❀⚘

"Can anyone tell me what the author meant by that?" She could hear the teacher drone on about the book he had them reading but all she could focus on was the fingers twirling through the strands of her hair. Her long locks flowed down her back in wavy ringlets and she shivered as his fingers lightly grazed her back. She knew he was smirking, she didn't need to turn around to check. She wanted to tell him to stop but she knew how touchstarved he was. Being near her calmed him, and she couldn't say she didn't like the attention he gave her. "Anyone? Anything?" Their teacher sighed heavily as the bell interrupted him. "Just go." He waved them all out, not even caring if they did the homework.

A hand pulled her from her seat and Darla intertwined their fingers with a small smile. She let him lead her out of the class, stopping to lean against the wall that faced the open classroom. Isaac let out the loudest sigh he could produce as he pulled her back flush against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. "Class wasn't that bad," she rolled her eyes.

"Speak for yourself B." He scoffed. "It sucked."

"You're dramatic." She grinned, tilting her head back to look up at him. He kissed her nose and she scrunched it cutely.

"Gross." She heard someone mutter as they walked by them. She looked at them in confusion, ignoring the way Isaac's body tensed at the comment.

"Grow up, Tim." Darla rolled her eyes at him. Tim smirked at her but his face grew pale as he caught Isaac's hard stare. He visibly gulped and stumbled backward, colliding with Nathan who walked up behind him.

"Watch it, man." Nathan scowled. Tim nodded and scurried off, fearing for his life. "What's up with him?" He leaned against the wall beside Isaac and stared down at his sister in confusion.

"It's Tim." Darla shrugged. "Why do you always skip the one class we share?"

"It's not like he ever says anything we actually need to know."

"Don't come crying to me when you fail again." She jabbed his arm with her finger, smiling widely as he grimaced and rubbed the spot. She relaxed against Isaac as the noise around them grew louder. "Guess it's that time again." She pouted.

"You coming to the game?" Nathan asked Isaac. He wasn't expecting to have a such close friendship with him but he wasn't ungrateful.

"Yeah, I got a shift but I'll be done in time." Nathan nodded, happy with his answer.

"See you later, man." They did the typical bro handshake. "Bye D." Nathan barely glanced at her.

"I think you're best friends with the wrong Scott sibling." Darla laughed. "I think my brother's got a crush on you."

"Which one?" Isaac chuckled.

"Look at you just having us all wrapped around your finger." She turned in his grasp. His large hands splayed across her back, pushing her body into his more. His forehead rested against hers and she smiled softly at him.

"You're the only Scott that matters to me." He muttered, closing his eyes as she rubbed the tip of her nose against the slope of his. His hands traveled to her waist, holding her securely in his grasp.

"Good answer." She kissed his nose and pulled away. He wanted to stay in that moment forever but he remembered they were at school. She consumed him and left him forgetting that the outside world existed. "Come on Butch, one more class and then we're done." She grasped his hands and peeled them away from her body. She brought them up to her lips and placed a chaste kiss across his knuckles. Dropping one hand but intertwining her fingers with the one she was holding, she gave him a fleeting smile and pulled him away from the wall.

"We could skip." He suggested. He slung their backpacks over his shoulder, giving her a stern look when she tried to grab hers from him.

"We could but I'd have to come back for practice anyway." She laughed. "Plus, last time we did, someone caught us and snitched to my Dad. I really don't feel like getting another Daddy Dan lecture." Isaac frowned at that, he knew how each one affected her despite the tough act she put up.

"Fine, next time." She gave him a promising smile and nodded at his words. They stopped in front of the tutor center and he bent to kiss her cheek. "I'll see you at the game."

"You're not going to class are you?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Did you really think I would?" He smirked as she pretended to think about it before shaking her head, her usual bright smile painted her face. She wrapped her arms around his waist, kissing the underside of his jaw before pulling away. "Hey." She looked up at him, her eyebrows furrowed. "Don't make plans for after the game, okay?"

"Why? What're we doing?" She smiled giddily.

"You'll see." He grinned at her. "Go." He nudged her towards the door and she reluctantly separated from him. She turned her head and gave him one last smile, his face softening as he was left lovestruck by her. The sound of the bell ringing sharply throughout the hallways snapped him out of his reverie and he took his chance to leave the school.

"Ditching?" He was almost to his truck when he was stopped. He turned on his heel and quirked an eyebrow at Coach Durham. "You know son, I should report this."

"I have an early shift at work," Isaac explained as Whitey walked closer to him.

"Relax son, I'm not turning you in." The older man chuckled hoarsely. "You play?"

"For fun," Isaac shrugged. "Its never gone beyond that."

"Do you want it to?" Isaac understood what he was being asked.

"I've never considered it." Whitey came up beside him and he walked with him to his truck. "I can't immerse in it the way your guys do. That type of life isn't for me."

"It's the type of life for that girl of yours," Whitey replied.

"It's the life she lives now but I'm her escape from it, I'm not about to give that up." Isaac informed him. "I'm not a sports guy Whitey. While I appreciate the unsaid offer, I'd rather work and save up for the life I want to live after high school."

"If you change your mind," Whitey trailed off, Isaac gave him a kind smile.

"It's a shame you don't coach football though Whitey, an offer for that one would've nabbed me right away." The two shared a laugh before the younger male was rushing to leave for work. Whitey watched him with a smile on his face, the boy reminded him of a younger version of the man he worked for. Isaac James and Keith Scott were kindred spirits, the older man only hoped the endless drama that came with the Scott family didn't ruin his spirit as it did to anyone who got caught up in it.

❀⚘

The gym was buzzing with excitement and anticipation. The bleachers were filling up with people wearing the school's colors with pride. The cheerleaders stood on the side stretching and practicing their cheers in little huddles. One cheerleader in particular kept glancing at the stands, her eyes searching for the one person she'd hoped would show.

"He'll be here." Peyton sidled up beside her, her poms in hand. "He never misses seeing you in that little skirt." The blonde smirked at her.

"I know." Darla winked at her. "But he's not who I'm looking for."

"Who then?" Peyton cocked her head to the side as her eyes looked over the packed gym.

"I was hoping Karen would be here." Darla sighed, rocking on her heels anxiously. "Luke's gonna need all the support he can get with Dad here." The two girls eyed Dan with pitiful gazes. Darla had hoped her Dad would only focus on one of his kids that night but she knew that it was next to impossible for him to be unbothered by Lucas' presence.

"At least you're here for him." Peyton tried to comfort her.

"Please," Darla scoffed. "If Brooke wouldn't hunt me down and drag me by my hair to be here, I'd be at home in my bed ignoring this shitshow." She'd support both of her brothers in a heartbeat but she hated having a front-row seat to her family's drama.

"I could trip you?" Peyton suggested with a small shrug.

"Or pushing me down the stairs could work."

"What if I elbowed you accidentally in the face?"

"You're taller than me, it could work."

"What are you two doing?" Brooke quirked an eyebrow as she watched Peyton raise her arm as Darla bent her knees slightly to be at eye-level with her elbow.

"I'm faking an injury so I can go home and ignore my family's drama for one night." Darla didn't even look her way as she moved Peyton's elbow towards her face. "Okay, now just jam it into me." She closed her eyes as she prepared herself for the hit.

"Peyton!" Brooke shouted the girl's name as her blonde best friend prepared to swing at the youngest Scott. "You two are so unhinged." She rolled her eyes and walked away.

"Guess I'm stuck here." Darla sighed.

"It won't be so bad," Peyton grinned to herself. "Your man just got here." Darla instantly perked up and searched for him. When she saw him sit beside her uncle and Haley, she smiled and headed towards him. She walked up the stands and smiled to herself as he hadn't noticed her yet. She plopped herself next to him and she smiled as he instinctively reached an arm out and pulled her into his side.

"Shouldn't you be down there?" He grinned.

"This game hasn't even started and its already stressing me out." She sighed and pushed her curled hair behind her shoulders. "Are we still hanging out after?"

"Yeah, so don't try to ditch me for Brooke."

"I would never." She smiled softly at him. He returned it and kissed her forehead. "Where's Jay?"

"He's covering a shift for his Dad. The new guy quit so he got roped into it." The Banks family owned a local sports pub, Dolan's. It was a very popular spot for those who were fanatics of any sport and beer. "He'll be here next time."

"I think the next game's an away game." Darla tried to remember the schedule off the top of her head but nothing clicked. "I could be wrong."

"It's not like we miss those." Isaac chuckled.

"You go to the away games too? You must be a big Ravens fan." Keith was surprised at the younger male. He spent nearly every day with the kid and unless it was professional or college league teams, they hardly talked basketball.

"No, he's just a big Darla fan." Haley teased her brother.

Unashamed by the claim, Isaac nodded proudly. "The biggest." His gaze was soft as he turned and looked at the girl curled into his side. She was attempting to hide her face so he wouldn't catch her blushing but she didn't know her ears turned red when her cheeks did. He knew. He knew almost every little thing about her.

From below them, someone blew a whistle and Darla knew that was her cue to go back to the other girls. "I'll see you after?" When he nodded, she stood up and bent to his cheek before walking back to her spot on the sidelines. Isaac ignored the two whispering and cheering beside him as the game started. Like every other game he attended, his attention stayed on the brunette who occupied his mind every second of the day.

She could feel his eyes on her. She figured it was like Spidey senses for her. Spiderman knew when there was danger, she knew when Isaac was near. His heavy staring used to make her feel awkward, a pressure to make herself look cute all the time. It took her a long time to realize that he didn't care how she looked, he just liked admiring her. She turned away from the game and met his gaze. She gave him a sly wink and he placed a hand over his heart as he smirked.

"Tell your brother to get his shit together." She rolled her eyes at the one player who irritated her the most.

"Fuck off Vegas." Darla pushed him away from her as his sweaty body almost collided with hers. "Go be an ass somewhere else." He smirked at her and she grimaced in disgust. He jogged away as Brooke and Peyton moved to stand beside her. Nathan made a shot and the whole gym erupted in loud cheers.

"Sucks that he can't play, he looked really good doing it." Darla groaned and scrunched up her nose.

"Gross! Come on Brooke, that's my brother." She looked to Peyton for help and grimaced at her too, "Oh, not you too!" She knew they undoubtedly loved the attention but she hated having to see it. "You know they both have severe daddy issues, right?"

"That's what makes them hotter." Brooke shrugged. The time clock counted down the last few seconds as they waved their poms in the air, the Ravens ultimately winning the game. "Besides, boys love that sort of thing in a girl too."

"You're too much." The youngest Scott laughed and watched them run off, choosing not to join in the festivities. She made her way to the bench where her oldest brother moped and sat beside him. Crossing one leg over the other, she placed her poms in her lap and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I sucked." He frowned.

"It was one night Luke, don't let it get to you." He shook his head at her words and gently pried her arms away from him.

"It was the only night that mattered," he snapped. She was taken aback and instantly recoiled away from him. She watched him stand up and walk out of the gym. She felt someone come up behind her and didn't have to turn around to know who it was. One of his large hands gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze before she stood up and turned to face him. She glanced over his shoulder and made eye contact with her Dad. Isaac frowned as he watched her sigh. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he caught Dan's steady glare and rolled his eyes. He shifted his body to the side to hide the girl from the older man's view and gave her a wide smile to distract her. It worked.

"You want to get out of here?" With a wide grin on his face, his signature black cap turned backward on his head, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans, his broad shoulders bulging against the fabric of the shirt, and using his body as a shield to hide her from her Dad, she fell deeper in love with him. He retracted his right hand from his jeans and held it out to her.

"Yeah," she smiled at him. Instead of placing her hand in his, she dumped her poms in his grasp. "I gotta get my bag but I'll meet you outside." She gave him a chaste kiss on his cheek before darting out of the gym. She left the boy wearing a lovestruck grin and poms hanging by his side. He shook his head as he chuckled. He began to make his way out of the gym before he noticed Vegas by himself as he tied his shoe. Recalling the incident earlier, his jaw clenched and his hands turned into fists as he strode over to him.

"Hey, man." Vegas grinned at the taller boy in front of him. "Good game, right?" He raised his hand so Isaac could dab him up but he left him hanging.

"We're not friends," Isaac grunted out. "Keep away from Darla."

"Look, man, it wasn't even like that." Vegas put his hands up in mock surrender, he knew how serious the boy in front of him was about the Scott sister and he wasn't wanting to get in the middle of that. "I just said some shit about Lucas."

"That doesn't help your argument." Vegas paled as he remembered Isaac was friends with the kid he picked on. "Watch yourself Vegas."

"What's going on?" Nathan came up beside the two, confusion written on his face.

"Nothing," Vegas answered quickly. "Good game, bro. See you Isaac." He left the two with anxiety radiating from him. Nathan turned back to Isaac as he noticed the tension leave his body.

"You good?" Nathan crossed his arms over his chest and quirked an eyebrow.

"I'm good," Isaac confirmed with a nod. "You played a good game, man."

Nathan nodded, appreciative of the compliment. "Where's D?"

"Getting her stuff and hiding from your Dad."

"Is he telling her shit again?" Nathan did his best to keep his Dad's focus on him, knowing his sister's mental health couldn't take more criticism.

"Nothing he hasn't said before." They both watched Dan leave the gym, a couple of people following him out. His chest puffing with pride at his little fan club. "I'm gonna go. I won't keep her out too late."

"I trust you. Keep her." They shared a quick laugh as they bro hugged and went separate ways. With her poms still in his hand, he followed the crowd out of the gym. He didn't see any sign of the girl yet so he dug through his pocket for his keys and figured he'd pull his truck around. He kept to himself as he walked through the parking lot, his steps halting as he came upon one of the best sights he'd ever seen. With a sly grin on her face, his hoodie covering her body, the zipper open to show her uniform, she stood leaning against his truck. The overwhelming urge to kiss her consumed him and he couldn't fight it anymore.

He rushed to her and dropped her poms by their feet. He cupped her face in his hands and planted his lips on hers. There was no hesitation on her part and he sagged in relief. Their lips moved in an almost perfect rhythm as he felt her hands grip the bottom of shirt, pulling his body closer to hers. Her hands fisted the fabric as his tongue swiped across her bottom lip. He was expecting her to gasp or pull away, but she threw him off when she nipped at his bottom lip. An animalistic urge hit him as he groaned and moved his hands to her waist. There wasn't any space left between them, though he tried to pull her closer anyway.

Someone walking by whistled as they made out and it made them hastily pull away from each other. They both panted as they caught their breath. His hands still gripping her waist, hers still fisting his shirt, Isaac reveled in the moment. The kiss was better than he'd imagined. When her eyes finally opened and met his heated ones, she almost gasped again. The look in his eyes was intense. She was familiar with a softened version of it but that look, the one that had her body reacting in ways only he could trigger, she wanted to memorize it. Her hands released the fabric and she raised one to cup his cheek, her thumb rubbing his cheek as she smiled lovingly at him. He leaned into her touch and rested his forehead against hers.

"There's no getting rid of me after that B." He murmured against her lips.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Butch." She planted a soft kiss against his lips before pulling away again. "You know," she smiled teasingly at him. "I don't need some big gesture for us to be official." He looked at her confused. "Isaac, just ask me."

"Are you sure?" She laughed at his question before nodding. "It's not funny, B." He rolled his eyes. "I had this whole thing planned out."

"Isaac," she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, "ask me." She whispered and he did. She nodded and he kissed her. It wasn't heated, but soft and loving.

"Let's get out of here."

Ten minutes later when they walked into Dolan's with bright smiles, their best friend knew the waiting game was over. He whooped and cheered as he smacked his friend proudly on the back. "Son of a bitch, you finally did it!" He brought them into a group hug and ran off to tell his parents. The new couple sat at their usual table and shared a laugh at his enthusiasm. Isaac pulled her chair closer to his and rested his arm on the back of it. They shared a secret smile before Jay came rushing back.

"I'm not telling you shit so don't even ask." Isaac pointed his finger at him causing Jay to groan. He knew Isaac wouldn't budge, he valued the girl's privacy more than his own.

"Fine." Jay relented. "Hungry? Food's on me." He winked at them before leaving again.

"Is everyone gonna react like that?" Isaac sighed though his lips twitched upwards.

"Probably." Darla shrugged. "Brooke definitely will. Skillz too. Maybe Junk."

"So, everybody." He chuckled.

"Pretty much," she giggled.

❀⚘

"Early in his career Hemingway," Darla zoned out. English wasn't a subject she cared about nor was it a credit she needed. She originally agreed to take the class because it gave her another reason to spend time with the boy behind her but she knew the curriculum. She could ace any test he gave them with her eyes closed. Studying was her escape most days so it wasn't a surprise to those who knew her that she was in all honors classes and on the fast track to graduating in a year. She was a smart girl, she just hated her English class. And her constant family drama was the reason why.

Their teacher sat them alphabetically that day. All three Scott siblings in one vertical row. Darla sat in between the two, unaware of the drama that occurred during the game. "Darla," the girl looked up as her teacher stood beside her. "Describe Nathan in one word." Her older brother turned around and stared at her. She thought for a second before answering.

"Protective." Nathan smiled at her.

"Now, Nathan, describe Darla in one word."

"Loyal." He replied, earning himself a small smile.

"That's not fair, teach. They're related." Tim piped up, mostly just upset that he wasn't the one picked for Nathan.

"Okay, fine." The teacher looked over at Peyton. "Peyton, describe Lucas in one word."

"Choke." Darla's body tensed up at the word. She turned and gave her friend a steely glare before sending Lucas a sympathetic smile. The class laughed around them and Darla rolled her eyes at the reaction.

"Lucas, care to respond and describe Peyton?" Darla figured he'd say something nice about her that would hint about his lifelong crush but when he popped up with "Lonely" she was surprised. But Nathan's reaction was predictable. So when she saw him raise his hand, she knew he was about to say something dumb.

"I can describe Lucas in one word," he began. "Bastard." As everyone around them oohed over the diss, Darla sighed unhappily. She met Isaac's stare and offered him a tired smile. Darla heard a chair scrape against the floor and before she could turn and see who stood up, she was grabbed and pulled onto a hard lap as Lucas attacked Nathan. Her hands covered her mouth as the two fell to the floor and Lucas reared his arm back. She scrunched her eyes closed as his fist came into contact with Nathan's face. Isaac maneuvered off of his lap and into his seat as he rushed to help Jay pull the brothers apart. Once the two were on their feet, he pushed them apart and stood in between them. When Nathan tried to push past him, he shoved him back and glared at him.

"Fucking stop!" He demanded. "Either of you fuckers move and it'll be me you're fighting next." The two brothers huffed and glared but neither of them made a move to attack again. "Let's go, B." Their sister got to her feet and left the room with Isaac without sparing a glance at either of them. Jay grabbed his stuff and followed after them, shaking his head at them.

"Both of you, out of here now!"

❀⚘

"If you could trade families, would you?" Darla's question caught Keith offguard. After the fight between her brothers at school, she tagged along with Isaac to work, needing time away from her dramatic family. Her uncle Keith was the only one in her family who understood her, the one she felt she related to the most.

"No." He replied. "Have I thought about it every day of my life since Dan was born? Yes." He grinned at her as she snickered to herself. "Is this about the fight at school?" When Karen called to tell him, he wasn't shocked. He knew his nephew was reaching his breaking point.

"Its about everything." She sighed. She hopped down from the counter she perched herself on and stood beside him as he fiddled with someone's car. "Every day it's something new with them."

"You just gotta let them play it out how they want to. Stop trying to play peacemaker. If they want to throw punches, let them." He knew by the frown on her face she wouldn't be taking his advice. "Look, Darla," he stood to his full height and wiped his hands with a rag. "As a Scott man, I can tell you that we solve everything with fighting. Its just how our family is. All you can do is support them individually and just focus on living your own life."

"How do you stay out of all the drama? What's your secret?" He chuckled at her question.

"I focused on living my own life." He grinned.

❀⚘

"So we're going to try our little Hemingway project again but this time in order to avoid a bar fight," the teacher's eyes pointedly looked at the two Scott brothers. "You're going to write one word on your paper. Each of you live a different life and on your paper, you're going to write the one thing you want the most. You don't have to put your names on it, just tell me that one thing. When you're done, turn it in to me and you're free to leave early."

She sat in the far back this time, sandwiched between Isaac and Jay. Her eyes darted back and forth between her two brothers as they both scribbled on their paper. She saw Nathan send Lucas a smirk before he stood up, handed in his notecard, and left the room. Peyton and Tim followed a few seconds later. Lucas took his time writing down his word before he left as well. Darla already knew what she would write down. She didn't have to think twice about it. So she wrote it down and turned it in, her teacher giving her a sad smile as he flipped it over and read it.

What did she want most in her life?

𝙋𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙚.

❀⚘