The Favor (A TKB AU)

19. Back to School / proof of life

Elle may not be the biggest player on the soccer team, but she's easily the loudest, which helps with keeping track of her when they're doing drills on the side of the field farthest from my spot in the bleachers. It's too bad I'll be back at Harvard before soccer season starts, because if she's this competitive in practice, I'd love to see her with an actual game on the line.

"Mind if I join you?"

The voice is familiar but unexpected, and I turn around to find Rachel smiling hesitantly.

"Sure."

"Couldn't resist checking out cheerleading practice for old time's sake?" She teases.

"Not quite. Why, is that why you're here?" I laugh. I know Elle saw Rachel over the weekend, but I don't know if that included telling her about us or if they were too busy discussing whatever Lee did to get himself dumped.

"Well, I was here because I promised Elle a ride home, but I'm thinking my services are no longer going to be wanted."

Okay, so Rachel knows. I return her smirk. "Elle told you?"

Rachel nods. "Explains why we're both getting the silent treatment from your brother," she adds, her expression clouding.

"Lee's being a little bitch."

"To Elle, yeah. I probably deserve it."

I raise an eyebrow. "I doubt that."

Rachel shrugs awkwardly. "Did Elle tell you what happened?"

"Only that you broke up."

"I broke up with him. So I can't blame him for not wanting to talk to me."

I can. Even having no idea why they broke up, I'm still guessing Lee deserved it.

We're interrupted before I can tell Rachel that, though.

"Didn't think you were the type to pick up your little brother's leftovers, Flynn."

Warren's sneer hasn't lost its ability to make me see red, but before I can do anything stupid I catch Rachel's eye and we both crack up at how far off the mark he is.

"Fuck off, Warren," Rachel sweetly declares, making me laugh even harder.

"That's all we'd need to make this situation worse," Rachel mutters only loud enough for me to hear as Warren walks away. "No offense."

"None taken." I'm not sure she's right, though. Not that I'm going to share this theory with her, but I think Lee might actually be less pissed if it were Rachel I was dating.

"How is Lee doing?" Rachel asks after another awkward pause.

"You think he's talking to me?"

I've barely seen Lee since we faced off on New Year's; he's been leaving early every morning and shutting himself in his room the rare times he's home. As far as I'm concerned, he's welcome to hide there until he's done sulking.

"I guess not. I didn't think he'd take it this hard. I just... it was just too much, you know?" Rachel stares at her fingers, her voice nearly too soft to hear. I don't actually know, but she must assume Elle told me, so I just nod. "He's so stressed out about college and trying to convince me to stay in California, and I can't talk about it any more. And I didn't even mean we should break up break up, just back off a little, but that's not how he took it."

It's weird having Rachel open up like this, but I guess she's decided to treat me like Elle's boyfriend rather than Lee's brother. And it's not like I mind finding out what happened, I'm just not sure how to respond.