Junior Year Box Set

“You do realize that Jeff would just want us to be happy. He understood you and I have a special connection. I just wanted to know if you would ever consider us as a couple.”

“Of course I would. I’m just not ready for that, right now,” I said. “Cassidy, if you told me that you needed me right now, I’d set all my personal issues aside and be there for you. I just don’t think that now’s the right time for us.”

She leaned across the center console and kissed me. We both felt it. I think it was good that Cassidy pulled away.

“Like I said, I just wanted to know. I miss him, too,” she said, referring to Jeff.

“Friends?” I asked.

“Friends,” she answered.

◊◊◊ Tuesday September 15

I came out to run and saw our blue jay problem taken care of. The territorial birds had terrorized Duke all summer. One of them made the mistake of trying to run off Precious, Brit’s cat from hell. The blue dive bomber made his pass only to find himself in the jaws of the neighbor’s cat. Precious had to have leaped six feet off the ground to snatch the bird out of the air. I was a little appalled when she brought it to me and put it at my feet.

“Why can’t you give this to Brit? I don’t really want a dead bird,” I said, trying to reason with the feline.

Precious just looked up at me like she expected me to do something with it. Duke made the mistake of being a little too curious about Precious’s kill and got his nose swatted for his troubles. There was the evil cat I had learned to love. I opened the garage, found a rag, and picked up the bird so I could dispose of it. That seemed to satisfy Precious because she and Duke ran into our backyard to roughhouse.

◊◊◊

I came to school to find every guy in a circle around something. It was weird because they were all quiet. If it had been a fight, they would have been yelling encouragement. I walked up and about made a run for it. Standing in the center was Brook Davis, wearing what I would describe as Eurotrash porn garb. She had on bell-bottom sweat pants that were so thin that you could tell she didn’t have any underwear on. They weren’t snug like yoga pants, but every movement of her tight little booty was easy to see. Brook also had on a sports bra that lifted and separated her breasts, with a tank top so snug I don’t know how she got into it. I swear you could make out the outline of her areola, and there was no guessing about her nipples.

I checked her out closer and saw she had dressed to attract attention today. Her makeup was a little heavier than what she usually wore. Lisa Felton had some serious competition for most sexually arousing female at Lincoln High. For some reason, Brook was able to pull off her look without appearing totally trashy. She just had a way of carrying herself that spoke of class, regardless of what she had on.

“I’m trying to find a real man who isn’t afraid to have fun. I went out with Mike, and he came up short—in a lot of ways,” she said as every eye turned toward my nemesis.

I’d heard the rumors that he’d bragged about bagging Brook. It sounded like she’d heard the same rumors. Mike stumbled back as if she’d slapped him. It had been a bad couple of days for him. He’d been kicked off the offense in football, and now his manhood had been called into question. I didn’t blame him when he made a hasty exit.

“If only there were someone who could measure up …” Brook said, laying down her challenge.

The problem with teenage boys is their lack of confidence. If she’d done this on a college campus, guys would have swarmed her. As she scanned the crowd, you could see boys eliminating themselves one at a time. If Mike hadn’t measured up, and he was one of the more attractive guys at Lincoln, then, how could they?

If you’re tall, it has its advantages, but not today. Brook’s eyes locked with mine and she began to walk towards me. I smirked when the crowd parted like the Red Sea, and Brook ended up right in front of me.

“How about it, Dawson, you man enough to have some fun with me tonight?” she asked.

I think every guy had the same idea of “fun” in mind, but I caught the glint in her eye and knew she wasn’t talking about sex. Mr. Happy was 100 percent sure I was wrong and made a play for taking over the body. I had to fight him down, or he’d have gotten me suspended again for sure.

I was on the verge of turning her down when I remembered my commitment to live a life without regrets. I knew I’d kick myself later if I didn’t at least find out what she had in mind.

“Meet me after football practice,” I said.

That caused all the guys to start to talk at once. Out of nowhere, Pam and Tracy appeared and separated Brook and me. Tracy led me into the school while Pam led Brook towards a different entrance.

“I think I’m in trouble,” I confessed.

“Buddy, you’ve no idea,” Tracy warned me.

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