“Parker!” Coach Bieman yelled.
Corbin Parker was shooting hoops in the school gym, but without much success. Shot after shot, he had the same result: a miss. Clutching the ball tightly, he lined himself up for yet another try.
“Parker!” Bieman yelled again.
Letting out a short sigh, Corbin jogged over to the sideline. He rested the ball against his side and lowered his gaze to meet Bieman’s stern eyes. “Yeah, Coach?”
Bieman was practically fuming. “What was that?”
Corbin shifted his weight from one foot to the other, seeming to try to come up with a response.
“Did you suddenly go mute?”
“No, Coach.”
“Districts are next week! I can’t afford for you to not have your head in the game! What’s wrong with you?”
“It’s nothi—”
“Don’t you ‘nothing’ …show more content…
“Good luck, man,” Blake muttered, following quickly behind.
“So,” Jace snickered, “who’s the lucky girl?”
“What’s it to you?” Jackson asked, his voice cold.
Jace gave him a glare. “I don’t believe I was talking to you.”
Returning the look, Jackson asked, “Why do you even care who she is?”
Jace laughed. “Oh, I couldn’t care less.”
“Then why waste your breath asking?” Corbin said, his tone biting. “It has nothing to do with you.”
“I’m well aware,” Jace responded, “but I’m just a little curious.” He took a threatening step toward Corbin, staring him straight in the eye.
If it had been any other guy, Corbin may have laughed. He towered over Jace. In different circumstances, he may have found the situation amusing. But Jace knew just how to push his buttons, and this conversation was anything but funny.
“You seem to forget,” Jace continued, “but you and I aren’t that different.”
“I am nothing like you,” Corbin said tightly.
“Aren’t you? We both date ‘n ditch, and this new girl that you think you like isn’t any different than all the others you’ve tossed aside like trash.”
Corbin resisted the urge to clench his hands into fists. “I don’t see how this is any of your …show more content…
“You just left her there alone?”
“Stay out of this, Parker,” Jace ordered, his tone dangerously calm. “This has nothing to do with you.”
“Oh, lay off, Jace,” Jenna snapped.
He glared at her. “Do you have any idea what kind of guy you’re defending? He’s no better than any of the other players around here. He’d just break your heart.”
“You’re no better with how you treat your so-called ‘girlfriends’.”
“This isn’t about me!” Jace yelled. “This is about him!”
“Are you kidding me?! This is completely about you!” Jenna took a breath. “You’re unbelieveable. You are such a hypocrite. You’re accusing him of things you’re also guilty of, yet you act like you’re so much better than him.”
“You don’t even know him!”
“I know enough to know that he’s a better person than my own brother.”
Jace’s face went completely blank. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“At least I wouldn’t leave her alone with a bunch of upperclassmen guys,” Corbin interjected.
Jace looked between Jenna and Corbin for a moment while Jackson stood awkwardly off to the side.
Finally, Jace shook his head. “You know what? You want to me to stand by and let him hurt you? Fine, but don’t come to me crying when he breaks your
Corbin Parker was shooting hoops in the school gym, but without much success. Shot after shot, he had the same result: a miss. Clutching the ball tightly, he lined himself up for yet another try.
“Parker!” Bieman yelled again.
Letting out a short sigh, Corbin jogged over to the sideline. He rested the ball against his side and lowered his gaze to meet Bieman’s stern eyes. “Yeah, Coach?”
Bieman was practically fuming. “What was that?”
Corbin shifted his weight from one foot to the other, seeming to try to come up with a response.
“Did you suddenly go mute?”
“No, Coach.”
“Districts are next week! I can’t afford for you to not have your head in the game! What’s wrong with you?”
“It’s nothi—”
“Don’t you ‘nothing’ …show more content…
“Good luck, man,” Blake muttered, following quickly behind.
“So,” Jace snickered, “who’s the lucky girl?”
“What’s it to you?” Jackson asked, his voice cold.
Jace gave him a glare. “I don’t believe I was talking to you.”
Returning the look, Jackson asked, “Why do you even care who she is?”
Jace laughed. “Oh, I couldn’t care less.”
“Then why waste your breath asking?” Corbin said, his tone biting. “It has nothing to do with you.”
“I’m well aware,” Jace responded, “but I’m just a little curious.” He took a threatening step toward Corbin, staring him straight in the eye.
If it had been any other guy, Corbin may have laughed. He towered over Jace. In different circumstances, he may have found the situation amusing. But Jace knew just how to push his buttons, and this conversation was anything but funny.
“You seem to forget,” Jace continued, “but you and I aren’t that different.”
“I am nothing like you,” Corbin said tightly.
“Aren’t you? We both date ‘n ditch, and this new girl that you think you like isn’t any different than all the others you’ve tossed aside like trash.”
Corbin resisted the urge to clench his hands into fists. “I don’t see how this is any of your …show more content…
“You just left her there alone?”
“Stay out of this, Parker,” Jace ordered, his tone dangerously calm. “This has nothing to do with you.”
“Oh, lay off, Jace,” Jenna snapped.
He glared at her. “Do you have any idea what kind of guy you’re defending? He’s no better than any of the other players around here. He’d just break your heart.”
“You’re no better with how you treat your so-called ‘girlfriends’.”
“This isn’t about me!” Jace yelled. “This is about him!”
“Are you kidding me?! This is completely about you!” Jenna took a breath. “You’re unbelieveable. You are such a hypocrite. You’re accusing him of things you’re also guilty of, yet you act like you’re so much better than him.”
“You don’t even know him!”
“I know enough to know that he’s a better person than my own brother.”
Jace’s face went completely blank. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“At least I wouldn’t leave her alone with a bunch of upperclassmen guys,” Corbin interjected.
Jace looked between Jenna and Corbin for a moment while Jackson stood awkwardly off to the side.
Finally, Jace shook his head. “You know what? You want to me to stand by and let him hurt you? Fine, but don’t come to me crying when he breaks your