"It's been over an hour, where are they?" Claudia huffed under the makeshift tent we created in our living room. It involved a few chairs, extra bed sheets, blankets, and throw pillows. The end result was a cozy space that allowed us to snuggle up to each other and live out our childhoods for the night.

"It's your fault for suggesting Jordan meet with Nate to pick up the pizza. You know how they are, they probably thought they could get a quick weight lifting session in before they got there," I said.

"I'll give them a pass because they're covering the bill, but if this was on my dime, I'd chew someone out."

I didn't know why Nate was so insistent on getting the pizza. Making all the effort to go and pick it up just to drop it off and go on about his night? I'd think he'd have better things to do on a Friday.

Obviously, I did thank him for his efforts at the end of the day.

There's no doubt I had some preconceived notions about him. As the days passed and I spent more time with him, slowly, some of those notions began to prove false.

He was a nice guy. Still a little arrogant in some regards, yet surprisingly insecure in others.

Sure, it took him a little longer to grasp certain concepts and he was behind on what he should know this far down the line, but at least he continued to try.

I was still trying to grasp all the intricacies of his struggles. His reading comprehension, his attention span, his spelling, his memory were all lacking if I had to be honest. Whatever was going on, it was much deeper than him simply being, what he frustratingly referred to himself as, "stupid".

He stopped saying it recently at least, only because I threatened him with a hundred laps around his field every time that word came out of his mouth during our sessions, though.

"You just need to focus your mind on something other than the food. How was work today?" I asked, keeping my eyes on our small TV screen as the movie Clueless began to play.

"I had one kid call me a bitch, another one vomited twice, which I was forced to clean twice, and the pay is crap so... great." She put on her best fake smile and sarcastic delivery.

"You're the one who wanted to become a teacher." I gave her back a sympathetic pat. "I mean, you'll be amazing at it but the pay does suck and the kids today are definitely a different breed."

"Tell me about it." She shook her head.

A little after we settled into the movie, Jordan walked through the door. Shortly following after him was Nate, both holding a box of pizza.

"We've arrived." Jordan lifted his box up like it was a Superbowl winning trophy.

Nate decided to take the casual approach and simply gave a slight quirk of his lips. He was more focused on taking in his surroundings, his eyes scouring the small confines of our apartment with rapid curiosity.

There wasn't much to take in, like I said, our apartment was small. Our living room was a stark white square box, with an outdated carpet covered floor and leather brown couch Jordan's dad graciously donated to us from his man cave. We tried to spice things up with a few colorful abstract art portraits we found at Goodwill, and two fake plants on both sides of the door.

Claudia pulled herself up, straightening out her fuzzy pajama set and heading straight for Jordan's box. "Took you long enough," she said.

After taking in our living room, Nate paced himself by the door. He seemed unsure of what to do or even where to stand.

"What happened to thank you? Have we forgotten our manners so quickly?" Jordan purposefully lifted the box over his head so Claudia couldn't reach.

She knew it was well above her height, but that didn't stop her from jumping up to whack it out of his hand. "I'll say thank you after you hand me the box."

I lifted myself out of our tent as well and approached Nate. "Hi, thanks again for the food." I said in a low tone. I didn't want to look directly at him, I didn't know why, so instead, I looked at the space between his eyes. The old sales trick for those uncomfortable with eye contact.

"It's no problem," he said and handed me his box. "Thanks for the help with my homework."

I moved the few steps from the door back to the tent and dropped the box off on the coffee table we pushed to the side. Nate followed, hands in the pocket of his sweatpants and eyes lowered.

"It's part of our deal. You don't have to keep thanking me, Nate."

"I know, but I'll still continue to, so you just have to deal with it." A full mischievous smile was back on his face.

"Not if I put it in the contract. You know, I've been meaning to revise it anyways. Rule number six: no incessant thanking for things that are a part of Ms. Stokes' job description."

"You can't revise the contract. We sealed it with our signature. It's permanent, nothing can be taken away or added," he said.

"Says who?" I countered.

"I know you, Leah Stokes. You add one thing, you'll be focused on changing things the whole semester," he said.

"You, Nate Holloway, know nothing about me." I crossed my arms over my chest.

Claudia and Jordan seemed to have finished their fight just in time to catch Nate and mine. I gave him an intense look, one that showed I was resilient and couldn't be broken down by his usual smirk and laughing eyes.

The guy thought he was the king of charisma. I was sure he had a lot of people in the palm of his hands, but he'd have to work astronomically harder to get even a whimper out of me.

You see, I was really starting to figure him out. I knew his patterns, how he got teachers, classmates, and fans alike to instantly break into a smile. The way he'd step close to someone, look them straight in the eyes and pretend to listen with care and intent to what they'd have to say. The slow methodical upturn of his pouty lips, the nod he'd give, signaling whoever was in front of him had his undivided attention. The way he'd compliment people, not just in a basic way, but in a way that's tailored to each individual he encountered. "That dress really compliments your skin tone, Jasmine. The girls will really dig this haircut, Jason, they can finally see those blue eyes they go crazy for. That wrap dress you always wear makes you look so elegant Professor Clinton, it's almost hard to pay attention to anything else in class."

I knew better.

"The pizza will get cold by the time you two stop sending eye daggers to each other," Jordan said. "or heart eyes, I honestly can't tell the difference."

"Eye daggers." Nate and I said simultaneously.

"Well that's enough daggers for tonight, everyone wash your hands and grab some plates," Claudia said before walking over to the kitchen.

"Nate, you were heading out, right?" I asked. I was sure since he repaid whatever debt he felt he owed me, he'd want to go about whatever it was he was intending to do tonight.

"No way, you're staying right?" Jordan turned to Nate, then turned back to me. "I told him he could stay."

"Jordan, you know you live across the hall, right? You don't exactly have the clearance to invite people over to me and Claudia's apartment." He was over so frequently, I understood why he might mistakenly think he did live here.

"I don't mind staying." Nate shrugged.

"Don't you have anything better to do tonight?" I asked. Having Nate stay was not a part of the plan and I wasn't completely on board with the idea. I saw more than enough of him throughout the week, this was meant to be my break.

Nate leaned down, his face mere inches from mine. "Nope."

He didn't wait for my reaction and walked straight past me to the kitchen, where he washed his hands and picked up a plate.

I stood back for a few seconds to let the irritation reel off of me, then followed everyone else.

The tent wasn't made for four people but it didn't bother anyone else that we were squished down like a pack of sardines so I didn't complain either. I was on the far end, Claudia and Jordan were the ones who occupied the middle.

We watched the movie and got through the two boxes of pizza in silence, it wasn't until the film ended that the chatter started.

"So she's screwing her stepbrother now, that's meant to be the happy ending ?" Nate turned to us with a grimace that caused me to hide a smile.

"Well, I mean technically yes, but it's more complicated," Claudia said.

"It's really not. They said at the start of the movie that Josh was her stepbrother and by the end they were tonguing each other down. That's nasty, not a cute ending," Jordan said.

I stepped in to try to set the record straight. "They also explained that Cher's dad and Josh's mom were married very briefly. They're not blood related, they were in each other's lives as siblings for a short time and–" I took a deep breath. "Okay, it's a little weird I'll admit but it's not incest, technically."

"I don't think incest should be justified on a technicality. For a very matter-of-fact girl, I think you should know that." Nate extended his neck over to ensure he looked straight at me.

"I'm not always matter-of-fact, I'm a very nuanced person." I turned to Jordan and Claudia for backup. "Tell him I'm nuanced."

Claudia looked down at her nails, checking her acrylics. "She's very nuanced, Nate."

"The most nuanced person I've ever met in my life." Jordan added.

Even more amusement took over Nate's face. "Aren't you guys the perfect lackeys? How did this trio even form anyways?"

Jordan rolled his body down and extended his arm over Claudia and me before he spoke. "Well those two have been partners in crime since high school. I came into the picture during our freshman orientation. I was still just the coach's son and you remember how they acted towards me in the beginning, so I hadn't made any friends yet. I found a random seat in the auditorium and ended up right next to them. I tried to make conversation but they thought I was trying to flirt so they told me they didn't like athletes and ignored me the whole time. And then by the end of the day it started raining pretty bad, which Leah was freaking out about because she was the only one who had her license at that point and she didn't like driving in storms. Then it got even worse cause her car wouldn't start, so being the gentleman I was, I called a tow truck and gave them a ride home. During that two hour drive, we were locked in and have been tight ever since."

I nodded, approving of Jordan's retelling of the story.

"You don't like athletes?" Nate held his hand to his chest with a wounded pout.

"No." I answered quickly.

"We despise them," Claudia said. "Jordan gets a pass because he's one of the good ones."

"One of the good ones? well what's so wrong with the rest of us?"

Claudia grinned. "You want to take this, Leah? Or you want me to go?"

"Oh, I'll take it." I raised my hand. "Well, where to start. First, I'll say I do see the merit in athleticism as a talent. The human body can be pushed far to do impressive things, but you're not freaking gods. The sun does not shine out of your asses. You just get so much attention and compliments, and fans, and groupies, and sponsorships. It all goes straight to your heads. The overindulging self importance is through the roof."

Nate paused for a long stretching moment and then he said. "That's so stereotypical and untrue. You guys are just prejudiced against athletes. You've been friends with Jordan for a while but I didn't know either of you until this semester, which means you don't hang around the team much. We're chill guys for the most part. We don't act like gods."

"I kept telling them, it's those basketball and hockey players that are giving us a bad rep. Us football players have always been known for our humility," Jordan said, trying hard not to burst into laughter at his own statement.

Nate shook his hand in agreement and we left the topic at that for the time being.

Claudia put the speaker on and began blasting one of her playlists, while we transitioned from movie to game time. When Jordan suggested we play our truth game, Claudia and I both looked at Nate and cringed at the idea.

"What's the truth game?" He took notice of our reactions and sat up.

"Just a little thing we do. We have questions written on cards, and we have to pick one, then one by one the whole group takes a shot and answers deeply and honestly. It's a way to keep up with each other's feelings, vent about stuff, get drunk maybe," Jordan said.

"We can do that. If everyone joins in, hell, I'll share too," Nate said.

I agreed to play as well and so did Claudia. I did want to know more about Nate. I already spent all this time with him anyways, I wanted to know as much as possible, especially regarding his family dynamic.

Jordan brought out the small bowl of questions along with a bottle of vodka and four shot glasses. Nate took a glass and filled it with vodka. He tipped his head back and drank the shot in a quick motion before dipping his hand in and choosing the first card.

"What's your biggest fear at the moment?" He read. He tapped the paper against his hand a few times then answered. "I worry about not being able to prove myself outside of football. Everyone knows I can make a quick throw, but there's more to life than that. I can't play forever and eventually, I'd like to go into a different field. Plus my family, they're not sports people so all of this is just kiddy play to them. They're waiting for me to put my big boy pants on and actually do something meaningful and so far, I haven't shown that I'm able to. I feel like this is my last chance to prove I can be more than just an athlete."

I could see the weight on his shoulders, the way he breathed a bit heavier, and the dejection that covered his face. I felt an urge to reach out and comfort him in some way, but I didn't know how. I guess I didn't know his pattern in that way, so instead, I turned to Jordan who took a shot next.

"I'm the same way, man. I've been playing football since I could walk and I accepted that I wasn't good a while ago, but I still wanted to push myself. I spent the whole summer training like crazy. I mean day after day, hour after hour with my dad. I feel more confident in some ways, and in others, I still think of myself as the crappy player who only got on the team because of nepotism. I'm scared I won't get the chance to even show my improvement and at the same time, I'm terrified of actually getting the chance to be on the field and blowing it. I love the game, I don't want to disappoint anyone."

Nate patted Jordan on the back. "You have the heart, Wells. As long as you keep up the positive attitude, I think you'll get your shot and I doubt you'd blow it."

Claudia took her shot and started. "I'm scared of letting my demons win. I worked so hard to be this confident self assured person and it is genuine, but there are moments when I question myself and I feel like crap. Like the other day, when I went shopping with Leah and I saw a bunch of cute dresses. I couldn't find a single one in my size, and then I looked around the entire store and none of the clothes were bigger than a size ten, so I just had to encourage Leah to try them on. It doesn't stunt my confidence per say, but it does sting a little. Feeling different and not good enough to make the cut."

I thought back to the shopping trip and guilt instantly overcame me. I knew the struggles she endured back in high school, I was right by her side and it would kill me if any part of it returned. "I'm sorry Claudia, I didn't notice, I thought you were just picking things out for me as usual. I should've paid more attention."

"You did absolutely nothing wrong, girl. This is between me and the clothing industry and I'm working through it." She grabbed the last glass and poured my shot for me.

I pinched my nose to block the smell and tipped my head back, letting the strong clear liquid run down my throat.

"I'm scared of being mediocre. I love my parents and they've always been the type to say they love me no matter what, and as long as I'm happy that's all that matters but it's really not. I watched them struggle to get by living paycheck to paycheck. I was riddled with guilt whenever they splurged on anything for me because I was scared we wouldn't have enough to pay the bills. They had regular lower middle class jobs, with lower middle class homes, in lower middle class neighborhoods. I want more out of life. I want to be extremely successful and financially stable with no worries about how I'd afford to pay for this or that. I want to buy my mom a nice house one day, get my dad his dream truck. I want to lead board meetings and make top level decisions, and negotiate with important clients. I want to be a boss, but with the position I'm in, it just feels like a crazy dream, not something that could be reality."

I could feel Nate's gaze searing into the side of my face as I talked, it didn't falter after I stopped. He said nothing in response. Now, I hoped he understood why I wanted the internship so much, why I was relying so heavily on our deal. It was everything for me.

The game was meant to be continued but Jordan started complaining.

"I need something sweet," he said.

"Like what? Ice cream? Cake? Cookies?" Claudia asked.

"Any of those would be good." He licked his lips.

"I know right, too bad we have nothing. If you want it, you'll have to go get it," she said.

"Let's go to the store." He stood up, and held his hand for Claudia to join him.

"I'll stay behind and clean up." I offered, hoping to get a moment of quiet by myself.

"I'll stay too." Nate spoke up directly after me.

"Cool, we'll be back soon, maybe." Claudia wiggled her brows at me. "Let me make a list of all the dinners I want you to cook while we're out.

I choked out a laugh. "Don't waste your time on a list that will never be used. I won't be the one cooking."

Claudia grabbed her purse by the coat rack and Jordan got his keys.

"We'll see." She smiled as they walked out of the door.

I watched the door close and the silence ensued until Nate got my attention again.

"What's that dinner thing all about?" He asked.

"Just a little bet we have."

"What's the bet?"

"None of your business." I smiled.

I grabbed the plates, while Nate voluntarily grabbed the boxes of pizza and followed me to the kitchen. He dropped the boxes by the trash can and leaned against the counter while I started washing the dishes. Nothing was said between us for a while.

"I should let you know, I might be a little late for our Sunday session." He finally spoke up.

"Why?"

"I have this thing," he said.

"Oh, right. You're so descriptive, I totally understand your explanation."

"I'll let you know for sure if I'm late, okay. I'm just giving you a heads up." He continued to remain coy.

"Okay." I chose not to ponder further. If he didn't want to say it then it was none of my business.

"Your friends are cool. Obviously I already knew Jordan was but all three of you together, it was cool to be included," he said.

I finished my last dish and grabbed a rag to dry it. "We're the coolest kids in school, that's for sure."

"I want to help you, you know, Leah. I want you to be successful too. I don't think there's a chance in hell you'll be mediocre. You never have been."

I put the clean dishes away and tried to get the tightness in my chest to relax. Being in this small kitchen with Nate alone felt too enclosing. It was like he was breathing down my neck when there was considerable space between us.

"I want to help you too. I'll do everything I can to help you pass, you know that, and I believe you will."

A mutual understanding formed between us after, much different than the understanding that got us into our deal in the first place. I wasn't just starting to tolerate Nate, I genuinely began to root for him, and I knew he was rooting for me as well.

When Jordan and Claudia got back from the store, we split two pints of ice cream and went back to watching a movie. I don't know when it happened, but we all ended up falling asleep in our tent. The thing I couldn't understand even more was how Nate's sleeping body ended up slumped on mine. We were on opposite sides of the tent the whole night. I didn't think too much into it though, I let him have his peace of sleep for the night. He had a game the next day after all.