“YO, MACKENZIE!” BRAD calls out as we walk into the locker room where Cole is sitting on the bench, lacing up his cleats. “Where’d you go last night?” he asks, reaching out to give Cole a fist bump. “Or should I ask, who’d you disappear with? I know it wasn’t Ashton because she was still at the party being her usual annoying-ass self.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “So, who was she?”
Cole shakes his head. “I wasn’t hooking up. I had some family sh—stuff.”
I lift my eyebrows, intrigued.
“Yo, I was up at Mac’s the other night,” Justin says. “Who’s the new redheaded chick?” He blows out a low whistle. “She’s bangin’.”
Cole’s brows pull together in confusion before he shakes his head. “No idea. Haven’t see her.”
Dex closes his locker and turns to face us. “I have and, dude, she’s a dime piece,” he confirms, nodding. “But don’t tell my girl I said that. She’ll have my balls. My baby gets jealous.”
“Pussy,” Justin taunts with a laugh, then dodges Dex’s fist. “Scared of his girl.”
“Let’s go, ladies! Quit your gossiping and get your asses on the field,” Coach Morgan orders, passing us on his way through the locker room and out the door. One by one, we all file out and jog toward the field.
Cole and I fall to the back of the line. “I saw Jay on the cover of Rhythm & Riffs. Well the cartoon version of her.” I chuckle. “Lexi has a girl crush on her.”
Cole snorts. “Yeah, I saw it too.”
“How’s Jay doing?” I ask.
“She’s better.”
“I can’t imagine what she’s been through.”
Without looking at me, he scratches his jaw and replies, “She took it pretty hard. Harder than anyone expected and she made herself sick.”
“Sick how?”
Cole shakes his head. “Just sick. But she’s better now.”
Before I can push him for more information, Coach Morgan yells, “Easton, Mackenzie! Move it!”
COACH BLOWS HIS whistle before cupping his hands around his mouth. “All right, guys, that’s it for today.”
“So, Reagan texted me last night after I left the party,” Cole tells me when we get back to the locker room.
“Of course, she did,” I huff. “Took her long enough. Let me guess. ‘Come over’?”
“Something like that.”
“She sent the same message to Evan. What’d you tell her?”
“Nothing.” He scowls. “I’d rather ignore her. I know you say you don’t care, but bottom line, she fucked you over.”
I shrug. “Yeah, but it’s not like she hurt me. She just pissed me off. Ignoring her will only make her try harder. She loves to play games and you’re presenting her with a challenge.”
“She needs a dose of reality,” he says. “Ashton and I aren’t in a relationship, but I think it’s pretty shitty of Reagan to be texting me behind Ashton’s back.”
“I agree. Especially when Ashton stood up for her last night after Lexi nearly ripped her hair out.”
He chuckles. “I wish I’d been there to see that. Evan’s got his hands full with that one.”
“I saw Lindsay last night at Brad’s.”
“Miller?”
I nod. “I’m bringing her to the party today.”
“She wants the D,” Brad cuts in. Always the clown.
I shake my head.
“You trying to hit that?” Cole asks me before he turns to smirk at Evan. “I wonder how Grayson would feel about it.”
Evan shrugs. “He’s the idiot for cheating on her.”
“Better watch out, Mackenzie. Our boy Zach is gonna steal your playa card,” Dex singsongs and pops him in the ass with his sweat-soaked tank top.
“Zach doesn’t have what it takes to be a player,” Cole teases, grinning. What’s he doing? “His conscience won’t allow it.” True.
“That’s because I have one.” I chuckle. “But I’ve done the girlfriend thing and we all saw how well that worked out. Besides, I don’t need any distractions this year. I’ve gotta keep my head in the game.”
“A hundred bucks says you’ll have a girlfriend by the second week of school,” Cole challenges with a smirk.
“What?”
“A hundred bucks—”
“I heard you,” I say, scowling at my best friend. “Where is this coming from?”
Cole grins and holds out his hand.
“Fine.” I clasp his hand with mine and tug him toward me. “Be ready to crack open your piggy bank.” I smack him hard on the ass before shoving him back.
“Hold up!” Evan walks over. “I want in on this.”
“Okay, what the fuck is going on?” I say to the ever-growing group around me.
“Something tells me I gotta get in on this,” Brad says with a grimace. “Sorry, Zach. Count me in, Mackenzie.”
“Me, too,” Dex jumps in.
“Are you guys serious?”
“Sorry, Zach, but I gotta get in on this, too,” Justin says.
“You guys are dicks.” I look around. “Is this a joke? Did you sign me up on Tinder or something?”
“Oh, come on, Zach,” Evans says, smacking me on the back. “Having a girlfriend isn’t a bad thing. You just gotta find the right girl.”
“Easy for you to say, Evan. Your girlfriend isn’t a whore,” I argue, but they all just stare back at me with stupid smirks on their faces. “Okay, assholes, you better have my money when it’s time to pay up.”
“YOU FUCKERS READY to party?” Brad shouts, stepping between Cole and me, throwing his arms over both of our shoulders.
“I need to pick something up first. Give me a half hour or so.” Cole turns and calls out to Evan. “E, you want me to swing by and pick you up on the way?” It’s rare that Cole ever drinks, so most of the time he’s the designated driver.
“Nah. Lexi’s driving,” Evan replies before climbing in his truck.
Cole turns to me. “You need me to pick you up?”
“Nah. I gotta pick up Lindsay.”
“All right. I’ll see you in thirty.” Cole whips his shirt around and pops Brad in the chest.
“Ow! Dick.”
“Later, pussies.” Cole laughs as he jogs over to his truck.
“I think my nipple’s bleeding,” Brad hisses, rubbing his chest.