My Brother's Playboy Best Friend

2

Hazel's point of view.

"GO VINCE! WHOO!" I scream from the bleachers, shivering at the cold autumn weather.

"Christ, you know you could cheer a bit for your brother too, Haz. He might get upset," Neil tells me from the bench.

His right leg is caught in a plaster cast from getting tackled so hard his bone fissured last game. He's a tough cookie needless to say. He grins. I frown down at him dismissively and pay attention to the field again.

The cheerleaders carry out their choreography in their short skirts. Vince bolts across the field, ball in hand. He scores the winning point. I jump eagerly. The crowd roars to life. Neil chuckles, clapping. Eve, the captain of the cheerleading team, doesn't forget to shake her bum when Vince jogs by her, victorious. He doesn't notice her.

"Vince!" I call out.

He doesn't notice me either. Instead, he walks up to a girl standing towards the right edge of the field. She's drowning in the fabric of one of Vince's jerseys, a proud 2 on the back. He sweeps her off her feet and kisses her so rough it seems bruising. Her messy brown hair striped with bright pink strands flies everywhere. She reciprocates (who wouldn't, anyway?) and slips a hand into his sweaty hair. I look away, straight into Neil's sorry eyes. He opens his mouth to say something. I don't want to hear it.

"You could've at least pretended to cheer for me, Haz," Parker pants out, unknowingly saving me from Neil. His face has gone pink, brown hair sticking to his temples.

I shiver harder. Maybe I should've worn a coat. Or a sweater. Or both.

"That's what I told her. Didn't listen." Neil shrugs, throwing a towel right in Parker's face.

Parker grabs it and whams Neil with it. They exchange hits like small kids.

"You should try giving me something to cheer for then," I say, rolling my eyes at their childishness.

The other players come by, complimenting each other on the plays and the game. Inevitably, they look for Vince and, inevitably, find him making out with that girl against the side of the bleachers. I catch myself watching unconsciously too and wishing I was the one Vince was kissing.

"Who's the chick?" a player asks.

I wonder too. But at the same time, I don't really want to know. My eyes are now glued to Vince's wide back as she shoves her hands into his football gear. The voices of the players and the sound of the departing crowd blurs out a bit. I feel cold. And a little sick in my stomach too.

"I don't know. Must be new."

"Doesn't matter. God knows she won't last."

"Nobody ever does."

I snap back to reality when Neil reaches up to nudge my foot.

"What?" I ask.

"There. You're shaking." He slips off his sweater and hands it to me.

I reluctantly take it, eyeing my brother for approval. He squeezes a spray of water into his mouth and throws me an approbatory side eye. Satisfied, I smile and wear the sweater, finally at ease.

"Mind helping me inside?" Neil asks.

I figure he's asking the other players as they are irrationally stronger than I am but find his gaze fixated on me.

"Me?"

"You," he answers.

"Yeah, okay." I nervously chew my lip, hopping off the bleachers.