Four Doors Down(40)

“Ry-Ry and I wanted to be on the same team!” Jessica says to Jake.

I actually snort with laughter. Ry-Ry? That’s what she calls him? I turn to him and can’t help the huge smirk that covers my face. This is too funny. He just sends me a thunderous look in return.

Jessica sends me a look which would terrify the hardest of criminals. “We’re together now,” she says pointedly.

Why she’s bothering to tell me, I don’t know, but one glance at Ryan tells me he wasn’t entirely aware that they were together. He looks incredibly awkward.

I smile sweetly back at Jessica. “Lucky you. Maybe you should ask your friends for tips because he’s already been around all of them, hasn’t he?”

There are a few snickers and muted laughs from around us and I realize that some of the football team are also in this class and were listening to our conversation.

Jessica narrows her eyes at me and crosses her arms, glaring at me. I glance at Jake, and he’s shaking his head at me in annoyance. “That was harsh, Becca,” he says. I shrug. Ryan can take it and he’s definitely dished it out enough to me over the years. Besides, it’s true.

“So what happened to you on Friday, anyway?” Jake asks, changing the subject.

“Friday?”

He looks at me like I’m stupid. “The game? You were supposed to come.”

Oh, right. “Um, yeah. Charlie got tickets to this gig so we went there.”

Jake pulls a face, like my reasoning is unacceptable. Geez, it was only a game.

“Well, you missed a great game. Ryan did awesome,” Jessica states loyally.

I roll my eyes and turn to Ryan, who is staring straight ahead, jaw clenched. “Well done on the record. Erica said you did great. And so did my parents,” I say graciously.

“Shut the hell up, Becca!” he snaps back angrily.

My eyes widen in surprise. Okaaay, he’s clearly in a bad mood. The next hour or so is going to be too much fun.




It turns out Ryan is pretty good at dodgeball. I know I shouldn’t be surprised really considering he’s a football player and all, but he’s definitely in a foul mood and making our opponents pay. He’s throwing the balls so hard at the opposition that I swear half the class with be covered in bruises tomorrow. To begin with, I actually do try to get involved, moving out of the way and trying to catch the ball if it comes my way, but it would seem that Ryan has decided that I’m not necessary in this game and catches all the balls before I can get to them before firing them back over the line to get the other team out. I soon lose interest and start glancing at the clock, hoping time will fast forward so we can get this dumb game over with. Ryan does so well at covering me and not letting me get near a ball that I’m the only girl who makes it out of the group stages without even a single life lost.

We’re about to start playing the quarter-finals when he seems to remember that there are two of us in the team. He holds a ball out to me. “You want to have a throw?”

“I think you’ve got this,” I say sarcastically, stifling a yawn.

This just seems to infuriate him even more and he quickly throws the ball at me so hard I don’t have time to react and it bounces off my left hand.

“Ow!” I cry out.

There are snickers from the watching crowd.

“Ryan, you’re not supposed to get your own teammate out,” Mr. White says grinning. This gains further laughs from the watching kids. Now that the group stages are over, there’s only one match at a time so that everyone else can watch.

The game starts up again and I start to realize that maybe Mr. White was a bit crafty in arranging the teams, as now we’re coming up against some of Ryan’s teammates and it doesn’t seem as easy as it was earlier.

I’m still just kind of hanging around the back of the court when a ball comes flying past my head. Ryan sees it and when it comes time for us to regroup for a couple of minutes, he tells me to go stand in the corner of the court.

“Why?”

“Because they can come at you from too many different angles when you’re in the middle and I might not be able to cover you.”

“So? Maybe I should just let them get me and then we can sit out and watch for the rest of class.”

He looks at me in disbelief. “You’re joking, right?” This comes out louder than I think either of us expected. Geez, he’s competitive.

“It’s only a game, Ryan.”

“Yes, well, Becca, I like to win. So we are going to win this tournament,” he bites out through gritted teeth.

I just stare at him blankly.

“BECCA!”

“Why are you shouting?” I ask feeling slightly bewildered. What is his problem? Shouldn’t he be on top of the world? Still high from his football game and college offers?

“Cause you’re being annoying. Just do what I say and we’ll win.”

“Hey, Jackson, do you want to finish this lover’s tiff later? We’re up next and want to play sometime today,” Jake calls from the sideline which causes snickers from his and Ryan’s friends.

We both turn to glare at him, although it would seem that Ryan doesn’t glare for as long as me because before I know it, he’s slipped his arm round my waist and has picked me up and dumped me in the corner where he’s been telling me to stand. I’m so surprised I can’t think of anything to say. I shove him away from me and hear further laughter from the crowd and know I’ve gone bright red.