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Chapter 36: Humble pie
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Keeping Score Chapter 37: If you can't beat them
QUINNOnce upon a time, I'd thought that if Leo and I ever got together, if he ever admitted to loving me like I loved him, life would be perfect. We would never fight, and everything would be sunshine and roses. We'd live happily ever after.The last two months had opened my eyes to the absolute absurdity of that way of thinking. Leo loved me, I didn't doubt that. I loved him, more now than I had ever thought possible. Most of the time, he was sweet to me, funny and protective. Before spring football season began, I'd had no doubt that I was Leo's top priority. But lately, I felt like I'd been slipping down that list, until I fell somewhere below football and his friends. And today? Well, today I was furious. I'd already been a little worried about the bullying series, for the very reason Leo had listed. But it was actually going well so far, and our local newspaper had even picked up one of my articles, highlighting a problem in the schools that most people preferred to ignore. I
Keeping Score Chapter 38: Hard truths
LEOI was still a little hung over the next morning when my alarm went off. I texted Quinn that I was going in late to school, so she wouldn't be waiting for me to pick her up, but she never responded. I worried about that for about ten seconds before I went back to sleep.By the time I woke up again, it was after lunch. It seemed pointless to drag my ass into school for two classes, so I stayed home, planning to play the sick mom card that had given me so much wiggle room this year. I'd learned that all I had to tell them in the office was that my mom was still in the hospital, and my absence or tardiness was excused. It was like a get-out-of-jail-free card. Not that I wouldn't trade that for my mother being healthy again, of course, but I figured I needed any break I could catch just now.I'd just gotten a shower and was actually getting ready to go see my mother when the doorbell rang. Quinn, I thought. She'd gotten my text and was worried about me. I grinned a little, thinking t
Keeping Score Chapter 39: Things I never wanted to say
LEOI didn't sleep well that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Quinn's face. I heard her voice. I felt her body under mine. And then I heard Nate's words, and my father's, too. I wanted to stop hearing them. I wanted to forget what they'd said. They were both wrong, I knew they were. They had to be. Quinn and I were right together. We belonged with each other. We'd both made that clear. But I thought about what my dad had said. College was going to be hard. College football was going to be a full-time job, if I wanted to get into the pros. How would I juggle that along with making Quinn happy, if I couldn't even manage to do that when we were only in high school?And Quinn wanted to be a writer, wanted to be a journalist. Was I justified in denying her that chance, just because I needed to go to a college that would help funnel me into the pros? She could still study journalism wherever we went to school, and I was sure that was what she'd tell me if I brought up the sc
Keeping Score Chapter 40: Life went on
QUINNThe crazy thing was, life went on. I wasn't sure it would, or that I could. I left the school that day, walked home-I'd walked to school that morning, since Leo hadn't texted about picking me up-and I locked myself in my room. I cried until my eyes were too swollen to see out of. When my mother knocked on my door to tell me dinner was ready, I told her I didn't feel well and didn't want to eat. That was understandable, given that I'd claimed food poisoning the day before. When she pushed the issue, worried, I claimed killer cramps, which I knew would buy me as much alone time as I needed. I slept badly that night, when I did sleep. Since the next day was Saturday, I didn't have to go to school. I had another two days to hide and figure out what my life was going to look like now. Once the shock wore off and the tears had stopped, I came to a few decisions. I wasn't going to tell my mom and dad what had really happened. I couldn't. I loved Lisa and Mark, and I didn't want m
Keeping Score Chapter 41: Coming clean
NATEMy last year of high school was my best one.First of all, my health was better than ever. Good old Dr. Randall came through with a new protocol, and while I was on that, my energy and strength were boosted. My immunity was increased, too, so I didn't pick up every bug that came around the school. That was a relief, to me and to my parents.And then there was the fact that we were now at the top of the high school food chain. There was no one older to pick on me, and the guys in my own class had matured enough that they didn't mess with me anymore. Brent Collins had even become almost friendly, out of guilt, I assumed.But best of all, Quinn wasn't with Leo.I'd worried for a while that they might get back together. I was aware, even if she wasn't, that Leo was suffering from their distance as much as Quinn was. When she didn't know it, he'd stare at her, his eyes hungry. He gave her lots of space, but I also heard that the Lion wasn't roaring so much anymore. He partied, yes
Keeping Score Chapter 42: Endings
LEO"Leo Robert Taylor." At Mrs. Colby's not-so-gentle nudging, I stumbled across the grass, earning snickers from the row of guys sitting to my right. I shot them the finger as I crossed in front of them, earning a gasp from Mrs. Colby. I glanced back over my shoulder at her and grinned, shrugging. What was she going to do to me now? Sure, she was our history teacher and class advisor, but I was graduating. Like, now. As in, out of here. Forever. And good fucking riddance. Dr. Rider, the superintendent, stood at the podium, watching me approach. He offered me his hand to shake and a black cardboard folder to take. It was supposed to look like it was the diploma, but we all knew the folders were empty; the diplomas would come via mail next week. We might have been high school graduates, sure, but we weren't quite trustworthy yet. "Mr. Taylor." He didn't let go of my hand right away, as he'd done with everyone ahead of me. "Congratulations. We expect great things from you in the
Keeping Score Chapter 43: Alone and uncertain
LEO"Leo! Leo Taylor. Give me a hug, you big oaf." Carrie Russell caught up with me and put her words into action, wrapping her arms around me tightly. "Congratulations, sweetie! Can you believe it? You guys are all done . . ." Quinn's mom fumbled in her bag, sniffling as she dug out a tissue. "It doesn't seem possible. I swear it was just yesterday all three of you were playing naked together in your baby pool."An image of Quinn, naked beneath me, flashed across my mind. I gritted my teeth and pushed it aside as Bill Russell joined his wife, clapping a hand on my shoulder."Don't mind her, Leo. She's been crying all week. You'd think she's never going to see all you kids ever again." He gave my arm a quick squeeze. "We're all proud of you, son. I can't wait to see you playing down in Carolina."Carrie brightened. "There's Sheri and Mark. Oh-and Quinn, finally. Come here, honey! Daddy and I've been looking for you." And then she was there, standing in front of me, as her mom hug
Keeping Score Chapter 44: Wake-up call
LEOThere was an annoying buzzing somewhere near my head, and still mostly asleep, I frowned. The wrinkling of my forehead sent an ache through my head, and for a moment, I was pretty sure I was going to puke.The buzzing sounded again. I'd thought it was a mosquito, but as awareness seeped in, I realized it was a telephone vibrating somewhere. Close to me? I couldn't tell. A distant part of my brain considered moving my hand so I could grope around for the damn thing, but apparently some of the synapses had been damaged, because my hand didn't do anything. After a few seconds, the buzzing stopped again, and I drifted back into some kind of pseudo-slumber. "Taylor! You in there, dude?" The voice was loud and unfamiliar. I groaned and covered my head with one bent arm."Taylor. Leo. C'mon, man, you gotta wake up." The guy I didn't know sounded upset. And then he shook me, and bile rose in my stomach. "Stop." I ground out the word. "I'm going to fucking hurl on you, whoever the fu
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