Page 6 of No Easy Catch
“Pleasegive me your number,” she replied, tight-lipped.
“Sorry, I’m used to barking out commands on the field. It carries over into life and it’s not meant to be rude.Pleasegive me your number so we can work out logistics.” She rattled off the digits and I quickly sent her a text so she had mine. “You know…you could use this as your senior piece.”
“My uncle and I are innocent, so I don’t think so.”
“Even if you think that, something weird is going on and if we figure it out, that would be a hell of a project. Now, I need to head out, but we’ll talk soon.”
I didn’t wait before taking a step upstairs, but she put her hand on my arm, stopping me.
“Wait!” She jerked her hand back when I turned around and red splotches appeared on the tops of her round cheeks. “How much time do you envision spending on this? What do I need to be doing now?”
“See what you can find out about how you got into college. Any documentation, forms with signature, that sort of thing. In order for us to go forward, we’ll need evidence. Let me check my practice schedule and get back to you with some times I have free.”
She nodded and jutted her chin out just a little. “I want that picture of names. I’m pretty decent at digging up some information on people and I want to see what I can find on those players you mentioned.”
Her determination was clear in the set jaw, the intensity in her dark brown eyes and the slight rise in her voice. Amber was hooked, but I needed to make one more point clear for this to work. “You have to swear you will not hideanyinformation that comes up. If I find out you’re protecting your uncle, I will do everything I can to ruin you. And trust me, there is a lot of ammunition there.”
She recoiled and a fire entered her eyes. “That won’t be a problem because you’re wrong, Jeff. And I cannot wait to see the look on your face when I prove it to you.”
4
AMBER
Ididn’t miss the hangovers, that was for sure. My roommates groaned and slid around the couches like blobs and the pathetic sight of them made me smile. Laney and Marissa were wonderful women who I support with every grain of my being, but a small part of me was envious of their life.
Last year, I’d witnessed Laney talk herself out of a speeding ticket. Sophomore year? She’d had four fake IDs and had managed to not get written up for distributing them to younger girls. The year before that, she’d convinced the RA to not report the alcohol in her dorm room.
I’d drawn the short straw with my freshman roommate and gotten caught up in a drug scandal and put on probation. Then it’d been academic probation.And that is still my reputation.I’d grown and changed, but people refused to see that version of me.
Jeff Maddow’s disgusted facial expression from three days ago told me all I needed to know. I was just the druggie freshman girl who went wild in college.That’s why he thinks I don’t deserve to be at this school.
I’m gonna show him, that beautiful rat bastard.
“Ambeeeer. Could you bring me some coffee and I’ll love you for the rest of my life?” Marissa whined and flipped from her right to her left side. She grimaced and paled, and I grabbed a small trash can and placed it in front of her. “Why do you look so normal?”
“I didn’t drink last night.”
“I think I killed all my brain cells and forgot.”
“You might be right,” I said, laughing.
“Did I dance on a bar with some guy with a face tattoo?”
“Absolutely. I only took three pictures.”
“Kill me. I told myself I was growing up this semester. I’m going to be a grown-ass adult soon.”
“You can still dance on bars when you’re an adult, Issa.”
“How do you remain friends with us if you don’t drink anymore? I can’t stand myself sometimes but being around us sober is the pits, girl.”
“I love you both. Plus, I learned I don’t have to drink to have fun. I know that makes me sound old and wise, but shit, it took a long time to discover that.”
“I’m not there yet. Don’t tell my parents.”
I snorted, feeling a spark of pride in my decision to not drink for the last five months. While my junior year hadn’t been as eventful as the wild freshman year, there had been one too many nights of stupid mistakes and morning regrets. I’d hit a low point when my advisor had said I was one grade away from being kicked out of school and that had been the day I’d decided to clean up my act. That meant no more partying, blowing off classes or hooking up with guys who were too drunk toreallysee me.
That had been my rock bottom and I was slowly pulling myself up from that with a small step every day.Today’s step?Figure out the real reason I’d gotten into this school, because ever since Jeff had thrown that accusation, it had registered inthe most insecure part of me, wedging itself into every thought until it consumed me.I’m average. I’m not worthy.
