Chapter 4

I listened to the music on my I-phone for the remaining half hour of Jaxon’s practice.

When the coach finally blew the whistle to call the team in they huddled for a minute or so then broke off to head to the change room – everybody except Carson ad Jaxon - they came running over to me. Carson got to me first, and before I could protest, he wrapped his sweat covered arms around my and swung me in the air.

“CARSON! Put me …*ha ha* down this *ha ha* … instant!” I tried to say while laughing hysterically at the same time. He finally put me down but I was insanely dizzy. Once my vision came back to normal, I glared at Carson and said “Now look what you did! I probably stink because of you… could you not shower before coming and bugging me?”

Jaxon came up behind Carson and slapped him on the back. “Now now Lexi, you know that we love bugging you, but Carson here seems to enjoy it a lot more than me” he said and winking at me before heading back to the locker rooms.

I turned to Carson “See? Why don’t you follow Jax over there and go get cleaned up because truthfully, you stink” I said while scrunching up my nose pretending to be appalled by the smell radiating off his body

He turned to me and I saw the mischievous glint in his eyes. I started to back up because I realized what he was thinking but I was too slow. Carson threw his sweaty left arm over my shoulder and brought my head into his chest in a one armed hug. “Oh you know you love me dirty” he said winking at me like the man whore he is.

“Perv” I replied pushing off his stomach and detaching his arm from my shoulder. I backed away from him so he couldn’t get me any dirtier. “And for the record, I don’t love you in any way, shape or form. Now go change so we can get home” I said waving my hand towards the locker rooms and turning away to walk out of the gym.

Carson must have listened to me because as I walked out of the gym, I didn’t hear any footsteps following me.

I headed towards the front doors of the school and across the parking lot to wait on the hood of my brother’s car. Since I knew they would be a little while, I put my headphones in to drown out the surrounding noise, laid down so my back was against the windshield and closed my eyes.

After four songs passed, somebody poked me in the stomach. My eyes shot open and I screamed. My screams stopped when I saw Jaxon and Carson bent over laughing at me. “Ha. Ha. Very funny guys. What took you guys so long?” I asked, crossing my arms and jumping off the hood of the car to smack them each upside the head. They slowly stopped laughing at me and stood up straighter.

“Well…” Carson started. “I was ready to leave five minutes ago, but this loser over here” he said jerking his thumb towards Jaxon before continuing “had to go back to his locker on the other side of the school to pick up his history textbook he forgot”

I turned to walk towards the door to the back seat before answering. “How do you already have homework? It’s the first day. I would hate to have whatever teacher you have.”

Jaxon answered while unlocking the doors so we could pile into his car. “Mr. Haynes is a mean old man who doesn’t have a life outside teaching history to seniors and making their lives after school horrible by piling on homework” he grumbled while starting up the car and speeding out of the parking lot.

“Wow man! Slow down” Carson replied. He turned around in his seat to look at me before saying “I am so glad that I don’t have to take history this year. I got it over and done with last year when Mrs. Yorkdale was teaching it. Easiest teacher I have ever had in my whole life”. He turned back to the front and looked at Jaxon before slapping his shoulder and saying “Good luck this year man, you’re gonna need it”

I just shook my head at the two idiots in the front and texted my mom. We just left the school parking lot. Should be home in fifteen minutes, see you soon <3

I started about to open up Temple Run on my phone when I got a reply; Yeah, that’s fine honey. Just make sure to tell Carson that I need to speak to him too :)

I won’t. Love you !

I closed my conversation with my mom and put my phone back in my pocket before tapping Carson on the shoulder. “Turn the radio up” I said then sat back in my seat to relax on our way home while the music filled the car.

Jaxon pulled into the driveway thirteen minutes later and cut the engine. I grabbed my bag and got out of the car before turning to Carson, “Remember you have to come in because my mom wants to talk to us about something”.

“Yea I remembered, I always come in anyways so it’s not like I’m doing anything different than any normal day” he said while we walked up the pathway to front door of my house.

I took out my key, put it in the lock and opened the door. “We’re home!” I yelled once I got into the entryway of our home.

“In the kitchen!” I heard my mom yell back.

Once I took my shoes off I went through the living room and dining area to reach the kitchen. When I got there I saw that my mom was eating a bowl of fruit and was waiting for all three of us to join her. Instead of taking a seat at the island, I headed towards the fridge and looked for a yogurt cup and a juice box because I was hungry. I was about to shut the fridge door when I heard Carson and Jaxon come into the kitchen. “Make that two more juice boxes, an apple and a granola bar” Jaxon ordered me.

I rolled my eyes and turned back around to grab the last two juice boxes in the fridge and an apple before finally closing the door. I went to the second cupboard above the stove and reached in to get a granola bar. I turned around and dropped the pile of food that was in my hands onto the island countertop and grabbed a spoon from the drawer behind me. I sat down on the only available stool left at the island which was right in between Carson and Jaxon. I rolled my eyes but took a seat with my snacks and opened my yogurt cup to start eating.

After I finished my yogurt and half of my juice box, I looked up at my mom. “So, what was so important that I had to wait and watch these two idiots practice instead of going to the movies with Zayn, Kylie, Alenna and Zach?” I questioned while getting up to throw my garbage away.

I sat back down while my mother started to talk. “Well you guys all know that I usually go away once or twice a month for three days because of my job right?”

We all nodded so she continued “Well this time, the corporate head at the New York branch wanted to talk to me personally after the seminar next week”.

I looked at her questioningly while Jaxon said, “So what does that mean”, voicing my unspoken thoughts.

She stared at us for a second before answering. “I am usually only gone for three days, but since they want to speak to me and a couple other colleagues separately, next week we will have to stay down there for seven days – not three” she said.

“Okay what’s the big deal? It’s just four extra days.” I stated the blatantly obvious before continuing. “I know how to cook, we have money to order food, our housekeeper comes on Thursday’s to clean up anyways and Mr. and Mrs. Roberts are next door if there’s an emergency. I don’t see what the big deal is?”

“Well, I know since you are all popular you are probably going to have a party since I am not only gone during the week this time” she stated. Jaxon was about to protest but my mom looked at him and continued to speak. “Don’t even try to deny it because I know what you’re like. I just wanted to say that when and if you do decide to have a party, make sure that nothing gets broken, and don’t invite the whole school.” Jaxon and I just nodded when Carson voiced his opinion.

“I can tell you that Jaxon was probably thinking about having a party the second you said you would be gone all of next week” he said while smirking in Jaxon’s direction before turning back to my mom with a questioning look. “But Eloise, why did you need to speak to me?”

“Well, I know you will be helping to organize this party since you are basically another son to me, however, I was going to ask you a huge favor” she replied while looking at Carson. Carson nodded for her to continue. “Well, I know you guys will somehow have alcohol at this party so I was wondering if you could just not drink too much and watch over Jaxon and Lexi here so they don’t get into any trouble if they get too drunk”

“Yeah sure. I don’t usually drink a whole lot at parties anyway so it shouldn’t be a problem for me to watch over these two” he said while throwing his arm around me for about the tenth time today.

“Get your arm off of me!” I told Carson as I pushed his arm off of my shoulder. I turned to my mom, “That’s all you needed? You could have just told us tonight instead of ruining my plans to go to the movies with my friends”

My mom shook her head. “Yes, but you need to give your friends some time alone. I am pretty sure that Zayn and Kylie have something there – even if they won’t admit it, and they won’t admit it if you are always with them, they’ll never be on their own.”

I looked at my mom with a weird expression on my face and started laughing. “Mom, there is nothing going on between Zayn and Kylie” I assured her. “Kylie still doesn’t look at any guy in a romantic way since sophomore year and they would have both told me if they liked anybody”. I shook my head and turned to head out of the kitchen which Carson and Jaxon had already abandoned.

As I was heading upstairs, I stopped by the supply closet underneath the stair case that held my art supplies. Only Kylie and my mother knew about my desire for art, not even my brother or Carson. Nobody at school knew because I didn’t take any classes nor was I in the art club like Cassidy. I just drew and painted for fun in my spare time. Kylie always told me to put my work in a gallery but I told her that I just painted for fun and I had no interest in doing anything professional.

Once I grabbed a couple of drawing pencils and a sketch book, I headed upstairs making sure that Jaxon and Carson were nowhere around and bolted to my room at the end of the upstairs hallway. I closed my door and put my drawing pencils and sketch book on my desk. I flipped open my sketch pad to a fresh page and started to draw.