(10) Six

Theo dropped her off at the house later than expect. She yawned and kicked off her flip flops, locking the front door behind her.

When he heard her enter, Will walked into the room in his pajamas and glasses carrying a cup of tea. "Hey you're getting in late."

"I'm sorry, I didn't do it on purpose. Trig took a lot longer than I thought." Truly, she didn't mean for this to happen. She hated lying to her new foster family right off the bat but she definitely couldn't tell Will what she had actually been up to.

"What friend were you with again?" Will asked out of genuine curiosity, not like he was prying or trying to find her in a lie.

"Grace. Grace Fitzgerald."

"Oh right right. You two are in the same class together?"

Will sipped from his tea cup while Makennah dumped her bag and books on the floor. "Yeah, she's pretty nice."

"Is your first week of school going okay?" Will leaned against the staircase banister and watched Makennah rearrange her stuff in her book bag for the next day and take out stuff she didn't need.

"Yeah, actually it's going pretty well. I guess I can't complain." Fatigue from an adrenaline rush crashed over her head like a ton of bricks. She knew that Will was trying to be nice and catch up since they hadn't talked much, but she just wanted to crawl into bed.

"I heard you decided to join the soccer team."

Makennah sighed and leaned against the bannister too. She figured she would have to give Will some juicy details in order to suffice him and make him go away. "I did. It was really nice what Carolynn did. I don't know if she told you but I was kind of mad at first. I talked to the coach though and I practiced with them once before I made up my mind. They're all really cool and the coaches are excellent. Everyone has a lot of respect for one another."

Will smiled and weaved his fingers through his greying hair. "That's great. I'm really glad you decided to join. I think you'll end up enjoying yourself. I just wanted to let you know that Carolynn, me, and the boys will be at every single game."

Makennah's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "No that's okay! Not necessary!"

"You're not getting out of this one, kid, sorry. We Sinclair's are avid sports fans and we will wear all your buttons, your number, you colors, and scream your name from the sidelines." Will laid his hand on Makennah's shoulder and smirked like Nick sometimes did. She recognized the resemblance right away.

Makennah groaned and dropped her head. "That's so embarrassing," she muttered under her breath.

Will just laughed and walked away. "Goodnight, kid."

A shirt smacked Makennah in the face when she stepped onto the verandah at the top of the stairs. Startled, she grabbed onto the banister and swiped away the silky material that blocked her vision.

Holding onto the shirt, Makennah stared at the recipient of her confusion - Matt.

Makennah was a little surprised to see him or interact with him considering he had been avoiding her for the past four days since she aired the truth about Cassandra that he still hadn't grasped. By no means had Matt been mean. He just didn't look or talk to her.

"What's this?" She asked.

Matt avoided eye contact by pulling out his phone and checking a text message. She didn't take to heart the cold shoulder that he constantly showed her. Deep down, Makennah understood that he was fighting a demon of truth and lies trying to figure out if there was really something going on with Cassandra. Makennah knew that doubt could kill Relationships if the cheating didn't.

"Jersey. Girls wear jerseys on fridays."

Looking down, she finally realized that's exactly what the silky material was. A navy and burgundy football jersey with the number six printed in white on the back and front rested in her hands.

"Whose is it?"

"No one weird," he responded shortly.

"Why?" She had to know.

"Someone tried to start a rumor that you're a lesbian. I don't care if you are or not. But I figured you should be able to decide if that information comes out or not. A Jersey should dispel the rumors."

"Well...." she crumpled the jersey in her fist. "Thanks."

"No problem." Matt closed his bedroom door and the light went out, covering Makennah in darkness.

After she changed into her pajamas and picked out an outfit to go with the jersey for tomorrow, Makennah laid down in bed and turned on Netflix. Sometimes she liked to sleep with the TV on and that night was tonight. Usually, she just slept with it on when she didn't want to feel alone. Although she had been with people and friends all day, she wasn't ready to close her eyes and hear the deafening silence in the darkness.

Before Makennah started to fall asleep on an episode of Friends, her phone vibrated with a text message which turned out to be a good thing because she realized that she forgot to set her alarm and the text reminded her.

It was from Grace.

G- did you get a jersey to wear for tomorrow? Sorry I forgot to ask you about it earlier. I guess it's a little late now hehe

M- Matt gave me one surprisingly

G- he talked to you?

Obviously, Makennah didn't know Grace from Adam; however, she sensed that she could trust her and alluded to the fact that Cassandra had done something she shouldn't and Makennah caught her. Then she informed Grace that Matt wasn't speaking to her.

M- well not really. He just gave it to me and said I should wear. Idk whose it even is

G- not someone weird, I know that. I don't think he would do that to you

M- that's what he said exactly lol he hinted that he got me the jersey because someone started a rumor that I'm a lesbian and this is my cover up

G- well are you? I've been dying to know

M- no, sorry I'm straight as a nail lol

G- figured...the way you drool over Theo

M- Ha. Ha. Ha. Do not

G- wanna come over after school? We can chill until the game. Plus then we can go together

M- yeah I just gotta ask Carolynn

G- perfect. She'll say yes. And we go out to eat after the game. I assume you can go to that too considering the guys will

M- yeah that all sounds good to me. See you tomorrow 💙

G- nighty night

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The first hint that Makennah got that her wearing the number six jersey was a little weird or startling was the look on Carolynn's face when Makennah descended the stairs to make her way to the kitchen for breakfast. She looked....mildly amused and surprised. But she didn't say anything.

No one else said anything they just looked at her.

This kind of treatment continued as she arrived to school with the boys. Nick chatted with her about classes and asked about homework since they had almost all the same classes. Josh and Matt joke together about something while Matt was slightly absorbed in his phone. At the front entrance to the school, Nick waved goodbye and parted ways even though they eventually had to find their way to the same hallway.

Because it was Friday and she had endured a whole week at her new school with no major fiascos - other than discovering Cassandra cheating obviously; oh and trespassing but that wasn't really a school thing - Makennah felt comfortable enough to walk by herself to her locker.

The looks began in the senior hallway. Makennah had to weave through all of the senior students by their lockers in order to get to the junior hallway. The first and second glance that she received, she just let go and didn't think too much of it. It was a big school, but everyone knew each other. That mean that she still received questionable glances by kids wondering who she was.

But then a group of football guys gave her the once over and smirked a little. As she kept walking, she thought about the looks on their faces for longer than necessary, questioning their thoughts behind that look. It wasn't bad, like she was weird, just interesting.

Then there were some cheerleaders who noticed her and poked their friends to snag their attention while pointing not-so-inconspicuously at Makennah. What was going on? It was just a jersey.

She couldn't even make it to the end of the senior hallway without getting four more looks that made her turn around and head straight for Matt's locker. He had some explaining to do.

But she didn't make it that far.

Because none other than Theodore Alexander Rose III was walking towards her. And he was wearing the number six.

When they made eye contact, Makennah stopped dead in her tracks and rolled her eyes while throwing her head back. Theo just smirked and continued heading in her direction.

Before he could make it to her, Makennah turned away and started walking towards her locker.

"Kennah."

Nope.

"I have longer legs than you."

At that, she said, "I don't see the correlation."

Finally, he caught up to her and sidled up to her right side. He laughed in her ear and placed his hand lightly on her elbow while he squeezed past a group of juniors and pressed in close to her side. An instant flashback to their previous engagements in an unknown individual's property caused a hitch in her breath. It did her no good whatsoever to see his extra wavy tousled hair this morning or smell how absolutely delicious his cologne was.

"It means I can walk faster than you and catch up."

"Oh was I running away?" She said sarcastically.

"You're wearing my jersey. You can't act like you hate me," he whispered in her ear.

That, specifically, was really getting on her nerves. Did he insist on whispering in her ear every chance he got? What was with that anyways? Did he have an ear fetish?

"Oh was that a look of hate?" She feigned innocence.

"Yeah kind of like you couldn't believe your eyes. Maybe you're just so wildly attracted to me that you have to pretend to hate me so you don't jump my bones."

Makennah stopped at her locker and spun the lock to enter the combo. "That's your second sex reference in less than twenty-four hours. I'm starting to think those kinds of fantasies are swirling around in your head," she accused.

Theo rested his shoulder on the locker next to hers while she occupied her hands and mind with the things inside her locker.

"Just at night," Theo said in a low sexy voice.

She shot him a look which just made him laugh.

"Lighten up, sweetheart. I'm only kidding," he said lowly near her ear again. "A little."

"Stop doing that," she said through gritted teeth.

"What?" He asked, confused.

"Whispering in my ear."

"Does it bother you?" He leaned in to do it again and Makennah jerked away.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Honestly, Makennah's wars were very sensitive. Not to sound but to touch, breath, anything. Of course, never in her life would she admit that to Theo. He would take it and run with it. And probably antagonize her. Her number one turn on was kissing her ear or just under her ear on the sensitive smooth skin of her neck.

"Because I don't like people in my personal space."

Theo burst out laughing and Makennah closed her locker while trying to figure out what was so funny. "Now, sweetheart, I know that's definitely not true because I just had you plastered to a tree last night and I didn't hear any complaining."

Before she could muster up a rebuttal, Theo chuckled under his breath at the stunned look on her face and strolled away confidently and sexily like he owned the school.

"Freaking six? Are you kidding me?"

Makennah banged her head on her locker and closed her eyes. Grace opened her locker and laughed at Makennah's distress. "Don't even get me started."

"Did he plan this?"

Makennah shook her head. "I don't even know. He didn't act like. I kind of forgot to ask."

"Distracted by all that manly hunkiness?" Grace wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and grabbed a book out of her locker.

"How did you know?" She rolled her eyes.

"You're flushed." Grace fluttered her eyes and flipped her hair, mocking Makennah.

Makennah slapped her hands to her cheeks. "I am not!"

"Just kidding. But that reaction says something else." Glancing around to make sure no one was listening in, Grace leaned in. "Do you like him?"

"No!" Makennah yelled a little too enthusiastically. "I seriously don't. And I would never anyways. He's Matt's best friend."

"The heart wants what it wants," Grace teased.

"He's just...unnerving. That's all," Makennah insisted.

"Okay," Grace acted like she was going to drop it. Then she said, "Just don't let him unnerve your pants off."

"I hate you!" Makennah tried to slap Grace on the arm, but she dodged and ran away.

Maybe she hated her because she was afraid she was a little right.

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Things are heating up. Hope you enjoyed!! I would love to hear your thoughts from you about how it's going! Please comment and vote!!

Xoxo

W. Carolina