Homeroom

21: Risks and Rewards

[A/N] Song for this chapter is What a Man Gotta Do by the Jonas Brothers.

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Friday nights are meant for Netflix and bowls of popcorn. Currently, I'm rewatching The Office and shoving handfuls of popcorn into my mouth. My dad is downstairs, watching a Penn State football game. I can hear him cursing at the TV from all the way upstairs from my bedroom.

We are both enjoying out alone time, and that's exactly why I heard the doorbell ring. It's not like I ordered pizza or anything. I pause my show and look at the time on my computer. Huh, it's 5:02 PM.

I get up from my comfy position and walk out of my bedroom and into the hallway, perching on the top stair. My dad's at the door, talking to someone who I can't see from this angle.

"Yeah, she's here. I have no idea why she didn't tell me she had plans tonight, but you're more than welcome to go up there and drag her out. She doesn't do much on Friday nights, anyway," my dad laughs, and the mystery figure outside chuckles along with him.

My dad opens up the door and lets Aaron walk into our house. I gasp and almost die right there on the spot. How did he even figure out where I live? I panic and decide to run into my bedroom before he can see me.

Right as I take my first step towards my room, I slide on the slippery wooden step and fall to the ground with a loud smack. My hands latch onto the railing, and I fall on my butt. My dad and Aaron look up at me with amused expressions plastered onto their faces.

"Ah, there's my clumsy girl! Callie, your friend says he wants to take you to a soccer game or something," my dad says, gesturing for me to come downstairs.

I fake a smile for him because he genuinely seems please that I found a friend besides Shay or Charlie to hang out with. I don't want to be the one to disappoint him, not after all that's happened over the summer.

I get up from the ground and laugh. "Oh, I thought I heard Aaron down there. Yeah, let me just grab a jacket, okay?"

Aaron nods, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black, Adidas sweat pants as he smiles widely at me.

"Alright, well, you can wait down here with me, Aaron," my dad says, pointing towards the living room. "I'm just watching some college football. Are you a Penn State fan?"

"Heck yeah!" Aaron enthusiastically answers as my dad leads him out of my sight. I roll my eyes at the whole entire situation; my dad is going to want him over all the time if he "loves" PSU as much as him. And on top of that, I'm confident that Aaron said that to get on his good side.

Ugh, why does Aaron have to make life so stressful? I was planning on not showing up to the game tonight, and it would have worked if he didn't come to my house.

I carefully walk to my room and trade my yoga pants and sweatshirt in for a pair of jeans and an East Valley volleyball t-shirt. I grab a jacket, my phone, and my keys on my way out of the room.

When I walk downstairs, Aaron and my dad are chatting about Penn State's offensive line-up. They're so wrapped up in their conversation that they don't even notice I'm down here. "Okay, I'm ready," I announce, grabbing their attention.

Aaron gets up from his seat and coughs, clearing his voice, "Alright, nice meeting you Mr. Russe. I'll be sure to keep your daughter safe."

I internally gag and openly roll my eyes. Aaron's taking me out to see a soccer game, not on a date.

My dad raises himself to his full height, which is just about an inch shorter than Aaron. "Alright, it was nice meeting you, son. Bring her back by 11 at the latest."

They both shake hands as I march outside, waiting on the porch steps for the drummer boy to come. The sight of Aaron kissing up to my dad sickens me to my core.

I hear the screen door squeak open and closed as Aaron says goodbye to my dad again. "Be careful, Callie," my dad calls from behind the screen.

I fake another smile, nodding as Aaron unlocks his car. "Okay, bye, Dad," I reply walking down to the Audi.

"See you, honey. Have fun!" he hollers from the porch, waving as we both hop into the car and speed off towards the high school.

I don't say anything for a bit, mostly because I don't know what to do about him. He never gives up on me when I want him to quit.

"You cold?" he asks, glancing at me with those bold, hazel eyes. The flecks of gold in his eyes become more prominent in the sunshine.

"No, I'm fine," I nod, looking back out the front windshield.

He sighs, blowing a piece of his unruly hair out of his eyes. "Please, Callie, why do you sound so mad? I'm trying, you know."

His soft approach takes me off guard. I was expecting him to say something happier. "I guess," I mumble, "I'm just a mad person in general."

He shrugs, pushing the same stray curl out of his face. "Maybe, but I think you try too hard to be. Deep down, you're not. Like I said before, you're protecting something that's threatening to rip you apart."

He's right, and he knows it.

"How can you be so sure?" I ask as we pull into the crowded parking lot.

"Because we all have been there before," he comments as he pulls into a space between a cherry red convertible and a silver BMW, "just for different reasons."

I nervously bite on the inside of my cheek, unbuckling my seat belt to avoid looking him in the eye.

"It's okay to take a risk for once, Callie," Aaron says. "If you trip and fall, like you normally do, I'll be there to catch you."

Our eyes meet when I look at him. He smiles reassuringly, adjusting his red bandanna. "You can trust me on this one," he confirms, nodding his head.

And somehow, I find myself nodding along with him because I believe every word he's saying is the true. But I can't make myself take that huge leap of faith, not just yet. I get that he wants to help, but I shouldn't just throw myself out there again for a person I barely even call a friend.

"Maybe," I neutrally agree, hoping my inner turmoil didn't somehow leak out of my mouth.

He daringly pats my knee twice, heat rushing to my cheeks at his sudden touch. "I'll race you to the field."

He quickly grabs his bag off the back seat and rushes to push his door open. I do the same, running after him as he sprints through the parking lot, weaving through the rows of cars, heading towards the soccer field. I catch up when he starts to slows down, playfully shoving him in the ribs when I reach him. He looks over at me and smiles, his hazel eyes glistening with happiness. His wind-blown hair is somehow messier than it originally was ten seconds ago.

And in that moment, it strikes me just how beautiful he is.

We walk the rest of the way to the field in a peaceful silence, and Aaron sets his gym bag down on the bleachers once we reach the sidelines. He takes off his hoodie and sweatpants, revealing a crisp soccer uniform. "Red and white looks good on you," I comment as I sit down on the cold bench next to him.

"What?!" he gasps jokingly, as he haphazardly laces up his cleats. "Did I just her Callie Russe complement me?"

"Hey," I defend. "Didn't you say I need to take more risks?"

"I did," he confirms, "and so will I."

My eyebrows furrow in confusion as he places a sweet kiss on my cheek before running off into the field to warm up with his teammates.

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[A/N] Editing this story is making me realize just how unrealistic this plot is. Keep in mind, I wrote this when I was 15 or 16 and am editing it as a 20 year old. It would be too much of an undertaking to truly rewrite this all, so I'm doing my best to make it more realistic.

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