Chasing Nikki(7)

Anything had to be better than that, and I used to love playing football. “What’s the catch?” I asked, wondering why he was going so easy on me.

“No catch. I just think it’ll give you something new to focus on. Plus, we need someone to step up and try for this spot. This isn’t like the big city. We have to make do with what we’ve got. That being said, we have a really talented line, and I think our defense will hold their own too. They’re a hard working bunch of boys.”

I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t been expecting him to offer me a way out.

“You can think about it for a few weeks still. Weight training won’t start until the first of May,” he added, when I hesitated.

“Okay,” I replied with a nod. I glanced around uncomfortably. “Mom said you wanted me to help you with the chores.”

“I have most of them done for tonight, but I’d like to give you a few regular ones to do. I thought you could help take care of the stalls in here, keep them mucked out and lined with fresh straw. There’s six stalls, but only three horses. You can put them in the empty ones or out into the corral while you clean. It’ll only take about twenty minutes to do each of them.”

He reminded me where all the equipment to get the job done was located and showed me where the new trap doors had been installed in the hayloft, making it easier to shovel the fresh straw into stalls.

“Does this all sound okay to you?” he asked cordially.

“Sure. I can take care of it.”

“Thanks for your help, Chase.” He clapped me on the shoulder and moved past me toward the house.

“Grandpa,” I called, and he turned to look at me. “I’ll do it—play football, I mean.”

He stared at me for a moment, and I thought I could see a slight smile playing near the corner of his mouth. “Good,” he replied, and he walked away.





Chapter Three





I’d successfully survived my first three classes at Silver Creek High School, home of the Fighting Timberwolves. I had yet to see anything too impressive, despite how much my mom raved about this place.

I walked into my fourth hour history class and saw Brett Dodson, who I’d met in my first hour, along with his super cute twin sister, Brittney. They were both really friendly, but Brittney’s boyfriend, Matt, didn’t seem to care for me much. Of course, that may have been due to the fact I kept checking his girl out during class. I didn’t plan on hitting on her since she was taken, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching him squirm when she would flash shy smiles back at me. It was funny.

Brett, on the other hand, seemed as if he’d decided to take me under his wing. He’d pretty much filled me in on the football team and what he felt their chances were to take state next year, who was hot, and who was not, along with the best places to go eat at lunch. He waved me over to sit by him.

“Hey dude,” I said, scooting into the available desk there.

“Welcome to one of the most boring classes on the planet,” Brett said.

“Great.”

“Yeah, this hour is perfect for a pre-lunch nap. Of course, you might get an eraser thrown at you if you do. Mr. Ralston doesn’t take too kindly to that.”

I stopped paying attention to him when a gorgeous, perky brunette entered the room. She was laughing about something with her friend, flashing a beautiful smile that was all straight teeth and plump lips.

Suddenly the day was looking up.

“Who’s that?” I asked with a nod toward the door, and it was almost like she heard me, turning to stare straight at me with her big brown eyes.

I knew it was rude, but I couldn’t look away. My glance traveled from her face, to her loosely crimped, shoulder length hair, down over the tight black shirt and blue jeans that showed off all her curves. This chick was smokin’ hot!

“Don’t waste your time, man,” Brett said, as the girl turned away and headed to a desk at the front of the room. “She won’t give you the time of day.”

“Why not?” I asked, still staring at her.

“Her name is Nikki Wagner, and she’s sworn off any guy who plays football, even though she’s a cheerleader.”

I gave him a puzzled look. “What does football have to do with anything?”

“She used to go out with Jeremy Winters. He’s a senior, and he was the varsity quarterback. I guess he decided their relationship was ready to go to the next level, but she didn’t. She caught him in his car with another girl. When she found out the guys on the team knew he was seeing that other chick behind her back, she branded us all losers.”

I leaned into my seat and crossed my legs out in front of me as I stared at her again. “So you’re saying she’s a good girl, then?”