Chapter 49: Rumors

I hadn’t been in the gym for two minutes when I heard some freshman basketball players muttering. I sighed, knowing that whatever the topic of their frenzied conversation it somehow involved me and Ellery. I groaned, but then I headed their way.

“You ask him.”

“No way. You do it.”

“Uh-uh.”

“Ask me what?” I demanded.

The three of them looked at me with a mixture of fear and awe. I raised my eyebrow. “Well?” I assume it was me you three had a question for. What do you want to know? I’m waiting.”

Their eyes darted back and forth between each other, before one finally cleared his throat. “Um, is it true that you’re dating Ellery Sinclair?”

“Yes.” I tilted my head as I grew suspicious. “Why do you ask?”

“Well…” Their spokesman checked for any coaches that might be lingering nearby.

“Did you…” he paused again, working himself up to drop the bombshell, “did you have sex with her on the bus after the game?” The last was said in a rush and then all three flushed with embarrassment.

“You think I fucked Ellery on the bus, in front of my teammates and coaches?” I demanded, incredulous. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

What the hell was wrong with the school and why were they so obsessed with Ellery? “No! I know you dipshits don’t know me, but you have met Ellery right?”

I pointed to her across the gym. “That girl? That goddess? You think that even if I was the type of guy to fuck someone with an audience of my friends do you think she’d have let me? Hmm?”

Ellery probably would let me fuck her with an audience, but not our friends and my teammates. That was taking kink too far. They all looked at her and then back at me.

“No?” their spokesman ventured.

“No way in hell. Who told you we had sex on the bus?”

He flinched back from my anger. “I heard it from three different people today.”

“I heard it from two more,” piped up the second one.

I looked at the third one who squeaked out, “I overheard the JV players talking about it.”

“Fucking hell.” I started to storm off, but thought better of it. I whipped back around and pointed my finger at them.

“You had better start reminding every person who brings that up just who the girl is in that rumor. Because she is not that kind of girl, and I will not stand for anyone, and I mean anyone, implying that she would.” With that I did storm away straight to Ellery.

“What happened? Why are you so vexed?” she asked as she rubbed my arm.

“Those idiots wanted to know if I had screwed you on the bus on Friday.”

“You’re kidding.” She peeked around me to see them and they bolted.

“No," I growled. "That's apparently the rumor that’s going around.”

“That’s hysterical.” Ellery started to giggle and that quickly turned into full fledged laughter. “Holy shit, that’s priceless,” she gasped. “From Ice Princess to Wanton Slut in one weekend.”

“El, it’s an awful rumor, not just because of what it implies about us, but the team and the coaches too.”

She kissed me on the cheek and then the lips. “No one worth anything will believe it. Go practice, Foxy.”

I shook my head. “It also means someone on the team has a big mouth,” I pointed out.

“Hmm…..good point.” She thought for a moment and then looked up at me. “I bet they thought we were doing more than cuddling,” she said with a sideways glance at the guys who weren’t Shifters. “I had zero control over any pheromones I was producing.”

“They were all a bit hot and bothered now that I think about it. Shit. I’ll try and work it out. Don’t worry about it.”

“Oh, I’m not.” She moved away and settled herself on the ground and put her lollipop back in her mouth.

Somehow we managed to survive a practice where Ellery sat cross legged watching us while eating first the lollipop and then her truffles.

Every single one of us got pushups for watching her lick that lollipop instead of paying attention and then we all got stair laps for literally quitting in the middle of a drill to watch her eat the first truffle, but we survived.

The rest of the games in December were uneventful and we won them all. Ellery’s pocket universes were put to good use each evening so that we had time to nap, get our school work done, enjoy each other intimately, and practice the dance for the Twelfth Night Ball.

Considering it was a court dance I was expecting something old fashioned and formal, which, to be fair, it began that way. The opening sequence was slow, with us pressing our hands to one another across our bodies. Then we moved our hands to each other’s hips and rotated in a slow spin standing side by side.

After that it progressed into a dance that was reminiscent of a tango. By the time we struck the final pose it felt as if we had engaged in the world’s longest session of foreplay. I couldn’t help mentioning something to that effect when we practiced the night before the last day of school before our winter break.

“This is surprisingly erotic,” I grumbled as I adjusted my crotch for the third time that practice.

“Everything Unseelie has either an undercurrent of eroticism or a blatant exploration of it. It can get old, honestly. Not everything needs to be about sex."

I snorted. “I should have known after what we wore to that dinner. Shouldn’t we practice with our masks on?” The trunk had delivered our masks the night before, black half masks of foxes.

“We will once I feel you’ve progressed to that point. You’ll be able to do this blindfolded before Twelfth Night.”

I pulled her to me and maneuvered her into the final pose. “Is that a challenge?”

“It’s a promise.”