The Ten-Year Game Plan

Chapter 9- Josie

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6 years ago: Sophomore Year of High School
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"... and what could the author have meant by that?"

I raised my hand and he nodded at me, "social commentary, I think, about how women get placed on a pedestal, but really it's more of a prison... like the bird cage that she keeps talking about."

My teacher beamed at me and a voice, two rows behind me, hid a barely disguised scoff under a throat clearing. I didn't have to turn to see who the voice belonged to. I already knew.

After 3rd period let out, I was en route to my locker when I was joined by the kid who sat across from me. Liam, I think. He was on the school's baseball team—if his sweatshirts were any indication.

"Hey, Josie," he said keeping pace with me, "I thought that was a really good point you made back there."

I smiled. "Thanks. It's an interesting book."

"I'm glad someone thinks so. It doesn't make that much sense to me."

He left his statement open-ended, sounding expectant. I had no idea what response he was expecting from me, but I'm sure it wasn't what I said next.

"It's probably because you're a guy."

Luckily, instead of being offended, as I mentally smacked myself, he chuckled. It was a nice laugh. His brown eyes crinkled when he did so and it was adorable.

"Maybe I need the female perspective to help me get it..." He looked at me again with that same peculiar expression.

I shrugged. "Yeah, that could definitely help."

A loud, obnoxious groan came from behind us. We both turned and my stomach sank as I spotted him. Donovan was walking a few paces behind us with an irritated expression on his face. He and Liam shared one of those masculine head nod things and then my former best-friend turned his eyes to me.

"He's trying to ask if you would help him in the class. And actually I'm pretty sure that he's trying to ask you out. If you would both get your heads out of your asses—"

I ignored the rest of what he had to say, as I'd been doing since Caitlin told me what he did to her earlier this year. It took a couple of months but he finally got the hint that I was no longer interested in talking to him. Though, I couldn't tell if he was hurt or pissed off at my having no desire to speak to him anymore. Even now, I didn't grace his interruption with a response, I simply smiled at Liam.

"I'd love to help you."

The baseball player grinned at me and we moved over to the side of the hallway so he could put his number in my phone. But not before we heard a loud voice from behind us,

"Halle- fuckin-lujah."

••••••••••
PRESENT DAY
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Monday came faster than I was hoping.

I dreaded my theater class all weekend. The class was fine itself, but I dreaded the apology I was going to have to make after it was over. Fortunately, Gisele had actually decided to show up this time so I had a little bit of backup.