Katie
The first day back to school was hard. I had a lot of stares but luckily no one tried to talk to me.

One odd thing is I didn't see Stacy anywhere.

I brought Wyatt's hoodie and football jersey to give back to him. I didn't want to see him so I devise a plan.

In English, I ask to use the restroom.  When I get out of the calls room I run to his locker and unlock it.

Surprisingly it's very neat. I shove them in and leave a note.

Didn't feel right to keep it.
Katie

Before I close the locker door I notice a picture hanging on the inside of the door.

It was a picture of me on Wyatt's back. He was laughing and bent over trying to keep from falling over.

I remember this picture. I wanted to film a cute TikTok beside a pound on our trail ride/picnic date.

I jumped onto Wyatt and it threw him off guard.

We both have coats on and my hair in a bun.

I sent him this picture that night and he must have printed it out.

My heart flutters and I slam his locker shut.

At the end of the day, I open my locker.

A dark grey and blue shirt tumbles out.

I pick it up off the floor and release its Wyatt's jersey. There's a note on the floor.

It's yours remember! Besides it wouldn't feel right if any other girl wore it.
Just Wyatt.

I stare at the jersey in my hands and my stupid heart flutters.

I notice Wyatt leaning against his locker.

I scowl while slamming my locker shut.

When I walk past him I don't even spare him a glance.

Walking to our cars Izzy notices Wyatt talking with some guys.

"Hey, Tyler do you still have that football in your car?" Izzy asks.

"Yeah," Tyler says.

He pulls said football out of the back of his car and hands it to Izzy.

"Hey, Wyatt!" Izzy yells.

He looks up and Izzy throws the football straight at his crouch.

Wyatt bends over. "What the hell Gavins!"

Izzy shrugs. "Whoops."

Tyler bursts into laughter and I roll my eyes.

Izzy gives me an innocent look. "What? You didn't make me swear not to hurt him."

"You're the best," I say hugging her.

"Sweetheart, that was so hot," Tyler says still laughing.

I dramatically flip my hair. "Yeah, super sexy."

Izzy pushes me and I walk to my truck.

I notice Wyatt staring at me with a longing look, but I ignore him.

Wednesday went the same as yesterday except Stacy was at school. She looked like hell.

No makeup and sweatpants.

After school, I take Ripley for a long ride to clear my head.

When I get home everyone is sitting in my living room. My dad, Clair, Izzy, Tyler, Derek, and Ava.

"What's going on guys?" I ask nervously.

My dad smiles. "Oh, nothing just hanging out."

"Okay," I say.

"Oh Honey, there's something for you on the kitchen table." My dad yells.

There's a box and a manila envelope. I pull a piece of paper out and realize it's from Clearbrook College.

I walk into the living room holding the paper.
"Did I get in?" I ask.

"I don't know I didn't read it." My dad exclaims.

I take a deep breath and scan the paper. My eyes drift to the bottom.

"I got in," I whisper.

"What?" Derek asks.

"I got it!" I yell.

The girls scream and Derek picks me up.

My dad hugs me with tears in his eyes. "I knew you would get in."

I laugh. "Your not mad? Now all your kids all leaving home."

He pulls away. "I'm so proud; I'll miss you, but I'm happy."

Tyler lifts me onto his shoulder. "Put me down, damn it!" I yell hitting his back.

He ignores me and walks out to the front lawn.

"Kat's going to college!" Tyler yells

Izzy comes out with the box. "Look they sent merch."

Tyler puts me down and we dig through the box.

We all chose different pieces of clothing to wear and take tons of pictures.

The moment was bittersweet. The one person I really wanted to tell wasn't here.

Wyatt.

Afterward, my family takes me to get Icecream.

"I'll have a waffle cone with one scope of vanilla," I say.

The guy scoping Icecream gives me a wink.

He was cute, I guess. He has dirty blond hair that falls into his face slightly.

He isn't as tall as Wyatt or as muscular.
His eyes were a deep blue, unlike Wyatt's which are brown with gold and green.

Wyatt had more of a rustic sweet look this guy has more of a pretty, bad boy look.

Wyatt is sweet and shy this guy is flat out flirting with me.

Don't get me wrong Wyatt had girls all over him, but it wasn't because he is a total flirt.

Yes, he occasionally flashes his killer smile, but that was it.

It was because he was nice to everyone.

Why am I comparing this guy to Wyatt?

He puts another scope on top. "Oh sorry, I just wanted one," I say quickly.

You had to pay extra for more scopes.

"It's on the house," he says handing me my cone back.

See!

I smile at him and walk towards my family.

Dad and Clair chose a table and I sit in a booth with Tyler, Izzy, Derek, and Ava.

"Katie, that guy was flirting with you!" Izzy says pushing my shoulder.

I lick my ice cream. "So?"

"He's cute," Ava says and Derek shoots her a glare.

"Oh relax he's like 17," Ava says dryly.

Tyler grins; seeing an opening for a joke.
"Because you're like thirty-five right?"

Ava sends him a nasty look. "No, I'm 21, Dipshit."

We all laugh.

"You should talk to him, Katie," Izzy says.

"He's is attractive, but I feel nothing towards him. There's no pull like with Wyatt." I respond.

She nods.

"I fell hard for Wyatt, I don't think I'm ready to date again," I add signing.

Derek nods his head dramatically. "That's right. You really shouldn't talk to males at all. They're pretty much all the same."

Ava shoves Derek. "Would you shut up! Katie don't listen to him. You'll know when you're ready."

I smile. "Thanks, guys."

Wyatt
I see Katie and her family walk into the ice cream parlor I was at with Ryan and Gloria.

Luckily we are sitting in a booth away from everyone.

I rub my shoulder blades. "I think Tyler is paying the defense guys to tackle me harder in practice."

Ryan laughs but it sounds like a snort. "He is. Derek, Katie's brother still knows a lot of guys on the defense side.

I shake my head laughing. "Gosh, they are creative."

I watch Katie talk with the guy at the counter. I wanted to go up there and pull her away from him.

I swear if that dude smiles one more freaking time I'm going to take some teeth out.

I see Izzy coming towards our table. "Switch seats with me," I say to Ryan.

"Why?"

"Just do it." I hiss.

We switch seats and Izzy chooses both behind me.

They can't see me, but I can hear everything they're saying.

We talk back and forth for a while till I hear my name mentioned from the table behind me.

"There's no pull with like Wyatt." I hear Katie's sweet voice say.

"I feel hard for Wyatt, I do think I'm ready to date again."

I quit listening after I hear that. Ryan and Gloria were too busy looking at their phones to hear.

I knew Katie was lying. I knew it wasn't fake between us.

I put my head in my hands. I should have tried harder. I look back at that night and wish I could do it differently.

I couldn't, but there is one thing I could do to hopefully get her to talk to me.

Do y'all know what picture Katie is describing? You know the one hanging in Wyatt's locker.

I'll give y'all a hint. You see it every time my book pops up.

The end is near my dear readers.