Virgin Playbook: Phoebe's First: College Football Sports Romance Read Online Free Page B

and Ariana is definitely a distraction.”
    I bit my lip. It was hard to tell why I wanted him and Ariana to be broken up, but it certainly did not have to do with the project.
    “Sounds like your dad expects a lot out of you, what’s your his problem?” I asked.
    He chuckled.“Long story.” I raised a curious brow, so he added, “Let’s just say that if I can’t make to a national team, I’ll have failed him as a son,” he shook his head. “I act like an idiot because, well, being smart is frowned upon in my family.”
    “So your dad is banking your entire future on your ability to play football?” I asked, bemusedly. “Sounds like you may be the only one in your family that isn’t an idiot.”
    He nodded.
    “I like playing football, but I always wanted to be an engineer. I wasn’t allowed to major in that, though. Too big of a course load. Dad thought it’d cut into football time. He wants me to give my profs the impression that I’m not smart, so they’ll have lower expectations and not demand as much. That way I can put more time into the game.”
    I frowned. “Your family doesn’t get to choose what you do with your life. You do know that, right?”
    “I know,” he said with a sigh, “but it’s hard to argue when they’re footing the bill. I mean, I got the scholarship for this year, and I had it last year, but as soon as that’s over and done with my dad is gonna be the one to pay for tuition. I know he won’t pay unless I keep doing well in football. Last year I did pretty well, but he’s on my ass even harder this year. My workload is a lot tougher too, so there’s a lot on my plate.”
    I thought for a moment.
    “What about your mom? Can’t she talk some sense into him? You’re still only a sophomore, you can still switch majors.”
    “Yeah. I wish,” he muttered. “Anyway, I have some trig homework to get to. You free to work on the project later? We could maybe get the lab bit done during open lab hours?” He sighed and looked down. “My nights are looking surprisingly free from now on.”
    I was shocked that he wanted to work on it with me.
    “Y-yeah, sure!” I stammered, nervously. “Sounds great.”
    He nodded and left the dining hall. He ate nothing, and when I looked down at my plate, I realized I’d eaten very little too. I had been too fixated on him.
    If only his father didn’t have so much control over him. He could be an excellent guy if he were given the chance.
    I hoped that he and Ariana’s breakup wouldn’t keep him at arm’s length. Secretly, I liked when he visited our dorm.

7
    We’re Similar, You Know
    P art of me did not expect Adam to show up at the open lab. For that reason, when I got there at ten and he was nowhere to be found, I wasn’t even really surprised. I groaned and decided to get started on the experiment on my own.
    Calculating the allelic frequency was not easy, but the real-world experiment was even harder. Using several small groups of lab rat families, I had to determine which genes were dominant and which were recessive. I also had to determine exactly how often each gene occurred. If the average didn’t match my calculations, I would have to start from scratch.
    I was counting the number of black and white rats when someone interrupted me.
    “Sorry, I’m late.” My heart leaped out of my chest as I turned around. Adam was smiling at me. “My dad called, and I got stuck on the phone for a while,” he added. “He wanted to get my coach’s number so he could check on my progress during practices. Total pain in the ass.”
    I gave him an understanding nod.
    “My mom emails every single one of my professors on a regular basis. She actually used the cookies on my old laptop to use my student login. Now she sees all of my grades. If I slip below an A, it ends in a nasty phone call. Parents, eh?”
    He raised his eyebrows as he leaned down to look at the rats.
    “Wonder what it’d be like to be a rat,” he thought aloud.