Junior Year Box Set

“As far as me not being good enough, you’re just delusional. I would bet that I work a lot harder than most of you, and that’s the stuff that shows up on the field. If you don’t believe me, look at the numbers I’ve put up. If you got your head out of your butt, you’d realize you really want me on your team when we go to the Pan Am Championships,” I said.

He started to look self-conscious. I think he realized he might have stepped in it, so I bailed him out.

“Why don’t we do this? Let’s everyone agree to a fresh start. What has happened to this point doesn’t matter. I’m David, by the way,” I said as I held out my hand.

“Rich Cousins,” he said as he shook mine.

“I really am a privileged little shit,” I said, showing a big grin. “Fritz, come over here. Show them the Dodge Demon I just got for my birthday.”

Fritz came over and handed me his phone so I could show them pictures. This was something we could all agree upon. I was also proud of myself. My first thought was to put him down in one of Cassidy’s holds that hurt like the dickens. I probably shouldn’t have flaunted my new car, but it was too cool not to show off.

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Kelly and M.E. joined me while I ate my sandwiches.

“You should have punched him,” Kelly said, offering her opinion.

“In the short run, that would be satisfying, but it would just make it worse once we combine teams. If he’d approached me in a dark alley, it might have gone differently,” I said with a wistful smile.

I think everyone got the idea about putting on their swimsuits, and we soon had about thirty boys roughhousing in the pool. I noticed that Rich and his supporters were nowhere to be seen. It was noted by the coaches.

I caught M.E. and Kelly checking the guys out.

“Which ones are you interested in?” I asked, startling them.

“They would never be interested in me,” M.E. quickly said.

Allard came up and gave Kelly a knowing smile. The boy had a lot to learn.

“Hey, would you take M.E. out on a date?” I asked him.

“Of course I would,” he said, redeeming himself in my book.

M.E. sank into her chair and wouldn’t look at either of us. My grandpa used to say that for every puzzle, there is a piece that fits. Of course, that was right after my big brother told me I had a face that would scare small children. I thought my grandpa was being mean to me, but Grandma Dawson explained that looks weren’t everything and that I had a winning personality. At the time, I wasn’t too happy with what she said, either. I won’t even repeat what my mom said when I complained to her. It’s a wonder I survived the abuse.

“Come on, Kelly. Let’s leave these two lovebirds alone,” I said with a huge grin.

I made a mental note to keep my distance from M.E. for the foreseeable future.

◊◊◊

Chapter 24 – And the Winner Is Friday July 15

I woke up to Kelly kissing my face. Once she thought M.E. was interested in Allard, he was history.

I wasn’t proud of myself for continuing to spend time in bed with Kelly. I always said that sex changes things, and I was a sucker for liking a girl if I slept with her. Uncle John could probably make a fortune studying the correlation between having sex with someone and how much you liked them. I knew for a fact that you didn’t have to like someone, or for that matter, know them, to have sex with them. I’d done both. The basis of the study would be whether repeated sex made a difference. I would gladly volunteer to be one of his test subjects.

Allard rolled over and gave us an irritated look.

“You two kept me up half the night,” he complained.

“I can’t help that I attract bad girls. Your girlfriend is more long-term,” I teased.

“I believe back in Arkansas, you two are old enough to get married,” Kelly said to join in my fun.

“Not everyone from Arkansas is a hillbilly,” Allard said as he got up to use the bathroom.

“Just you,” I pointed out.

He flipped me off as we smiled at him.

“So, you think I’m a bad girl,” Kelly said.

“After last night, I do. I think you’ve led me astray.”

“I wish.”

“Not that I’m complaining.”

“I know we only have this morning,” she said as she reached down and found my morning wood.

Allard came out and got dressed so he could go down for breakfast. I looked at the clock and figured I could talk Fritz into getting me something once we got to the baseball field. Kelly was right; this would probably be our last time together. I had to leave after the game to go to LA. When I got back, I would only be in town until the following morning, as everyone would be departing then.

With a plan in place, I made sure our last time was special.

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