Page 22 of Fake Dates and Home Plates (Way Off Base #1)
Chapter Twenty-One
Henley
Days and weeks have flown by since that first week of school. Between running, classes, and spending most of my free time with Theo, most of the semester passes in a blink.
Our team is gearing up for the final meet of the year. After the most intense practice season I’ve ever experienced—and I think the entire team would agree—I’m confident we’re ready for this.
Several of us qualified for the championship race individually, including me, Lily, and Maddie, and due to our ranking, the entire team qualified to run as well.
Even though our dynamic hasn’t felt quite right, somehow, we’ve made it through every practice without too much awkwardness.
Occasionally, I see the strange looks or even the forced smiles, filled with guilt. I’ve done my best to zone it out and concentrate on leading training. It might be wishful thinking, but I want to get through these last few practices without any unnecessary drama.
But today, the locker room feels tense.
I’m shoving my running shoes into my locker, more than ready to head home after a brutal practice, when I hear whispering in the corner. It doesn’t take me long to realize I’m the subject of their hushed discussion.
My name is easy to hear, despite the volume of the locker room. While I’ve been happy to keep the peace, I’m certainly not one to shy away from confrontation.
I turn and stare as two freshman go back and forth, keeping their voices almost quiet but not quiet enough that I miss my name being mentioned. Oblivious to me approaching them, they continue to talk animatedly, too caught up in their gossip.
“What’s going on?” I ask, startling the two girls leaning into each other and interrupting their conversation.
They turn to face me before freezing, wide-eyed, looking terrified out of their minds at being caught.
Lauren flushes bright red, the color almost dark enough to cover the freckles on her face, but her best friend, Willow, seems to be trying to appear unfazed.
They side eye each other, silent for a moment, but finally, one of them cracks.
“We’re…worried,” Lauren says quietly, voice shaky as embarrassment seeps into her tone.
Willow huffs out a breath of frustration, flicking her hand dismissively, raising her voice, “Can you call off the dogs already?”
Around us, the room goes weirdly still.
I blink. “Excuse me?”
Looking around the locker room, I realize not many of my teammates can meet my eyes. Some are pretending to scroll on their phones while others appear to be fascinated by the floor.
The silence is suffocating; no one wants to be the one to speak up.
Lily instantly walks to my side, prepared to have my back no matter what. “What are you talking about, Willow?” Her voice is demanding, ensuring someone will explain what is going on.
Lauren looks scared out of her mind as she swallows so loud, I can almost hear it. “What Willow meant was to ask if there’s any way you can get the Delta Alpha guys and their followers to back off.”
My eyebrows shoot up on my forehead.
Willow, bravado holding strong, stands and places her hands on her hips. “Yeah, I get that you and Dakota broke up and you’re with Theo now, but can you all just leave the rest of us out of your love triangle?”
Triangle?
There isn’t a triangle. There never has been.
It’s me and Theo, period. Ever since we decided to give this a real shot.
Maybe even longer than I was willing to admit.
Neither of us has even given my ex much thought since the door incident, at least I haven’t.
I’m way more interested in spending our time without mentioning the douchebag.
I block any message he tries to send and have avoided any further run-ins on campus.
All his efforts are just as pathetic as they are ineffective.
The guy is toxic waste, and I treat him as such.
My chest tightens, a knot forming just beneath my ribs. Deep down, I know if Dakota can’t get to me, he’d try to get as close as he can.
By getting to my teammates.
Surprisingly, it’s Maddie who elaborates further. “A lot of the team is getting backlash on their personal social media. Some of it’s harmless, some of it’s gross. And a few of the girls got tagged in posts from Delta Alpha guys.”
I’ve been ignoring my social media almost altogether. Occasionally, I’ll post something with Lily or something with Theo. Now that we’ve taken the step of a real relationship, though, neither of us has really bothered to post photos.
There’s nothing for us to stage anymore.
But I know I’ve still been getting comments and private messages. I just delete and block the trolls—when I even remember to check it anymore.
Before I can even respond, another voice cuts in.“Maybe you’re really oblivious, or maybe you don’t even care,” one of the juniors says, pulling her ponytail tighter. Her tone is pointed. “But you weren’t the only one with Dakota. You think you’re the first? Or the last?”
Her words slice through me, unexpected and cruel. Of course, I care about my teammates, but this is the first time I’ve heard they’ve been on the receiving end of things too.
My mouth opens, but nothing comes out. Luckily, my best friend isn’t having the same problem.
“Hey, chill out. Henley hasn’t wanted anything to do with the jackass since she caught him cheating, and she isn’t the one using social media to bait all of us.
This is stupid.” Lily speaks up while my mind is still processing everything they’ve shared.
Her eyes meet mine, filled with sympathy, and I just know she must have been hiding this from me.
Any time we’re both home, she’s usually telling me about class or the cute guy in her art class, or grilling me about my boyfriend .
Fuck, I feel like shit. I might be a good captain during training, but I’m shit at involving myself outside the sport.
“Besides, it’s not just Dakota,” another teammate adds, her voice hesitant, maybe even a little regretful. “Some of us…hooked up with the other Delta Alpha guys too. It’s not exactly a secret.”
There are uneasy nods around the room, girls shifting on the benches, some biting their nails, others hugging their arms to their stomachs. I feel queasy, realizing they were probably another point in the messed-up game those dickheads are playing.
Willow crosses her arms in front of her, clearly determined to find the upper hand in the discussion. “Listen, it’s not like anyone really thought you and Dakota were serious. I mean, you sort of have a history.”
Her comment lands with the intended implication.
My eyes widen at her audacity, and I finally speak up for myself.
My voice is sharp and steady as I snap back at her.
“We aren’t going to tell someone they deserve to be cheated on and publicly humiliated just because they’ve had sex with any number of people.
That’s slut shaming, and it has no place in this locker room. ”
Lily nods in agreement. “That was a fucked up thing to say, Willow.”
Realizing she has no backup—in fact, several voices speak up in against her—Willow quickly backtracks. “I didn’t mean it…”
She’s interrupted, though.
“It isn’t Henley’s fault. We all chose to hook up with those assholes, and that’s on us. If anyone is to blame, it’s those of us who played a part in betraying her.” Maddie’s voice is full of shame as she speaks what I already assumed.
I knew the party wouldn’t have been the first time Dakota cheated, but to hear some of my own teammates also hooked up with him while we were together…
It sucks.
Lily groans in frustration. “So much for chicks before dicks .”
The absurdity of her mantra pulls a laugh out of me, even as my chest feels tight.
“I’m sorry, Henley. I should have come to you sooner, but an idiotic part of me thought he actually liked me,” Maddie says with what seems like genuine remorse.
Others echo similar thoughts and apologies. Maybe I should be more upset, furious, even, but I’m not.
I look around the room again, forcing eye contact with each of my teammates.
There’s a freshman, Claire, sitting on the bench.
Her eyes are focused on the floor, her body drooped in what I assume is sadness.
Her pitch black hair hides her face, and as much as I want to check on her, it’s obvious this isn’t the time.
“If I’m honest, I don’t really give a shit who you fuck in your free time.
I don’t care about your past or even your present, as long as it doesn’t impact the dynamic we’ve worked for all season.
Some of us are done here after next week, but the rest of you have a year or two or three left together. ”
Lily squeezes my shoulder—our days wearing these terrible school colors are almost over.
I continue my speech, “Let’s not end it like this. We’re a team, so from this point forward, we'd better start acting like it. No more whispers or rumors, no more strange looks at the water cooler. Got it?”
Nods and a chorus of agreement echo throughout the locker room.
“Good. Now, hands in.” I wait for everyone to put their hands in for our team huddle. “Shoreline Sharks on three. One, two, three.”
“Shoreline Sharks!”