"Suspended!" Nathan snaps as we walk out of the school's office doors that open up into the car park. "I can't believe you got suspended."

We stop beside the car and I do my best to show remorse with a small sheepish smile.

When Dray and I had arrived back at the hotel this morning it looked as though coach was about to have a hernia. He'd been stressing out and slinging around words like 'sued' and 'asshole kids' and 'jail time'.

Our arrival back at the hotel had instilled both relief and fury from coach and hushed whispers and taunting from our teammates. It took approximately thirty seconds for the entirety of our group to deduct that Dray and I were in fact out, having sex all night.

The fact that none of them are intelligent or creative enough to come up with any other reason for our absence is embarrassing to say the least. If we'd wanted to screw all night we could have just used the hotel room we were staying in. Far be it from the truth to get in the way of a good story though.

But the truth is far more thrilling in my opinion, which is exactly why I want it to stay between the two of us. What we'd done last night was intimate and special. It displayed a side of Dray that I don't think many people often see and selfishly, I want that all to myself. So as much as these very rumours are what I'd wanted to avoid only a few weeks ago, I decide to keep my chin up and not let it get to me. However, when I'm asked directly I'll be sure to set the record straight that Dray and I are not sleeping together. I hope it gets back to Emily because I'm almost certain that witch is waiting in the shadows with her broomstick and wand, ready to cast me into a life of misery.

"I'm sorry Nathan," I tell him genuinely. "I totally messed up and I know that. Trust me, it won't happen again."

"I kind of can't believe it happened at all." His features soften a little as he shrugs his shoulders. "You don't do this sorta thing. Sneaking out of hotels with guys. Not even Spencer can coax you into a little rebellion. So what gives?"

The sound of a motorcycle engine starts revving behind me. Nathan looks past my shoulder as I turn around and see Drayton watching me with an amused glint in his eyes. He'd almost been let off his suspension. His parents wanted to wave their rich folk wands and keep him out of trouble. But he'd argued and insisted that we receive the same punishment. However he was still able to play the game on Friday night, so his football field time wouldn't be marred on his record. He'd only had time to tell me briefly before Nathan turned up and started harping on.

He pulls his helmet on after giving me a cheeky wink and quickly tears out of the parking lot. I still haven't met his Mom and Dad, but I know they had to have been here somewhere and I wonder if the crisp white Benz that soon follows behind Dray, belongs to them.

"Dallas," Nathan brings my attention back to his no-nonsense expression, "I get that you like this guy but don't fuck up your schooling for him, alright. You only have this year left, to make all your goals happen. So don't go off the rails! For me. Please."

"Nathan, this has nothing to do with Drayton." I shift my weight and readjust the duffle hanging from my shoulder. "I realised something ya know. I have this one year to make memories. So that when I leave school and I'm older I have stories to tell about the crazy stuff I got up too. I literally have none of that now because I've wasted so much time being uptight."

"You can make those memories without getting suspended."

"I know," I tell him. "And next time, that won't happen. I promise."

"Whose idea was it to sneak out anyway?" Nathan folds his arms across his chest and glares at me.

"It was mine."

"So you risked that kids football career for a few thrills?!" He looks more upset than when he found out I'd been suspended for being out all night with a guy. "He could have been kicked off the team!"

"Well he wasn't. So relax!" I scoff. "Look, it was one night, it was irresponsible, I get that. But I had a lot of fun."

Nathan sighs with exasperation but he can't stop the corners of his mouth from curling up into a small smile. "That does make me kinda happy," he admits quietly. "I do want you to have fun. But you're still in trouble!"

"Okay."

"Seriously." He points at me with a raised brow. I can see the wheels turning behind his eyes as he tries to come up with some sort of informal punishment. "You're on dishes for two weeks."

"Nathan! I do the dishes every night!"

"Yeah - well" - he bops his head around with wide eyes - "while you're doing them you can think about the fact that you're being punished and you can be miserable about it. Seriously, don't enjoy it at all."

"Okay," I scoff. "I'll do my best not to enjoy doing the dishes."

"Good." He folds his arms triumphantly. "Now, I'm going back to the field with the boys. Try and make it home without doing something totally reckless. Seriously, you've changed. I don't even know you anymore."

I burst out laughing at his horrified expression as he stumbles around to the driver's side of the car and quickly gets in. He's so dramatic. But I admire the big brother act. He might not have it down to a fine art, but I'd be lost without him.

"Here take this," I shout as he starts the car. I open the door and throw my duffle bag in. "Thanks!"

I start walking in the direction of work. Nathan usually uses the car on Saturdays and considering I'm in 'trouble' I didn't want to argue about having it for the day. The sun is out and there's a soft breeze in the air, so a twenty-minute walk isn't unbearable at all. I could have asked for a ride but that would most likely have resulted in further prying.

•

"Hey Stefan." I walk past the counter when I get to work. It's relatively busy considering its Saturday afternoon. Deloris, an older co-worker of ours is shuffling through the busy tables, handing out orders and refilling coffee.

"Are you working today?" Stefan follows me into the back room and leans on the door frame.

"Nope. But I got suspended from school for a week so I'm gonna make myself available to work while I have the time."

"Why'd you get suspended?!"

I roll my eyes as I search the small desk for the availability sheet. "I don't want talk about it Stefan," I tell him with a bored tone. "I just want to fill out the availability sheet. Where is it?"

"Bailey and I are already scheduled on all week." He shrugs, pulling a bit of paper off the wall and handing it to me. "You have to fill it out a couple weeks in advance, you know that."

"Switch with me?"

"Switch my shifts with you?" he asks with confusion. "No. I need the cash."

"So do I. And I have nothing to do all week."

"Ask Bailey to switch with you!"

"Ugh, she's a salty bitch." I push past him, and shove the sheet into his chest, giving up on the argument. I'd rather not work on the same shift with him any more than I have to either. "Go back to work, you've got customers."

I start marching towards the door when I spot Spencer's bright yellow headband in a corner booth at the back of the diner. When I pay closer attention, I notice that she's curled up next to Grayson and they're being extremely flirtatious. My previously dampened mood brightens with a smile and I walk towards them with a skip in my step.

"Hey cuties." I slide into the opposite side of the booth and the two of them startle with a little jump. There's a plate full of hot fries in front of them so I assume they haven't been here long.

"Oh my God, you're here!" Spencer turns her body to face me directly. "Tell us everything!"

"Wait," I eye both of their curious faces with confusion, "are you talking about the suspension?"

"Yes!" Spencer cries with excitement.

"Dray just told us what happened." Grayson waves his phone at me with a sheepish smile.

"Well he told us that you guys got suspended." Spencer glances between Gray and I. "But we got no details. And I'm dyyyyying to know. So come on."

I can't help but notice the way they keep referring to themselves as 'us' and it's too cute. So due to my good mood at seeing them so happy and adorable, I oblige and delve into the full-length tale of last night's adventures.

The entire time that I'm talking Spencer's facials morph from joy to shock to admiration back to shock and more joy. The only part that I leave out of the story is the almost kiss because I don't think the entire diner wants to hear Spencer shrieking like a banshee. Grayson looks interested, albeit a little less than Spencer is but behind that interest I see a small knowing smirk and I'm beginning to become intrigued by what he knows that I don't.

"That all sounds so romantic!" Spencer sighs once I've finished explaining the cause of my suspension. She rests her head in her hands and gazes dreamily.

"It wasn't romantic!" I dismiss the notion. "It was adventurous and exciting and that's all it was meant to be. And that's what it was."

"Oh I get it." Spencer nods with dramatic flair as she winks. "We'll talk about it later!"

She jabs her thumb in Grayson's direction, assuming that he's the reason I'm still denying that I have feelings for Dray. I let her think that the conversation will be continued later but I'll tell her the same thing then too. I'm well aware that I've developed feelings of some sort but I'm just not ready to say it out loud. That makes it real and I don't want it to be real when I barely understand it myself.

"So how's things Grayson?" I smile and hope that we've passed the awkward funk we'd been in last time our paths crossed. If Spencer and he are spending more and more time together, things need to be comfortable for all of us.

"Good." He smiles warmly. But the affection he'd previously regarded me with is gone, which I'm grateful for. That smile is purely reserved for Spencer now.

She quickly excuses herself to the bathroom and disappears, leaving Grayson and I alone. The fries that have been making my mouth water are finally out of Spencer's sight so I don't waste any time, stealing a handful and munching on them.

"Hey, I just wanna say thanks." Grayson leans his forearms on the table in front of him. "Spencer is great and I'm glad that you introduced us."

"Really?" I ask with excitement. "I know that she likes you a lot."

"Yeah," he nods his head with a cute smile, "she's full of energy and a positive outlook on everything. I'm glad that we told each other how we feel and didn't waste any time doing it."

His tone catches my attention and I look up from the fries in my hand to notice the pointed look that he's giving me. I don't like where this conversation is going.

"You and Dray obviously like each other." He shrugs.

"Oh, not you too!" I groan and slink back into the seat. "Now you're a little team with your incorrect observations."

"I don't think they're incorrect." He flashes a cocky grin.

"What makes you say that? You've hardly seen us interact."

Spencer, with the ever impeccable timing, falls back into the booth seat beside Grayson, promptly shutting him up from sharing any more information. I get the feeling he was going to stay tight-lipped on the matter anyway.

"Did you take some of our fries?" She eyes the bowl before she looks back up at me.

"Yeah I sure did," I admit with a small laugh. She rolls her eyes, pulling the bowl closer to herself. Spence isn't a great sharer when it comes to her fast food. Her mother rarely lets her eat anything but homecooked meals made from fresh ingredients. Which can be great but I can understand her need to satisfy the fatty food cravings.

I end up ordering a shake for myself, deciding that I'll crash their sweet little date since I haven't got much else to do with my day. I have a bad feeling that if these two take this little fling any further, my weekends are going to become very lonely. Because I can't sit in on all their dates.

We spend a few hours at the diner, chatting about this and that while we eat and drink. Eventually Spencer informs me that they're going to the movies. She invites me along, but that's where I draw the line for third-wheeling.

"You can give me a ride home though." I smile sweetly. "Nathan has the car."

"Yeah of course," Spencer chimes as we head out into the parking lot. "Are you sure you don't want to come to the movies with us?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Trust me, I don't need to sit next to you guys while you make out the entire time."

"If we wanted to do that we'd watch a movie at home," Spencer snorts as we get into Grayson's jeep. He nods his head in agreement. "The movies are expensive, I actually want to get my money's worthwhile I'm there."

"Huh," I can't argue with her logic, but I'd never really thought of it like that before, "that's a good point."

When we pull up next to the sidewalk outside of my house I'm surprised to see Drayton on the driveway, leaning on his bike with his cellphone in hand. He's obviously gone home and changed because he's now wearing a pair of black joggers, a white tank top and a light denim jacket with his silver chain hanging around his neck. As hard as I try, the little flutters of excitement start messing with my stomach and it only gets worse when he looks towards the car and gives us a broad grin.

"Why is Dray here?" Spencer asks a little more casually than I've heard her speak when she's referred to him in the past. I suppose she's got her own hottie now, she doesn't need to fangirl every time Drayton is in the near vicinity.

"I have no idea." I open the door and start climbing out of the car. "Thanks for the ride guys."

Grayson gives a little toot when he pulls away from the curb and I wave out as I turn into the gate and approach Drayton with curiosity. I'm surprised he's allowed out of the house considering we both just got suspended from school.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I just thought I'd come see how you are." He stands up straighter and slides his phone into his pocket. "Are you upset about being suspended?"

"I feel like I should be and usually, I would be." I laugh lightly because the fact that I'm not upset is startling to even myself. "But it was kinda worth it.. so I'm just trying not to think about how this is going to look on my record."

"Suspension isn't so bad." He shrugs with a cavalier attitude, contradicting his own statement from last night about how it would have fucked with his career. "Expulsion is worse."

"Hmm," I agree thoughtfully. "Do you wanna come inside."

"Sure."

We head inside and shuffle through into my bedroom so I can ditch my shoes and open my windows. Dray plonks down on the bed and lets his eyes wander aimlessly over the space. The only other time he's been in here, he'd stayed at the door and back then my feelings towards him were sour and unfriendly. Now seeing him in here, on my bed, looking delectable as always, I can't help but feel as though he makes the room feel ten times smaller than it usually is. His presence is so overwhelming, so dominating and if I'm being honest, a little bit suffocating.

"So what are you gonna do with your time off," Dray asks, leaning back on his elbow as I finish pushing the windows open to allow some airflow into the hot bedroom.

"I went to work to put in for some more shifts but there weren't any available." I shrug and lean against my drawers. "I suppose I'll just study, do some cheer and dance practice. Emily isn't going to be happy about me missing practice all week."

"She'll live." He waves his hand dismissively before he sits up and eyes me curiously. "So essentially you've got the next week completely free?"

"Well, technically I'm not obligated to be anywhere."

He nods his head with a thoughtful expression and I'm desperate to know what is going on in that head of his. I don't have to wait long to find out though.

"Wanna go to California with me?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

His suggestion had been so casual and nonchalant that I'm sure he has to be joking. My brain can physically not process his words as he stares at me waiting for an answer.

"You're joking right?" I ask him slowly.

"No?" He stands up and walks towards me. "We've both got a week off school. Why not do something with it?"

"Well for one, I can't afford to just up and hop on a flight to California. Second, my brother is super pissed about the suspension and wouldn't even consider letting me go."

"I can afford the tickets and accommodation." He shakes his head with a breathy laugh as though I'm ridiculous for not assuming that he'd pay for the entire trip. "Also, he's your brother. Not your Dad. You're pretty much an adult."

"Wait, how are you able to go to California? Do your parents even exist? Surely you're in trouble?"

"They don't really care what I do. As long as I get scouted for a college football team, I'm good." I listen and look for a hint of hurt at the mild neglect, but he doesn't seem bothered in the slightest. I suppose some kids would revel in the freedom but I'd do anything to have my parents back, even if they were watching my every move.

"O-okay, well," I stutter, looking for reasons to keep arguing because I just can't bring myself to agree to something so insane. "Well, why? Why do you want to take me to California? Don't you have anything better to do with your week off."

"Na, all the boys still have school. Gray works. I'll be bored. You're the only one that's free."

For some reason I'd been hoping that it had more to do with wanting to spend time with me, but of course he's basically a child and needs constant entertainment.

"Well, no I can't Dray." I turn around and start busying myself with organising the trinkets on my drawers. "There's no argument that you can make, that will change my mind. So just give up."

"I'll take you to visit your dance college."

• • •

Is she gonna go to Cali 🤔 😉

Bae holding food is almost as sexy as Bae shirtless 🤷🏻‍♀️ ps this is how I envision his style 😋

Much love. Until next time. x