Billionaire Flawed 2(129)

“Okay, Sandy. I’m going to go wait for Brad outside the locker room door, coming?”

“I think I’m going to stay here a while, you go on ahead,” I said.

She nodded and happily skipped off.

I tucked my schoolbooks away and trotted down the stairs. I barely made it halfway down when I saw the girls cheer team cease their practicing for the day.

They looked like models, every one of them. Their long legs barely covered by a tiny skirt, and blonde hair tied back to a ponytail. I was envious of her good looks and chipper attitude. I could just barely make out their conversation.

“Hey, Mr. Reynolds, what are you doing this weekend,” asked the prettiest of the bunch, “the girls and I were planning on having a little cheer camp and would love to have you there to coach us.”

“Doesn’t the cheer team already have a coach?” he asked.

They all giggled.

“Well, we do, but we could always use a little more coaching,” she said through a bright smile.

The squad captain did a flirty bounce where she stood. It was easy to see that she had taken a liking to Mr. Reynolds; I felt a little envious.

“I think I’ll leave your training to your coach; I’m much better at teaching players.”

The girls let out a collective ‘aww’ as he spurred their advances. He turned to grab his things as the girls wandered off to the field. I slowly continued to descend the stairs, and he flashed me a smile as I did.

“Good practice?” I asked, making polite small talk.

“Are you really here to talk about practice,” he asked, “where did Jennie go?”

I pointed toward the locker room, and he nodded in understanding.

“The players kept talking about a party tonight; they even invited me for some odd reason,” he said.

“Jennie asked me to go; she wants me to hook up with one of the players. Mike, I think.”

“Mike is a good kid, but a little daft in the head. You really have to grind things into that skull.”

I sighed, realizing how long tonight was probably going to be.

“If you go, I’ll buy you a drink,” I quipped, expecting to be brushed off.

“I might have to hold you to that,” he replied.

I coughed, nervously.

“Why do you let Jennie boss you around,” he asked. He looked at me quizzically, and I realized I had no real response.

I had never really thought about why I let her do it; she just did it, and I went along. It’s just the way our friendship has been since forever.

“Because she’s my friend,” I replied.

He set his things down and sat on a bleacher, patting the seat to beckon me to join him.

I did as I was asked; taking a seat right next to him. I was closer now than I was last night, but I trusted him a little better today.

“You should be friends with someone because they want to spend time with you; not just because they want you around, so they’re not alone,” he said.

I nodded.

“You’re a smart girl; you probably get good grades, and study in your spare time. But, you have to spend time with people that are good for you.”

“Jennie is good to me,” I started, “she’s been my friend since grade school and is part of the reason I’m going to this college.”

“But, did you want to go to this college?”

I hadn’t thought of that. I was really hoping to get into something more upscale. For a long time, I had hopes of getting into an ivy-league school, and I had the grades to make it happen. Jennie didn’t, but she probably wouldn’t have gone to college if I weren’t here to support her the entire way.

“I suppose I didn’t,” I replied honestly, “I just wanted to be there for my friend.”

He nodded.

“I bet you haven’t had very many boyfriends,” he said.

I leaned back in shock that he would ask something like that. Though, he wasn’t wrong about that either. I shook my head no.

“It’s confidence that you’re lacking. You accept what other people want you to accept.”

I nodded.

“See, you’re doing it right now.”

I laughed when he pointed it out but really didn’t know what to say.

“I’m only playing. I grew up in much the same way. I got good grades; I spent a lot of time to myself, and I went along to football tryouts even though I really didn’t have much interest.

“I was a little stick figure of a kid, and I got teased a lot for it. Still, when I ran on the field, there wasn’t one person who could catch me.

“Playing in this sport did something to me, I gained a measure of confidence I hadn’t had before. Then, I started working out, eating right and now I turn down people that wouldn’t have given me a second glance when I was in school.”