Page 23

Quinn rested his back on the cold metal of the lockers after a quick shower.

His hair hung into his eyes, wet and overgrown, and he ran his hands over it attempting to tame it now before it could dry too wild.

As he contemplated the task ahead- a task he'd completely pussied out on every chance he'd gotten that day- he wondered if there was something about being seventeen that made every decision seem so dire.

"You all right, man?" The sound of Chris Watson's voice came from a few lockers away.

Not realizing he'd been closing his eyes, Quinn shook his head, trying to wake up his brain, then gave Chris a small nod. "Yeah man, I'm just...thinking."

"Good practice today, huh?" said Chris. "Think we'll have a shot at playoffs this year?"

It was football season, and although Quinn's heart didn't beat for the sport the same way it did for baseball, he appreciated the rough contact and aggressive nature of it.

Dealing with his mom's habits required an outlet, and as her addiction and the company she kept continued to become more dangerous and intense, Quinn always seemed to be in the mood to shove or punch something.

He really was a decent player, but it was more Chris's sport. As a junior, Chris was the team's star quarterback, and he lived and breathed for Fall and everything that came with it .

"I think we should see how the homecoming game goes and then we can worry about playoffs," Quinn said as he dressed.

"I asked Lana to homecoming," said Chris, pulling his Traverse City Trojans t-shirt on. "We're both up for homecoming court and I think we've got a good shot."

"Yeah…" Quinn trailed off, his mind distant.

Chris sat on the bench in front of the lockers, closer to Quinn now. "You finally gonna have a real date this year? Or are you and Rae sticking to the just going as friends so we don't have to acknowledge our real feelings routine?"

This quickly snapped Quinn out of his haze. "What do you mean?"

Chris shook his head and laughed dryly, putting up his hands as if in surrender. "I'm sure it's none of my business."

"No, but you seem to have an opinion on it, and you've never been one to hold back on those.”

Needing no more encouragement, Chris let it out, "Why the hell do you pretend to be fine just following her around like a lost puppy waiting to be loved?"

"The fuck , man?" Quinn bellowed, taken aback by Chris's bluntness. Chris was always direct, but he'd never commented on this particularly touchy subject before now.

"Sorry, dude, but you've obviously been into her for like, what? A year now?"

Three years.

When Quinn remained silent, Chris continued, "All I'm saying is it's time to put up or shut up. If she ain't into you after nine years of friendship, she ain't gonna be. At least you can get your answer and try to find someone else who is."

Of course that was exactly Quinn's fear.

If he told Rae how he felt and she didn't reciprocate those feelings, then what?

Sure, he could find other girls to spend time with and make out with and probably have sex with if he wanted, but Rae was different.

She was his best friend. She had been since her seventh birthday when she spoke it into being .

"This is Quinn Casey… I think he's my new best friend."

If he put his feelings out there and it backfired, he wasn't just getting rejected by some girl.

He'd be putting a strain on their friendship, changing it, and making things awkward between them.

The way his home life was with his drug-addicted mother, never having money, and never knowing what the next day might bring, Rae had been his one constant.

She was the only part of his life that was unchanging.

She was the one thing he could count on and the one thing he'd been able to count on for nine years.

Telling her he'd been in love with her since he was fourteen seemed like too big a risk. Nevertheless…

“I'm gonna ask her this time. For real," Quinn said before he could stop himself. It was a decision he'd already made earlier that day but saying it out loud to someone seemed to solidify it.

Chris beamed and clapped Quinn on the back. "It's about damn time! You'd better do it now before you have a chance to puss out."

"Yeah, I'm meeting her out in the parking lot when she's out of swim practice.” Quinn felt a smile finding its way to his face. "We're supposed to go get something to eat."

"Perfect! Ask her before you get in her car though," said Chris. "The less you put it off, the better."

Quinn nodded, a movie reel playing in his head: Being cool and calm as he asked her to go to the dance, her giggling and pointing out they always go together, him taking both of her hands in his and explaining he meant for real , as dates .

Then Rae would act surprised, but say yes, and they would get into her car, except she’d tell him to drive because they were on a real date now so he should chauffeur her around.

They’d get to the restaurant to eat, but before getting out of the car, he'd turn her towards him and lean in, their lips would meet for an innocent kiss, but then she would want more. So he’d kiss her harder.

They’d start breathing heavier, start peeling layers off each other until…

"Case!" Chris snapped his fingers in front of Quinn’s face.

Quinn blinked and shook his head and, noticing his mouth had gone dry, he took a long swig from his water bottle .

"Did you just imagine some sort of scenario in which asking Rae to the dance leads to you guys having sex in the parking lot?" Chris asked, an amused look on his face. "Because I totally did that before asking Lana."

Quinn was only slightly embarrassed. "And how did she react?"

"Well, all our clothes stayed on, so it wasn't exactly what I had in mind. But she did say yes," Chris said with a shrug.

Quinn and Chris finished getting dressed, slung their bags over their shoulders and walked out of the locker rooms and back toward the school parking lot.

Quinn stopped when he spotted Rae next to her silver Beamer.

Her hair was wet from a shower, and she'd squeezed herself back into a pair of tight skinny jeans that always made that beast in his chest stir.

"Go get your girl, Case," said Chris as he gave him another clap on the back, then walked toward his own car.

With a deep inhale, Quinn continued walking toward Rae, heart racing and hands shaking with anticipation. He was one row of cars away when he paused, watching another figure approach Rae and lean coolly against her car next to her.

His heart dropped. Not just into his stomach; he was pretty sure it actually fell out of his body and onto the pavement beneath him.

Liam Hamilton's body language was easy enough to read from where Quinn was standing. He had one side of his body leaning on Rae's car, angled toward her, head dipped low as he spoke, looking at her hungrily with a cocky grin on his face. He was asking her out.

Fuck.

Quinn was undecided whether he wanted to stay back and give them space to have their conversation or if he should barge in and interrupt.

Maybe he could get to them before Liam got his question out.

Or maybe he'd get there just in time for Rae to say yes, and he was sure he didn't want to hear that.

Liam Hamilton was a senior on the varsity football team with Quinn.

He was a typical jock in most ways: Over six feet tall, short blond hair, one of the few high school seniors who could successfully grow facial hair that wasn't patchy.

He had that confident look of a person who had always been well cared-for, wanted for nothing, and had absolutely no idea how lucky he was for it.

He strutted around as if everything his parents had been able to provide were his own personal entitlements.

Quinn was sure Liam's family was nearly as well off as the DeRoses. A silver spoon baby, so unlike himself.

A possessive growl rose in his chest as he saw Liam put his hand on Rae's arm. He made up his mind to interrupt the moment with hopes that Liam would get the message that this was Quinn's territory and he needed to take his business elsewhere.

"Ready to go, Rae? I'm starving," said Quinn, acting as though he hadn't even noticed Liam standing there in his brand new Under Armour sweats and a white t-shirt that was purposely a size small to showcase his possibly steroid-enhanced muscles.

"Oh, hey, Quinn!" Rae turned and smiled at him.

Her smile fell for a second and she looked as though she were carefully crafting her next sentence.

"Um, yeah, I'm starving, too. But, hey, uh.

..Liam just asked me to go to the homecoming dance with him.

" She gestured toward the blonde jackass next to her.

"We hadn't really talked about it yet. I know we usually go together in like a big group, but… "

Shit, is she asking my permission? How the fuck do I do this without looking like a damn territorial caveman?

"Oh, right…" Quinn paused, looking back and forth between Rae and Liam.

It suddenly struck him how much they must have in common.

They were from the same world. Liam was the kind of guy Rae's parents probably wanted her to end up with.

Quinn had been so sure Rae would've gone with him, but here she was, interested in this other guy who seemed so…

obvious for her. "I mean, that's up to you, isn't it? I can't tell you who to go with."

What the fuck, man?

Rae looked confused for a few beats and didn't say anything as she just stared at Quinn .

Feeling like he should say something and seriously despising the situation he'd been put in he spat out, "I mean, if you go with Liam it's not like I can't find a real date."

What. The. Actual. Fuck.