Disowned
by Victor Thomas
Chapter 17
Javier
I wiped my wet forehead and felt how my uniform stuck to my hot skin. It had been one of the most intense practices of the season so far, and I was glad I finally got the chance to take off my sweaty shirt. Next, I stripped off my nasty socks and tossed them on the floor.
Next, I took off my pants and jock. The draft from the fan in the corner of the room was refreshing, but I longed for a shower. Apparently, I wasn't the only one as more and more of my teammates disappeared to the shower room instead of hanging in the locker room and bullshitting with each other.
I took out my phone and sent a quick text to Kenny saying I would be ready soon. I rushed to the shower room and hung up my towel just to notice that all the showers were taken. Steam and happy chatter filled the room. I had no choice but to lean against the wall and wait for my turn.
"Whoa!" Bryan exclaimed. "What the fuck are you doing?"
"Checking out your ass," I said.
He looked around to find support, but the other jocks in the room were mostly laughing. Soap running down his legs, he grabbed his towel and glared at me.
"How can you wash yourself when that damn… whatever is watching?" he grunted.
"Damn, he's hardly watching you," Jason said. "You have nothing to show."
"Fine. I'll go so you can have your orgy," Bryan said, marching to the locker room.
I took the shower he had vacated and began soaping my body. All my muscles were tired, but the idea of Kenny waiting for me outside cheered me up. It was so sweet of him to stay after his last class until football practice was over.
It was a pity we couldn't go to his house. My boyfriend seemed to have some troubles with his mom, but at least we could hang around in my bedroom without anybody disturbing us.
Maybe she's not as bigoted as he believes, I thought, taking shampoo from the bottle. Then I remembered her face when she had seen me without a shirt in her kitchen, and I realized that he was probably right. She was indeed creepy.
Jason switched to the shower next to mine after Bradley left for the locker room.
"Bryan is an idiot. Don't worry about what he says," he said in a low voice.
"My brother is a much bigger douchbag," I replied.
"Trust me. I understand sibling rivalry."
We engaged in a discussion about his sister posting fake messages on his Facebook account. It wasn't nice but didn't convince me that having an asshole brother was a better option. Just when he was about to start a new story, we saw a flash and a sound of thunder soon after.
"Shit, I need to go," I said. "Kenny's waiting outside."
"If you ever need a third wheel…" he joked.
"Yeah, your girlfriend would love that idea, right?"
Eager to meet Kenny again, I shut the water off and slapped Jason's butt. He was a really cool guy, but I had no intention of sharing Kenny with anybody. Just before I disappeared into the locker room to get dressed, Jason sent me a flying kiss. I rolled my eyes. Sometimes it was really hard to know if the guy was just clowning around or if he was seriously flirting with me.
I pulled on some clean clothes and walked outside. Chills ran all over my body in anticipation of what was going to happen next. I scanned the surrounding area for signs of Kenny, but couldn't see him. A mix of confusion and disappointment filled my mind when I pulled out my phone. Where on earth had he disappeared to, again?
Can you fucking answer me! The phone kept ringing, and the blood in my veins was about to boil. I tried again, but there was no answer. I put the phone back in my pocket and looked around one more time.
Chris walked out of the locker room.
"Where's Kenny?" he asked.
"Hiding from his goddamn mother somewhere," I said, frustrated.
"What? Why?"
"I don't know what's going on in his mind. One moment he's okay and the very next moment so fucking scared his mother will find out."
I kicked the ground in frustration. Of course, it was possible he had some other reason, a legitimate one, for not showing up. On the other hand, he could have at least sent a message. The Kenny I knew never missed an appointment and was everywhere too early.
He decided not to come and decided not to tell me, I concluded, which didn't help me at all to calm down.
"Kenny has no siblings, and his father lives hundreds of miles away," Chris said. "His mother is… an interesting person, but she's the only one he has."
"Okay. So what?"
"I don't believe she would like you two dating."
"I'm not dating that fucking bitch. She can…"
My words trailed off when several of our teammates leaving for home turned to look at me. I waited until they were gone, but even then, I didn't know what else I could say. No matter what a hideous monster Ms. Sherman was, I was sick and tired of playing this hide and seek.
"It's better I head for home," I said with frustration in my voice. "I'm starving anyway."
"See you tomorrow. I'll see if I can find him."
"Tell him he better have a fucking great excuse."
After walking fifty yards toward the parking lot, I stopped. I saw Chris getting in his car. A wave of guilt hit me when I realized that, instead of Chris, I should be looking for my boyfriend. With some hesitation, I pushed the thought away and continued toward my car.
I had hardly passed the corner of the building when I heard someone running behind me. Happy that Kenny had finally came out of his hiding place, I turned around, but it was Joshua approaching me. He was wearing a shirt that hugged his lean body nicely, and he had a friendly smile on his face.
"Hey, stranger," he panted. "Are you in a hurry?"
"I've got all the time in the world," I said.
It sounded better than I meant.
"I know I've been kind of pushy." There was a weird edge to his voice. "I would like to apologize again."
He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out two movie tickets. He took a step closer and showed them to me. I glanced at them before raising my gaze to his face. His deep blue eyes were sincere, and the smile on his face had nearly vanished. He moistened his lips before he spoke.
"If you don't have other plans, would you like to see a movie?"
I opened my mouth, but before I managed to say anything, he interrupted me.
"As a friend, of course."
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