We drove for a few minutes quietly, nothing but the radio playing. I pulled up on my dad paying the tow truck man. I jumped out of the truck. "Hey dad are you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine son" he said patting me on the back.
"Good," I said smiling. "Let's go"
"Okay, I'm on my way. Let me grab the pizza" he grabbed the pizza and hopped in the back seat.
***
"Have you ever heard about all the trouble Maverick and Adrien got into?" Dad asked.
"No but I'm eager to find out," Aria laughed. I groaned beside her.
We were all sitting on the couch enjoying our pizza and talking and laughing.
"There was this one time where they got into Lori's paint, in the middle of the night, and got it everywhere" dad laughed. Aria laughed too. I was hiding my red embarrassed face behind a pillow.
"And another time when Lori was outside planting flowers and they wandered outside and ate the flowers she was about to plant" Aria and dad laughed yet again. I just buried my face deeper and deeper into the pillow. "Lori was so mad after that Maverick wasn't allowed to come over for a week" Aria laughed but this time it wasn't a fully concentrated laugh, she was thinking about something else I could see it in her eyes.
"Who's Lori?" She asked. I knew she would ask this sometime if dad kept mentioning her.
"Lori's my mom." I said coming out from behind the pillow, my face no longer flushing in embarrassment. Dad fell silent.
"I would love to meet her. She sounds nice," Aria said, completely oblivious.
"That's the thing you can't," I said softly.
"I should leave," dad said as he got up and walked out of the room.
"What do you mean?" She furrowed her brow in confusion.
"My mom died three years ago"
"Oh." She too fell silent. She was thinking, probably of what to say and do next. "I'm sorry I didn't know," she said, getting up.
"Where are you going?" I kind of wanted her to stay. She grabbed her stuff and slipped her shoes on.
"Home, I think I overstayed my welcome" she opened the door and left.
"Aria wait!" I yelled after her but she was gone. She'd walked to Maverick's house.
***
"It's game day boys!" My dad yelled coming into my room and practically bouncing off the walls. Waking us up.
It was a tradition that every night before game day Maverick and I would sleepover at one of our houses. This week it was my house.
"Five more minutes, dad!" I groaned, throwing my arm over my face. He ripped my blanket off me and continued going crazy. To say my dad was excited was an understatement.
"I've got pancakes in the kitchen and Maverick your mom is here."
Another part of the tradition is the parent that does not have the boys comes over and eats breakfast with us.
We slowly got up and moved our way to the kitchen. The pancakes smelled amazing. Mrs.Thompson already had her plate. I grabbed mine from my dad. I grumbled a thank you still tired.
Once I ate my pancakes and drank some apple juice, I was much more awake and pumped for the day. Maverick too. We looked at each other with mischievous grins.
In sync we both stood up on the counter and started dancing and yelling and getting excited for the day.
"Alright alright" my dad said smiling after a few minutes. "Go get your jerseys on, we don't want y'all late for school" he said in a more serious voice, still smiling shooing is out of the kitchen with a towel.
We got into our jerseys, that we got yesterday, and jeans. Grabbing our stuff and putting our shoes on we headed for Maverick's truck.
Another part of the tradition is riding to school together blasting music to get us ready and hyped.
We got to Aria's house after almost forgetting to pick her up. Maverick turned the music up even more and honked the horn letting her know we're ready.
She came out smiling then she saw me and her smile faltered. It was only a second before she covered it up hoping no one saw her smile falter. I saw it and I knew it was because of last night. "What are y'all doing?" she laughed.
"Tradition" we answered at the same time, having to yell because of the music. She hopped in the back without complaining and we were off the school.
***
The halls were filled with orange and black. Streamers were everywhere for the first game of the season. Most of the students showing support for their school by wearing school colors. Some even going as crazy as painting their faces and going overboard on dressing up.
"Hey guys" I said to the team. They turned around and started going crazy hollering. I was quite popular during football season. I didn't really mind it but part of me didn't like it at all. "Settle down, settle down" I laughed. "We still have school" they all groaned.
"What have I said about school?" Coach said from behind me.
"Hey coach," the team said at different times.
"We gotta go to school before the game even starts and no complaining or we're going to do sprints right after the game." Coach said.
"Yes coach" the guys said in unison.
"That's what I like to hear," Coach laughed. "Now get to class" the team dispersed into different directions going to their lockers or first period.
I walked to my locker where Aria and Allie were already standing. Maverick was standing right behind Allie, she didn't know he was there.
"Hey guys" scaring them. Allie jumped backwards and bumped into Maverick getting scared once again almost causing her to fall over but Maverick caught her.
"You okay there?" He asked with a smile looking into her eyes.
She stared into his eyes before answering. "Uh yeah I'm fine" She stuttered. "I'm sorry I ran into you" she apologized sheepishly.
"You're fine. I'm just glad I caught you before you fell." He smiled and looked into her eyes. The bell rang and the two girls headed to first period.
"I know that look in your eyes and your smile" he arched an eyebrow at me in confusion. "You like her," I clarified.
"What no I don't," He said, running a hand through his hair.
"Dude I've known you since third grade I think I can tell when you're lying. You only run your hand through your hair when you flirting or lying and I don't think you're flirting with me"
"I hate how you know me so well man"
"You know you love me," I said.
"Do I?" He joked.
***
"Who's ready?" Coach yelled. There were screams from all around the gym.
"I said who's ready!" Coach yelled again the terrible sound system crackling as he spoke. The screams were even louder. Me and the boys were in the locker room getting pumped up. "Let's get this pep rally started!" Coach yelled. That's our cue.
The screams got louder as we bursted out of the locker screaming and hollering making the screams even louder which I didn't think was physically possible.
"Okay okay" Coach said through the microphone. "This is our first game of the season and we're really excited and pumped. Who's coming out tonight to watch the jaguars beat the wildcats?" Coach asked. The gym bursted into screams. "That's what I like to hear" I whispered something in my dad's ear. "I'm told we have a special performance from the football team" he said before handing the microphone to me.
"Hey everybody" I said into the microphone with a smile. The gym once again bursted into screams. "Me and the boys prepared a little something. How would you like to see it?" I asked. Screams came from every direction. "I'll take that as a no. I'm sorry guys I guess we practiced for nothing" I said looking at my team trying not to smile as they all bowed their beds in sadness. The gym went up in Screams once more begging us to do it. "What's that you want us to do it?" The gym was shaking with screams saying 'yes' and 'do it'. Then the crowns started chanting 'do it' over and over again. "Okay boys the shoes back on" I said and the football team started jumping up and down in excitement.
The lights turned off as planned. We all got in our places. I told my dad to press play when the lights came back on. The lights turned on, dad turned on the music and we started to dance, just like how we practiced. Everything went smoothly and the gym was filled with laughter.
Once we were done I was out of breath and the team went to their original places from the beginning of the pep rally. I grabbed the microphone from my dad wanting to say one last thing before the cheerleaders took the floor.
"What'd y'all think of that?" The gym filled with deafening screams. "Let's hear it for the cheerleaders! They're gonna show you how stunting is really done." That earned a laugh from the crowd. "Without further ado the cheerleaders everybody!" The crowd went wild with screams.
After the cheerleaders did their performance it was time for me and Maverick to make a speech.
"Hey guys!" I said and the gym went up in screams again. "I know I've been up here a lot this pep rally" the gym laughed. "So as we all know this is our first game of the season and I'm glad to see some new faces on our team but also sad to see some go. I know we're gonna give it our all and fight for the first victory of the season. So I hope y'all can come out tonight and watch us fight these wildcats for victory. Let's go jaguars!" There were screams, claps and cheers from all around the gym, to no one's surprise.
"That was great, man," Maverick said into the microphone. "As Adrien said this is our first game of the season and I'm glad I can share it with all of my teammates. As my momma always says 'give it your best and there's nothing you can't do especially with God on your side'" all the girls awed at the mention of his mamma. "So tonight we're gonna give it our best and have God on our side. Let's go and beat those wildcats!" The gym once again bursted into screams and cheers.
The cheerleaders took the court performing our school song. The whole school sang along, as always.
***
Hey guys! The video to the performance is up top. Speaking of performance, What'd y'all think of it? I loved it. Before anyone asks that wasn't my school. What do y'all think about Maverick liking Allie? I hoped y'all loved reading this chapter as much as I loved writing it! Comment vote and follow!
Until next time,
Kylagrace21