Loving Knight: Book One of the Cresswell Series

2. DEION

FWEEEET!!!

If Coach Morris blew that whistle one more damn time, I was gonna lose it. Of course, he was the coach, but I wanted so badly to take that whistle and throw it in the garbage with the rest of the trash we had to pick up.

“I feel like I’m in detention,” Theo groans as he wipes the sweat off his face. “And I have never been in detention before.”

“Detention? Man, this feels like we’re in juvie,” Aaron chimes in. “Can’t believe Coach has us doing this shit.”

“I mean, it does count for community service hours,” I tell them, picking up an empty soda bottle. “Might as well put up with it.”

Theo picks up a used condom, gagging. “This is so ridiculous and disgusting.” He drops it in the trash bag, taking the plastic glove off his hand. “Anyone have another glove?”

I chuckled. “Y’all are overreacting. I don’t think this is that bad.”

“Yeah, you don’t think this is that bad,” Aaron says.

FWEEEET!!!

We all cover our ears as Coach blows his whistle again, pointing to the guys on the bleachers. “Let’s go, boys! Those bleachers aren’t gonna wipe themselves down! Move it!”
“Man, I wish I could take that whistle and shove it down his damn throat,” Aaron mutters, picking up and putting away more trash. His comment earned a small laugh from me and Theo. Coach then comes over towards us.

“This ain’t a slumber party, boys. Stop the giggling and get back to work,” he scolds.

Aaron waits until Coach is out of earshot to mock him. “Stop the giggling and get back to work.”

Theo laughed a little at that, looking at me. “Anyways, Deion. Who were those girls that you were talking to earlier?”

“Just my sister and her friends,” I said.

“They just moved in today?”

“Yeah.”

“You think you can hook me up with one of them?” Aaron asked, nudging me playfully with his shoulder.

Theo side eyed him. “Really, Aaron? We haven’t even been here that long, and you're already pouncing on the girls.”

“What? I can’t help that. Besides, the one with the curls was fine.”

I scrunched up my face. “Dude, that's my sister’s best friend.”

“So?”

“So she’s also like a little sister to me, and I don't wanna hear you say that she’s fine.”

“C’mon, Deion. Don’t act like she isn’t hot because she is. You and I both know it.” He points to Theo. “Even Theo knows it, and he doesn’t even like girls.”

“I mean, she was pretty cute,” Theo says.

I shake my head at them. “You guys are gross.”

“It's not gross if it’s facts,” Aaron grins as his phone chimes. He pulls it out of his back pocket, checking it. “Connor just reminded me about the game.”

Theo gives him a confused look. “Our game isn’t for another three weeks.”

“Not that game. The other game.”

Theo’s confused face contorted into a bit of disgust. “They’re still doing that? I thought that ended last year.”

“Nah, man. The game is still on. And of course, we have a new candidate this year.” Aaron turns his head towards me, giving me a small smirk.

“No,” I say right off the bat. “Not doing it.”

Aaron sucked his teeth. “Don’t be like that, D.”

“No,” I told him again. “Not happening.”

“C’mon. Just this once, and you don’t have to play ever again. Promise.”

I hesitated at his request, but after a moment, I finally caved. “Fine. Just this once.”

Aaron grins, patting me on the back. “You the man, Deion.” He then moves a few feet near the exit of the stadium, picking up more trash.

Theo leans over to me, his voice low. “Do you really think this is a good idea, Deion?”

I shrug a little. “I mean, I’m not really fond of it, but what could go wrong?”

Coach blew his whistle for the third time in a row. “Knight! James! Cut the chit-chat!”

“Yes, Coach,” we say in unison, going back to cleaning up.

~*~

The week of orientation was over, and before we knew it, classes had finally begun. And I was late.

I raced down the hall of the English department building, glancing down at my phone to remind myself of which room my class was in. After a minute more of sprinting, I finally made it to my class. I go in, everyone placing their eyes on me while Professor Thomas gives me a stern look.
“Well. Look who finally decided to join us today for class,” he says with a slight scowl.

“Sorry I’m late,” I apologize, sitting down in an empty seat. “We had morning practice today.”

He studies me to see if I was lying, but lets out a small huff when he finds out I’m not. “I’ll give you a pass since we’re only going over the syllabus and course work for this year, but I expect you to pay attention and not slack off.” He tilts his glasses down, examining the entire class. “That goes for all of you.”

Thomas goes back to his explanation. I sit back in my seat, catching my breath.

“Being late on the first day of class? Not surprised, mister Knight,” the person next to me whispers. I didn’t pay attention to who I had sat down next to until I turned my head, seeing Aliyah glancing back at me. One leg was crossed over the other, her chin resting in the palm of her hand.

“You know I don’t like that nickname,” I whisper back to her.

“Yet you keep calling me Alicat.”

“Because I know how much it annoys you.”

“And I know how much mister Knight annoys you, so we’re even.”

Professor Thomas clears his throat, getting both of our attention. “Is there something more amusing that you two would care to share?”

We both shake our heads, following up with a “no.”

He goes back to talking as I glance over at Aliyah. She glances back at me, raising her eyebrow. I give her a small grin, to which she rolls her eyes and gives her attention back to the professor. I grin a little more and face forward, waiting patiently until the class ends.