An Unlikely Duo

Chapter 5: Surprises

Thanks to @peonybooks for designing the cover on the side!  I love it!  You should all go read her books they are amazing!

Kayla's P.O.V.

“Alright, the guy with the weird nose keeps moving up so when I set you, roll shot it to the deep left corner, he’ll never see it coming” Jake whispered to me as one of the guys on the other team went back to serve.  I nodded and checked the score board.  We were winning the second game 20- 16.  Hopefully we could finish the game with this rally because it was getting hotter by the minute.  The serve was a weak attempt at a jump top spin and I passed it easily to Jake.  The set was good and I faked like I was going to hit it then sent the role shot to the back left corner.  Just as Jake expected the guy wasn’t ready and dove for it, but still missed by two feet.  We won. 

“Nice call” I high- fived Jake.

“Nice shot” He slung his arm over my shoulder as we went over to the water cooler.  It was crazy hot, but that’s what you get in July in North Carolina.  We were still undefeated and another win was a great way to start a Saturday.  “So I’ll pick you and Charlotte up at two tomorrow?”  Jake’s question caught me off guard.  I guess the cynic in me assumed he was joking about the “date” or would forget, but I’m glad he didn’t, for Charlotte’s sake of course.  I wouldn’t want her to get her hopes up only to be disappointed.

“Um sure.  Sounds good.  Where are we going?” I tried to sound upbeat instead of doubtful, but I’m not the best actress so who knows if I actually pulled it off.

“Not telling.  It’s a surprise” Jake wiggled his eyebrows like a little kid who has a secret, but thinks he’s such a hot shot for not telling you.  That’s when I realized Jake was basically a four year old in a seventeen year old’s body.

“I hate surprises” I mumbled under my breath.

“Good, this will be all the more fun then!” Jake grinned like an idiot.

“You are a very irritating child you know that right?” I glared at him, but he wouldn’t stop smiling.  Dang those uber happy people.  I realized in that moment, that I had never seen Jake in a bad mood.  How was that even possible? 

“Kayla darling I was put on this Earth to irritate you.  It is my calling in life” Jake placed his hand over his heart and looked off into the distance trying to sound all philosophical.  I scooped up a handful of sand and threw it at him before stealing his keys and running down the beach toward the car.  Unfortunately he caught up to me pretty quickly.  Curse people with long legs.

We bickered about how irritating Jake was for the whole ride home.  Once he realized he was losing the argument he turned the stupid country music up to full blast and refused to stop singing until I relented and said he was only mildly irritating.  The kid was blackmailing me into lying, I needed new friends.

“You’d better get a good night’s sleep you’re going to have a lot of fun third wheeling my date with Charlotte tomorrow” Jake taunted as I climbed out of his truck.

“Great I’m third wheeling my six year old sister and the King of the Idiots, this should be fun”