The Other Girl

Chapter I

"Calum," I called, spotting the quarterback near the bleachers. He was still panting as I walked closer, dirty blonde hair slicked back with sweat as he held his helmet in one hand and mouth guard in the other.

"Hey Stella," Calum greeted, directing a dimpled smile at me that completed the blonde-haired, blue-eyed face of picturesque perfection. Tucking the helmet under an arm, Calum surveyed the field of sweaty and dedicated players practicing with all they had.

"How's practice going?" I asked, a carefree grin on my face. I dropped it immediately when discomfort flashed over Calum's features. "Calum, I—"

"It's fine," Calum said, pasting a smooth smile onto his face again. Seeing my hesitation, he wrapped me into a reassuring hug. "We'll train hard Stella, and we'll be fine. But it'll take time."

"You promised you'd come to this party," I mumbled, half-hating myself for being so whiny, but I couldn't help the roll of indignance that washed over me. Calum almost never went back on his word, and football was important to him. I don't have a right to complain. But...

"I know, Stells," Calum whispered, holding me against him. His chest rumbled as he spoke, and I leaned into his embrace, allowing myself to melt into his warmth. The thin sweater I wore fit perfectly with the rest of my outfit, but it was a poor barrier against the chilly September air. "But this is the biggest game of the season. We need to be prepared. I'm truly sorry that I can't make it."

"It's fine, Cal," I replied, closing my eyes as I forced the wave of ugly emotions down."I understand."

"I'll try my best to make it to the next one, alright?" Calum asked. I nodded in response, mute in the aura of comfort from the hug. Calum gave me a final squeeze before letting me go, slipping on his equipment and jogging back onto the field. The football captain turned and gave me a two-fingered salute just before the bright lights swathed him in white and although I couldn't see his face, I knew he was happy.

---

Music blared from the speakers, the noise deafening as the figures on the dancefloor melded into one, moving mass.

"Stella!" My friend, Stacy, practically shouted from my left. The blaring beats made it hard to make out her next words, but it was probably along the lines of "I'm going down to the floor, you coming?"

"In a moment!" I shouted back, hoping that she heard my words. She and a couple other girls made it down to the floor with their chosen partners, melting into the grinding bodies in the flashing dark.

There was no room for decency and fairness under the multicolored lights of the club. Although we would all wake up tomorrow to the single-colored beams of the sun, we would do our best to enjoy the night first.

"Hey beautiful, wanna dance?" a voice breathed down my neck from behind. I shot up from my seat at the bar, turning to face the stranger.

"I'm waiting for someone," I replied flatly. It was hard to make out details under the flashing lights, but his stagger told me that he was probably more than just drunk.

"Aw, don't turn me down like that. A pretty girl like you doesn't deserve to wait," the man said, reaching for my wrist. I jerked it away from him, stepping back, but he was faster. His other hand caught the hem of my dress and pulled me towards him.

"Let me go," I demanded, pushing against his heavy torso. It did nothing, and the man laughed wildly.

"Feisty—I like that," he said as I readied a kick to his shin. My concentration was interrupted as a firm hand pulled me away from the man.