Chapter 5

"So, who are you going to the game with?" Cooper asked, his voice a mere whisper due to the fact that we were in Biology, and everybody was whispering in hushed tones.

I rolled my eyes with a quiet huff. "I'm going with Tommy as friends. And don't act like you didn't know," I replied a little too loudly, making our wrinkly teacher, Mr. Smith glare back at me from his old podium as if I murdered his cat or something.

"I didn't know!" he whisper-yelled with an unsuccessfully attempted innocent expression. "Okay, so maybe I knew, but why the hell would he ask you? Literally everybody knows Xander has a thing for you. It's common knowledge. Tommy was just asking Xander to give him an ass-beating."

"We're going as friends."

"I know you're stupid, but I didn't think this stupid. But I guess you kinda led Tommy on."

My eyes widened as I set down my pen. "How did I lead him on?"

"Well, you gave him a pet name, remember?"

"What- oh, you mean 'Tom-Tom?'" I tilted my head at him, my nose scrunched. He nodded slowly. "I give pet names to everyone! Like Xander is 'Xandy.'"

"Yeah, and now Xander likes you also!"

I rolled my eyes.

"Anyways, where is Xander? He's not in class."

"How am I supposed to know where he is? It's not like I keep a tracker on him, and also, doesn't he have a reputation of, like, skipping classes?" I expectantly looked at him.

"He used to, but ever since he realized you were in his classes, he's actually been attending class." A corner of his mouth curved up into a knowing smirk. "Coincidence? I think not."

"Coincidence? I think yes."

Cooper opened his mouth to reply with a smart-ass answer when the piercing noise of the bell rang, thankfully, ending biology.

Once Cooper and I stepped out the classroom, we parted ways as he propelled into the crowded hallway, the feeling of tension from stressed students hovering in the air. My eyes immediately locked with a pair of grey ones across the hall. It seemed as if years passed while we held eye contact, but after a few mere seconds, he averted his eyes. It was then that I realized he shifted his eye contact to a red-head at his dark blue locker with a small smirk in her direction. My heart thrashed and heaved in my chest.

Ignoring the irritating feeling, I stalked over to him at his locker. I wanted to know why he skipped biology since he never skipped anymore.

"Can we help you?" The dirty blonde asked, eying me up and down with a scrutinizing gaze while twirling one of her locks and smacking down on her mint gum obnoxiously loud.

"Why weren't you in biology?" I looked up at Xander, away from the girl whom I ignored.

"Because he's not a loser like y-" she started, her eyes attempting to burn lasers through me.

"Chill, Holly," he directed at her before shifting his eyes to me. "Anyways, why do you care?" He slung his arm over Holly's shoulder.

"I-I don't. Just curious." I gave her a dirty look in response to her scrutinizing gaze. "Bye, now. Good luck on your game tonight."

"Wait." He removed his arm from Holly's shoulder to latch onto my wrist. I spun around, giving him an expectant look. "I was at football practice. Our first game of the season is today, so we're practicing a ton."

My mouth curved into a smile, appreciative that he explained before heading off to class.

Oh god, I was so going to be late.

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"Want me to get you anything?" Tommy asked as he stood on the crowded bleachers, his voice barely audible from the deafening cheers and hoots from our side of the field and the Pine Hill High's side.

I shook my head as he started down the bleachers towards the food stands. I averted my eyes from his retreating feature to the football field. The tall lights, illuminating the green field, blinded my vision while Pine Hill's players, colored in green and white jerseys, played against my school, Southridge. A hint of alcohol wafted through the chilly night air, and the rustling sound of the cheerleaders' pom-poms on the sidelines added to the chaotic scene. I searched among our helmeted players, Southridge dressed in cerulean and navy jerseys, for one boy in particular.

He was drinking from a green Gatorade bottle when I met his grey eyes with specks of blue in that abyss of grey. He set down his bottle on the bench and gave me a boyish smile with a wink. I smiled back, ignoring the curious stares I was receiving from other girls near me.

He looked to something on my left, his smile and warmth in his eyes now replaced by a hardened look, his jaw tightened. His once smiling lips set into a straight line. I glanced to my left. Tommy stood there, holding a hotdog in his right hand and a large soda in the other.

"Sorry I took so long," he apologized. "The lines were way too long."

"Don't worry about it." I smiled up at him while he retook his seat on the bleachers.

"So, who's in the lead?"

"Southridge, duh," I forced out a laugh to diffuse the awkward air around us.

"Yeah our team's pretty good," he said with a nod. "I think we've only lost, like, twice."

"Agreed," I nodded, shifting my eyes back to the boy on the field. I smiled as I caught his eye contact before he ran back over to play.

"What's up with you and Kings?" Tommy interrupted our moment of silence.

"Excuse me?" I turned to face him with my eyebrows raised.

"Are you two, like, together?"

"Are you serious?" I stared at him, a corner of my lips turned up. "We're just friends, dummy."

"Ah, good to know."

I eyed him skeptically but decided not to press it and continued to watch the game.

Eventually the game came to an end. Southridge won, as expected, against Pine Hill High. Although we were a boarding school, we still were a normal school in terms of athletics.

"Hey, Xander!" I shouted, Tommy in tow, as I ran up to the benches where Xander was hooting with his team surrounding him.

"Hi, gem," he looked my direction and spoke softly, in contrast to his previously loud voice since he was celebrating with his team. His sudden voice change made the team go silent.

"Congrats, Xandy," I ruffled his sweaty hair and grimaced as I wiped it on his blue jersey, making him let out a hoarse chuckle. I spotted a flushed Michael standing next to him. "Nice job to you too, Michael."

Michael nodded with a smile as a sign of thanks.

"Proud of me?" Xander's face split into a goofy dimpled smile, and a glint of pride shimmered in his eyes.

"Of course I am."

"Aurora! C'mon, I'll walk you back to your dorm," Tommy announced as he pushed through the observing crowd.

I looked between Xander and Tommy, each their faces conveying expectancy. "It's fine, Tommy. I'm gonna wait for Xander. His dorm is near mine anyways." I turned around to face him.

"You sure?" Tommy asked with furrowed brows, his brown eyes a mix between hurt and concern. I nodded. "Bye. I'll, um, see you later."

I spun around to face Xander with a blank expression painted on his face as he watched Tommy walk away. "Xander? Can we go now?"

"Why didn't you go with him?"

"I don't really know," I shrugged, not quite knowing the answer to that myself. "So, let's go now."

"Um, there's a party at Logan's house, he's one of my friends on my team so..."

"I'm not going," I stated firmly. "Parties aren't my thing. Not anymore."

"What do you mean by 'not anymore'?" He pressed, sweat drizzling down his forehead.

At this point, the blinding lights combined with the stench of alcohol and sweat were making my head pound.

"Because I just don't want to," I snapped. "I'm just gonna go back to my dorm. See you."

"Gem," he grabbed my arm for the second time this day, attempting to stop me from leaving him. "I'll walk you back, if you want." He gently looked at me with slightly furrowed brows.

"No, no. You don't have to." I breathed out, yanking my arm away and headed towards my room.

♛ ♛ ♛

"Flip to page 137, please," Mr. Smith directed as I lugged my oversized chemistry textbook out of my backpack.

I yawned for what felt like the hundredth time in the last fifty minutes as I glanced at the clock above my Chemistry teacher's head.

"If you keep yawning, Mr. Smith will think you're jaw is unhinged or something," Olivia whispered beside me. I offered a small chuckle in response.

Thankfully, it was the last period of the day. Unthankfully though, Xander was in this class. I could feel him boring eyes through me since he thought I was upset with him, but I really wasn't. I just really didn't want to explain that I was hormonal and got pissed for no reason. I had too much pride to admit I was wrong, to be honest.

The bell rang, freeing us for the day, and the class dispersed into the hallway.

"I gotta get to the library and study. Wish me luck on my calculus test tomorrow," Olivia waved and scurried down the packed hallway, lined with dark blue lockers and students. I adjusted my backpack full of homework as I approached the exit of school.

Students scattered the yard in front of the class hall and the sun's rays beat down. I closed my eyes, taking in the chitter-chatter of the students around while relishing in the warmth the sun provided before I was engulfed with body heat and a familiar cologne scent which eased my reflexive nerves.

My eyes shot open, realizing I was currently in a bear hug. "Oh my gosh! What the hell!"

"Say you forgive me!" Xander chuckled in my ear, still holding me tight to him. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, you know," I laughed, surprising him. He let go of me and held my shoulders across from him. "I had a headache and stuff, don't take it personal. I'm just a bïtch sometimes," I said with a shrug.

"Yeah, you are pretty bïtchy sometimes," he dryly said, his eyes sparked with laughter.

The thing was, when Xander laughed, it wasn't just a sound emitting from his mouth- it was a grin with his eyes.

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hey, guys! don't forget to vote and comment if you liked this chapter, it would mean everything to me! if your still reading to this point, don't forget that i still love you so much. (editing sophia rn from like three months from when this chapter was written, this book gets better, i swear! my writing and plot get better ahaha.)

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i still love you, even if you're not reading this right now.

-sophia