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Page 39 of Call the Shots (For The Arena #1)

JUNE

WHIRLWIND KING

Elijah caught me outside, the gleeful twist of his mouth making him look like a cartoon cat who caught the mouse that used to drop anvils on his head. And his weird expression was directed at me .

“Are you going to tell me why you’re grinning like that?”

“You want to know your astrology?” he teased.

“My what?” I paused. “My horoscope?”

“Yeah. Your clouds indicate everything’s about to get hilarious .”

“What does that mean?”

“I wouldn’t be on any other team. The Gladiators are the best.” His grin widened. “I’m changing my vote for the bet. I’ll make you two happen.”

“Are you speaking in riddles?” I asked, genuinely confused.

“Thank me later, June!”

The rest of my questions were ignored as we approached the hill. No buses yet, but there were more than a hundred football players waiting for them. Their light chatter died when we approached. Eyes swiveled to Elijah. I could see his chest puffing out, pleased he had such a reaction.

“Good morning, baby!” he bellowed, and I caught his line of sight.

It turned out Elijah’s girlfriend, Willow, was the football coach’s stepdaughter.

Goodness, was she pretty. Her dark skin was highlighted by the sun, and while everybody was dressed for the bus—sweats and t-shirts—Lawson’s stepdaughter looked ready for a photoshoot.

The necklaces, the nails, the shoes, her thick, dark curls framing her sunglasses, gave her an undercover movie star vibe.

No wonder the team had to have so many off-limits talks about her.

Elijah headed to Willow, and I went to King. Except when I came close, my best friend’s eyes were trained on Elijah.

“What is he doing here?” he whispered.

“He wanted to see Willow off,” I explained, hugging him. It was like hugging a block of wood, he didn’t budge. I drew back. “King?”

My question was interrupted by other football players, quick to throw their arms around me. That was a proper hello, especially after how little time we’d spent together this summer.

King faced away from us, still frozen to the ground. “What is that? ”

Elijah brought out a woven bracelet, his Gladiator band. I smiled. “Cleo’s bringing the tradition back. The hockey players give them to who they’re seeing. They’ll be arriving in a couple of weeks, Elijah only has one because he was here last year.”

With the shipment delays, there was a chance I wouldn’t get to see the new players get theirs. For the first time all summer, I counted down the weeks with the team, and I felt…

Apprehensive?

The buses roared, and I started to ask King a question before he left us entirely, right behind Willow. Like, so close, her backpack hit him. I’d never seen him do anything like that but there he went, practically elbowing people on his way to her.

“King?” I called after him, confused, but he disappeared inside the bus. “ King? ”

On the bus, King and Willow were clearly in the middle of a conversation, but he couldn’t steal all her attention. I wanted to say hi too.

“Hey!” I smiled. “I’m usually so on top of this—hi, I’m June—and you have to be Willow. I hear you’re Jasmine’s new favorite.”

Willow flushed. “King’s kidding?—”

“Oh, no. I talked to Jasmine and she told me to my face . I asked if there was any way I could earn that top spot back. She said no.”

She shot me an embarrassed grin, and we exchanged small talk while I slid into my window seat. It was time to begin my week of debauchery.

My phone buzzed with a message from Bear.

forty

plant sitter duties

The picture popped up. It was Bear with his gaming headphones, relaxing on the couch, next to…my potted esperanza bush?

me

what are you doing with my plant

forty

were gaming together

shes been stuck in the room too long

I had to hide the giggle. That boy could be so ridiculous.

forty

hey did elijah say anything to you lol

me

yeah he said my horoscope means my clouds are hilarious i dont know he was laughing a lot

why?

forty

just wondering he seemed off

me

did you type lol?

i didnt know you knew what lol meant

forty

hilarious your so funny

me

you’re* :)

forty

im putting your plant back in confinement

After the bus ride, I had no idea what was up with King.

I asked him how his mom was doing, his little sister, how the coach’s stepdaughter was settling in, nothing. When the bus came to a stop, King rushed out of his seat while I was mid-question.

And then? Walking to the hotel, he was on top of the world. The mood swings were giving me whiplash.

“What’s up with King?” I asked Cleo in the lobby.

“He better be okay, because I’m off the clock.” Cleo applied lipstick in the lobby’s mirror. “This is our vacation, June. No Vernon, no Riley, no mold emergencies. I can’t wait for the pool .”

As much as I wanted to agree, King was in a whirlwind again when I found him.

Seriously, something was going on. When I tried to take his bag upstairs, I was sent on a goose chase until I came back.

“Uh, King. I tried to take it to your room, but you switched keys, and I went to the new one, and you switched keys again?—”

“Yeah. That’s going to keep happening,” he said, looking away from me.

“Why did you ask me to take your bag upstairs?”

“I had to talk to Willow alone.”

If anything, that raised more questions. Why did he need to talk to his coach’s stepdaughter? Why was it so secretive? King left for the front desk but that wasn’t the end of our conversation. It couldn’t be.

“Hey?” I followed him. “Am I missing something?”

He grunted.

“ King. What the hell was that? I’m giving you ten seconds to tell me what’s going on?—”

“Nobody knows,” he muttered. “She doesn’t even know.”

“Who?”

“I’m in love with the coach’s stepdaughter.”

My mouth fell open. “ What?! ”

“She’s the angel from the bar. The girl I’ve been talking to all summer.” He took a struggling breath. “Willow’s pretending to date Elijah because Elijah’s trying to get Sloane’s attention—and I’m losing my fucking mind! ”

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