Shut Out(44)

“So, Cash, what happened to you Friday night?” Adam asked. “At Homecoming. Did you bail or what?”

Cash’s green eyes met mine across the table before he looked at Adam. “Yeah, I left early. Wasn’t really feeling it this year.”

“You’re never feeling it,” Adam said. “You never take a date, and sometimes you don’t even show up. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the whole Mr. Unattainable tactic, but usually a dude does that as a means to an end. You’re sort of missing the point here, Cash.”

For a second, I thought I saw Cash turn red.

“I don’t know, man,” he told Adam. “I’m just too busy to date right now. Between soccer, working, and keeping the grades up so I can get this scholarship… I just need to stay focused, you know?”

Adam snorted. “All right,” he said. “But you know we’re talking about a date, right? Like, just asking a chick to Homecoming. Not planning a wedding.”

“You’re breaking the heart of every girl in Hamilton,” Ellen teased him, throwing a french fry in his direction. “The way you flirt with them. They all think they have a shot, and then you go and say things like, ‘Oh, I have to stay focused.’ ” Her imitation of Cash sounded more like a deep-voiced caveman than anything.

“It’s so true,” Chloe chimed in. “You’re really going to give Lissa a run for her money as school tease.”

I felt my cheeks heat up as everyone—Cash in particular—turned their eyes on me. I took a deep breath and clenched my fists in my lap to keep from tapping on the table.

“Sorry,” Chloe said after taking a sip of her drink. “That sounded better in my head.” She looked imploringly at me. “I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s cool,” I said quickly. I looked across the table at Cash, and I felt the tension ease up a bit. “I mean… really, there’s no comparison. Unless Cash has his tease status formally announced at prom, I think the crown is safe with me.”

“I’ll get on that—having it announced at prom,” Cash replied. “But anyway, it’ll be hard to get a date now. With this sex strike going on. Might as well just wait.”

“Hold up,” Adam said, and his attention was back on me. “You mean the strike isn’t over? Even now that you and the buffoon are done?”

I shook my head. “No. The strike doesn’t end until the rivalry does.”

“You’re kidding.” Adam groaned.

“Why would you think it was over?” Ellen questioned. “You didn’t ask me about it.”

“I just assumed now that Lissa doesn’t have to put up with Randy’s shit, everything would go back to normal. Isn’t that why this whole thing started? Because he’s a douchebag?”

“Actually,” Ellen said before I could respond, “it’s not just about Randy. We’ve been over this a thousand times before, Adam. It’s about everyone. I got pissed when you guys shoved Luther into his locker and left him there for a whole block. I wasn’t cool with that, and I’m not cool with this, either. None of the girls are. So, like Lissa said, it’s not over until the rivalry is over.”

Adam rolled his eyes. “Sure. We’ll see how much longer it lasts.”

“At least our efforts are organized,” I said. I was beginning to lose the affection for him that I’d felt upon first approaching the table. “We’re supporting one another and talking to one another and helping one another through this. All the boys do is sit around and wait for us to change our minds, but that’s not going to happen. The strike doesn’t end until the rivalry does.”

Adam frowned at me, and he started to say something, but Chloe cut him off.

“Look, can we not fight right now?” she asked. “Normally, I’d be all about the drama—watching it, not taking part in it, of course—but after Friday night, I’m on overload. So can we skip the debate here, kids?”

Adam slouched into his seat. “Whatever.”

“For the record,” Ellen added, turning to Cash, “nothing in the oath the girls made says we can’t date. Besides, only the current girlfriends of the teammates made the oath to begin with. There’s no reason for you to use that as an excuse.”

Cash smiled at her. That winning, charming, perfect smile that won me over time and again. “You’re right,” he said. “Strike or not, I’m not really looking for a girlfriend…. But”—and I swear his eyes locked on mine—“if someone special came along, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to let her get away.”

“Well, that’s good to hear,” Ellen said. “As long as you’re keeping your options open.”

But I didn’t think it was good to hear at all. Cash had basically just told me that I wasn’t worth his time. He’d let me go before, so clearly I wasn’t special enough for him to date. The hope I’d carried after his visit yesterday was crushed. The way he’d looked at me when he said it left no room for misinterpretation.

“Oh, well, that’s a dick move,” I blurted out. “You basically just said that every girl you’ve ever flirted with wasn’t worth it. And since pretty much the entire female population here has thrown themselves at you at one time or another, you’re implying that you’re too good for all of us.” I scrambled hastily to my feet when I saw the barely contained shock on the faces around the table.