Lane (Made From Stone Book 1) (2 page)

I can already tell this will be a very long year. Not one person has any plans after high school, not one! No one has mentioned college, but they have their summer parties lined up at least, and this is the future of humanity.

It’s Red’s turn now, and I expect to hear much of the same from her. I head to my desk to prepare for the rest of the morning, but I stop dead in my tracks as she opens her mouth and starts to speak. Her soft voice carries through the room like silk, and I notice all the guys are frozen in place, but the girls are busy giving her death stares.

“I’m Mallory Carter, I’m new here. I loved cheering at my last school, and I hope to do well enough academically to receive scholarships to my top two college picks, Loyola or Northwestern,” she says and sits down. I hear a few people call out nerd, and the mean girls start laughing. Snobby little bitches!

She seems to take it in stride, because she shrugs and opens her books. I have to say, I’m surprised to hear the girl who fumbled her words actually has respectable goals. Good for her. I think.

A couple of months in at my new school, and I can honestly say that things are just okay. I made the cheerleading squad, but that hasn’t really helped in the friends department. I hate lunchtime; I never know where to sit, and nobody really offers to let me join.

Today I’m in luck, a table is completely empty for once, and I rush to sit down. I face the wall so I don’t have to feel embarrassed about sitting alone. I used to love coming to school, but now, not so much. I just have to keep reminding myself that in seven months, I’ll be done. My thoughts are interrupted when I hear my name being called.

“Mallory?” says a cute blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy. I know him, well, I know he plays football, and I think his name is Chad.

“Yes?” I respond.

“Can I sit?” he asks.

“Uh, sure. I guess,” I answer, but it comes out as almost a question. I have no idea what he wants, and I'm not really one to draw attention.

I watch as he slides the chair out with ease and sits down with purpose. Scooting his chair closer to mine, he cockily asks, “You’re not seeing anyone, are you?”

“No, not at the moment,” I reply, still unsure of where this is going.

“That’s good,” he says as he takes a bite of my celery. He says nothing else, but he smiles without revealing his teeth. He doesn’t have that same confidence Mr. Stone has when he smiles. Still, it's cute. For the first time in months, I feel a little giddy. I know I can’t date, but it feels good to know I might not be the outcast I thought I was after all.

I continue to sit in silence, but I’m also paying attention to the cues my body is giving off. I can’t help but smile every time he smiles, and to eat every time he makes a move to do the same. This might be the most awkward lunch I’ve ever had, while also the most meaningful. It’s like he knew I was alone and embarrassed, and instead of forcing me to talk about it, he’s embracing it. I think I like this guy.

The bell rings and I stand to pick up my tray, when he beats me to it. “I got it. My name's Chad, see you tomorrow, Mallory.”

Not wanting to sound ungrateful or uninterested, I quickly flash him my sweetest smile and say softly, “Thanks, Chad. See you tomorrow.”

I watch as he walks away, and I notice the girls whispering. I didn't think I could be less liked at this school, but it appears I'm wrong. I let out a sigh and remind myself that I'm not the typical teenager anymore; gossip and drama no longer affect me.

I saw Jill in the stands tonight, and as usual, she was sexy as hell. She found me after the game and asked me to come over, and I agreed, of course. I can’t think of a better way to sulk after a loss than sinking my cock inside her.

The team shows continuous improvement, but tonight was a tough loss on all of us. We had been on a five game winning streak, and maybe that’s why we lost. I need to find a way to keep my boys from getting overly confident. I also need to keep Chad's eyes on the game, and not on the sidelines. I’m not sure which one of those cheerleaders he’s fucking, but someone has that boy pussy-whipped and it’s annoying the shit out of me.

When I arrive at Jill's, I head straight up to her apartment. Hopefully, she’s in the mood for a quick fuck, because I’d like to meet up with my brothers and cousins for a drink at Hansons. The moment I open the door, I know it’s not going to be a quick fuck kind of night. The candles are lit, the music is playing, and Jill is sitting on her dining room table, legs spread wide open. If any other man walked in on this sight, he’d be overjoyed. I’m not sure why, but I groan internally.

“Took you long enough!” says Jill as her eyes do a sweep of my body from head to toe. I walk over to her and place a kiss on top of her head.

“Yeah, sorry. I was thinking about the game. But, I’m not now,” I respond while running my finger from her knee to the inside of her thigh. I can feel her shiver in anticipation, and it turns me on.

“That’s good. I have plans and they don’t involve football,” Jill says seductively. I do like the sound of that, I think to myself as I start to remove my shirt.

“What are these plans?” I ask with my brow curiously arched.

“I thought we could pull an all-nighter. You know-- start on the kitchen table, then again on the couch, the shower, the patio, and then we can end it with you fucking me against that wall over there.”

“I came prepared...but not that prepared.” Since I only had three condoms on me, I say, "How about I fuck you on this table, then on the kitchen counter, and end the night with you riding me in the bed.”

“You know I’m on birth control?” she reminds me.

“I know. But the last thing I want is a kid,” I say. She’s heard my reasons for being completely careful a million times; I will never need to be in a pussy so badly that I won’t cover up.

“Do you ever want them?” she asks, and I groan aloud this time.

“Years from now, maybe,” I answer quickly, deciding this conversation doesn’t need to go any further. It will only ruin my night if it does.

I spread her legs further apart, as I drop to my knees in front of her, and go to work with my hands before letting my tongue take over. She wanted me all over this apartment, but she knows that I can give her what she wants without ever leaving my position on the floor.

Wouldn't you know it my ploy was effective! She stopped talking and dug her freshly manicured nails into my shoulders, as I gave her the first orgasm of the evening.

I’m walking toward the football field for cheerleading practice and I’m a nervous wreck. Chad has continued to sit with me at lunch, and I think some of the girls on the squad are mad. It’s funny because he hasn’t even asked me out. In fact, we only talk about college. He seems to actually be interested in my plans and me, not just hooking up. The moment I see Chad, I can’t help but smile. He must’ve screwed up, because Mr. Stone is in his face. I can’t hear what he is saying, but whatever it is has Chad cowering. Not wanting to embarrass him by witnessing this exchange, I jog over to the rest of the squad and start warming up. No one says anything to me, but they start whispering right off the bat. Frustrated, and frankly not giving a damn, I decide I should be the one to clear the air.

“Is there anything that anyone wants to say to me?” I ask, addressing the entire squad. They all look at each other, and I know someone will speak up. I cross my arms and sit back, waiting.

“You know Chad and Tiffany just broke up, right?" says Kelsey with a snippy tone. I roll my eyes. Kelsey is the ultimate mean girl cheerleader.

“I didn’t know, but Chad and I are not dating.” I rush to defend myself.

“Well, just watch out. Chad likes to take his time; he pretends to be interested in your life plans and then he says, ‘Be my girlfriend.’ The next thing you know, you’ve slept with him and he dumps you,” says Tiffany.

I sit stunned by what she just said. Is that what Chad's trying to do?

“Thanks for the heads up. If it makes you feel better, I won’t sit with him anymore,” I reply. I mean, it’s been nice having company at lunch, but if she
is
telling the truth, I won’t be losing anything except possibly a broken heart.

“I’m just looking out for you,” says Kelsey, trying to sound genuine. I know she’s full of shit, but I let it go.

“Thanks.”

“Would you like to try flying today?” Tiffany asks.

I miss being at the top of pyramids and the feel of the free fall.

“Yes. I’d like that.”

I had planned to have my players work on focus today, but those girls on the sidelines are nothing but distractions. The team was in the middle of practicing running plays, and it was Chad's turn to run the field with the ball. He was doing great, not letting anything get in the way of him making it to the end zone, and wouldn't you fucking know it. Mallory Carter came walking toward the field, and the ball was stripped from Chad at the two-yard line. I was furious, so I rushed over to give him a good ass chewing, but even I was struck silent for a moment.

Her hair was blowing in the wind, her pale skin glowing in this late October sun. I see the draw, I mean, she’s beautiful, but not worth losing a game over. Chad’s lucky this happened at practice, because he’d be running several miles a day holding a sign saying “No pussy is worth a loss!” for weeks.

My annoyance is interrupted when I hear a scream coming from the sidelines. It’s an ‘I’m in so much pain’ kind of scream, so instinctively I take off running towards the sound.

I see some players gathering around the group of cheerleaders, and I start moving them to the side. I stop when I see Mallory holding her knee. She isn’t crying, but I can see the pain in her eyes.

“What happened?” I demand.

“We dropped her. It was an accident,” one of the girls says, trying to sound concerned.

I look at the group of girls and some are concerned, while some are holding back laughter. This was obviously no accident.

“Where’s your coach?” I ask, wondering where Ms. Stovall is. They shouldn't be here practicing by themselves.

“She had to leave early, but we wanted to practice a little more,” says another cheerleader.

“Mallory, are you ok?” Chad asks while sitting next to her.

“I think so. I heard something pop, but the pain is easing,” Mallory says, trying to get to her feet with a painful wince.

“Here, let me help you,” Chad says, getting to his feet and offering her his hand. I immediately go to their side.

“Chad go back to practice, all of you, back to practice. I said go!” I shout, looking to the rest of the team.

I address Mallory, “Don’t stand! I’m going to pick you up and take you inside. We can have you looked over in the locker room.” I hear a girl whisper under her breath, “Lucky!” and I throw a nasty glare over my shoulder at the vindictive girls.

“Honestly, Mr. Stone, I think I’m fine,” she says. I ignore her and place one arm under her back and another under her knee, and lift her with ease. I accept her near non-existent weight comfortably as I pull her close to my body so she can rest easily.

“Well, better safe than sorry. Trust me, you don’t want a small injury turning into a big injury later. This kind of thing can affect you the rest of your life.”

She must accept my words, because she lays her head on my chest. I can feel my heart start working overtime at the nervousness I suddenly feel. Why the fuck am I nervous?

“Mr. Stone?” Mallory questions.

“Yeah?”

“If you get tired, I’m pretty sure I can walk. I mean, I know I’m heavy,” she says softly, and I can’t help but laugh.

“I’ve got you, Mallory,” I reply, unconsciously pulling her in closer to my chest.

After I get her into the locker room, I lay her on the massage table our physical therapist uses to treat players. Doc Thompson comes in and looks her over. He helps Mallory move her knee and assists her as she stands up.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding when she starts to walk. She seems fine except for a slight limp, so he wraps her knee, and tells her to take it easy for a few days.

“Thanks, Mr. Stone, Doc Thompson,” Mallory says with a warm, gracious smile. It's the first time I notice the slight gap between her two front teeth. It's adorable! That makes twice today that I’ve stopped to enjoy her beauty.  

“Glad to hear you’ll be fine,” I reply awkwardly, as she limps out the door and is on her way. I’m going to ask Ms. Stovall to start practicing indoors. Mallory Carter is a distraction and not only to Chad.

Chad Jones is hot. Even though I've been avoiding him at lunch, he asks me out constantly, but I always say no. My dad always warned me about the distraction boys can be, which is the last thing I need, and for some reason Tiffany's words felt sincere. Still, I do like the view from the sidelines. Well, there are two views if I’m telling the truth—Chad in his tight football pants that hug every, and I mean EVERY feature. Then there’s Mr. Stone, I can still feel his strong arms around me as he carried me with such ease and I can’t help but wonder what it would be like if he were to carry me off to his bedroom instead. I almost drool at the thought of him, especially on Friday nights.

He has two different sides: there’s the passionate and fiery 'Coach Stone' who radiates 'alpha male' off every inch of his body, and then there's the gentle side who has been the first responder every single time there has been an injury. He shows such honest concern, not just concern that they lost their starting quarterback, but concern that they’re truly hurt. It's the same look he gave me when I was hurt.

God, it felt so good to be in his arms, to feel the way they wrapped around me. When my head was on his chest, I swore I could’ve lived in his scent. It was like a forbidden Stone cologne mixed of sweat, aggression, power, and warmth. I didn’t know those personality traits could have an aroma but they do, and it envelops Mr. Stone. If someone were ever to find a way of bottling his scent, I’d be first in line to buy it.

The cheerleading squad turns to watch the final few minutes of the final game, and I can’t help but feel sad. Am I sad this is all ending, or am I sad because it’s the last time I get to see Mr. Stone’s personality so exposed? I kick myself mentally because I know I’m being silly. He’s too old for me and I think, but I’m not certain, that he and Miss Conley have a thing going. I try to force my eyes to Chad, but every time I hear Coach Stone's whistle, my attention breaks and I find myself lost all over again. All right Mallory, focus on Chad. Focus on Chad. Focus. On. Chad.