The Boy Next Door (22 page)

“Sounds good,” he said. Millie took her pen and marked off the first question.

“Let's start with something easy, are you enjoying the season so far?”

“Definitely. Ever since I've come to Angel High things have gone from strong to stronger. When I first came I wasn't even sure that I'd make the starting lineup but I'm playing the best football of my career and I'm just glad that I can make all the people who support us so happy. We've got a great group of lads and the coach knows us better than we know ourselves, and he pushes us to our limits even when we think that we don't have anymore to give.”

“So do you want to continue this as a career?”

“I don't know. Possibly. I think I'm definitely going to try and use it to get a scholarship but it's a big jump to think about doing it professionally. There are so many things that could go wrong. One injury and that's my career over. I usually try to look on the bright side but it's my future and I have to make an informed decision. I've spoken with my dad about it a lot and we've talked about having at least one back up plan, but if I want to make it as an athlete then I have to go all in. Right now I'd say yes because there's nothing I like better than going out on that field and having the ball in my hand.”

“You mentioned your father, are you close with your family?”

“I like to think so. Maybe not as much as I used to be, you know, because I like to party and hang out with my friends and stuff, but they've always been there for me and I know that if I need them I can rely on them. I'm really grateful to have them because they've always supported me, and they help to give me the confidence to go out on the field and give it my all.”

“And is there anyone else in your life? You are linked to pretty much every girl in the school, and there have been rumors that you've dated college girls as well,” Millie said, hating the question even as she read it, but she felt like Cindy would be angry at her if she didn't ask it.

Trey's face fell and he leaned forward.  His tone changed.

“Look, Millie, I appreciate that you have a job to do but there are some things that I'd rather not talk about. This is all...there are a lot of rumors, okay, but you shouldn't believe everything you hear. That's all I really want to say about that.”

“Okay, I understand,” Millie said, and moved to the next question. “What first got you interested in football?”

“I don't know really, my dad was always a big fan and as soon as he could he started playing catch with me. I don't remember it but he tells me that when I was a baby he would always sit me on his lap and we’d watch the games together. It's something nice we share, and it's something that I've always known. I don't think there was a moment when I fell in love with it, it's just always been a part of me.”

“And what does the great Trey Fournier do when he's not playing football?”

“Thinking about football?” he said, and laughed. He had a warm laugh that rumbled up through his gut and spilled out of his mouth into the room, and when he laughed he did so with his whole face. “I guess I'm like most kids our age, I like hanging out with friends and going to parties, I obviously spend time doing my homework as well like a good student,” he said this last bit with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Ah, yes, I have a question about that as well,” she said, and scanned the page until she found the question Cindy had marked in red. She began to read it and then stopped halfway through.

“What's wrong?” Trey asked.

“I'm sorry, there must have been some mistake,” she said, her voice trembling.

“Ask me the question,” Trey said, his voice having a harder edge to it.

“I really don't think that's for the best,” she said, looking around, wishing that there was a way to escape.

“Ask it.”

Millie stared at him, at the steely look in his eyes, and swallowed hard for her throat was dry. When she spoke it was in a small voice, ashamed of the question she had to ask.

“There have been reports that teachers have been lenient on you and have given you more help than other students, so that you get the grades you need to stay a part of the football team. Is there any truth to that?”

Trey shook his head and rose, and stalked around the room. Millie was worried and afraid that he was going to explode.

“I can't believe you would dare to ask me that. You really think that of me? That I'm just some dumb jock who needs to be carried through school because I'm not good enough for anything other than throwing a ball? I may not be the smartest guy around but I'm no idiot and I know when I've been played. This interview is over. I'm done,” he said, and walked towards the door.

6

“No, wait,” Millie cried out. Trey stopped. “Look, I'm sorry, it wasn't me, these were the questions that my editor had. I wasn't going to ask it. I'm sorry,” she repeated, but her words fell on deaf ears.

“No, you're all the same, you all just want to tear me down because you hate that everyone loves me, and you're all jealous. You just want me to sell your newspapers. I've seen you around you know, I know your reports but you never actually involve yourself in our world. You always stay distant, like you're ashamed to be associated with us. Take your interview and shove it, I'm done with this,” he said, and promptly left.

Millie sank onto her bed as her world crumbled. She thought about calling Cindy but knew that it would do no good, because Cindy would never accept the blame. She would merely say that Millie asked the questions wrong or something like that, and Millie's dream of writing her own editorials would vanish into thin air. Gripped by desperation, Millie grabbed her jacket and ran out of the house to find Trey, who was just getting into his car.

“Trey! Wait!” she said, and he turned around even as one leg was in the car.

“I have nothing to say to you,” he said.

“Well I have something to say to you. Yeah, I keep myself separate but that's because I don't fit into your world. You might think that you've got me all figured out but you don't know anything about it. It's easy for you. Everyone loves you and you didn't even have to do anything. I've been going to Angel High for years and barely anyone actually knows me. I got on this paper to try and write meaningful stories that will help me in my future career because I see a future beyond high school, but all I do is write about football all the time and I don't even like the sport! You get to do what you love and you have the adoration of the entire town. So I'm sorry if I asked you a hard question but maybe it's about time that you don't have everything easy, maybe it's about time you had some kind of challenge in your life.”

After she stopped speaking she almost seemed shocked at herself since she never usually spoke with such vigor, and could only put it down to the fact that her frustrations had festered inside for so long and Trey had somehow unlocked them. It had taken something out of her as well, and she was panting breathlessly, and almost wanted to run back inside but she couldn't because Trey was there, and he had more to say.

“You know nothing about me. You have no idea what it's like to be living this lie. You think that everything in my life is perfect? You have no idea where I've come from or what's happened to me. And you think I haven't earned this respect? I get up every day and I practice in the morning and in the afternoon. When I'm not playing I'm still playing and I can't escape the games because I'm always looking at what I did wrong or what I have to do next game. And the better the team does, the more is expected of me but nobody cares about the pressure I'm under, and the stupid thing is that it isn't my damn dream. At least you're doing what you want to do. I'm just doing what my dad wants me to do because I can, and because there's nothing out there for me. Everyone thinks they know me but no one really does. So don't come up here and lecture me when you have no idea what you're talking about,” he spat.

“That's it,” she said, stunned by his outburst, but shaken even more by the revelation.

“What's it?”

“That's the story. That's what the interview should be about. You say that nobody understands you, let me help you, show them the pressures you're under, tell them about your hopes and fears, make them see you as the person you are, not just the quarterback or the savior of the city. Come back upstairs and we can talk about real things, please. They will all be my questions, none of Cindy's,” she said with an imploring look in her eyes, and it must have worked for Trey sighed and closed the door, and he followed her back into her room.

“Let's start again. Tell me from the beginning. Tell me about why you transferred,” she said.

“I...I really don't want to do that,” he said.

“Trey, look, you're not going to get anyone to understand the man inside unless you show them.  You have to be honest, that's the only way this is going to work.”

He took a deep breath and then looked up at the ceiling.

“Alright. Look. I was with a girl there. Her name was Nicole. We were in love and I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with her. I didn't even care about football really, I only did it because it was fun, but most of my passion went into her. Then she killed herself, and I still don't really understand why. We were so happy, at least I thought we were, and in her note she told me that it wasn't my fault and I shouldn't blame myself but how could I not? I was the closest person to her and I couldn't save her, how is that even possible? And then it started at school. Everyone was saying that I had done something to her, that she killed herself because of me. I tried to fight back but that only made it harder and eventually we had to leave. And I saw Angel High, and I know it's stupid but it seemed like a sign. I needed an angel, and I figured if I was going to start again anywhere it might as well have been somewhere with a name like that. And then football became my biggest passion, and I put everything into that, but every time I score I always do it in memory of her, because I don't think I'll ever stop loving her and I just can't get over the fact that I'll never know why she did it. There will always be that little piece of me that wonders if I could have done something more,” he said, on the verge of tears.

After a moment, he continued. “So when you asked me earlier if I was dating anyone the answer is no, because I've never been able to tell anyone this before, and I don't even know if I'm capable of loving anyone else.”

A silent tear rolled down his cheek and Millie felt herself incredibly drawn to him. She walked across the room and sat beside him, placing her arm around him.

“You told me,” she said in a soft voice, and as their eyes locked they felt something surge between them. Then Trey chuckled, and sniffed back his tears.

“What is it?” she asked.

“The way the light is shining behind you, it looks like you're an angel,” he said.

They both smiled, and Millie felt her cheeks flush with desire. He had just told her a secret that he had never shared with anyone, and although they had only really just met she felt more connected to him than she did with anyone else. She felt a swell of emotion within her heart that propelled her ever closer towards him. His hand came up and brushed the side of her face, sending electric tingles crackling through her skin. She gasped slightly as Trey undid her ponytail, and her golden locks flowed down over her shoulders.

“You're beautiful,” he said, and his hand ran around her neck and slid down the side of her body, curling around her back, placing pressure on it, drawing her into him. His body was hard and hot and his lips were fervent. She enjoyed that sweet moment of forever just before their lips met, when she could taste his breath on her, and then their lips met and her mind exploded. Desire flooded their bodies and their kiss became deeper and more passionate, fueled by a lust that knew no bounds. They scrambled to tear away each other’s clothes.

Soft moans escaped Millie's lips as her hands ran over his sculpted, athletic body. His large hands squeezed her curves and tortured her with their scorching touch. Her body throbbed and screamed for him, and she felt as though she was on fire as he stripped away her clothes, moving around her body, groping her full breasts. Her nipples were like bullets and he took them in his mouth, kissing and teasing them with his teeth, feeling the pert supple flesh around them tremble as he pulled her over him until she was laying on top of his wide, thick frame.

His large hands held her in place as they kissed. She peppered his neck and upper torso with a trail of kisses, and beneath her burning crotch she could feel his swollen arousal. She gasped as she felt its hunger and wanted to feel it and taste it, but Trey had other plans. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her up his body until she was sitting over his face. He breathed in her feminine scent and she shuddered as she felt him exhale against her, then his tongue flicked out and began to pleasure her. His hands slid around the backs of her thighs and pushed her into him so that he could bury himself in her. He drowned himself in her orgasmic juice that exploded over his face, a result of the intensity and the suddenness of their desire.

Wanting to return the favor, she slid down his body and started to play with his erection until it glistened with her saliva. She sucked and teased the tip, then watched with wide eyes as his head arched back when she took it all in her mouth. He begged her to ride him, and she gladly obliged.

Their bodies moved in sweet harmony. His hips slammed against hers as he plunged himself inside her, getting deeper and deeper with every thrust until she was filled with him. Her nails dug into his back as she tried to brace herself for the thunderous onrush of orgasmic energy, and when his body convulsed violently as he released himself within her she cradled his mighty body close to her. Her eyes squeezed shut at the blissful desire of it all, and she knew in that moment she wasn't going to finish the article, for she wanted the secret to be her secret, and the pain he felt was going to be hers to heal.