How To Play the Player (COMPLETED)

Lips Are Moving

"You're breaking up with me? You're joking, right?"

I had known once I was able to catch Jay and lay it all out there it may take a while to get the matter of fact through his head, but this was beginning to become redundant. "Yes, Jay, we've been done for a while."

"How can you break up with me? Why?"

"Because I have free will." I uncrossed my arms. "And because I want you to find someone who's actually worthy of your love."

He snickered. "Because you aren't? Don't pull this cliché movie breakup bullshit, Reese. You're plenty worthy of my love. If this has to do with what I did to Liam, I'm sorry."

The sincerity in his voice had be considering trying to give it another go. Especially after my short conversation with Nicola. It was Andy and Liam starting across the field to us that straightened me out and I stood strong on my decision. "I'm sorry, Jay. It's just no working. I'm. . . I'm just not good with relationships. Being in them, I mean."

I watched his arms tense, eyes falling on Liam and Andy, who had slowed to stop in the middle of the field. Finally he shook his head and turned back to me with a glare.

"You're going to regret this, you know. Someone like you, a nerd, a nobody, should be privileged that someone like me even looked in your direction."

I stepped closer to him, closing the distance between us with a cold laugh. "You know, it's funny, Jason. This entire time I was focused on molding Liam into this nice guy, and he was one the entire time. But you? You're an arrogant dick, Jay. You only do things when they benefit you. You never cared about me, you were only trying to get under Liam's skin for whatever reason. I chose the wrong player to try and fix, that's become evident. We're done."

He stared at me, sizing me up before he shook his head and turned on his heel to head back for the lockeroom. He hadn't made it but a few feet before a football hit him upside the head. My eyes immediately shot to Liam and Andy, sure it was Liam who'd done it, but Andy still had his hands in position. Jay stumbled back, still in a state of shock, before he kicked the ball away and continued on his trek back to the school.

Andy watched after him, fists clenched before he whirled around to face me, but his entire expression shifted into one of kindness as he joined me. "Man, that felt great. Maybe it knocked some sense into him.

*

I was greeted with Liam acing yet another play as soon as I broke passed the doors at the front of the school. He was leaning against the wall, talking to a girl I had in AP Chem and Anime club. As soon as Liam saw me, he offered her a sweet smile before jogging over.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked, "I know this morning must have been hard on you."

I laughed. "Not really. Jay's a bit too self-absorbed and conceited. He's everything I thought you were. I'm just scared of what kind of malicious plan he and Nic are going to conjure up to destroy me."

"I was that." Liam muttered. "But you showed me I didn't have to pretend and prove to everyone that I was something I wasn't."

"I'm really proud of you, Liam. The playbook, football, all of it. I know your dad would be too."

His smile faltered as he bowed his head and breathed out a quiet, "Thank you."

Silence. Then after a couple minutes, Liam diverted the subject entirely. He was a master at that.

"So you're not going to Prom anymore?"

"It's a little over three months away, Liam. I could find another date by then. If not, I'll just third wheel it with Bryan and Shay or Andy and Bri. I honestly don't really care anymore."