Stephan(8)

I didn’t say anything, just turned and hurried over to where my friend stared at me still grinning like an idiot. “Thanks for helping me, bitch.”

Cassie laughed. “From my point of view you didn’t need any help. If a Silverman did to me what Stephan did to you, I would have gladly followed, no questions asked.”

I glared at Cassie. “I hate you.”

Cassie laughed harder and nudged my shoulder. “No you don’t. Stop whining and let’s watch the show?”

I turned and raised my eyebrow. “What do you mean show?”

“Oh I never miss rugby practice or a game for that matter. The practices are the best though.”

“Why?”

“Because when they play one side is shirts, the other side is not.”

It took me a moment to get it and then I couldn’t help giggling. “Cassie, Cassie, Cassie, you do surprise me. Here I thought you were a good sweet girl.” We both broke into giggles and turned to watch practice.

I sat for twenty minutes staring at a bunch of half-naked guys wrestling each other for a ball. When the shirts came off I noticed Cassie and I weren’t the only people drooling, there were other girls watching.

“What do you put in the water here? My God they are just…well…they are ripped.”

Cassie shrugged, like gorgeous built teenage boys were normal for her. “About fifty percent of the population in Reed Creek is what you’d call upper class. If you hadn’t noticed by now, Jade, we are in a prime position.” She made quotation marks and sounded like she was repeating what she’d overheard a parent say. “Reed Creek is in the middle of two large cities and we are coastal, with some of the most beautiful beaches. If you don’t have a water view you have a river view, some have both. Our school is the best in the state. So those guys…” she nodded to the boys on the field, “have the best of everything. We have a gym room at our house. My brother is in there all the time. I know Brad has a personal trainer and some of the other kids all work out together.” Cassie rolled her eyes. “My mother is a real estate agent. You just heard some of her speech.”

I sat there dumbfounded. It all sounded so logical. I should have picked this all up from school, or just by looking around the town. Suddenly I felt really uncomfortable. I was out of my element. In a daze I stared out at the buff teenagers. Sure, in the city school I’d been going to there had been good looking boys, a nicely built kid here or there, but nothing like the group before me.

My thoughts strayed back to Stephan, he was probably interested in me because I was the first person to ever say no to him. I watched as he caught the ball and ran, his muscular chest flexing. It was a pity he was a wanker, because he sure was a hottie. Stephan looked more like twenty-one than eighteen. “Do you know how old Stephan is?”

Cassie winked at me. “He’s nineteen. He’ll be twenty at the start of next year. Their mother wanted them home with her for as long as possible. They did a lot of traveling when they were younger. Their older brother, Dustan, lives in America and they visit him and their cousins a lot. Or so my brother told me.”

“Okay. Thanks.” He was older than me by over a year. I only had two months until I was eighteen, but it felt like a lot longer. “Are you eighteen?” I asked Cassie.

“Yep. Scott and I turned eighteen nine almost ten weeks ago. Are you eighteen?”

“In just over a month.”

“What? No way. You look older. I thought you would be eighteen already?”

“Yeah, I’m only seventeen.” Chewing on my bottom lip, I hoped my age didn’t change our friendship. Cassie was looking at me funny.

“You have no trouble with school work I know. You are usually finished before me and all your answers are right. You don’t look younger than me.”

“Is this a problem? You are only a little over three months older than me.”

“What!? No. Why would you say that? I’m just a little shocked, I thought Scott and I were the youngest in our year.”

“You’re looking at me different. There are plenty of schools that have people in year twelve who are my age.”

“Yeah you’re right, but I’m actually in awe you keep up with everything. Me and Scott struggled but we have the best tutors provided.”

“Really, it’s not much difference in our ages.”

“You’re right.”

I stood, needing to stretch, and Cassie followed. The coach was rounding the players up on the field.

“Do you want to go? They are wrapping up now. Scott can get a lift home with someone else. I have the keys.” Cassie jingled the keys.