Chapter four: Baseball hat girl (Ryder's POV)

Her dad's car drove past us and we sobered up. We weren't drunk. We went out for a bite and just got back. We had to leave now to the airport. Our things were all packed up and sitting in Owen's mom's car. 

"Hey, boys!" she smiled while answering the door for us. "Come on, go get ready," she sighed. 

We all went upstairs and split into three different bathrooms to get ready in. We all decided to stay at Owen's one day before our flight because his mom was free to drive us to the airport and it would just be easier if we went together. We're going to Rome. Rome. Boring old Rome. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful place but for seventeen-year-old guys? I'm not too sure. 

Colton's parents are sending us. They got this voucher from a client for two weeks in Rome and because his parents are too busy to go, they're sending us off. I pulled on my hoodie with a pair of grey joggers before throwing my shoes on. I sprayed cologne on before going downstairs and grabbing a bottle of water, sitting on the couch. 

"Where's Ryder?" Colton asked as Owen came downstairs. 

"I thought he was down here," Owen shrugged. 

"I am," I stood up with a sigh, pushing my phone in my pocket. "Colton," I walked over to him, resting my elbow on his shoulder. "How many Hendersons do we have in our grade?" I asked before drinking some water. 

"Hendersons? Are you still thinking of the basketball girl?" he groaned. 

"Just tell me," I pushed.

"We have three girls as far as I know. I've hooked up with two of them. If she's a Henderson, she's the one we don't know," he shrugged as we climbed into the car. 

"I'm pretty sure a Henderson sits behind me in English but that can't be her. She hides behind books and this basketball girl..." I trailed off while blowing air. 

She impressed me. She's feisty, she's hot, she talks back a lot. She's someone I haven't dealt with and now I'm interested. She's been on my mind since she threw that basketball over to the Forbes'. Something about her is just different. 

"People are pretty different in school you know, it could be her," Owen shrugged as his mom got into the driver's seat. 

"Do you know her name?" I asked him, leaning forward and resting my elbows on the front seats. 

"I'm not telling you her name," he chuckled. "Plus, I don't know who sits behind you in English, I'm not in your class," he shrugged as his mom started the car. 

"What's going on boys?" his mom asked while driving. She's probably the most involved parent I know. It's kinda fun talking to her, she helps us all out with advice. 

"Ryder's got a little crush, Mrs. E," Colton snickered. 

"It's not a crush," I glared at him, "I just wanna know her name," I huffed. 

"Who's?" she asked in confusion. 

"Your neighbor," I sighed. 

"The Hendersons?" she asked. 

"Yes!" I nodded. 

"Don't tell him, mom, let him figure this one out on his own," Owen said before she could tell me her name. I resisted a groan and rolled my eyes at Owen. 

"She's a lovely girl, helped us out with housework multiple times," Mrs. E smiled. 

"I just wish I knew her name," I huffed while leaning back in my seat. I unlocked my phone and went onto Instagram. My brows furrowed in confusion when I went through my notifications. 

She hasn't accepted my request yet? 

Is something wrong with me or every girl I see? 

I reread her username. 

Avery_h22. 

I huffed, shoving my phone in my pocket and plugging in earphones. Something has got to be off. 

~~~~~ 

"Bye!" Mrs. E waved. 

"Bye!" we all waved back before entering the airport. We had an hour's waiting left till boarding still so we checked in our luggage, and headed for security. "Are you just gonna keep thinking about her?" Owen sighed as we stood in line, taking our things out. 

"I'm not thinking about her, I just-" I stopped talking when I saw someone that caught my eye in the line next to ours. 

Am I seeing things or is that her? 

It's the same grey sweatpants but I can't be sure. It was hard to see her hoodie under headlights. She had a black baseball hat on and was laughing with two other girls while taking things out of her bag and putting them in a tray. 

"Is that her?" I turned to Owen in confusion. 

"Dude, you're seeing things," he laughed while pushing me forward. "Move along," he nodded. I shook my thoughts clear before getting through security and then grabbing all my things. While I stood there waiting for Owen and Colton, I saw her getting her things together. 

She was standing there with her bag on one shoulder as she fidgeted with her earring. I observed her for a minute and just as she was about to turn my way, her friends came out and she walked off with them. Owen and Colton came through and we headed off. 

"Do you guys wanna grab a bite? I'm not eating flight food," I groaned. 

"Well, they barely have food here," Colton sighed. 

"No, but they do have a cafe, come on," I shrugged, heading to the small cafe I spotted. I mean they have to have something for people to eat. We grabbed some food and hung out in that cafe until our boarding was announced. 

"Alright, let's go," Owen sighed while getting up. 

As we were in line, Colton zoned out. "Who the hell is that?" he asked while checking out a girl. A redhead. 

Wasn't the basketball girl's friend a redhead? 

"I don't know man, come on, it's your turn," I pushed him forward. 

He got his boarding pass scanned before and then I did too, following him into the flight. As we stepped in, my eyes immediately went to the back where the girl with the hat was. She was standing there, talking to a flight attendant. I walked past them as I eavesdropped. 

"Yes, but if this seat hasn't been booked by anyone because their ticket was canceled, is it okay if I sit over here with my friends?" she asked, sounding a little annoyed. 

"Ma'm you can't do that," the flight attendant shook her head. We were sitting in the middle aisle at the very back, and she was pointing to a seat on the right aisle a few seats up from the last ones. 

"Why not?" she asked with a frustrated sigh. Her voice sounded familiar. 

"Because this isn't the seat that you booked," the flight attendant smiled fakely. 

"I didn't book this seat because it was already taken when I booked my ticket," she groaned. 

"Just let her sit here, alright," the redhead grabbed her arm and pulled her down to sit with them. The flight attendant sighed before walking away. 

"What are you doing?" she asked while laughing. 

"Having you sit with me," her friend shrugged. 

This is gonna be a long flight. 

If only she took that hat off. 

~~~~~ 

We were 8 hours into the flight and everyone was asleep. It's 3 in the morning right now. Which means it's noon in Rome. This is gonna bring so much jet lag. 

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom," I stood up with a sigh. I turned around and crashed right into someone else. 

"Oh, sorry," she chuckled before walking back. She was sitting with her. I shook my head and cleared my thoughts and went into the bathroom. I stood there for a second just stretching my legs out before sighing and getting back to my seat. 

Can we please fucking land already? 

This is a long-ass flight. Let's do the math. It's a 17-hour flight. We left at 8 pm Sacramento time and we're landing at 1 pm Sacramento time which in Rome time is 10 pm because they are 9 hours ahead. 

Get it? 

Me neither. 

~~~~~ 

"Oh my god, my legs are going to fall off," I sighed while standing up and stretching. I grabbed my bag from under the seat and put it on top of my seat, standing and waiting for the crowd to file out. 

Once it was less crowded, we got out of there. "Oh, my ears just popped," Owen stretched as we stopped at the baggage claim. 

My bag was first to come so I grabbed it off swiftly. While I was waiting for the other two, the baseball hat girl came over and struggled with grabbing her bag. 

"Do you need help with that?" I asked. She froze in her spot and stared at the ground. She wasn't responding and her bag was going for another round. "I'm just gonna get it for you before it goes again," I grabbed it off and handed it to her. 

"Thanks," she said quickly before speed walking away. 

She's very weird.

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Chapter four