“Okay, Liam, it looks like I can put you in a class you failed, and it will bring up your GPA,” she said, studying my face. She was all right; her brown hair hung past her shoulders and her round face was alluring. Last year, I would have bent her over the desk just to say I fucked my advisor. This year, she was annoying.
“I didn’t do so good in English my freshman year,” I said.
She shook her head, gritting her teeth. “No, you didn’t. I can add you to 1301 on Monday and Wednesday. I’ll email the professor and let her know your circumstances. She’ll let you right in,” she said with a grin.
“Sign me up.” Her face turned a bright shade of red when I threw a grin at her. She thought I was smiling at her, but she had no idea what I had up my sleeve. Hell, neither did I. I was about to get this fucked up idea out of my head, though.
My phone buzzed. I glanced down, making a face as I read it.
Tyler: Coffee. Now.
Tyler, my old teammate, and frat brother was worse than every girl wearing long shirts paired with short shorts on campus. He drank weird shit from the coffee place on campus and hoped he would find “the one” to carry out his five-year plan.
Luckily, Brandon was usually tagging along with him. He made the old me look like a damn saint. We all balanced each other, and that was how it had been since we were kids. The weirdest fucking trio around.
I got to the coffee place, closest to that Autumn girl’s dorms. I don’t know why I thought that, but it stuck with me. She stuck with me. When I tried to pick her up, which was purely innocent on my part, she let me have it. I thought she was a challenge, and I was determined to get to that girl. When I saw her at her dorm, I realized she was different. Nice, pure, sweet. I wanted to ask her to stay the hell away from Josie and every other person on this campus before we all sunk our claws in her, ruining her.
Fuck, I feel like Tyler. Is this what it was like being him? Thinking about girls all the time? Jesus Christ. I saw the group sitting at the biggest table on the patio. I dragged a chair up, sitting on the end.
“Where the hell have you been?” Brandon asked, watching me like a hawk. Since my redemption, he was waiting for me to fail. He was determined I would.
“Adding a class, trying to bring up my GPA,” I said.
“Good for you, man. Coach will be proud,” Tyler said, clapping my back. I shot him a look until he dropped his hand. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to be like him or punch his peppy ass in the face half the time.
“His approval is all I crave in life,” I said. No one missed my sarcasm.
“You still want back on the team, right?” Tyler asked. His brow was furrowed. I guess I wasn’t as smooth as I thought.
“About that…” I was cut off by Brandon making some weird noise in the back of his throat that could only mean there was a female within his reach. He thought his game was better than it was.
“Wonder if the carpets match the drapes,” he said, and I froze. That could only mean one thing.
I looked over my shoulders. Shit. My douchebag friends had officially seen Autumn before I could make a move. I watched her as she sat down and took the cup in her hands. Her hair almost hit her waist, long and flowing with loose curls. I wanted her to turn around, to see if she was as beautiful as I remembered, but I didn’t want these losers to know she was on my radar. Brandon would swoop in like he always did. I did know that she wouldn’t fall for his shit, though.
“What do you think, Shafer? Hundred dollars says I’ll get her first,” Brandon said.
“You’re a dick. You can’t honestly think it’s all right to bet on a girl,” Tyler said. e I hope Brandon takes the bait and drops this shit.
“I didn’t say it was all right. I said I’d win,” Brandon said, looking at him like he had two heads.
Fuck. I wracked my brain, thinking I could throw out so many reasons for them to stay away from her. Did I want to do that to her, though? I looked at her again. This time her friend saw me and smiled.
“That’s Josie’s new roommate,” I said, saying the first thing I could think of Brandon was getting ready to walk over there, but he took a seat as soon as I said that.
“Where you’ve been staying the past few nights?” Brandon asked, grinning a shit-eating grin. I just shrugged my shoulders. I let my silence fill in the gaps. “My man!”
“She’s looking at you,” Tyler said. He was still judging us like a fucking girl. I guess it was good having him around. Who else would remind me I was going to hell daily? “I thought you were giving that stuff up until you got back on track.”
“I am,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.
I didn’t say I’d fucked her, but I didn’t say I hadn’t. Brandon was staring at me like I was God himself, and Tyler was disappointed. I looked over my shoulders, making eye contact with her. For a minute, I thought she wanted to talk to me. I shot daggers in her direction, hoping she would catch on. Do not come over here, Autumn. You won’t like what you hear.
“Practice is in ten,” Tyler said. We all stood and went our separate ways.
“Tell me
