Chapter Four:
Volleyball Practice
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"So, what's your.. oh so perfect plan?" Syd asked, sliding her thumbs under her backpack straps.

"I'm glad you asked, Syd." Lavender grinned, clapping her hands together. "You see, it's flawless. Fool proof."

"I see." Syd pursed her lips, a smile persistently trying to appear. "Are you gonna tell me? Or..."

"Right, I'm getting there." Lavender chuckled, sliding her phone into her back pocket. "I call it.. How to get the girl."

"Oh, dear lord." Syd shook her head. "Should I be worried?"

"Of course not." Lavender scoffed, "Can't believe you you don't trust me. I'm heartbroken right now."

"Smart ass."

"Fuck off." Lavender scoffed, "So here it is, you like Dina, right?"

Syd stopped in her tracks, turning her head to look at Lavender, shock clear on her face. "What?"

"Please. My gaydar went into the red. Anyway, I like Stanley. So, if you help me get him, I'll help you get her. Hence the name, how to get the girl." Lavender explained, patting Syd on the head, earning a look of annoyance from the shorter girl.

"Wait.. you're.. you're actually serious?"

"Yeah, I think it was a pretty great fuckin' plan but you know.. Fuck me, I guess right?" Lavender rolled her eyes jokingly, crossing her arms as she began walking her normal speed, leaving Syd to try and catch up.

"Hey! Wait!" Syd huffed, jogging to keep up with Lavender. "Lav, slow down."

"Grow taller." Lavender shrugged, the corner of her lips turning up into a smile when Syd huffed, wrapping her hand around Lavender's wrist and pulling her backwards.

Lavender stumbled back, knocking into Syd as she caught the girl before she could hit the concrete street. "How many times before you learn?"

Lavender's voice was laced with confidence as she teasingly bit her lip with a wink. "Lookin' good down there, Syd."

"Uh-" Syd cleared her throat, pulling herself from Lavender's grip and standing out. "Stop being weird."

"It's called flirting, Syd." Lavender's ears perked up at the sound of a car coming to a stop beside them.

"Hey, Lavender, Syd." Stanely greeted, smiling awkwardly as he rolled the window down.

"Hi, Stanley." Lavender greeted, grinning as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

"Uh, hey." Syd waved, glancing at Lavender.

"Hey." He repeated, "You guys goin' to school?"

"Yup." Syd nodded awkwardly, looking at the treeline from behind him.

"Cool.. Me too."

"You drive, Stanley? That's cute." Lavender winked, licking her teeth as she rose her eyebrows.

"Thanks. You guys need a ride?"

"N-" Lavender clamped her hand over Syd's mouth, sending a bright smile his way.

"We'd love one." Lavender grinned, opening the seat behind him and getting in. "Hey."

"Hey."

Syd rolled her eyes, clicking the seatbelt in. Lavender leaned her elbow on the carseat by Stanley's head as she stared at him, a grin on her face as he changed the gear and began driving.

"Can you believe people are already asking dates to homecoming?" Stanley asked, looking at Sydney beside him.

"I know, it's stupid." Syd scoffed, leaning on her elbow and staring out at the passing trees. "It's so far away."

"Pft.. Yeah. So far. Totally." Stanley pursed his lips, awkwardly nodding as he looked at Lavender through the mirror. "Like.. when is it?"

"A week." Lavender responded, pulling a sucker from her pocket. "Huh.."

"Like.. a whole week." Stanley continued. "So far."

~~

"I, uh, I hate to ask, but.." Syd stammered, standing from the bench. "But.. can you give me and Lav a ride after school?"

Lavender leaned forward, stretching out her legs as she watched Syd and Dina talk. "Lavender, let's go!"

"Coming! Bye, Syd.. Dina." She called, standing from the bench and jogging towards her volleyball team. "Coach still sick?"

Her teammate shrugged, "Yeah, but she'll be back next practice."

"She better be. Without her we aren't getting hardly anything done for practice." Lavender said, holding the gym door open for the girls to walk through.

Lavender had earned the title of captain this year, and she couldn't have been happier about it. She'd worked harder than anyone on her teams since middle school.

The first thing she did when she found out was call Syd, forcing the girl to go out for celebratory ice cream as she excitedly talked about all the things she would do and change as the captain.

Syd listened fully and completely, even if she put on the front that she wasn't. Lavender knew better, though. She knew that Syd was listening, even if she didn't want to.

Lavender loved that about Syd. She loved that Syd would always make time to hang out and listen to her. It made Lavender ecstatic that she didn't feel ignored or invisible with Syd.

"Alright, ladies." Lavender clapped her hands together before tying her hair back as she watched the girls line up. "Let's start with.. eight laps, shall we?"

"I'm sore!" Lizzie huffed, readjusting her weight from one foot to the other, "Can we do seven?"

"We're all sore, Liz.. This is our third practice, and it won't get any better if we don't work." Lavender shrugged, pulling the headband onto her head. "Alright, let's get running!"

Collective groans left the girls mouths as they groggily began running around the court. "Count 'em out, ladies!"

~~

"Hey, um, do you see that tower over there?" Stanley asked, pointing out the car window to an old tower in the distance.

Lavender hummed an agreement, watching as the tower became buried in the trees as they past it. "Yeah."

"It's been there since, um, since 1890-something.. Legend says that one hundred men died building it." He continued.

"Bullshit." Lavender scoffed, rollinv her eyes as she fell back into the car seat.

"Yeah, bullshit. There's no way it took one hundred men to build that piece of shit." Syd continued, smiling as she locked eyes with Lavender in the mirror.

"Okay, so, it was probably more like.. five." Stanley said awkwardly, drumming his fingers along the steering wheel. "But.. my great-great-great-granddad was one of them.. He was not great. Well, now that I think about it.. Every Barber male tends to be a shithead. I guess it's up to me to redeem the good ol' family name." Stanley sighed, faking a smile as he glanced at Syd.

"I've never seen your dad.. like, ever." Syd furrowed her eyebrows at the realization.

"I haven't either."

"He drives an 18-wheeler twenty-five days a month."

"Cool."

Stanley nodded, "Yeah.. My life's so much better when he isn't around.. Wish he'd just stay gone."

Syd's smile fell as she shifted uncomfortably, turning her head and locking eyes with Lavender. Lavender frowned, leaning forward and squeezing Syd's arm in comfort.

"Oh, I-I... I didn't mean, to like-" Stanley stammered before Syd cut her off.

"It's fine. It doesn't bother me." Syd replied, shifting in her seat again.

Lavender knew by the look in her eyes that she was lying, and she knew that she had to help. Even if it pissed drunk Eric off beyond belief.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

{ A/n: i have something planned for them and i will cry }

{ Edited: No }