Player (What Happens on Campus Book 1) by M L Sparrow Read Free Book Online Page B

Dawson sitting on the bench with his head in his hands, his usually tanned face looking startlingly pale.
    Turning his head slightly, to watch him walk past with bloodshot eyes, Dawson moaned, “Why do I do this to myself? I should have learnt by now…”
    “Rough night?”
    “I woke up with two girls in my bed and I don’t remember any of it,” he replied mournfully.
    “If you were that drunk, I’m sure there wasn’t much to remember.”
    Groaning, Dawson dropped his head back into his hands, “Thanks, man, way to make me feel even worse.”
    “What are friends for?” he smirked, opening his locker and pulling out his uniform.
    Coach obviously knew that half his team were hideously hung-over because he worked them especially hard that morning. Parker got tackled by one of the newbies and ended up limping off the field at the end of practice, holding his bruised ribs.
    “Go get that checked out,” Coach hollered after him before turning on the newbie, pointing one thick, stubby finger angrily at the blushing freshman. “You’re a lineman, not a fuckin’ steamroller! Who bloody taught you to play like that on the practice field? You could have taken out our star quarterback, then what would we do when game time rolls around?”
    Wincing in sympathy for the other guy, because he’d been on the receiving end of Coach’s rage more than once, Parker headed back towards the locker room. Inside, he awkwardly pulled his skirt off and looked down.
    “Nasty,” someone commented and he nodded in agreement. A bruise was already forming, a bright red smudge against his skin, but it didn’t feel like anything was broken. He shifted experimentally and felt a twinge of pain, but it wasn’t crippling.
    Head hung low, his assailant slouched into the locker room and someone shouted, “Get a little excited, did ya Coleson?”
    Shooting the other guy a glare, Trent Coleson came over to stand in front of him. “Parker, I’m really sorry,” he apologized sincerely, shamefaced, “I didn’t realize how hard I was hitting.”
    “It’s okay, Trent,” Parker waved his words away, “it’s football, people get hurt, and no matter what Coach says, you’re supposed to practice hard otherwise we won’t be ready.”
    “Yeah, but…”
    “Seriously, don’t worry about it. I’ve had worse.” They shook hands and Parker grinned at him, “It’s good to know you’ll have my back when the season starts.”
    A hot shower eased his aches and pains. Standing under the spray, he blinked soap out of his eyes and stared at the fogged up glass, replaying the previous night in his head. Remembering the heat of Chloe’s curvy body pressed against his as they danced, he groaned and switched the shower to cold.
    When he finally finished and went into the room, with only a towel wrapped around his waist, it was to find Terri sprawled on Jet’s bed, aimlessly flicking through a book.
    “Jeez, can’t you get some clothes on?” she grumbled.
    “You’re in my room,” he stressed, dropping the towel and walking bare-assed naked over to his wardrobe. Unfortunately, she didn’t react; Terri wasn’t the kind of girl who blushed easily. She was practically one of the guys.
    Pulling out a pair of sweats, but foregoing a shirt, he asked, “Where’s Jet?”
    “Gone to get coffee,” she answered, putting the books back on top of the pile of novels crowding her best friends’ bedside table.
    “Hope he’s gettin’ me one,” Parker grumbled, laying down on his bed, careful of his ribs.
    “Probably, he’s nice like that. What happened to you? You look like you got run over by a bus.”
    “Thanks,” he huffed.
    “My pleasure. So come on, clue me in. Did someone beat you up for sleeping with their girlfriend?”
    “I’m not a total dick, you know? I do have standards,” he defended himself, pushing up on one elbow to glare at her.
    She shrugged, “Not that I’ve seen.”
    His glower deepened, but when she did nothing but