Page 39

As if the colorfully evolving rumors about Quinn being an ungrateful oral sex recipient and womanizer weren't enough, he also had to deal with the second-most talked about topic: TC West's newest power couple, Raelyn DeRose and Liam Hamilton.

The buzz of their budding relationship had reached Quinn's ears just in time to see the two of them making out at Rae's locker that Monday morning after the homecoming dance.

There wasn't much he could do to avoid it, as their lockers were assigned alphabetically and DeRose was only nine lockers down from Casey.

Football practices had also been hell, having to put up with Liam as a teammate and listen to him talk about spending the weekends with Rae.

Chris and Jett had the habit of looking up at Quinn every time Liam mentioned her.

He wasn't sure if they were simply showing their support or if they were trying to gauge how long until Quinn snapped and punched the guy in the face.

The practices themselves and the locker room talk weren't nearly as bad as walking out after practice where he had to witness Liam and Rae locking lips up against her Beamer or his Audi.

Quinn had been catching rides with Chris and Jett after practices instead and avoiding Rae as much as possible during the days.

Liam was always with her and couldn't possibly keep his hands or face to himself.

It took about two weeks for the rumors to die down, and the judgmental stare-downs he'd been receiving from several of his female classmates had somehow turned into looks of curious interest or flirtation.

This made no sense to Quinn, of course, but he'd take it over the glares and scoffs he'd been getting every time he dared to look at a girl.

It was Friday afternoon and Quinn was aggressively shoving his books in his locker after sixth period, mentally preparing himself for their home game that evening when a smooth, silvery voice met his ears.

"Is it true that you fucked Britney Garrett from behind, only turning her around in time to blow your load in her face?" Alaina Costello was leaning up against the locker next to him with a playful expression that showed she clearly did not believe the rumor.

"Is that what people are saying now?" Quinn asked. He wondered where his classmates came up with this shit.

"Well, I heard it in the locker room after gym class," Alaina replied with a shrug.

Surprised to feel a smirk tug up the corner of his mouth, he returned the flirtatious banter, "Well, then it must be true. Everyone knows locker room talk is practically gospel, kinda like anything you read on the internet."

"Etched in stone," Alaina nodded, biting back her smile slightly.

Quinn grabbed his backpack, slung it over one shoulder, and shut his locker. Alaina fell into step beside him as he walked down the hall. " So, you're approaching me because you're into that kind of thing and wondering how much I charge?"

Alaina laughed, "Ew, no! And don't go saying that so loud. The way rumors circulate around this place, who knows what kind of freaks I'll be dealing with next week."

"I know what you mean," Quinn chuckled. "I swear, the weirder these rumors get, the more girls I have giving me attention. As a girl, can you offer any possible explanation for that?"

" As a girl," Alaina said, "oddly, yes. Part of it may be that girls now know- or at least think- that you're sexually experienced and they find that attractive. Others just want a guy they know their parents won't approve of."

Looking down, Quinn raised an eyebrow, puzzled, "Is that supposed to make sense? I mean, I guess the first part sort of does, but why would you want to be with a guy who ditches a girl after getting cum all over her three hundred dollar homecoming dress?"

"You got cum on her dress?" she looked up at him, seemingly amused.

"No, just a rumor I heard," Quinn said. "I got called an asshole for not replacing the dress I ruined, and then another girl who'd been listening in asked me what I was doing this weekend."

"And what did you tell her?" Alaina asked, tucking her long, dark curls behind one ear.

"The usual," Quinn shrugged, "plotting new forms of sexual humiliation and looking for available masochists willing to test my wicked methods."

"Okay, wait," Alaina stopped walking and turned toward Quinn, putting her hands up. "The rumors of you being a sexual sadist are completely untrue- from what I heard of the real story, she sort of attacked you- but you're perpetuating the rumors anyway?"

"Fighting it seemed like too much work," Quinn said simply.

"You just like that you're getting all this attention," said Alaina with a smirk .

Quinn considered this assessment, "I guess it's not all bad being known as more than 'that poor kid who's really good at hitting a ball'."

"Or Raelyn DeRose's sidekick?"

That stung a little. Partially because he wondered if that's really how people saw him, and partially because he'd actually been enjoying this interaction that had yet to poke at that still-sore wound.

When Quinn failed to respond, Alaina said, "When I got to school and everyone was talking about you and Raelyn, honestly I was sure you two had finally got together. I was surprised to learn they were two separate rumors."

"Yeah, well," Quinn sighed heavily. "You were at least right about her getting together with someone." He began walking again, not particularly interested in this new topic of conversation.

Alaina caught up with him and continued anyway, "You guys never really made sense to me anyway."

"Why would you say that?" Quinn asked. His tone was flat, though he was mildly curious.

"Isn't it hard to connect with someone like her?" Alaina questioned. "A trust fund kid whose entire life has been handed to her on a sparkling silver platter? She has no idea what people like us have to deal with."

People like us?

Quinn gave her a sideways glance. Her dark brown hair hung in loose curls past her shoulders which were bare in her off-the-shoulder sweater.

Her olive-colored skin looked soft and flawless, and he found himself focusing on the nape of her neck.

He'd never considered what kind of life Alaina Costello might have had and he began racking his brain for everything he did know about her.

She was artistic, he remembered. She was an excellent painter, sculptor, and sketch artist. He remembered the school making a big deal about one of her sculptures being displayed at the Grand Rapids Art Prize festival, in which artwork was displayed all over the city.

She was one of the youngest artists chosen that year.

Quinn wondered if art gave her the same feeling of calm and relief from her life as baseball and other sports did for him .

Maybe he did have more in common with Alaina than he did with Rae.

"What makes you think you know anything about what I have to deal with?" Quinn asked, looking ahead and avoiding eye contact.

"You called yourself a poor kid like two minutes ago, so that's something," Alaina said.

"Something we have in common?"

"Among other things," she replied.

"Like what?" Quinn glanced sideways at her again. "You gonna tell me you've got a single mom who's a complete train wreck, too?"

"No, but I do have an alcoholic father." Alaina's tone was conversational and casual. "My mom might as well be a single parent, as much parenting as Dad does."

Quinn wasn't interested in explaining as much about his own situation. "I'm sorry, that can't be easy to watch."

"I can't ever decide if it's better or worse that I have a little brother to go through it all with," Alaina continued. "I mean, it's nice to know I'm not alone, but I'm also the one who has to calm him and take care of him when Dad goes off."

"Goes off?" Quinn hadn't meant to press- it really wasn't his business.

"Usually just yelling," Alaina clarified, "He can get pretty mean and belligerent...sometimes he'll break something or throw shit."

"I'm glad I don't have siblings," Quinn said. "I wouldn't want anyone else to have to experience the same shit I do. I've got enough with having to take care of my mom when she...can't take care of herself."

There was a small pause before Alaina forced a shy smile. "I'm sorry, this conversation took a turn for the depressing," she said. "Sometimes I feel like we're just so surrounded by these rich assholes here, it gets exhausting trying to act like my life is just as perfect as theirs."

"Yeah, I guess it does," Quinn said, realizing he really didn't have anyone to talk to who could relate to his own situation.

While he wasn't glad that others were suffering, it did feel a little less lonely knowing that he wasn't the only one without a happy family. "Are you coming to the game tonight? "

"Oh, no," Alaina replied. "I don't do sports. Participating, watching...not my thing."

"You sure? You'd look pretty cute in that cheer uniform," Quinn teased.

She raised an eyebrow and her look became almost threatening, " Don't . Just don't even go there. I'm not even going to be flattered that you think I'd look cute. I don't want anyone imagining me as a damn sideline cheerleader."

Quinn snickered, "Got it."

They had reached the doors and walked out toward the parking lot together. Chris and Jett were standing by one of the benches outside the door and greeted Quinn as he walked out, and he noticed their matching looks of intrigue when they saw he was walking and laughing alongside Alaina.

"Hey, Quinn and Alaina ," Jett said, very unsubtly.

"Hey guys." Alaina held up her hand in a wave.