Heyo. Just another update. Heads up, there will be a cute Dean and Bailey scene in this chapter. Also this picture is an example of what Westmount's jerseys look like, not Nor'Wester's. (If this sounds confusing, it will make sense later in the chapter.)

##################

My alarm clock flashed 2:17 am. It was the only light in my room, besides my phone screen that I had been staring at for more than four hours.

I wanted to go to sleep, but I wanted to keep talking to the guys more.

Me: Shouldn't you guys go to sleep soon? So you're not tired for practice tomorrow?

Evan: I don't need sleep to be amazing at football.

Ethan: Since when are you amazing at football?

Keenan: ^^^

Smith: I haven't seen proof of your supposed talent.

Evan: Look who's talking. Sir Scoliosis.

Smith: I might have scoliosis but I'm still way better than you are.

Vylad: Oof. That's gotta hurt, eh Davidson?

Evan: Shut up.

Ryan: I know how we can settle this.

Keenan: Just wait and see who wins the Junior Bowl?

Ryan: No. 🙄

Dean: Please, enlighten us with your genius plan then.

Ryan: How about we just ask Bailey who she thinks the best quarterback is.

Jaiden: Can you guys please shut up? I'm trying to sleep.

Ethan: We're in the middle of something. Just turn your phone off.

Jaiden: Whatever.

Me: Why do you want me to pick?

Ryan: Cause your the only unbiased person in this chat.

Evan: Unbiased? Where did you learn that word? Your word of the day calendar?

Dean: lmao

Ethan: Pretty sure Bailey is biased. She hates me. And everyone knows she just gonna pick her boyfriend.

Me: Dean isn't my boyfriend. And I'm not biased.

Ethan: But you don't like me.

Me: No. I don't not like you.

Keenan: Why Don't you like him?

Me: I never said I don't like Ethan.

Evan: Then why does he think you don't like him?

Me: I don't know.

Ryan: Can you just pick already?

Me: I'm not going to pick. We'll just have to see who wins the Junior Bowl.

Evan: Don't worry. I got this in the bag babe 😉.

Dean: Watch it Davidson.

Evan: Why? She said you weren't her boyfriend.

Dean: Not yet. But you better back off.

My face heated up, and I bit back a huge smile. But it was no use. I couldn't stop smiling.

Dean wanted to be my boyfriend?

After a few minutes of just staring at my wall, smiling like an idiot, I decided to check my phone again. Quickly catching up on the messages I hadn't read yet.

Evan: Fine. She's all yours bro.

Keenan: Bro Code.

Ryan: Where did Bailey go?

Ethan: Did she fall asleep?

Dean: Bails, ya there?

Vylad: Bailey?

Smith: Bailey?

Evan: Bailey?

Ethan: Bailey?

Keenan: Bailey?

Ryan: Bailey?

Dean: Bailey?

Evan: Bailey?

Keenan: Bailey?

Vylad: Bailey?

Me: You guys sound like the seagulls from finding Nemo.

Keenan: Where'd ya go?

Me: Fell asleep for a bit.

I lied.

Smith: Noo. We're loosing her.

Evan: Don't leaaaaaaave us.

Dean: Please Don't leaveeeeeeeeee.

Vylad: Bailey, don't leave me alone with these losers.

Keenan: Hey!

Ethan: Who you calling a loser, loser?

Me: You guys are ridiculous. I'm going to sleep.

Ryan: Nooooooooooooo.

Me: 🙄. Goodnight.

Keenan: Night

Vylad: G'night

Ryan: Knight.

Ryan: *Night.

Evan: Don't let the bed bugs bite.

Smith: Evan, you sound like a middle aged soccer mom. Night Bailey.

Ethan: Night.

Dean: Sweet dreams Bails.

Again, my stupidly huge smile returned as I drifted off to sleep.

###

My head was pounding, and I groaned as I rolled out of bed.

Now I was regretting staying up last night talking to the guys. I already had a terrible headache, and I had to deliver another letter today.

My phone vibrated on my night stand, the screen flashing a single message.

'Join FaceTime Call'

I opened up the message and tapped join.

There were three other people in the call. The screens had the names Keenan, Dean💛 and Evan.

"Hey Bailey." Kennan smiled, setting his phone down on his bathroom counter. He dried his hair with a towel and began combing it.

"Heyo." I replied, stepping in to my closet.

I yanked one of my Champion hoodies off it's hanger. And selected a pair of black ripped jeans, along with maroon vans.

I set my phone on my dresser and quickly changed.

"Morning Bails." Dean said.

"Sup girly?" Evan added.

"Just getting ready for school." I answered, brushing my hair.

"Where are you going today?" Dean asked.

"Uhh," I thought for a moment. "Westmount High in Rhode Island."

"Ooh Rhode Island. Sounds like tons of fun." Keenan stated, putting on a white shirt, and some deodorant.

"Who's the quarterback?" Evan questioned, pulling his gold chain out from under the collar of his shirt.

"Can't tell you." I knew my dad wouldn't be upset if I told the guys who the quarterbacks were. But it's no fun if it's not a surprise.

"Aww come on." He complained.

"It's a loosing battle." Dean informed him. "Trust me, I've tried."

I laughed, making my bed and grabbing a Tylenol bottle from my bathroom cabinet.

I swallowed the pill, hoping my headache would subside. Then I headed down to the kitchen.

Baylor sat at the island like usual, but my parents weren't here. I could hear them downstairs, setting things up for the quarterbacks.

"Who are you talking to?" Baylor furrowed his brows, his tan face clouded with confusion.

"Dean, Keenan and Evan." I replied, opening a poptart.

"Who's that?" Evan's voice crackled through my phone speaker.

"My brother, Baylor." I passed my phone to him.

"Sup bros." He spoke.

I tuned out their conversation as I ate my sugary breakfast. By the time Baylor gave me my phone back, Keenan and Evan had already headed to school, and hung up.

"I gotta go." I told Dean, as I picked up my bag. "Have fun at practice."

"I will." He smiled.

God. That damned smile.

"Oh, and Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"I know you said I'm not your girlfriend yet. But I hope it happens soon." My heart pounded in my throat. I had never confessed my feelings to anyone before. Like most, I was scared of rejection, but I knew Dean liked me too.

"I didn't really want to ask you over FaceTime, you wanna meet up tonight? At my place?" His voice laced with nerves.

"Yeah." I breathed, smiling ear to ear.

###

I practically skipped as I walked out of the school at lunch. The sun was shining, the birds chirped and the autumn breeze was refreshing.

A few red and orange leaves swished past my feet and landed on a patch of grass where the picnic tables were situated.

Two freshmen girls sat at the furthest one, eating their lunches and eyeing the group of sophomore guys goofing around with a skateboard.

The driver of a large, blue pickup truck slammed down on the horn.

"Dude, get your ass in here." He yelled over the blaring rap music he was playing. A guy ran out of the school and got in to the back of the vehicle, and it pulled out of the parking lot.

I climbed in to my Jeep and turned on my gps.

"What was the name of that school?" I mumbled, checking my phone.

I proceeded to put in the location of Nor'Wester Heights and begin my five hour drive to Massachusetts.

I figured that if I robbed one team of their jerseys, but delivered a letter to another team, it might throw some suspicion off of me.

Not that there really was any. But just in case there was, this might help.

Five hours later I was parked in the parking lot of a small school.

The place seemed pretty dead, but I chalked that up the the fact that it was already quarter to five and most extracurricular activities had ended. All except for football that is.

I quickly changed sweaters, grabbed my trusty duffel bag, and slipped through the front doors.

I didn't have to wander the halls for long before I found the change room. This school was tiny.

The change room screamed public school. It smelled disgusting, the mirrors were broken or cracked, one of the bathroom stalls had an 'OUT OF ORDER' sign on it. There were no lockers, just benches and hooks on the walls. Most of the showers didn't have curtains and football equipment was strewn about.

Sighing I began riffling through bags and tossing things around, just trying to find all the jerseys.

One of the bags I had opened smelled so badly of sweat I almost gagged. And another had a leaking bottle cologne in it. The jersey I pulled out of it was almost dripping with it.

I jogged over to a sink and rinsed it out. The I dried it the best I could under the hand drier.

I quickly finished the task at hand and slipped back out of the school. Just in time to see the coach let the players off the field.

Shit. I gotta get out of here.

Providence was and hour drive away, and Westmount High was in a town almost half an hour outside of Providence.

The players were doing their last laps around the track before practice ended and I jumped out of my Jeep, sprinting to the field.

"Excuse me?" I tapped the coach in the shoulder.

"What can I do for you?" He asked, a warm smile spreading on his chapped lips,

"I need to give this to Dylan Boyer." I explained, holding the envelope up.

He nodded his head, and pointed to a shorter and skinnier boy, leading the group of runners.

"That one right there."

I thanked him and ran up to Dylan.

"Dylan?" I asked.

"Yeah?" He replied, slightly confused.

"This is for you." I jogged next to him and he took the paper and read the contents.

"Thanks." He smiled. "Now I guess I gotta keep tabs on the jerseys." He joked.

I laughed. "You never know when the Jersey Thief might strike."

Heading back to my Jeep I heard Dylan telling the rest of the team the good news, and their coach congratulated them.

Now, what I've been looking forward to all day.

Seeing Dean.

#################

The Nor'Wester Heights locker room was heavily inspired by my school's locker room. (It's not as bad as Nor'Wester, but there aren't lockers, or shower curtains.) But yeah. Today's chapter was a little short, but next week it will hit the 2000 word mark. I promise you'll love that one 😉.

~Grace🏈