Romance: Teen Romance: Follow Your Dreams (A Nerd and a Bad Boy Romance) (New Adult High School Sports Romance) (85 page)

Chapter Four

Faith stayed busy for the next two days, hanging out with Stacy and Darryl and some of the other kids from their group. She didn’t want to watch Ethan getting drunk and acting like an idiot. She had a hard time believing he was really like that.

Darryl seemed to enjoy spending his time with two of them instead of Ethan and he introduced Stacy to another player on the team, Andrew, who took an immediate shine to Stacy. Both were very outgoing in the same way and discussed where they had been hiking and camping more than anyone Faith had ever heard before. How many times could you discuss the same trail and what the best equipment was for each occasion?

Darryl proved to be the opposite of what Ethan seemed to
be,
and she wondered how they could be such good friends. She found herself drawn to Darryl. He was outspoken in a way that
she
hadn’t noticed before. In fact, she didn’t know anyone like him. He was unafraid to speak his feelings, never bowed to what someone else’s opinion might be and always seemed to have reasons for everything he believed. He could back up his thoughts with at least three or four other
thoughts
and back them up, too. He also sang great karaoke and would sometimes clap loudly for no reason, which turned out to be a lot less annoying to Faith than it was the first time he’d done it. He followed it up with a “yeehaw!”

It broke any tension there might have been in the room without a doubt. She loved his sense of humor and the fact that he could make her laugh with only a look.

Saturday night was the last night they would be at the beach. Stacy and Andrew decided they wanted to try the best chicken wings place on the coast, Foster’s Grill.

“You really can’t beat wings and a large
Coke,
” Stacy said, sipping from her straw with a big grin on her face.

“These wings are incredibly hot.” Faith said,
foregoing
her straw and drinking from the cup itself, filling her mouth up to cool it down.

“You got the wrong ones
then,
” Darryl said. He scooted his plate toward her. “I got mild. You wanna try one?”

She looked at him. “You’re a
man,
and
you
’re eating mild wings?”

He lifted his eyebrows. “Well,
excuse
me. I guess I’ll take the offer back then.” He hooked his finger on the plate and attempted to pull it back toward
himself,
but she slapped his fingers lightly.

“No, no, I was only teasing. Yeah, I wanna try your wings.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “I got a sensitive stomach when it comes to hot stuff.” He admitted. “You won’t see me eating any curry or getting into one of those ‘see if you can eat the hottest wings on the planet’ contests. No thanks.” He folded his arms in front of him on the table and leaned forward with a smile.

“Me neither.” Faith shook her head. “And yeah, I guess I got the wrong wings.”

“It’s all you can eat
night,
” Stacy said. “You can get a different kind for the next round.”

“How many are you going to eat?” Faith asked incredulously. “You’ve already had, like, twenty of them.”

Stacy shrugged. “
Oh,
I don’t know. Maybe a dozen more?”

“You can have these. I can’t eat them.” Faith pushed her plate toward Stacy, who opened her eyes wide and stared at the plate as though she hadn’t already had almost two dozen of them.

“Oh yum! Thank you, girlfriend.”

Faith laughed and nodded. She looked over at Darryl, who was staring across the room, a watchful look on his face. She turned so she could see what he was
looking at
. Ethan was across the
room
with two girls, one arm around each of their shoulders. He was talking
loudly,
but they couldn’t hear what he was saying.

“What do you think he’s doing over there?” Faith asked, looking back to Darryl. He ran his tongue over his lips and shook his head, drawing in a deep breath.

“No idea. Why? You want me to
go fetch
him for you?”

She was surprised and looked at him, tilting her head. “No.” She laughed. “Why would you even ask that?”

He shrugged. “I thought you liked him.”

She was surprised again and looked closely at him. It looked as though something was bothering him. “Are you all right?”

“Sure.”

“I’m gonna go over there for a minute.” Stacy grabbed a chicken wing off Faith’s plate and scooted out of the booth, not indicating where she meant by “there
.”
She looked at Andrew. “Come with me, Andrew.”

“But I’m ea…”

“Grab a wing and
come
with me, Andrew!” Stacy demanded, lightheartedly, moving her eyes in Faith and Darryl’s direction for a moment. Andrew looked at the two and then back at Stacy.

“Oh! Oh, all right, yeah, let’s go over there.” He scooted over the bench toward Stacy, who had stood up.

Stacy grinned at Faith. “Clueless!” She
said softly
before grabbing Andrew’s hand and tugging on him, moving through the crowd.

Faith watched them leave. “What was that all about?” She turned back to Darryl. He still looked somewhat
sullen,
and she didn’t understand why. “What is going on with you, Darryl? What are you thinking about?”

“Well, I was just
wondering,
” Darryl said. “Do you still want to tutor me in English? I mean, I think it’s pretty obvious that Ethan doesn’t want to go out with you.”

Faith lifted her eyebrows in surprise. “Well! Where did that come from?”

“I think it’s the truth. Don’t you?”

“Well…” she turned her eyes and looked at Ethan again. He wasn’t paying her any attention. He hadn’t for most of the weekend. She’d enjoyed spending her time with Stacy and Darryl. She hadn’t
really
thought that much about Ethan or the “deal” she’d made
with Darryl
to tutor him in exchange for his help in getting a chance to date Ethan. “I kind of thought that since you were friends with him, you could help me out with that, bring me to his attention.”

Darryl huffed and shook his head, his face turning a bit dark.

She put one hand on his folded arm.

“But, Darryl, I see now that he…well, he isn’t
really
my type.”

He looked at
her,
and she felt her heart jump. His eyes were very revealing. He was a blunt kind of guy
anyway
. But even if he hadn’t been, she would have been able to see what he was thinking in his eyes.

“I
can see
that he isn’t interested.” She conceded.

“So where does that leave me? I have to worry about my future, you know. I have to think about my classes and football and all that. I don’t have time to be messing around. He can spend his time getting drunk and doing stupid things.”

“Or girls.”

Darryl couldn’t resist smiling. “Yeah. That, too. I have my future to think about.”

“I know. I do, too.”

“You know what you’re going to do in your future. You don’t have to worry about it.”

She sighed. “Well, I wouldn’t say that. I mean, anything can happen, you know? I know being an elementary school teacher doesn’t sound like much, but it’s important to
me,
and I don’t want to mess it up either, any more than you want to mess up the career you have in mind.”

“Are you still thinking about dating Ethan? You still want me to talk to him for you?
I talked to
him that one time but…well, I haven’t said anything to him since then.”

“I don’t see
as
how you’ve had much of a chance considering you’ve been hanging around with
Stacy and me
and Andrew all weekend.”

“Yeah,
true
. But do you still want me too?”

Her original thoughts had been to tutor Darryl and
try
to make Ethan jealous. But it seemed now that the opposite had happened. Darryl was jealous that she wanted to date Ethan and wanted him to talk to the boy for her. She felt an overwhelming sense of affection for Darryl and gave his arm a squeeze where she was still holding it.

“You don’t have to talk to Ethan for me, Darryl.”

She
was amused
by the look of relief that swept over his face.

He
was
glad she didn’t want him to talk to Ethan. Over the weekend, his belief that she deserved better than his friend had only gotten stronger. He’d discovered that she was not just smart and not just
pretty
. She had a good soul and a kind heart. She had a great sense of humor. She had everything he wanted in a girl and he didn’t want to see her with some scoundrel who was only going to take advantage of every good thing about her.

“You shouldn’t be with someone you can’t trust, Faith.” He
said quietly
.

She nodded. “I know.”

“You deserve better than what he dishes out.”

When she replied, her voice was as soft as his. “I know.”

She realized she desperately wanted him to say that he was the one she deserved. She wanted him to ask her out. She wanted him to kiss her and never stop.

She wondered if he could see that when he looked at her.

They stared at each other for a few minutes. “Darryl.” She said his name and bit her lower lip when he flushed a little bit. All she’d done was say his name. She gave him a soft
smile,
and he returned it.

“Who do you think I should go out with?” She asked. Why didn’t he say it? Why didn’t he just ask her out?

He didn’t respond for a moment.

“Come
on; you
’re always open and up front with me.
You’re so blunt.
Surely you know who I should be with.” She turned and looked
through
the room. “How about Dwayne? Over there.” She pointed at one of the other players. “I could date him. Or how about Johnny? He’s
pretty cute
. Or I could take Andrew from Stacy, ooh, that would be fun, wouldn’t it? Our
own
little soap opera? Or…”

“No, Faith.” He stopped her, reaching up to gently turn her face back toward him. “I don’t think so.”

His touch sent a jolt of electricity through her. His eyes told her the whole
story,
but she wanted to hear him say it.

“I’m the one you should be with.”

Finally, she heard the words she wanted to hear. She pulled in her breath and held it for a second. When she responded, her voice shook a little bit. “You?”

She found her breath coming and going quickly.

“Yes.” He breathed. “Me. I want you to be with me.”

He leaned forward and touched her lips with his, sending a warm flood of emotion through Faith’s body. Her legs went numb for a moment. She kissed him back more forcefully, thinking how incredibly soft his lips were.

They kissed a few more times before pulling away from each other. She looked
in
his eyes and felt her heart melting.

“Oh Darryl, I’m so glad you finally said something.”

“You are?” He grinned. “I thought you wanted to be with Ethan.”

She giggled. “I did. But that’s all changed. I…we would be a great couple.”

He leaned forward so that he was within kissing distance again but he didn’t kiss her. “I think so, too.” He said before touching her lips with his once more. He pulled back slightly and whispered, “Does this mean I have to pay for my English tutoring now?”

She threw back her head and laughed before throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing him tight. She put her lips
against
his ear and said, “Oh, you’ll be paying for them all right.”

He laughed
with
her and shook his head. “Oh Lord, what
have
I gotten myself into?”

*****

THE END

Chapter One

Wren wiped the sweat from her brow with a towel, her breath coming and going rapidly. She watched the rest of the class finishing the exercises their trainer had given them. She was joined quickly by her usual workout cohort, her best friend and dorm roommate, Winter Garrison. Winter was breathing as rapidly as she was and lifted her water bottle, looking at Wren overtop of it.

“He’s gonna kill us
today,
” Winter said, shaking her head.

Wren nodded. “I know it.”

“Nah!” Their trainer, Jason, stepped over to them, his large muscular arms crossed over his chest and a sly grin on his face. “You ladies know what you’re doing. This is good for
you,
and you know it.”

Wren nodded. “Yeah, we know, Jason. We could just use a few less push-ups and
burpees
if ya don’t mind.”

He shook his head. “Never gonna happen, woman. Never gonna happen.”

She nodded again. “I know. It’s cause you wanna kill us.”

“But then who would pay me? Ok, people, lookin’ good, keep going, you can do it!” Jason turned back to the class and clapped his hands, talking loudly over the music he had blasting through the place. Wren smiled at Winter.

“It’s eighties day today. I think I’ve heard more Guns-n-Roses and Ratt than I’ve heard in about ten years.”

“You weren’t even born in the 80’s, Wren. When did you hear that stuff?”

“My dad played it all the time when I lived at home, trust me.”

Winter nodded, laughing a delighted tinkle of a laugh that Wren enjoyed hearing on any occasion. “I hear that. Your dad and mine! Long haired guitar players in their day.”

Wren laughed with
her,
but it was the truth. Her father still played guitar. He was even in a band that celebrated the era he loved. She and Winter went to his shows whenever she was back in her hometown on vacation.

She had come to Radford to go to college. She was enjoying it so far. Her professors were knowledgeable and helpful. She would be a physical therapist before she knew it. She was glad she was getting in shape and didn’t need to actually lose weight like Winter did. Winter was unhappy with her size and shape and with good reason. She’d spent the last year of high school getting bigger and bigger, piling on the weight after her boyfriend dumped her for a cheerleader. Instead of getting in shape and becoming stronger, she’d sunk into a depression that led to heaviness and knee problems.

For two years, the first two years of her college life, she’d remained that way. Then in the last six months, she joined Wren in her fitness routine and started to lose it all.

Now, she had
a round
behind and an ample chest with a waist that got smaller by the day. Wren was very proud of her friend and told her so often.

“So I guess you’ve heard about the new program at school, the class I gotta take. It’s like lab.” Wren sat in one of the chairs as her breath slowly returned to normal. When the rest of the class was finished with the workout routine, they would work on their abs to finish. It was nothing but crunches and planks and maybe some scissor kicks, all exercises she could easily do. She wasn’t intimidated by those. She did, however, hate burpees. She didn’t enjoy slamming her body on the ground quickly and jumping back up. But it was worth it. At least, that’s what Jason said.

“The one where you have to give a
massage
to whoever they assign you to?” Winter asked.

“Yep.”

“So do you know who you got?”

Wren shook her head. “Nope and I’m dreading finding out. What if it’s some guy with a disgusting hairy back or something?”

Winter laughed. “I guess if that happens, you should pretend it’s Robin Williams, God rest his soul, cuz you know how hairy that man was supposed to be.”

Wren couldn’t help but laugh, too. “Yeah, then I’d be giggling and choking at the same time. Not
productive.”

“Picture him in one of those more serious and depressing films he did.” Winter sat in the chair next to her, watching the class. They would be done soon. Half of them had already joined her and Wren.

“And just what movies are those? I can’t think of any.”

“I don’t know.” Wren shrugged and gave her a smile. “There was one where he took, like, pictures of somebody or took pictures of their memories and would make, like, some kind of memory diary for the people who were left behind. I hear that one was serious. And there was one where he played a bad guy.”

“He did? He played a bad guy, for real?” Wren couldn’t think of what movie that could have been. “I don’t think I can do it. I’m gonna keep thinking about Hook and those movies. The ones I grew up on where he made me laugh.”

Winter nodded. “I hear ya. Me too.”

“Okay, let’s get some abs goin’ here, people. Come on!” Jason was clapping again. He had turned down the music and was smiling at them all. “You did great today. You really did!”

Wren stood up and looked at her shorter friend. “You want steak tonight? I feel like cookin’ up some steak.”

Winter widened her eyes and nodded. “I’m always up for some steak, girlie.”

Wren walked into the classroom and stopped at the entrance, staring at the layout. There weren’t any desks and chairs in here now. There were beds set up chest high all around the room. Massage therapy tables with the hole for the customer’s face and towels to keep their private butts and other parts covered. Wren smiled at her thoughts.

She wondered who she was going to get saddled with. She didn’t mind most people. She wouldn’t be getting into a career that required her to touch people a lot if she did. But she was always apprehensive about who she was going to have to help. Dealing with people who had been injured, trying to help them get better, was not as easy as it looked. She had to make sure she didn’t get her feelings wrapped up in their problems, especially if they were severely injured and had to learn to walk again or move their limbs properly. She’d read case studies but hadn’t quite made it to that part in her career yet. She was what she liked to think of as an “apprentice
.”

She took one of the tables near the front of the room, closest to the teacher. It always helped when she could see and hear the professor. She was about 45% deaf in one ear, had been since birth. She liked to be nearest to the person who talked the most.

She set her backpack down on the floor near where she would be standing and dragged the tall stool over so she could sit on it and wait for the rest of her classmates to come in. She nodded at the professor, Mr. Caldwell, who came around her table and set his big duffle bag on his desk.

“Mornin, Wren.” He said nodding at her. “How are you feeling today?”

“I’m doing good. I’ve had my coffee. How about you?”

“Not bad. Also have had my coffee. You ready for today? First actual massage therapy class of the year.”

“Yeah, I’m ready. Can’t be any worse than any other class.”

“Glad you see it that way. There’s a lot of people who don’t like this class.”

“Really?” Wren frowned. “Why?”

“I’m not sure really. Maybe the aspect of actually touching somebody, not in what’s generally considered a medicinal way.”

Wren nodded. “Yeah, I guess I can see that. A lot of people think of it as a recreational thing. You know,
massaging
and all.”

“Yep. That’s the thought. But it’s necessary for the degree you want.”

“I
know,
” Wren smiled at him. “You don’t have to remind me, professor. I know.” She looked over at the table next to her. “Mind if I ask who you assigned me to?”

Mr. Caldwell leaned over the desk and opened his notebook, flipping through the pages. He ran one finger down the page and stopped about halfway down. “Uhhh, looks like I’ve got…Chris Wise. Yeah, Chris Wise assigned to you.”

“Chris Wise? The football guy?”

Mr. Caldwell grinned. “Yeah, that’s the one.”

Wren nodded, not exactly pleased but not disappointed. “He’s the one with the shoulder injury right?”

“Yeah, he hasn’t been able to play but maybe if you make him better, he can. I know that’s what he’s counting on.”

“He wants me to make him better?” Wren raised her eyebrows.

“He wants someone to get him back on the field. I doubt he would have asked for help if he didn’t want that.”

Wren looked at the table again. She wasn’t a miracle worker. If he’d injured himself to the point he couldn’t play football, there wasn’t going to be anything she could do to change that. No matter how many
massages
he got.

Halfway through the massage, Wren knew exactly what the self-proclaimed jock wanted. He wanted to be cured. He talked to her throughout as if they were the only two people in the room, giving no heed to the fact that everyone else was listening. But he was probably used to everyone listening to him. He was one of the stars for their college ball. Before his injury, he had scouts for the pro teams looking at picking him up after he graduated.

Wren didn’t know anything about that until Chris told her – and the rest of the class, too. Most of their conversations, if they were having any, had been cut short so they could listen to him.

Wren was a little surprised by how many students were in need of physical therapy for one reason or another. But then again, there were only a dozen students in the class and a dozen students who needed the therapy. The school had almost 5,000
students,
and that was just a guess on her part.

Chris took up the entire half-hour of therapy just talking. The first fifteen minutes, the class got ready, the second ten minutes, they went over the health needs and history of the student they were going to help and then for five minutes, they discussed the student’s needs with the student. Those five minutes alone had been enough for Wren. Chris was very self-assured. Although his football career was delayed due to his shoulder, he wasn’t going to give up. He wanted to be a star again and was determined to make that happen.

Despite her irritation that Chris came off as egotistical, she massaged his back and shoulders like a professional, using the techniques she had been taught in class before the actual practice session. She could tell he was feeling
it,
and it was making him feel worse initially and then better by the tone in his voice. When she was
done,
and the class was over, he sat up and reached over for his shirt. He gave her a wide-eyed
look,
and when he spoke, it was in a lower tone than he’d used the whole time he’d been on the table.

“My shoulder feels better, Wren.” He said. “Thanks.”

She was somewhat surprised and couldn’t help smiling a little. “You’re welcome, Chris. I hope your football career can take off again really soon.”

He leaned forward and spoke so
low, she
also had to lean in to hear him. “Me too. Listen, would you mind doing that for me a few more times? I…I haven’t had any real therapy for my shoulder, even though the doc recommended it.”

“Why not?” she asked, matching his low tone. She could tell he didn’t want the entire class to know he was not as confident as he appeared. “I can see how much you want to play again. If you don’t do what your doc says, you might never be able to.”

Chris looked a little sheepish, dropping his eyes to the ground. “Well, I…I just didn’t want to. You know? I just…did
n’t
have time.”

She shook her head, giving him a sympathetic look. “If you need it, you should do it. I’ll help you out, Chris.”

He looked relieved and gave her a grateful look. “Thanks, Wren. I appreciate it.”