Chapter 4

"Gem?" Xander asked, shifting in his chair.

Cooper and I looked up to him, the fluorescent strip lights of the cafeteria making my eyes strain due to my lack of sleep. Xander had made it a habit to sit with me at lunch for the past few days. At first, I was more annoyed than I probably should've been, but after a couple days, I became accustomed to him and so did Olivia and Cooper. When we looked at him expectantly, he continued. "I have a football g-"

"Hey, y'all!" I heard the cheerful voice of my roommate as she plopped her things down on my right. "Who's going to the game on Friday?"

"Uh-huh," I nodded, averting my eyes from Olivia on my right, to Xander in the seat in front of me, to Cooper next to Xander.

"And Xander's playing in it," she winked at me.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh yeah, Xander, I forgot to mention that Liv is a complete fangirl of you!"

"I am not a fangirl!" Olivia whined in an accusing voice and leaned forward. "Besides, you're his number one fan, Aura." She giggled at my death glare I was sending her then she turned to Xander. "I expect you to treat my Aurora well. If you don't-"

"Ok!" I interrupted her before she said something even more embarrassing. "That's enough."

"You're babies will be hot!" Olivia blurted out-of-nowhere. Xander, Cooper, and I all stared at her, waiting for her to explain. "Sorry, I'm just trying to imagine our lives in ten years. And from my predictions, when your kids are done cookin', they're gonna be good looking."

"You're so weird," I stated, amusement dancing on my face. "I hope you know that."

I heard her grumble something like "just you watch," before continuing to eat her lunch. She always loved irritating me. I chuckled softly, shifting my gaze to Cooper who had been oddly silent from the beginning of lunch.

"Cooper, you look a little upset, and you didn't speak for more than two minutes. What's up?"

Cooper frowned down at his grade sheet, obviously not approving of his grades. "My grades are declining along with my want to succeed," he groaned and ran his hands down his face. "I'm gonna get suspended from the team like you if I don't get a better grade in Biology. I don't know how Xander here doesn't even go to class and just gets good grades."

Cooper had always been a try-hard, but you wouldn't have believed that at first look. I appreciated that about him. He always encouraged me to succeed since we were always each others greatest competitors. Friendly competition, we liked to say, but we both knew we would kill each other if we were in the Hunger Games.

"Hey, I just study the material out of class. I love seeing the teachers always question if I cheated when I get A's on quizzes and tests," Xander said with a chuckle.

"Coop, I don't think you'll get suspended. Coach has always loved you since freshman year. And I could help you?" I offered.

"No offense, Rory, but you're not somebody I'd want as a tutor. I mean, you're already suspended on the team."

I grumbled under my breath and harshly bit into my green apple.

"I could help, if you want." Xander shrugged.

"Nah, it's fine," Cooper dismissed, his ego getting in his way.

I snapped my gaze to Xander and leaned over the table to him. "What about me? Help me, please?"

"Yeah, sure. Anything for you," he bared his pearly whites, ruffling my light brown hair.

"Thank you!" I smiled gratefully, making his head fall back as he laughed, just as the bell rang.

"Ugh, I have calculus. I'm actually considering dropping out and being a stripper." Olivia groaned, being her dramatic self.

Cooper perked up. "How much is a private show?"

Liv rolled her eyes and trudged out the doors of the cafeteria with Cooper following.

"So what did you want to ask me?" I turned my head to look at Xander.

"Um, I'll just tell you later at practice."

I nodded my head as we parted ways to our next classes.

♛ ♛ ♛

"Coach!" I shouted, as I ran over to him, almost slipping on the glossy floors of the gym which caught the attention of some students in his PE class. "Look at my English quiz score!" I shoved the paper in his face, flaunting my A-.

"Good job, Aurora." He glanced at the paper approvingly. "Keep this up, and you'll be running again soon."

"Yes!" I shouted in victory, raising my hands above my head in fists.

"Gem? Why are you skipping class? Are you actually going to drop out to be a stripper like Olivia? God, I thought she was just joking," I heard Xander's voice behind my back, his voice barely audible over the echoing noises of basketballs being dribbled. I spun around to be greeted with his flushed, sweaty form. His sheer white tee showing off his muscular chest and stomach.

How does this guy make gross sweat look so good? Right, he's Xander.

I shot my eyes up, hoping he didn't see me not-so-discreetly checking him out. If he did notice, he didn't mention it, thankfully. I didn't like him like that, but I had to admit, he was good-looking.

"Oh, um, I was just showing Coach my quiz score in Honors English. It's my free period, and no, I am not going to be a stripper. I know you'd enjoy it if I did, though." I smirked, trying to keep my eyes up on his face.

"How did you know I'd enjoy it?" he tilted his head. A deep, hoarse chuckle left his lips. "So, about what I wanted to ask you-" the screech of a whistle cut him off.

"Class dismissed," Coach's voice echoed off the tan walls as the bell rung, ending the last period of the day. He turned around to face me and Xander. "I will be seeing you two out in practice soon."

We nodded as he turned the handle on the doors and walked outside, leaving me, Xander, and a few of the other students who were still dispersing in the stuffy gym.

"Hey, Xander! Where were you? I totally kicked those sophomores' asses in basketball," a bronzed boy with jet-black hair hollered as he approached Xander. "Who's this? You haven't picked up a new girl in almost a year-"

"Aurora, meet Michael. Michael, meet Aurora." Xander cut off his friend, eyes the size of saucepans.

"Is this the girl you've ditched me at lunch for?" Michael smiled.

"Stop staring at her like that," Xander rolled his eyes at his friend. "Have some manners, man. You have a girlfriend, do I need to tell Sabrina?"

"You're delusional, Xander. Calm down," I said before turning back to Michael. "But you're his only friend, I assume?"

Michael nodded, a light smile playing on his lips. "The one and only. I actually-"

"Well we have track practice now, so we should be going. I'll see you later." Xander interrupted as he took hold of my wrist. He led us our the door towards the tracks, the sun's warmth accentuating the sparks in my arm.

"He seemed nice," I hesitated, taking notice of Xander's tense posture. "What's wrong, Xander?" I stopped causing him to come to a halt also due to his hand placed around my wrist.

His eyebrows scrunched as his hand ran through his dirty-blonde hair. "I just don't know how I can like a girl as oblivious as you. But I've also been told that my taste is in dumb girls."

My heart skipped at his subtle confession, which I decided to not think too much about. Things didn't need to be awkward, that would only ruin it. I smacked his shoulder.

"I'm not dumb, you're the idiot here!"

"Yeah, yeah." He smiled as he dragged me through the gates to the field where the team was waiting for us, a scowl sketched on Mckenna's face.

♛ ♛ ♛

"Nice job today, guys," Coach announced before he dismissed practice. The scent of stuffy sweat and dirt wafted in the heat-filled air as a result of practice.

"Hey, Aura," Tommy approached me while I packed away the homework I was completing while the guys were practicing. "I have a really quick question for you."

"Yeah?" I gave him an expectant gaze.

"Okay, so I know this is kind of sudden, but-"

I rolled my eyes teasingly. "Spit it out, Tommy."

"Well, how about you go to the football game on Friday with me?" He said as he rubbed his neck.

My eyes blinked, widened. It was usually a thing here to go on dates to the football games since this boarding high school was notorious for our football wins. I wasn't really looking for a boyfriend, so how exactly would I reject his offer?

"Um, sure." I strained a smile. "As friends though, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. Of course. Just friends."

I nodded, the atmosphere suddenly got awkward. "Good, good. I'll look forward to it," I replied with a soft smile. "See you."

"For sure," he replied as we parted ways once we exited the gate that leads to the field. While walking, I had noticed Xander walking ahead of me. We always walked back to our dorm hall together since I discovered he lived a few rooms down from me only a few days ago.

"Hey, Xandy!" I shouted, running over to him, almost falling over the cement due to the heavy backpack I was lugging around. "Xander?"

He didn't turn around.

"Xander," I whined, catching up to him and pulling his toned arm back.

"Yes?" he snapped briskly and jerked his arm out of my hold, making me step back and blink my eyes.

"You're mad." My eyebrows scrunched up and my head tilted. "Why? I thought you're fine now."

"You're going to my game with Tommy," he whispered, staring at the dusty running shoes on his feet.

"It's only as friends," I replied before he nodded his head. Of course I knew of Xander's little crush on me, I'm not stupid. But with time, it'll pass. I mean, Cooper and I had little crushes on each other in the third grade, but by fourth grade, we were completely platonic. "You were gonna ask me to the game earlier, weren't you?"

"Yeah, but it's no big deal." He shook his head, a stoic look wiped across his features. He was hiding his emotions from me. "It's just a football game."

I nodded as we continued our walk to our dorm hall. We waved our goodbyes, and I stepped inside my room, greeted with the sight of Liv studying for once.

"Do you ever go outside?" I joked. Truth was, Olivia was the most social person I know. I think that's why we worked so well as best friends. She was always the more extroverted and spirited one who could be friends with literally anyone, anywhere.

"There was a party last night at some student from Pine Hill High's place, and I'm still hungover." She rubbed her closed eyes. "Class was complete hell today, but you should've gone to the party."

"You're gonna get in trouble. It's inevitable," I chuckled, shaking my head slightly. "And you know, I don't do parties anymore."

"I know, I know," she sighed.

"Tommy asked me out to the football game on Friday. More specifically, Xander's game," I blurted out randomly.

"Wait, what?"

"And Xander kinda admitted that he has a crush on me-"

"This is too much! What?" She said, leaning forward with eyes as wide as saucers. Yeah, she didn't seem hungover anymore, but with Olivia, good drama heals all. "Xander admits he likes you?"

I nodded as I threw myself down on my bed with a heavy sigh. "But it'll pass, you know."

She scoffed. "Yeah, and pigs can fly."

I sat back up, narrowing my eyes at her. "It's just a crush, Liv. And if neither of us do anything, then by the end of this month, he'll be into some other girl."

"Sometimes, I'm confused that I'm the dumb one of the group. But on to other topics, you're going to the game with Tommy?"

♛ ♛ ♛

Thanks for reading, guys! I still love y'all. Also, THIS BOOK HIT 100 READS! That's crazy! Tiny self promo- my pinterest is in my bio, and I have character boards for these characters, so if you wanna get to know 'em better! And Don't forget to press that lil star and vote, or comment.

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