“I’m sorta bored with those parties. They’re always the same. Shallow people dancing to the same songs and mouth-fucking each other in the same dark corners. Can’t we do something else? It’s not like they’ll kick you out of the house if you don’t show.”
“It’ll be fun,” Denise said, giving him a secret smile. “Mel and I will make out for you.”
“And that’s valuable how?” Danny couldn’t resist laughing at them and teasing. “Not like I haven’t seen it. You do a lot more than that for me on a regular basis.”
Denise laughed, obviously recognizing the jab as playful. “You’re a dick.”
“I know,” Danny admitted, still laughing with her. “Why do you keep hanging out with me?”
“’Cause you’re hot.”
“And talented.” Melissa reached over Denise to squeeze his thigh and whispered conspiratorially, “You should give pussy-eating classes to the guys at school. I swear you’re the only one who knows how to do it.”
“There you go,” Danny said as he went back to sulking. His life felt as if it were going more downhill than ever now that his friendship with Paul was strained by secrets. “A career ambition to be proud of.”
“You’ve been really moody lately.”
“I’ve just got a lot on my mind. I’m worried about Paul.” Danny turned back to give his attention to the game. “I’ll tell you what. They win and I’ll go to your party and hang out with your shallow, straight friends.”
“They’re fourteen down!” Melissa gasped. “There’s like—no way.”
Danny shrugged. “Then pray for a miracle. Do a rain dance or something.”
*
“You won! It’s a fucking miracle!”
“Barely.” In clean clothes, Paul was still sweaty as he wiped at his glistening forehead. He leaned into Danny, mumbling under his breath, “Fulton’s fucking killing me.”
“I cannot believe that useless bastard missed that pass,” Danny said, turning around when he heard a huff of indignation. He narrowed his eyes at the tall, fair-haired man behind him. “That’s right, Fulton, I’m talking about you. My mother could have caught that!”
“Suck me, Carlow.”
“You wish.” Danny turned and dismissed Fulton, hearing Paul do the shut-up cough. He looked back to Paul, who was deliberately standing against the wall, using Danny as a buffer against other well-wishers walking by. Paul was always uncomfortable in the aftermath of any victory where people tried to touch and praise him. Wanting to ease his discomfort, Danny decided to keep things light. “Denise and Mel did a rain dance for you. They chanted for Fulton to break something, but got you that last-minute touchdown instead.”
Paul laughed, looking past Danny to Melissa and Denise, who were standing behind him. “Thank you. We needed a win.”
“Are you coming to our party?” Denise asked, jumping forward because she was the bolder of the two. “You’ll be the hero of the hour.”
Paul winced. “Oh, I would—”
“You should come,” Danny said, grinning at Paul, still feeling lighthearted with the victory. “It’ll be cool. I’m sure their shallow friends blew someone for beer and—”
“Shut up!” Melissa said, hitting Danny’s arm. “There will be beer, though. Lots of it. Come, Paul. We’ll make it worth your while.”
“They’re gonna make out.” Danny raised his eyebrows at Paul, who knew Denise and Melissa were involved. “’Cause that’s a novelty.”
“It sounds like fun,” Paul said, wincing again. “But I gotta go back and take a shower.”
“You didn’t shower in the locker room?” Danny asked, pulling a face at him. “Gross.”
“It was too crowded. Easier to shower at the dorm,” Paul said, and then seemed to see that excuse as an out. “I am gross. I’m gonna go take a shower and study.”
“We could wait for you,” Melissa offered helpfully. “Danny’ll be disappointed if you don’t come, and you’ll have fun, I promise. There’ll be lots of girls who’d totally be your love slave after a game like that.”
“Lots,” Denise reiterated, both of them obviously trying to sway Paul into coming for Danny’s sake. “It’ll be crazy how many hot, willing girls you could have at this party.”
“Yeah.” Paul rubbed the back of his neck as he looked over at one of the doors to the north building. “I think I left something in the locker room.”