“What’s up, Dad?”
“I want you to promise me you’ll look out for Ashleigh and Lily this year.”
“Dad, come on… It’s senior year. I can’t do—”
“Ashleigh is strong, she’s got this. But Lily is… well, after what happened, she’s struggling. Just be a friend, okay.”
Lily was Ashleigh’s best friend. She was also my dad’s best friend’s daughter. He was kind of a big deal in Rixon.
He was also my coach.
“Fine, but I’m not babysitting.” I had a full plate as it was.
“Nobody is asking you to. Just keep an eye on them, and if you get wind of any… issues, you go straight to Jase with that shit, okay?”
“Yeah, okay.”
He nodded. “You’re a good kid, Avery. Now get out of here. And drive safely. Your sister is precious cargo.”
“Okay, brat, tell me the rules again.”
“Avery, come on,” Ashleigh whined. “I’m not doing this.”
“Tell me, or else I’ll tell dad you were trying to flirt with my guys… again.”
“I was not flirting. I was having a conversation.”
“I saw you batting your eyelashes and twirling your hair at Micah.”
“Micah? Gross.”
I arched a brow. “You think Micah is gross? That’s not what I heard you telling Poppy and Sophia.”
“I—” Her cheeks flushed beet red.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” I smirked. “Just make sure it’s only gossiping you’re doing. My guys are off-limits.”
“I’m in ninth grade, jackass. Your guys wouldn’t look twice at me, and besides, if they ever did, Dad and Uncle Xan would kick their asses all the way to State if they found out.”
“Damn right they would. But don’t be mistaken… the rule doesn’t only apply to my guys; it applies to guys period.”
“Whatever. Just because you’re a manwhore of epic proportions doesn’t mean the rest of us want to be.”
“Jesus, Leigh, I’m not—”
“How many girls did you sleep with over the summer?”
What the actual fuck?
“I am not having this conversation with you,” I gritted out. “I think I see Lily. You should probably go find her.”
“Nice diversion tactic, jackass.”
“Get out of here, Ash,” I chuckled, but she leaned over and punched my arm.
“You are so freaking annoying.” She hated it when people called her Ash, because my dad’s other best friend was called Asher and that was his nickname. Instead, she made us call her Leigh, which I did, unless I was in tease mode.
“Takes one to know one,” I called after her as I climbed out of my car.
My sister headed straight for Coach Ford’s daughters. Lily and Poppy were a grade apart, but it wasn’t the only thing separating them. Lily was all her father, dark hair and icy blue eyes that looked right through you. But Poppy, she was her mom. Wavy brown hair and green eyes and a smile that lit up like the fourth of July. We’d all grown up together: me and Ashleigh; the Ford girls; Sofia and Aaron, the Bennet twins, and later their foster brother Ezra. But because I was the eldest, and three years older than Ashleigh, Lily, and Ezra, I wasn’t as tight with them.
“Yo, Chase,” Micah and Ben made their way over.
“What’s up?” I said.
“Senior year, man. We’re gonna rule the school and dominate the field this season.”
“Fuck, yeah,” Ben said, fist bumping Micah. “You good?” he asked me. “You look stressed.”
“I’m chill.” My shoulders lifted in a small shrug. “Not looking forward to getting back in the gym though.”
Our regime would be brutal this year. After a crushing defeat last season, we’d missed out on the championship game. As captain and quarterback, it was a bitter pill to swallow. The season should have been ours. But a string of injuries had upset our flow.
“Seriously?” Ben balked. “I can’t wait. Nothing like a few reps to get the blood pumping.”
We walked toward the school building. Guys stopped to say ‘hey’ or high five us and girls paused to smile and bat their eyelashes. We weren’t just seniors this year. We were fucking kings… and the empire rested squarely on my shoulders.
I had to take them to State. I had to bring home the championship. I had to catch the eye of a scout to one of my preferred colleges.
It was a lot, and as we walked into school, I knew it was only about to get a hell of a lot worse.
“Snitch alert.” Micah coughed into his hand as we passed Miley Fuller. She caught my eye and went to speak, but I shot her a cold glare and kept walking.
She was the last person I wanted to talk to.
“I can’t believe she has the balls to come back here.”
“Seriously, bro, she goes here.” Ben snorted. “What was she going to do, leave?”
“Uh, hell yeah. After what she did, I’m surprised her parents didn’t haul her out of Rixon High and send her to juvie.”
“You don’t just get sent to juvie, man. That’s not how it works. Besides, she didn’t actually commit a crime.”
“Try telling that to Coach and the team. Hey, what says you, Chase?”
I glanced up at them and shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”
“Doesn’t matter?” Micah’s brows hit his hairline. “The backstabbing bitch spent the entire season posing as a cheerleader to get the scoop on the team and then wrote that story for the school newspaper.”
“Micah, I said drop it.” I didn’t want to talk about Miley and her lies… her betrayal.
I didn’t want to talk about her at all.
“What’s up your ass, bro?”
I slammed my locker shut and ran a hand through my hair. “I gotta get to class. I’ll see you guys later.”
But as I stalked off down the hall and rounded the corner, Miley intercepted me.
“Can we talk?” Her eyes darted around me. “Please.”
“I think you said everything you needed to say in your article.” My teeth ground together as her soft tawny eyes silently pleaded with me.
“I know I messed up, Ave, and I’m so sor—”
“Don’t call me that. Only friends get to call
