I'm running down the hall along with Alyssa. They just announced that the new softball team this year is posted on the school's news board. Both Alyssa and I could barely wait through our first period class, so as soon as the bell rang, we jetted out of the class.
We both round the corner to see other people from tryouts looking for their name on the sheet. We push our way to the front of the crowd to get a better look at the sheet. I immediately begin to scan the sheet, looking for my name. I see Alyssa's name on the sheet and I'm happy that she made it. I also see Virginia's name and Carmen's name on the sheet and I mentally groan. My eyes keep going down the list and second to last, there's my name. A huge grin takes over my features and I turn around to see Alyssa with the same expression.
I wrap my arms around her and hug her. "We made the team, babe!" I smile.
"We should celebrate. Go out tonight or something." She says.
We start to walk back towards our next class, letting other people see if they made the team or not.
"What did you have in mind?" I ask.
"Um, how about we go out to The Grill? A bunch of jocks and what not are meeting up there. I'm sure Jordan will be there. Daniel invited me." She says.
"Daniel invited you? What's up with you two?" I ask with an accusing smile.
"I don't know. Hopefully he'll gain the courage to ask me out soon. He's so cute and I really like him." She smiles.
"Then we could double date." I say, excitedly.
She laughs, "Calm down. Nothing is official, yet. Anyways, are you joining me at The Grill or not?"
"I suppose I will." I smile.
"Abby." I turn my head to see Stephen standing there.
Did he mean to call my name? He's standing there like he wants something. I thought he would never speak to me again. I finally find my voice and speak.
"Yeah?" I question.
"Could I talk to you for a moment? In private. If you don't mind?" He asks.
He's still as sweet as can be. "Um, sure."
I wave goodbye to Alyssa before going off to the side with Stephen. I feel nervous all of a sudden and I don't know why. It's just Stephen. We dated before. We were friends at one point in time, so why does it feel like I'm talking to a stranger?
He plays with the ends of his backpack straps as he thinks of what to say. I'm not sure if I'm ready for what he's about to say.
He clears his throat, "Abby, I want to apologize to you. I've been a jerk lately and that's not me. I guess I was really hurt, but that's no excuse. Anyways, my behavior at that party was..." He takes a deep breath. "Unacceptable. I really am sorry."
"I forgive you, Stephen. I was the one who kind of led you on. I did some terrible things and I really want to apologize, too." I say.
"You don't have to apologize. I get it. I was hoping that offer of being friends still stood?" He smiles.
I laugh lightly, "I would really like to be friends. We have too much in common not to be friends."
"I agree. I also just wanted to congratulate you on making the softball team and to give you this." He pulls out a book from his backpack and hands it to me.
I look at the cover of the book and gasp. It's Don't Die, My Love. I look up at him and he's giving me a small smile, taking in my expression. He remembered. I'm shocked.
"Stephen, you didn't have to get me this book." I say, still in shock.
"It didn't cost me much and I promised that if you tried out for a sport that I would get it for you. You held up your end of the deal and I held up mine." He smiles.
"Stephen, thank you. This means a lot to me. More than you can imagine." I wrap an arm around his neck and hug him.
"You're welcome, Abby," He sighs, "I really missed you."
I smile a little and pull away, "Are you coming to The Grill tonight?"
"Yup. Everyone from the football team is going to be there. I'm assuming since you're asking me, you're going to be there?" He asks.
"Yeah, I am. I have to get to class, but I'll text you when I get home. Thanks for the book again." I smile.
"You're welcome, again." He smiles and waves before walking away.
"So, going back to Stephen now?" I jump and turn around to see Jordan glaring at the back of Stephen's head.
"A-aren't you suppose to be in class?" I ask, stuttering.
"Yeah, but I wanted to congratulate you on making the team. I see Stephen beat me to it." He says.
"Jordan, he was just keeping a promise he made to me when we were dating." I sigh.
"But see, that's what I don't get. If you two aren't dating anymore, why does it matter if he keeps it or not. I want you to give that book back to him. I'll buy it for you." He says.
"Jordan, that would be stupid for me to give it back and you buy it for me. I'm not giving it back. He gave it to me as a friend, so I'm keeping it." I say, walking away.
I hear his footsteps behind me and I know that it's not the end of the conversation.
"Abby, I'm not kidding. I don't want you to accept anything from him. I can buy you whatever you want. I'm your boyfriend." He grabs my arm, spinning me around.
I smack his hand away, "Stop grabbing me like that. He's my friend, Jordan. I owe him a friendship. That's the least I can do for breaking his heart. Stop acting like a jealous boyfriend."
"Abby, he's in love with you still. You might only want a friendship, but he doesn't. He tried to suck your face off not too long ago without your permission! Excuse me if I'm acting like a jealous boyfriend, but I think my actions are justified." He angrily says.
"Listen, I'm not giving the book back. I've been wanting to read it for the longest and he did this to apologize to me for his behavior. You're just going to have to accept that I have other friends in my life, that are guys." I sigh.
"You know what, forget it. As long as you keep that stupid book, I don't want you talking to me. Stephen hates me, Abby, so that means he's going to try and get back at me for stealing you away from him." He says.
"You didn't steal me away from Stephen. We were already broken up." I point out.
"Please, you were practically trying to kiss me everyday. I'm surprised you didn't cheat on him." He says.
A feel sharp pain in my chest and tears begin to fill my eyes. Why is he being such a jerk right now? His features soften and he reaches for me, but I back away.
"Just leave me alone, Jordan." I say before walking away.
I walk away fast and hurry to get to my next class. I'm already late, but I want to get far away as possible from Jordan. I hear him groan and it sounds like he hits the lockers. I wipe my eyes before going into my class and taking my regular seat.
*****
Classes go by fast and Jordan and I ignore each other in everyone we have together. Even in history, we didn't say anything to each other. I'm mad and so is he. One point during history class Stephen asked me was I okay and before I could answer Jordan answered for me. Stephen looked at me to make sure and I nodded my head. Other than that, Jordan didn't really talk to me. He's overreacting and I'm not going to be the one to apologize.
I walk to my car along with Alyssa. The guys don't have practice today because of the celebration at The Grill. Apparently, it's for the football team's hard work and how they haven't lost a game yet. Coach didn't mind letting them go because he was told that he was invited too and would get to eat for free. Alyssa leans up against her car and I lean up against mine.
"Hey, don't be so down and out about the whole Jordan thing. You two view things differently, so of course you guys are going to argue." She says.
"But I don't want to argue with him. I'd much rather kiss him and not argue at all. He just gets so jealous of Stephen." I sigh.
"You did date him and now you're trying to be friends with him." She points out.
"Who's side are you on?" I ask, my temper rising.
"Yours, but all I'm saying is if it were Virginia and him trying to be friends, wouldn't you act the same way he did?"
I sigh, but realize she's right. I wouldn't want Virginia anywhere near Jordan. I guess I'm somewhat wrong in this case, but I still think he's overreacting.
"So I should apologize?" I ask.
"I think you should both apologize to each other. Here come the guys now." She says.
I turn my head to see Jake, Jordan, Troy, Ryan, and Daniel all headed our way. We usually all park beside each other. I guess you can kind of say we're becoming close friends to one another.
"Hello, ladies." Troy says. We wave at him in response and then everyone kind of looks around.
"Okay, what's going on?" Daniel says.
"Nothing." Both Jordan and I say. Everyone looks at us with a knowing look.
"Okay, you guys obviously need to talk whatever happened out. You know you guys are going to be around each other tonight, so you might as well make up now." Ryan says.
Jordan and I stare at each other, waiting to see what the other one will do. I sigh and grab his hand, walking away from the group a little so that we can talk in private.
"Look, I understand why you were getting jealous earlier. If you were trying to be friends with Virginia I would be mad, too, but that's where trust comes in. I've never given you a reason not to trust me, Jordan." I say.
He sighs, "I know. I was talking to Ryan earlier and he was like I'm overreacting just a little. I still don't want you and him to be friends, but I guess I can try to keep my temper in check. But I'm telling you now, if he so much as looks at you in an intimate way, I will knock his teeth out."
I smile a little and wrap my arms around him, hugging him. "You're the best." I say into his chest.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." He says.
I pull away and we begin to walk back towards the parking lot. When the guys and Alyssa see us holding hands, they start to cheer.
"Thank, God." Jake says. I lightly push him and smile.
"Okay, so, the plan for tonight is Alyssa and Daniel ride together. Jake, Ryan, and I ride together. Abby and Jordan ride together." Troy says.
Daniel and Jordan both stare at Troy. Almost as if they're asking him what he's doing. I decide to ask myself.
"Why are we riding like that? Jake can just ride with Jordan and me." I say.
"Because, I want Jake to ride with us. He's like my wing man now." He responds.
Jake looks just as confused as me, but doesn't say anything. Why do I feel like I'm being left out of the loop or something? We just all nod our heads and say goodbye to each other. Jordan walks over to me and pecks my lips.
"Don't pay any attention to Troy. He does weird stuff like that sometimes. I'll pick you up at six thirty, okay? I love you." He says.
"I love you more." I say, leaning up to kiss him. He meets me half way and gives me a soft gentle kiss. He smiles and gets into his car.
I get into mine along with Jake. He's staring at me and I stare back at him. "What?" I ask.
"Something's up. Just be careful tonight. Troy is acting a little off and weird." He says.
I put my car in reverse and back out. "When isn't Troy being weird?" I ask.
"Well, let me put it this way, he's acting sneaky. The way we're all driving tonight to The Grill is weird."
I put the car in drive and head for my house. "Who knows with Troy? I don't think we have anything to worry about. We're all friends, right?" I ask.
"Just because you're dating Jordan doesn't mean you're friends with them, Abby." He says.
"Why can't you and Alyssa just be happy for me? I'm happy. Everything is going right in my life for once. Don't mess it up for me." I say.
He sighs, "You're right. I'm sorry. I'm just looking out for you. You're like my sister and I don't want anything bad to happen to you."
I smile, "I know. I trust Jordan, so you guys can trust him."
"Alright. If you say so." He smiles.
*****
Jake and I are rushing around my room getting ready. When we got home, we started watching movies with my mom and dad. We lost track of time and before we knew it, we were having to rush to get ready.
"Socks." Jake requests.
I toss him his socks. "Shirt." I say.
He tosses me my purple tank top and I quickly throw it over my head. Jake has seen me in my bra and panties plenty of times and I have seen him in his boxers just as many. We don't really look at each other like that.
"How do I look?" I ask him.
He ties his shoes and looks up at me. "You look great. Jordan will be drooling all over himself when he sees you." He smirks.
"That's what I was going for." I smile.
He stands up, "What about me? Do I look like I can get laid tonight?"
"One, don't talk about getting laid when you're living with me. My room is right next doors to yours and I don't want to hear you and your booty call all night." I say, jokingly.
"Ah, whatever. Speaking of getting laid, do you plan on being a virgin the whole time you're with Jordan, because if so, that relationship won't last very long." He laughs.
My cheeks heat up and I know I'm as red as a tomato. "That's none of your business. Besides, Jordan is willing to wait for me. I'm sure whenever the moment is... Right, we'll do the deed."
"So you do want him to be your first?" He asks.
I shrug my shoulders, "I guess. I don't know. I really don't want to talk about this."
His phone vibrates and he pulls it out, reading the message. He smiles, "Saved by the text. Troy, Ryan, and Jordan are outside waiting for us."
"Okay." I say. I grab my wallet and we both head downstairs. My mom and dad are both in the living room, finishing the movie we were watching with them before we had to leave and get ready.
"We'll be back in about two hours." I tell them.
"Okay. Have fun, but not too much fun. Jake protect Abby." My dad says.
"As always, sir." He salutes my dad before we both walk out of the house.
Troy, Ryan, and Jordan are all leaning up against their cars, waiting for Jake and me. I rush over to Jordan and wrap my arms around him, hugging him. He spins me around and laughs.
"I missed you, too, Midget." He laughs.
"Let's go. I'm starving." I say.
"No hey to us, Abby?" Troy smirks.
"Sorry, Troy. Hey. Hey Ryan." I wave politely.
Troy laughs a little, "Still shy as ever, aren't you?" He shakes his head and gets into his car. Ryan and Jake wave at me before getting into the car with Troy.
I smile before getting into the car with Jordan. We leave out of the driveway first and Troy follows behind us. When we get to The Grill, the parking lot is full and the inside looks packed. We all get out at the same time and head inside. Jordan wraps his arm around me and pulls me close to his side as we walk in. Girls and guys say hey to the guys and congratulate them on being undefeated. Some people say hey to me and congratulate me on making the softball team. It makes me feel special and important.
We go over to a table that is set up for Jordan and the guys. Jordan lets me sit in his seat and he grabs a chair from another table.
"How about we order a bunch of ribs and fries." Daniel suggests.
Alyssa looks great tonight and she hasn't been able to keep her eyes off of Daniel since she got here. I really hope he asks her out.
"I'm feeling it. I could eat a whole pig right now." Jake says.
"Okay, it's settled then. Ribs and fries." Troy says. He calls the waiter over to our table and orders the food. We all order our drinks, too.
The place is packed tonight, so I don't expect our food to get here as fast as it usually does. I see Virginia and her barbies walking over to the table and I mentally groan. Alyssa and Jake do the same thing and I feel better that I'm not the only one who feels this way. I mean, my boyfriend slept with Virginia and Carmen and they both dislike me.
"Hey, Jordan. Hey guys. Alyssa. I consider Abby as part of the guys." Virginia laughs at her own joke.
I don't even dress like a guy anymore. I don't exactly dress girly girl, but I do not dress like a guy.
"Don't you have something better to do, Virginia?" Ryan asks.
"I just came to stop by to congratulate you guys on going undefeated. With our awesome cheerleading skills, I would imagine you guys would be motivated every Friday night to kick some ass." She says.
I roll my eyes, "No one even pays attention to the cheerleaders. They go for the football team."
"I don't believe I was talking to you. Besides, Jordan compliments me on my cheering all the time." She smiles and winks at Jordan.
I look at Jordan and he quickly speaks up. "I used to. I don't anymore." He quickly corrects her.
Virginia rolls her eyes, "If you get bored with Abby, you guys are more than welcome to come hang with us over at our table." She says, running a hand through Jordan's hair before leaving.
I start to stand up and smack her across the face, but Ryan and Jordan grab me and push me back down.
"You guys should have let Abby slap her. That would have been funny." Troy laughs.
"Didn't you sleep with all three of them?" Alyssa asks.
"Yes, but just because you sleep with someone doesn't mean you have to like them." He says and then looks at Jordan.
Jordan's jaw is clenched tight and he looks as if he wants to say something to Troy, but can't. Why do I feel as if what Troy just said has a double meaning? The drinks arrive and so does the food. We all start to dig in and moan in satisfaction.
Jordan leans over to me, "If food makes you moan, imagine what I can make you do." He whispers.
My cheeks heat up and that tingling feeling down there appears. I squeeze my thighs together and Jordan laughs at me. I like when he's being playful. He's so carefree and his smile lights up a room. I see Stephen coming over to the table and I begin to panic. This can end one of two ways. Jordan acting cool or Jordan trying to punch Stephen in the face. I'm hoping for the first, but expecting the second.
"Abby, I didn't know you were here." He smiles when he gets to the table.
"I've been here for a while. Sorry I didn't text you. Kind of got lost in the moment." I say.
He waves me off, "It's fine. I just wanted to say hi, that's all."
"Well, you've said it, now you can go." Jordan says before I can speak up.
Stephen smirks at Jordan. I really hope Stephen isn't trying to provoke Jordan. It won't end well for him.
"I'll see you around, Abby. Alyssa. Jake." He acknowledges them before leaving and going back to his table.
"He's really asking for it." Jordan huffs.
"Don't worry about it man. He just wants you to fight with him so you can get kicked off the team. Wait till the season is over and then kick his ass. I know I am." Troy says.
"What? Why?" I ask.
"Because Stephen thinks we're scared of him or something. Somebody needs to put him in his place." Troy says.
"You're kidding me?! He doesn't even say anything to you! Leave him alone!" I don't know why I'm screaming and yelling at Troy. He can be really scary at times, but when it comes to my friends, any common sense I have goes out the door.
"Jordan, get your 'girlfriend'." He puts air quotations around girlfriend and laughs. What's so funny?
"Why are you being such an asshole? I don't know what your problem is, but you need to fix it. No one wants to hang around assholes!" I yell, but immediately regret. Troy is no longer laughing and he looks serious.
"Do you want to know why you're even around us? If only you knew. You weren't shit until Jordan started taking an interest in you. No one even knew who you were! You better watch what you say to me, Abby, because I can ruin your life in the blink of an eye." He says.
He's about to say more, but Jordan cuts him off. "That's enough, Troy. Shut up before I shut you up."
Troy challenges him for a second, but looks away first. He gets up and says he's going to the bathroom. My blood is boiling and I feel like crying.
"I need some air." I stand up and exit out of the restaurant.
There are some tables in the front of the restaurant and I take a seat at one. The cool night breeze feels good against my skin. I hear the door to the restaurant open again and look to see Jordan coming my way. I sigh and turn my head away from him. I hear him sit down and can feel him looking at me.
He sighs, "Midget, don't let Troy get to you. This week is kind of rough for him, so he's liable to snap on anyone. Even someone as nice as you."
"What did he mean by 'He can ruin my life'?" I ask, still not looking at him.
"He's just saying stuff. Wants to scare you. I would never let anything bad happen to you. I love you. You know that right?" He asks.
I turn my head and look at him. He looks worried as if I'm about to say it's over. Any anger I felt has quickly vanished. I reach over to him and grab his hand.
"Of course I know you love me. I love you, too. More than you will ever know. I shouldn't have blown up on him like that either. I just really don't want you guys messing with Stephen." I say.
Jordan sighs, but nods his head. "We won't mess with him as long as he doesn't mess with us."
"Okay, deal," I smile. "What's going on with Troy anyways?" I ask.
"Kind of private. By the way, this weekend I'm not free. I'll be hanging with the guys." He says.
"That's fine. Jake, Alyssa, and I were probably going to get together and do something anyway." I tell him.
"Alright, well, let's get back inside." He stands up and I stand up along with him.
Before I can go in, he grabs my arm, spins me around, and kisses me. It's almost as if he's thanking me in this kiss. I pull away from him first and raise an eyebrow.
"Just for being amazing." He smiles.
I smile and lightly press a kiss on his lips before going back inside. We sit down beside each other and I look over at Troy. Might as well get this over with.
"Troy, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that." I apologize.
He smiles a little, "I'm sorry, too, Abster. You're like family. You're Jordan's girl, so that makes you our sister. I was being stupid. Forgive me?"
"Forgiven." I smile.
Everyone at our table clap for us and we fist pound each other. The rest of the night we don't argue or fuss. We spend it laughing and crying because we're laughing so hard.
______________________________________
Next chapter will be in Jordan's p.o.v.
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