from me. “What’s up?” I say.
She doesn’t respond.
“Marco didn’t mean what he said this mornin’.”
“Yes, he did. You guys are all alike. Leave me alone.”
“Why does Nikki hate me so much?” I ask Derek.
He laughs. “Nikki hates every guy who reminds her of Marco. You’re Mexican, he’s Mexican … and worse, you’re friends. ’Nuff said.”
“So she goes for guys like Hunter instead?”
He shakes his head. “Don’t ask me. I’m having enough troubles with my own relationship; the last thing I want to do is try to analyze someone else’s.” Derek and I start getting our lab station ready while we wait for Peterson’s instructions. “You ever have a girlfriend?” he asks me.
“Not a serious one—nothin’ that lasted more than a couple of months.” I dated a girl when I lived in Mexico, but her parents didn’t like me. They said they didn’t want their daughter running with some poor dude. I bet if her parents knew I was living back in the U.S. they’d be pissed we broke up. Getting a one-way ticket to the States without sneaking across the border like a fugitive is like winning the lottery.
“A bunch of us are gonna watch you at soccer tryouts,” Mariana says to me as she leans across the lab table. “I hear you’ve got moves.”
Nikki snorts.
“Table one, I hear talking!” Peterson yells from across the room. “Do you four want a detention, because I have some detention slips in my desk collecting dust. You know how much I hate dust.”
After the final bell rings, Derek and I head for the locker room. During tryouts, the social divide is blurred. The coach puts Marco and me on the same team and we dominate. The other side can’t even score. Justin Dougan, who happens to be our goalie, pushes me from behind when I get close to our net to block a ball.
“What the fuck, Dougan. If you haven’t noticed, we’re on the same team.”
“Oops,” he says sarcastically, then holds out his hand so anyone watching would think he’s about to help me up.
I whack his hand away. “Were you born a prick?”
“Shut up, Fuentes. We might be on the same team, but we’ll never be in the same league.”
Derek stands beside me. “Dougan, get over yourself.”
“It’s cool,” I tell Derek, and ignore Dougan the rest of the time.
At the end of practice, all the guys walk to the hot dog place a block away from school. Derek has been preoccupied the entire walk over. He pulls out his cell phone and starts texting the minute we get our food and sit down.
“You been datin’ Kendall a long time?” I ask him.
“Since this summer,” he says. “She doesn’t trust me. She thinks I’m gonna cheat on her or find someone else if we go to different colleges.” He grabs a fry. “I love her, you know. I can’t even see myself with anyone else.”
“Does she know you’re in it for the long haul?”
“Shit, Luis, I tell her all the time. Nikki’s been putting negativity and doubts in her head ever since we started going out. Don’t get me wrong … I think Nikki’s cool, but she thinks we’re all out to screw as many girls as possible. I wish she had a boyfriend so she’d loosen up.” He nods in my direction. “Would you date her?”
I think of Nikki’s feisty attitude mixed with her delicate vulnerability that intrigues me to no end. She’s also crazy beautiful with a body that has inspired more than a few fantasies. I’m afraid if I dated her, I wouldn’t want to let her go. I’d have to, though. I have a long-term plan, and it doesn’t include being tied down to a girl.
“So, would you date her, or what?” Derek asks again.
“I’d go out with her,” I admit.
“I’m supposed to have Kendall come on my boat next weekend. You should come with us … I’ll have her bring Nikki.”
“Nikki won’t go if she knows I’m gonna be there,” I tell him.
“Leave that up to me.”
A kid I don’t know walks past us. “Hey, Ben!” Derek says.
The
She doesn’t respond.
“Marco didn’t mean what he said this mornin’.”
“Yes, he did. You guys are all alike. Leave me alone.”
“Why does Nikki hate me so much?” I ask Derek.
He laughs. “Nikki hates every guy who reminds her of Marco. You’re Mexican, he’s Mexican … and worse, you’re friends. ’Nuff said.”
“So she goes for guys like Hunter instead?”
He shakes his head. “Don’t ask me. I’m having enough troubles with my own relationship; the last thing I want to do is try to analyze someone else’s.” Derek and I start getting our lab station ready while we wait for Peterson’s instructions. “You ever have a girlfriend?” he asks me.
“Not a serious one—nothin’ that lasted more than a couple of months.” I dated a girl when I lived in Mexico, but her parents didn’t like me. They said they didn’t want their daughter running with some poor dude. I bet if her parents knew I was living back in the U.S. they’d be pissed we broke up. Getting a one-way ticket to the States without sneaking across the border like a fugitive is like winning the lottery.
“A bunch of us are gonna watch you at soccer tryouts,” Mariana says to me as she leans across the lab table. “I hear you’ve got moves.”
Nikki snorts.
“Table one, I hear talking!” Peterson yells from across the room. “Do you four want a detention, because I have some detention slips in my desk collecting dust. You know how much I hate dust.”
After the final bell rings, Derek and I head for the locker room. During tryouts, the social divide is blurred. The coach puts Marco and me on the same team and we dominate. The other side can’t even score. Justin Dougan, who happens to be our goalie, pushes me from behind when I get close to our net to block a ball.
“What the fuck, Dougan. If you haven’t noticed, we’re on the same team.”
“Oops,” he says sarcastically, then holds out his hand so anyone watching would think he’s about to help me up.
I whack his hand away. “Were you born a prick?”
“Shut up, Fuentes. We might be on the same team, but we’ll never be in the same league.”
Derek stands beside me. “Dougan, get over yourself.”
“It’s cool,” I tell Derek, and ignore Dougan the rest of the time.
At the end of practice, all the guys walk to the hot dog place a block away from school. Derek has been preoccupied the entire walk over. He pulls out his cell phone and starts texting the minute we get our food and sit down.
“You been datin’ Kendall a long time?” I ask him.
“Since this summer,” he says. “She doesn’t trust me. She thinks I’m gonna cheat on her or find someone else if we go to different colleges.” He grabs a fry. “I love her, you know. I can’t even see myself with anyone else.”
“Does she know you’re in it for the long haul?”
“Shit, Luis, I tell her all the time. Nikki’s been putting negativity and doubts in her head ever since we started going out. Don’t get me wrong … I think Nikki’s cool, but she thinks we’re all out to screw as many girls as possible. I wish she had a boyfriend so she’d loosen up.” He nods in my direction. “Would you date her?”
I think of Nikki’s feisty attitude mixed with her delicate vulnerability that intrigues me to no end. She’s also crazy beautiful with a body that has inspired more than a few fantasies. I’m afraid if I dated her, I wouldn’t want to let her go. I’d have to, though. I have a long-term plan, and it doesn’t include being tied down to a girl.
“So, would you date her, or what?” Derek asks again.
“I’d go out with her,” I admit.
“I’m supposed to have Kendall come on my boat next weekend. You should come with us … I’ll have her bring Nikki.”
“Nikki won’t go if she knows I’m gonna be there,” I tell him.
“Leave that up to me.”
A kid I don’t know walks past us. “Hey, Ben!” Derek says.
The
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