Chapter 27: Back to school

Stephen Rose P.O.V

After dinner, I sent Layla home before coming back to sleep after breaking the news to my Dad the rest of the evening was spent making small talk and enjoying each other presence. Layla wasn't so nervous toward the end and of course, my Mom didn't forget to tell her that she was welcome home anytime she wanted they also exchanged contact information

Layla and I texted until 10 pm last night before going to bed apparently her Mom told her Dad about us going on a date and his Dad wasn't happy about it but he didn't say a thing his face was saying enough for him from what Layla told me, I do not think that being like by this man will be easy but eh I'm not dating him so I don't really care I just don't want Layla to be in the middle of this. I also asked her if she wanted me to come and pick her up in the morning but she didn't want to, the little 25-minute ride with her mother was important for her and I completely understood that so I didn't insist

So my morning went as usual training breakfast then picking Aria up before driving to school and here I was now in front of the school with Layla and Aria, I didn't know how I should act with Layla now do we hold hands or are we acting like usual I thought I would be the bolder one today but sensing my hesitation Layla smirk before taking my hands first of course this didn't escape Aria attention she was looking at me then Layla clearly waiting for an explanation

''We have been going out since yesterday I swear I didn't hide anything from you'' said Layla to Aria

''Well, that was fast, not like we didn't see it coming, though. So who confesses first?'' said Aria giving us a knowing smile

''AH, yeah I wonder too I'' said looking at Layla

''Well you did ask me out on a date, shouldn't this be considered like you confess first'' she asked

''It was only asking for a date it's you who said you wanted to be my girlfriend first right'' I said back

''Humph I didn't have a choice after you spouted all that nonsense about being more than a friend and less than a lover, you were just scared I would reject you hehe'' Layla said looking at me like saying try to say the opposite 

''No...I...OK maybe you're right, how about we say we both confess and you forget about this'' I said with hopeful eyes 

''We can say that but you can forget about me forgetting this, it's premium teasing material to fight back against your teasing hehe'' she said laughing

''OK ok stop showing off.. you guys I swear, well Leslie will be disappointed that's for sure hehe'' said Aria beside us

''She will get over it anyway she doesn't like me she is just ... a pervert'' I said thinking about a more appropriate word but finding none I just said the plain truth

Aria was about to say something when she stopped and squinted her eyes looking behind us 

''Sigh, I feel that this is gonna be a long week look who is back'' said Aria pointing behind us

Turning around I spotted who she was talking about, who could it be beside the queen of bitches, Brandy like Aria said this is gonna be a long week a can feel it too well with Layla by my side I don't really care, I'm just worried about the impact this will have on Layla once Brandy took her as a target and I'm sure she will, well ill be there for her and she got a great friend in Aria so we'll get through it together I thought before looking back at Aria 

''Indeed this is gonna be tiring, well I hope she can just mind her own business but sigh we all know it won't be that easy, I'm sorry for this Layla, but she will surely take you as a target too'' I said with an apologetic smile

''I don't mind, remember the quote you told me about last week well I looked it up and I understand what you meant then, so I'll do just like you I'll just ignore her, also I know you guys will be with me no matter what she says or does'' Layla said squeezing my hand a little harder 

''Hehe of course we will be there, alright we need to go if we do not want to be in a rush, we got PE and we still need to change'' I said looking at Aria

Brandy Duncan P.O.V

After a week of absence I was finally able to go back to school of course with the girls keeping me updated I knew what was going on in school. What I heard was unbelievable I had to see it for myself. Changing so much in the span of one summer was just too hard to believe especially when one of my friends sent me a picture of Stephen I could still recognize his face somewhat but even that had changed 

Since I had a lot of catching up to do I couldn't look for him first thing in the morning but since we were in the same class I knew I would see him later. After catching up with the girls we went inside toward the locker room to get change before PE. In my class, only two girls from the cheerleader squad were with me the rest of the girls were just acquaintances at best I was used to being surrounded by 5 or 6 people all the time in past years and I found it weird I would need to make more 'friends' I thought while changing myself

After putting my gym clothes on I waited for my two teammates to finish changing before we all stepped into the gym I scanned the gym until my eyes landed on Stephen, he was standing in the far left corner of the gym leaning on the wall talking with a girl who if I remember correctly was part of the volleyball team the fact that Stephen was calmly speaking to a girl was shocking enough but the most shocking was his appearance how can someone change so much I thought looking at him

Walking toward him I was confident that even with what happened last year if I told him that someone stole the letter and shared its content we could still talk normally and even stay friends

''Hi Stephen and ... hmm I don't remember you're name I'm Brandy'' I said extending my hand toward the girl beside Stephen 

''Sigh, what do you want Brandy can't you see we were talking here'' said Stephen with annoyance written all over his face

Humph you would have never talked to me like that before, it's not just your physique that changed it seems I thought while retracting my hand when I noticed that the girl had no intention of offering me hers

''I'm sorry but since I didn't see you at the end of last year I wanted to clear up the misunderstanding between us it wasn't....'' I start saying before Stephen lets out a scoffing sound

''Listen Brandy I don't care about what kind of excuses you were about to say, you and I have nothing to do with each other and we both know that whatever you were about to say was pure bullshit. Don't try to be my friend I don't need a friend as fake as you and I have no time to waste on someone like you, Layla we better stretch before the class starts'' said Stephen leaving without giving me a second look

I stood there shocked by what had just happened how could this be I had never been disregarded like this before, there was no anger on Stephen's face while speaking to me no there was just plain cold indifference like I was just some nobody. His reaction was nothing like I was expecting I expected that he would be either angry or he could have been hopeful this was a misunderstanding and still wished to be my friend or he would just have been too shy and would have gobbled my excuses without thinking too much but never in my wildest dream would I have thought about the reaction he just had and what about the girl beside him the only thing I could sense from her was disgust at first she was neutral but once I started speaking I could feel her disgust toward me in her eyes. 'WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON' I screamed in my mind 

Layla Smith P.O.V

When I saw Brandy walking toward us I didn't think much about it but as soon as she opened her mouth I could feel the contempt hidden deep underneath her tone since I knew how she was I just brushed that aside but I wouldn't shake the hand of the girl who was speaking to me like this that was for sure I knew last year when she talked to me that something was wrong with that girl but with everything I heard about her from Aria I could better judge her now, I was almost pitying that girl how tiring it must be to always put on a fake front 

But when she started trying to make excuses about what had happened last year I was disgusted, how shameless a person needs to be to think that with lame excuses and saying I'm sorry everything will be forgotten. I don't know if she was aware herself but Brandy was looking at Stephen in the same way a homeless person would look at rich people, with greed and envy. I don't know what she was thinking deep down but I was sure that it was nothing good. 

Stephen broke my train of thought when he asked me to come with him stretching even if he was indifferent about her didn't mean he wanted to spend even one more second close to that girl so after giving Brandy a last glance I followed behind Stephen as soon as I turned around a small smile crept up on my face I could see the shocked on Brandy's face and that made me feel good, I know its bad to enjoy other people misfortune but that girl deserved far worse then being shunned by Stephen I thought

''You were right this girl is something else'' I said walking beside Steph

''Haha you know what is worse is that if I hadn't heard her say all those things last year I might have fallen for it she really is a good actress'' Stephen said with a wry smile

''Humph she wouldn't have fooled me'' I said puffing my chest 

''HAHAHA I believe you, let's stretch let me help you first then you can help me too'' Stephen said with a smile

''You just want to take advantage of me, pervert'' I said still taking a position to stretch myself

''Have I been found out, indeed you can't be fooled haha'' he said laughing

Terrence P.O.V ( Head Coach of the Nolensville Knights)

I have been thinking about how to help Antony all day yesterday and even then I couldn't come up with a better solution than asking Jalen to talk to him. I had planned to ask Jalen this after today's practice but fate had other plans.

As soon as I made it to my office today Antony was waiting on the chair outside of my office waiting for me, I could see he was nervous by how he was playing with his nails 

''Good morning Antony, what brings you here'' I said when I came close enough to him

''Ah, Coach you startled me'' he said

''Sorry that wasn't my intention so what can I do for you, Antony'' I asked again

''Can we talk, Coach'' he asked me while standing up from the chair

''Of course, come inside '' I said opening the door before sitting behind my desk while gesturing for him to sit on the chair in front. Then I just waited for him to speak, I could see he really didn't know how to start the conversation or maybe he was just scared to start just as I was about to say something he opened his mouth

''Coach I'm quitting the team'' he said with his head down

I was so stunned that it took me at least a good 30 seconds before I could react 

''What are you saying, why would you do that '' I asked with a frown

''You know really well why I'm doing this I do not want to play second fiddle here'' he said 

''So you made your mind eh, you know that we didn't plan to take the Ace title away from you right true that you and Stephen would have shared the burden but that would have been all'' I said trying to convince him to stay

''Who would you have put on the mount on an important game, Coach we both know the answer. I can't stay here ... Arlington made me an offer last year I called them this morning to let them know I was available and they accepted me so today is the last day I will come here'' he said not lifting his head even once through the conversation

''You know that you won't be the Ace there heck you won't even be their second pitcher, so you not wanting to play second fiddle here with us is just pure bullshit, you are scared of Stephen's talent, what you don't know is that you could be as good as him if you had trained as hard as him'' I said getting angry at him

''Coach...'' he tried to say something but stopped himself

''I wish you success there, Sigh'' I said ending the conversation with a sigh