Dancing with the Varsity Bad Boy

Chapter 10

Jordan's POV

****

Somehow a couple of drinks has turned into a house party. I think it was Mikey... or was it Xavier? Either way I'm a little drunk having had five beers, and the brunette who's dancing with me, seems to be enjoying my attention, grinding her ass against me, her arm wrapped around the back of my neck.

Even with the music blasting, and the girl pressed up against me, I can't shake the feeling that I've forgotten something important. Something I was meant to do....

I excuse myself and pull away from the girl who pouts, her eyes near pleading me to stay, to take her up to my room for the night, but I'm not feeling it. Instead I whisper in her ear that I'll find her later and go in search of my teammates. I won't be finding her later, because something doesn't feel right.

Not long after the party started Eric took one of the Delta's up to his bedroom, so I know I won't see him again anytime soon. Hopefully it'll distract him for a night.

What he told me would haunt anyone. His pain at being unable to save his best friend, at knowing what Gypsy was subjected to. It's no wonder he's fu'cked up concerning that girl, she's a reminder of his pain. A reminder of what could have been.

"Hey, you looked to be having fun. You tapping that or not dude, because that girl is fine," Mikey says, slapping my shoulder.

"Nah, she's a Delta so I'm sure she'll be happy with either of us taking her upstairs," I say grabbing a water and downing it. Mikey grins at me, then moves off through the dancers until he's taking the brunette upstairs.

Chris comes up beside me and grabs himself a bottle of water, turning to scan the crowd. I lean against the kitchen counter and pull my phone out of my pocket just as Chris's phone buzzes with an incoming call. He pulls it out, his eyes widening with surprise before he answers.

"Hey, are you..." he stops mid sentence and his jaw clenches, his features hardening with anger as he glares at me.

"Where are you now?" I can't hear what's being said on the other end of the phone but whatever it is, it's pissing Chris off, and I've seen this dude angry before. Not a pretty sight.

"Hang tight, I'll be there in ten," with that he hangs up and slips the phone into his back pocket before turning to me and throwing a solid punch to my stomach. The breath leaves my lungs in a burst as I double over and cough at the impact.

"What the hell Chris?" I ask with a rasp, stumbling back a step before straightening.

"How could you fu'cking forget Jordan?" He grounds out but before I can ask what I've forgotten he's pushing his way out of the house, grabbing my car keys on his way, completely disregarding the girls who call out flirtatious greetings.

I rack my brains, trying to figure out what's gotten Chris so pissed off.

It only hits me when my phone buzzes and Maxwell Beckingham's number flashes with a text asking how his daughter is and wanting to know why she's not answered his texts or picked up his calls since her dance class ended.

A hole opens in my stomach, the beer hazing my thoughts but the memory hitting me like a slap across the face. I had promised I'd pick Violet up after her last lesson of the day.

Pulling my phone up my heart thuds painfully at the i********: message alert. With shaking fingers I click on it.

Violet - Hey, sorry it's taken so long. I'm just finishing up and will be out in five minutes.

The time stamp state it was sent at 1:25pm and I don't even have to glance at the clock to know it's well pass 10:30pm..

Was she waiting this whole time? Why? Why not just call a cab or take the bus back?

I'd been so wrapped up in supporting my friend, only to get completely distracted by Mikey's impromptu house party, I'd left a vulnerable young woman where anything could have happened to her, without a ride back.

She's probably in a lot of pain, like last night. She's going to be hungry and in pain, and cold and that's on me.

I push through the crowd until I find Xander with his tongue down a girls throat.

"Shut the music off, we have to get everyone out of here," I shout in his ear earning me a confused "what the fu'ck" look.

"What? Why?" He asks, pulling the girl into his side.

"Violet, I forgot to pick her up from class, Chris went to get her," something in my voice must cut through the party, or maybe its the mention of Violet's name. Xander goes from easy going to angry in a heartbeat.

He doesn't direct his anger at me, like he should be, instead he turns and shuts the music off. The crowd complains until Xander let's out a high pitched whistle that silences the house.

"Everyone except football team members, Out. NOW!" he shouts, and together we heard everyone out, rejecting the flirtatious advances of every Delta here.

"How about we go upstairs and let off some steam," a slender hand wraps around my bicep and turning I find it belonging to Amy, a Delta with the reputation of being the easiest lay. She's got a reputation and its not a particularly good one. A girl willing to spread her legs for anyone on the football team.

"I told you last year Amy. It was a one night thing, and I don't do repeats," I push her hand away and hold the door open for her. Behind me, I can hear the guys cleaning up.

"You know you want me to stay," Amy purrs, fluttering her eyelashes, her red lips curved in a seductive smile that once upon a time would have tempted me.

However, I'm not interested in a repeat. She was the worse lay I've ever had, and while she might know how to please a guy, she's clingy as fu'ck and completely crazy, and not in a good way.

"No, I want you to leave," with that said I gently push her so she walks out the house and close the door in her face.

Taking a deep breath I walk into the living room and begin helping the clean up, my phone buzzing with missed calls and texts growing increasingly urgent. A father desperately seeking to know his daughter is safe, but I can't bring myself to reply, too ashamed of forgetting my commitment.

****

Violet's POV

****

I'm sing along to The Line by Twenty One Pilots from the Netflix series Arcane, carrying on that last note as my mind works on a dance. My tears have dried on my cheeks, even as my voice wavers. The pain is yo-yoing between extreme to a couple of levels below extreme.

Yes to all you lovely healthy people there are different levels to extreme pain, and I've learnt to dance through mine until I hit my cut off level so when 4 minutes by Modonna and Justin Timberlake starts blaring on my headphones I begin dancing my heart out, my arms and torso moving while my butt stays firmly on the bus stop bench, my knees drawn up to my chest.

When Goodbye by Ramsey begins playing I hug my knees and, close my eyes, singing along while rocking myself backwards and forwards.

It's been nearly ten minutes since I called Chris, and I've slowly lost hope of him picking me up, until the flash of headlights catches my attention and Jordan's pick up truck comes to a complete stop in front of me.

"Yeah, I got her, she's safe." Chris says into his phone and gets out of the truck, jogging round to open the passenger seat door. He jogs over to me, hands me his phone before grabbing my bags.

"Be sure to take her for some food, she needs to get back on track with taking her meds at the same time every night," Lex's voice comes through and fresh tears fill my eyes.

God I miss him and the girls.

"Hey darling, do you think a burger will be enough?" I ask, the pain having shrunk my appetite.

"Vi! Thank goodness your ok, what the hell happened?" he asks, relief in his voice,and I chuckle a little embarrassed.

"I ended my lesson and Jordan wasn't outside so I sat down to wait and I fell asleep. When I woke up it was 10 o'clock and I had 2% of battery left," I shrug as Chris steps up beside me. He takes my crutch to the truck and comes back, his jaw clenched so tight I can see the tick of a muscle.

"Let me help you into the car, then I'll take you for a burger before taking you back to the football house," Chris says, scooping me up into his arms before I can object.

"Vi, you should have called Chris the moment you saw Mathews wasn't waiting for you. Your going to be in so much pain. It could take months for you get a handle on it again," he says with a sigh of frustration.

"I know but I didn't want to cause Chris any trouble," I mutter eyeing the football player as he places me in the passenger seat, clipping the seat belt across my torso before shutting the door.

"Just because he can't come out as gay, or be open about our relationship doesn't mean you don't call him when you're in need," Lex says quietly, the sorrow in his voice of being forced to love in the shadows evident.

Chris slides into the drivers seat and I say goodbye to Lex. Then, needing music I connect Chris's phone to Mathews radio and play my public playlist on Spotify.

"Let's get you that burger," Chris says, a quiet settling between us, the two shadows of what we both refuse to talk about looming like silent phantoms.

Jordan's disregard for me a bitter taste on my tongue.

Chris secret relationship with Lex a hallow ache in my chest.