either way. Something tells me he’ll be honest with you, even if it paints him in a bad light.” She turned around and reached for her phone, signaling their conversation was over.

Allison nodded and rose from the seat. “Thanks Brittany. And thanks for helping me with the routines.”

Brittany lifted her eyes from her phone. “Hey Al. What you said before about not being friends?”

“Yes?”

“Maybe one day we will be.” She smiled at Allison. “I hope you make the squad. I really do.”

The tension on Allison’s face disappeared and she smiled back. “Thanks, Brittany. Me too.”