The Fumble Of A Quarterback

Chapter 6: We Aren't Friends

Song for the start of the chapter!

"Run Rori, run," I said to our labradoodle as I let him off the leash in the green park close to the yoga building. 

I threw a stick in across the park, and he sprinted to it. His tail wagged as he bounded as if this was the most fun he would ever have. 

As he ran back to me with a stick in his mouth, my gaze switched to the yoga building, hoping to see mom walk out. She said she wouldn't be long, but I had been waiting for over thirty minutes for her and now I was really thinking about walking home.

There were so many things I wanted to do for my Tuesday evening, but standing here was wasting time was not on the list. 

The sun pounded on me, causing sweat to bubble to my forehead. For a second, I debated about going into the building, but stopped when I knew mom would rope me into some conversation I didn't want to have with her friends.

I frowned as I remembered being kicked out of the meeting yesterday about team building. When I told dad that I was upset he didn't include me, he played it off as not a big deal and that I didn't miss much, but we all know I did. I felt like he just pushed me aside even though I felt like I had things to say and ideas to present. 

And to top it off, my interaction with Everett continued to fume. If he was the problem in this teamwork issue, then it was best to let him go. I would love to see him off the team. But dad made it clear that option was never going to happen. He had some excuse on how Everett was the best on the team and the board would not want him off. 

I didn't understand the politics of football and something told me, I never would. 

I took the stick from Rori's mouth and threw it down the park as if that would dissolve my frustration. Without wasting a second, Rori ran to chase it.

"Cute dog. What's his name?" Everett asked as he walked up to me with a T-shirt and a pair of exercise shorts.

Before giving him a pointed look, my eyes trace his structured thighs for a moment. No matter how much I hated him, I always had a thing for men in fitted shorts. There was just something so right about them. "Rori."

He nodded as he slipped on his sunglasses as if they would help shade him from the humid Ohio heat. "That's an odd name."

I placed my hands on my hips and started. "You're one to speak. Your name is Everett. You know what I think of when I hear that? Mount Everest."

The corners of his mouth turned up for a second, as if enjoying being related to the tallest mountain on earth.

I instantly wished I kept my mouth shut as Rori came running to us, unaware of the tension between Everett and I, nor would he ever know. Sometimes I wished I was a dog.

There was silence which allowed anger to boil within me. I wondered if he knew he was giving my father stress. The team was having problems because of him. If Everett actually talked to the others or interacted with them, the team would be better. I think some of them were even afraid of him, and I think he enjoyed it. 

"Nora, how are you? How has the internship been treating you?"

I clenched my fists. He barely said anything to me yesterday at practice and now he talks? I took a deep breath to stop from yelling. I didn't understand how he seemed to be a completely different person outside of practice. "We aren't friends."

He smirked at me as if I didn't get it. "But you want to be."

My cheeks turned hot. The nerve of him. I took a step closer to him to prove a point. He towered over my small frame, but I didn't mind. "No, I really don't."