Chapter 5 - You're Glowing

The first week of school had dragged on with the usual mix of classes, dramatic reunions, and Asteria’s growing anxiety about the secret she still hadn’t told Damian.

The issue was that she barely got any alone time with him since school started. As a star player of the school’s football team and Blackwell Academy’s most eligible bachelor, Damian was rarely ever alone. It wasn’t the kind of conversation she wanted to have with other people around. And whenever he was, it wasn’t the time for that kind of conversation.

By the time Friday rolled around, word had spread about a party being held to celebrate the end of the first week of school. Granted, it wasn’t something significant that was worth celebrating but they were teenagers, and they would take any chance they got to throw and/or attend a party.

The party was going to be held at Christopher Neil’s house. Chris was the wide receiver for the Wolves, Blackwell Academy’s football team. And he was a pretty decent player until a skateboarding injury left him with a cast on his arm.

Thankfully, the injury wasn’t on his dominant hand, so there was no permanent damage to his football career. But because he did have a cast on, he had been benched all of the previous season. Predictably, the last season had been difficult for the Wolves. Seeing as Chris had finally gotten his cast off upon resumption this new semester, things would go back to normal and the Wolves could be winners again.

Still, despite being the host to the first party of the year, Chris was going to be late for it. In fact, every guy on the football team would be late for the party.

Asteria found Damian and Oliver by the fence outside the practice field, both of them sweaty from all the work they had already done.

The coach seemed to have given them a short break because most of the guys were scattered around the field, stretching or talking amongst themselves. Some cheerleaders and other students were also nearby, most of them waiting for boyfriends, siblings, friends, or simply their ride home.

“Before you ask, the answer is no.” Oliver said. “We can’t leave yet. Coach is keeping us late. Again. Extra conditioning for the guys who missed reps yesterday. He’s determined to start this year’s preseason strong and hard so that we can gain back our reputation after last year’s shit season.”

Damian, next to him, looked significantly worse for wear and even more pissed off than his cousin. “And he might add an extra hour to today’s practice because all the recruits and freshmen suddenly seem to have developed butterfingers and jelly-legs.”

“Go easy on them.” Asteria cautioned. “You weren’t always a great player.”

“I resent that accusation, love. I am, and have always been, a fantastic player.”

“If you say so.” She said, rolling her eyes. “So, there’s no hope of even leaving in an hour?”

“No. Sorry about that. On top of practice, today’s my last day of detention. I’m supposed to write a reflection essay on the motorcycle incident. And even if I finish the essay in ten minutes, I still have to sit through the rest of detention.” Damian sighed. “I can ask again if I can get off early…”

Asteria shook her head. “No. Don’t do that. Ms. Todd doesn’t seem to like you, so asking her again might just get her to extend your detention time.” She said. “It’s fine. I’ll figure something out.”

“Figure something out how?” He was clearly not pleased about the possible inconvenience she was about to have to endure.

She shrugged. “Worst case scenario, I’ll walk home.”

“I am not letting you walk home.” Damian said firmly.

“Fine then, I’ll wait. I don’t mind. I can just sit in the library until you guys are done. I’ll be fine.”

“No need for that.” A cheerful voice cut in from behind her.

Tammy jogged up to them, ponytail swinging and friendly smile on her face. She was still in her clothes from cheer practice, but she’d changed out of the skirt into sweatpants. That and the duffel bag slung over her shoulder signified that she was already done for the day and ready to go home.

“Need a ride?” She asked.

Asteria blinked. “How did you…”

“I have ears that can hear.” She answered. “Also, Oliver’s voice doesn’t carry quietly, in case either of you were wondering.”

“Rude.” Oliver said without much heat.

“Accurate.” Tammy shot back.

Asteria hesitated for exactly as long as it took to remember she genuinely had no better plan than walking home or waiting for the guys till it was already dark. “Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, you’re not a bother.” Tammy said, then nudged Oliver. “Babe, tell her she’s not a bother.”

“I don’t know. She can be a bother sometimes.” He joked.

Tammy slapped his bicep. “Don’t listen to him. Come on. We’ll make an evening out of it. Besides, anything beats sitting around here watching sweaty boys run around and throw balls at each other.”

“Football is more than that running and throwing.” Damian corrected.

“Oh my bad. They also tackle each other too.” She placed a quick kiss on Oliver’s cheek. “See you later, babe. Come on, Asteria.”

“We’ll swing by and grab you on the way to the party.” Damian called after her. “Text me when you get there.”

She left them to their drills and followed Tammy to the parking lot. On the short walk there, Tammy chirped excitedly about how much fun the two of them were going to have that evening.

Tammy had just started the engine when the back door suddenly opened.

With the cello case that was shoved into the backseat and the telltale smell of expensive lavender perfume, it could only be Maya Williams

“You will not believe the day I just had.” She grumbled as she fiddled with her seat belt, her stiletto acrylic nails making the task more difficult than it had to be. “I got out after the last class and wanted to head home straight because it’s Friday and I didn’t want to spend any more time than I had to on campus. Only for me to get to the parking lot and find out that my car was towed. Apparently, you’re not supposed to park in front of fire hydrants. How was I supposed to know? What kind of fuck ass law is that, and when did they pass it?”

“You’re supposed to know because you have a driver’s license.” Tammy answered. “And you’re not supposed to park in front of hydrants because if there’s a fire, it disrupts the firefighters’ flow of movement.”

“Well, big whomp.” She said. “Now I’m going to have to wait till Monday to get it back because I doubt the impound lot will be open on weekends.”

“You could have texted that you needed a ride.” Tammy said.

“And you could have locked your doors. You’ve always had that bad habit, Tammy.” She answered. “You should lock your doors. We won’t want any unsavory creatures or vermin getting in your car.”

Having finally succeeded in fastening her seatbelt, Maya looked up. The smile on her face sharpened once she made eye contact with Asteria in the rear-view mirror. “Hi, Asteria. I didn’t realize you were coming too.”

“Tammy offered me a ride.”

“Of course she did.” She said. “She’s sweet like that. Always taking in strays.”

“Maya.” Tammy warned, not looking up from backing out of the parking spot.

“I’m kidding.” Maya said, though Asteria didn’t trust that she was. “Everyone’s so sensitive these days.”

The drive to Tammy’s house was fifteen minutes that felt considerably longer, filled mostly with Tammy and Maya talking about the homecoming committee’s budget, with Maya occasionally going off tangents to make sly backhanded comments about Asteria.

“Not that I don’t want you here, but how come you didn’t catch a ride with the boys?” Maya asked.

“They have extended practice, and Dami still has detention after that.”

“Pity.”

“Yeah.”

“I love that you still leave your hair like that; all wild and messy.” Maya said after a brief moment of silence. “I mean, some people would think that it looks tacky, but not you.”

“Thanks.”

“I mean it as a compliment.”

“I’m sure you did.”

The conversation drifted a while to possible color schemes for prom before Maya turned her attention to Asteria again. “I have been meaning to say this since I saw you at the beginning of the semester, but you’ve really filled out.”

“She’s right, you know.” Tammy added. “You’re glowing.”

“Bet all the boys have noticed. Bet they loved it.” Maya said.

Her words might have been friendly, but Maya herself was anything but. Though they were cousins, Maya and Tammy had different types of relationships with Asteria.

Tammy was genuinely friendly, not just to Asteria but to most people. Maya, however, had a list of people she considered worth her true affection. Those outside her circle received little more than polite tolerance. Asteria received something colder.

Ever since Maya and Damian’s relationship, Asteria had suspected that Maya didn’t like her. That suspicion had only been confirmed after they broke up and Maya inexplicably seemed to blame her for it.

Asteria kept her eyes on the window and said nothing, because there was no version of a response she could give that wouldn’t just hand Maya more to work with. Should Asteria give any form of response to that particular statement, Maya could find a way to twist it into something that would drag both girls’ relationship with Damian into the conversation. And Asteria simply did not have the energy for any of that right now.