Laughing Fate (37 page)

“Hey, you okay?” Potter asked the skank.

Puck frowned. What the heck? Potter hadn’t asked if SHE was okay! And she’d had a head shot, not a stupid shoulder! That was it. Puck was mad, not just mad, she was furious. She was livid! Puck angrily kicked the sand, to level it out and stood ready for the serve. She was going beat that ball to death and then she was going to kill that stupid man!

Dave watched Puck warily. When Puck and Potter had arrived they had seemed angry with each other. Potter had left Puck and crossed over the court to talk with the guys, leaving Puck standing by herself. She had been glaring at Potter ever since. When she wasn’t glaring at Betty, that was.

Betty was a friend of Luke’s who had recently moved here.  She was a good looking blond who loved sports. Shannon had quickly made friends with her, as did everyone here with the exception of Puck.

Puck hadn’t paid attention to the game at all, her entire focus on Potter and Betty. Dave wondered what was going on. It was obvious that Puck was jealous, so why was Potter purposefully ignoring Puck and paying attention to Betty?

He hadn’t been truly concerned until after Puck got hit in the head. She’d pretended like it hadn’t hurt and had thrown the ball back to the other side. When Potter made a show of asking Betty if she was ok after getting hit in the shoulder, Puck got that look in her eyes. The one that used to freak Potter out. Dave, who had never been afraid of Puck before, was afraid now. Puck looked dangerous.

Luke served the ball straight to Shannon, who bumped it to Puck. Instead of setting it for the spike, Puck hit the ball with all her might. It flew over the net and was hit by Luke. Steve, who wasn’t the best player, hit the ball with his fist, sending it flying out of bounds.

“
Got it!” Potter yelled and dove to hit the ball. At the same time Betty also dove for the ball. They landed in a tangled heap on the sand. Uh oh. Dave glanced at Puck and winced. If she had been scary before she psychotic right now. Her hands were fisted and her eyes were locked on Potter helping Betty up. This wasn’t good.

“
Hey, nice dive!” His team cheered them. Potter wiped the sand of his face and grinned. He helped Betty stand and wiped the sand off her nose. She grinned back and ran back to her position.

Potter glanced over at Puck and frowned. She’d been acting rude since they got here. He had needed some time to cool off after Puck’s little temper tantrum back at the bar and grill. All he’d said was that parachuting was dangerous. She had blown up and called him an ape man! The drive to the volleyball courts had been long and silent, what with Puck fuming in her seat and glaring at him the whole entire way, so Potter had been happy to leave Puck with the girls and hang with the guys a bit.

Puck had chatted a little bit with Shannon, but had pointedly ignored Betty. Potter knew that she was jealous of Betty, but there was no reason for it! He had been slightly ashamed of Puck for snubbing Betty, and so had tried to make up for it by being extra friendly.

It hadn’t taken long though to realize that she was a talented volleyball player and that she was easy going and laid back. As team captain he had chosen her and Luke right off. With the three of them playing they would win for sure. Of course, knowing that it annoyed Puck was just icing on the cake.

He noticed that the look was back in her eye. The old warrior look that used to scare him half to death. Thank God she no longer scared him or he’d be really freaked out right now.

He watched Puck as she fairly glowed with the force of her rage. She looked like she about to combust. What was her problem? She was taking this jealousy thing way to far! Besides, what did she expect to happen if she kept refusing his proposals? One of these days he may just stop asking.

Betty turned and smiled at him right before the ball was served. Potter glanced at Puck again and frowned. Why couldn’t Puck just smile at him? And why wouldn’t she accept his proposals? Sure they hadn’t been all that romantic, he understood that now, but if she loved him that wouldn’t matter would it?

Potter saw Puck shove Dave out of the way and spike the ball. She hit the ball with such intensity that when it hit Potter it knocked him on his back. Puck smirked and went back to her position. Potter sat rubbing his head and glared at Puck. The little brat had done that on purpose!

For the rest of the game Puck shoved, spiked, kicked and dove for the ball. Her team learned quickly to run out of the way and to keep their mouths shut. She looked lethal as she attacked the ball, her anger pouring out of her in waves. The game was mercifully short, Puck’s team won, and then everyone was taking refuge under the trees and staring warily at Puck.

“Dude, what happened? What did you do to Puck?” Brad asked, rubbing his jaw where Puck had hit him.

“
Nothing! I did nothing!” Potter yelled as he took a swig of his water bottle.

“
Well, go talk to her Dude, she’s a little scary right now!”

At the moment Puck was walking laps angrily around the park. She oozed anger. If Potter was still afraid of her, he’d have already ran from her. Potter shook his head. No way was he going to go over there and talk to her. This was her problem, not his. He hadn’t done a single thing wrong!

“Nah.”

“
What do you mean, Nah?” demanded Dave, who had been listening.

“
I mean Nah. This is her mess, let her fix it.”

“
Is she your girl friend?” Betty asked from his right. She was spraying on sun block, oblivious to all the guy’s stares. Well, all the guys except Potter.

Potter looked over at her, but quickly looked away. Betty was wearing a pink sports bra that showed off quite a bit of cleavage and a pair of hip hugging cut off shorts that show cased her legs. He couldn’t help but notice her heart tattoo before he looked away.

Potter smiled and wiped the water off his chin. That tattoo reminded him of the penguin tattoo on Puck’s butt. He shook his head to clear the image and replied, “Yeah. She’s a little mad at me right now.”

“
Why?”Everyone asked at once.

Potter sighed and admitted, “I grounded her.”

“What?” Betty asked in confusion. “Why would you ground her? That’s kind of weird.”

“
She wanted to go parachuting! And then a small argument over whether that was safe or not turned into she would never marry me in a million years.”

His friends took the chance to voice their opinions on the matter, none of them really helping things.

“Dude that was just plain dumb.”

“
Yeah, no wonder she’s so mad!”

“
I don’t think that’s it, I think she’s jealous.”

“
Yeah, Potter you’re kind of a moron.”

“
Dumb.”

“
Yeah, dude! You’re dumb.”

Potter glared at his helpful friends and rubbed his jaw. He glanced at Puck, who was still walking madly, and winced. Dumb or not, there was no way he was going over there to talk to her. She’d probably knock him out. Not that he was scared of her or anything.

“She’s jealous? Of what?” Potter didn’t have the heart to tell Betty that it was her. She may be a very attractive lady, but she seemed oblivious to her beauty. She wouldn’t consider that she might be the reason. Besides, there was nothing between the two of them! Puck had no right to be jealous.

“
It doesn’t matter. She needs to grow up! She’s an adult for crying out loud! She shouldn’t be throwing temper tantrums or murdering her own team just because she’s angry!”

Puck was storming towards them so the conversation died then, thankfully before one of his helpful friends could point out that Puck was jealous of Betty.  Today was awkward enough without Betty finding out about that. Although, if Puck kept scowling at Betty, it might not be long before she figured it out.

“I’m walking home. I’ll see you later,” Puck said to the group at large, ignoring Potter completely.

She paused in front of Dave and Brad and winced. “I’m sorry if I got too aggressive during volleyball. I…well I’m a little mad right now.”

“You don’t say?” Brad asked incredulously and winced when Dave jabbed him.

“
It’s no problem, Puck. Do you need a ride home?”

“
You aren’t going to walk home.”

Puck turned to Potter and glared. So the big stupid dolt chose right now to notice her? What did the bimbo put her shirt back on? Puck looked at her just to find out, but nope- she was still shirtless. Maybe Potter just got bored with the view.

Puck put her hands on her hips and glared at Potter. “I’ll do whatever the heck I like!”

“
I drove you here, I’ll take you home,” Potter growled.

“
No, you won’t!”

“
Yes I will!”

They were standing nose to nose glaring at each other. The face off went on for several moments, but when it became apparent that Potter wouldn’t back down, Puck growled in frustration. Fine! The stupid man could take her home! She hoped he ran out of gas on the way back!

“Fine!”

“
Okay!”

“
Okay, then!”

“
Fine!”

Puck glared at Potter one last time and stormed towards his car. He was such a pig headed stupid man!

They were on their way towards her home before Potter spoke. “What the hell was with you today?”

“
What was with ME? What was with YOU?”

“
Me? I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“
Ha! That’s a laugh! I saw the way you looked at-

Puck stopped with her mouth open. She closed her mouth and crossed her arms. No way was she going to let Potter know that she cared if he was with some other chick! Because she didn’t! Not once during any of his proposals had he said he loved her. Not once! And now he was sitting there drooling all over some skank. Well, Puck had had enough.

“Saw the way I what?”

“
Nothing. Just forget it!”

“
Fine! I will! God, you are so immature!”

Puck turned to glare at him silently. She was done talking to the jerk. She didn’t need him! All he ever did was boss her around anyways. So what if he looked and smelled like a god? He was a spaz. A stupid spaz!

He pulled the car over in front of her house. He hadn’t said a word either, but a nerve was ticking in his jaw so Puck knew he was mad. Well good! She wanted him mad! She got out of the car, but before she slammed the door she stuck her head back in.

“
We don’t have a future, we’re done. It’s not you baby, it’s me,” Puck said, oozing sarcasm. She felt a jolt of pure joy when she saw a spark of anger in his eyes. Good. She wanted him to be just as mad as she was.

“
Fine!”

“
Fine!”

Puck slammed the door and stormed into her house. The stupid idiot hadn’t even tried to fight for her. Puck felt a second of sadness creep into her heart, but she pushed it aside. She was mad, dang it! He had no right to propose and then flirt with the bimbo right in front of her!

Chapter:  12 Bubble Day

“There’s a party and u r coming with me.”

Puck glared at her phone. Perri must have recruited Tony’s help. She typed back a polite refusal. 

It had been exactly two days since that stupid volley ball game. Perri and Sandy seemed worried about her, which Puck didn’t understand. Perri seemed determined to get Puck out of the house and to parties and Sandy was just as determined to get Puck to cry and mourn the loss of stupid Potter.

Puck was just fine. She stayed home and read novels, watched TV, and ate the occasional carton of Ben and Jerry’s. She definitely didn’t miss the big stupid ape. And it didn’t mean squat that it was almost December 1
st
. Puck was just fine.

“
Y so mean? Don’t u know girls shouldn’t cuss? I’ll pick u up at 5
”

Puck threw her phone at her pile of dirty clothes that was spread across her floor. She was NOT going to some stupid party with Tony!

****

Puck looked around the ranch house and groaned. She did NOT want to be here! She glared at Tony and Perri who were walking ahead of her into the party. Tony had barged into her room and dragged her into the shower. Taking a cold shower fully dressed was not something Puck would recommend to others. Then Perri had cheerfully laid out an outfit that she had picked out from her own closet.

Puck had glared at the designer jeans and top mutinously and had emphatically declared that she would not wear that crap or go to some crappy party. She still didn’t know how they had gotten her to this party. Puck tugged at the shirt, which was a little tighter than she liked and glared after her tormentors. They waited for her at the door and when she showed signs of balking, Tony shoved her in ahead of them.

It took a second for Puck’s eyes to adjust to the darker room and then a little longer for her to take in all the chaos. People were standing around drinking beer and dancing to the pulsing music. She saw former schoolmates, some of them former victims, and even some of her old friends from back when she was dating Kyle. Oh crap. This was not a good idea. Just how many people were going to be at this party?