Jacob's POV
I wake up to Mom pounding on my door.
"Jake! Honey! Wake up! You will be late for school!" Mom yells from the other side. F*cking school, it is a killer of sleep.
"I am awake!" I yell back. Maybe I can sleep again after she goes.
"Get ready and come downstairs for breakfast. I made your favorite pancakes today." She says before walking away. Now I am wide awake. She knew I will wake up if I get to eat pancakes. Clever move Mom.
One thing I love about my parents the most is that even if we are rich, they believe that we can do our basic chores on our own. The helpers only maintain the house since it is too big and when there are too many guests they help with the other things too. That maybe because they know how it is to live in an average household. Dad set up his construction company from scratch and worked hard to make it reach where it is today. Mom is an Interior designer so she runs the designing department in the company.
They want me to know the value of money so I don't even get whatever I want but I don't mind it at all. We have a if you need it you will get it policy and whatever you want on holidays and birthdays but there should be a limit.
I want to follow in their footsteps hence I take both science and business courses. I am interested in science so I am thinking of starting a company in that field and then making it as an extension of my Dad's main company after I stabilize it. I have not decided the specifics yet but I will do that soon.
Anyways now that I am awake no need to get detention. With that thought on my mind I go and freshen up. While showering I kept racking my brain for a good prank. I even tried to search one on the internet yesterday but most of them will damage her things, which is not the goal. We are just pranking to annoy each other so no need to destroy each other's belongings or the school property.
Since I got ready in record time I decide to try my hand again with the internet.
Dye their hair. Nah
Put glitter on their things. Nope
Call your victim every hour.... Too long to read
Exchange salt and sugar. No and I don't even know where she lives.
Guess Google failed me for the first time in my life. Well there is a first time for everything.
I make my way downstairs and then subsequently towards the dining room.
"Good morning Mom and Dad." I say the moment I enter and flop down on my chair looking at mom impatiently.
"Good morning honey! And don't give me that look; they will be ready in a few moments." She chuckles while Dad just grunts. He looks a bit annoyed.
"Dad, did something happen?" Mom bursts out laughing while Dad glares at her.
"Nothing" Dad says while simultaneously Mom says "He has been getting these calls which are annoying him."
"What calls?" Dad lets out a long sigh.
"Some company wants to sell me a policy. I said I don't want it but they keep calling once in a while. It's really annoying. I almost threw my phone." He explains.
"Can't you just block them?"
He shakes his head. "I can but it's of no use. They will find new numbers to call from. I at least right now know that they are calling from that specific number so I can just ignore them."
"That's clever." Then I remember about the prank I skipped. I will have to check it out after eating.
"Okay now, forget that company and eat these delicious pancakes!" Mom exclaims setting the pancakes on the table.
"The second week of school is going on and I know I asked you this earlier but you are not facing any problems right?" Mom asks in between.
I finish the bite I am eating then answer. "No, the teachers are good and I made some friends who are really nice."
"The ones with whom you went to that diner and the party?"
"Yes, they actually even invited me to see their tryouts as well. Basketball tryouts were last week when I went with them to cheer Dylan on and yesterday we went to cheer the girls at their cheerleading tryouts. We sit together at lunch as well."
"That's great. I was really worried for you when we decided to shift in your senior year. I am happy you found a group of friends who care about you. But if you face any problems tell us okay."
"Sure"
"What about football?" Dad asks.
"Tryouts are this Friday and I have already given my name." They wish me luck.
"This school is a bit strange. Most schools have football tryouts first and they have basketball first." Dad says pensively after some time.
"Actually the football season starts after the basketball one so that's why they decided to have basketball tryouts first. And since any team needs cheerleaders to support them they had cheerleading tryouts second." I explain.
"Do you know who the captain is?" He further asks.
"They have not decided yet but most probably Dasher Williams or Drake Jhonson." I answer. I hope Dasher gets the captain position, or else Drake may make it hard for me to play.
"Jhonson? The ones we have business with?"
"Yeah, wait what business? I thought you were rivals?" I enquire.
"I recently had a meeting with them and we decided it would be a loss for both companies if we keep fighting so we made some deals."
"Are you friends with the triplets?" Mom asks.
"I know of them and I the party was at their house."
"That's good, it would be better if you are friends since you will be seeing each other a lot." Mom says.
"Why?" No way! I don't want to spend time with them!
"Since now we are partners, we are going to invite each other to our business parties. You kids can spend time together." Mom explains.
"Actually the first party is in two weeks. They are hosting it." Dad informs. What did I do to deserve this?
"That's great Dad." I say trying to sound excited.
"If you want you can even bring a date." Mom says.
"I will see." Maybe I can ask some girl to be my date for the night and spend my time with her so that I don't have to talk to them.
"Now finish your breakfast and leave for school or you will be late." Dad says looking at the wall clock. I finish my food and leave for school fast. Checking out the prank is not worth detention.
*****
"Hey guys I want to ask Chris on a date. What do you think?" Dylan asks staring at Chris. We are currently in the gym class and the coach hasn't arrived so everyone is chatting with their friends.
"You guys are dating right? So why are you worried?" I ask.
"I know we are dating but what I don't know is that if he is okay with being in public with me on a date." He says running his hand over his face.
"You are worried he may not be totally comfortable with his sexuality?" Dasher asks to which Dylan nods. It makes sense now.
"Hey don't worry; he was okay with it when you kissed him in the cafeteria right? So he will be okay with going on a date outside too. And if he is not, just spend the day with him inside your house or his. I am sure he will tell you what he feels." I suggest.
"So I should ask him out and clarify that we can spend the date inside one of our houses if he wants?"
"Pretty much yeah"
"Line up kids, enough chatting!" Coach exclaims entering the gym and blows his whistle. "You all will play basketball today. Jones and Smith choose your team." Asher and Dylan make their way to the center. Dylan wins the toss and chooses Chris then Asher chooses a kid on the basketball team. They go back and forth till all the basketball players are selected.
Then Dylan surprises everyone by selecting Anne but Asher seems disappointed. Asher chooses Katie. Whoa, are these girls good at basketball too? They go back and forth again. Dasher and I both are in Dylan's team while Drake and Justin land in Asher's team. Rest of their friends and mine are in a different gym class.
We all make our way to our positions after discussing. Dylan manages to tip the ball to Chris who then dribbles it around Asher and makes his way towards our basket. The moment I think Asher is going to snatch the ball away he passes it to Anne who was open. She makes her way dribbling towards our basket then throws the ball getting two points for our team.
"I told you to cover her." I hear Asher whisper yelling to a boy.
"I didn't think she was that good." He says looking scared.
"Of course she is good. Why do you think I told you to cover her? Our Dad was a star player and taught the both of us. Now go and actually do your job." Asher exclaims and then walks off. The poor kid...
I see a kid open so I run to cover him. Justin throws the ball towards Asher whom Chris is trying to cover. Asher manages to catch the ball and starts making his way towards his team's basket. A kid from out team runs after him and tries to grab the ball and Asher keeps dodging him. Asher must have seen Dylan making his way towards them since he throws the ball towards Drake. Before the ball could reach him I make my way there and catch the ball and then dribble it towards our goal. Anne motions me to pass her the ball so making sure she is clear I do. I expected her to make her way towards the basket further but she aims a three - pointer and it goes in. Asher curses under his breath.
This time when Drake throws the ball Asher grabs it and makes his way towards his team's basket in record speed without passing the ball to anyone and shoots a three pointer.
After that everyone must have gotten into form since for a while no one is able to score a goal till Katie gains two points for her team. The game goes on like that with very little difference in the points. When the coach blew the whistle at the end of the game our team was in lead by one point.
The teacher calls some of us to him when everyone starts making their way to the locker rooms.
"Angelina Wilson and Katherine Morgan right?" He asks Anne and Katie.
"Yes sir" They say simultaneously.
"Have you two thought of playing basketball in college?"
"Sir with all due respect, our school doesn't even have a girl's basketball team. How are we going to get selected for college basketball?" Anne asks tentatively.
"There are camps for brushing you up and you can tryout even if you didn't play in high - school." He informs them. Seeing them fidgeting nervously he adds "No need to tell me right now, just think and talk to your parents about it. You can tell me your final decision later." They nod.
"Why didn't you all tryout?" He asks turning to the boys.
"Sir, actually I used to be running back in my old high school so I have given my name for football." I say.
"Oh that's the reason you could run so fast." He talks to the others too and then dismisses us.
"You girls played really well." I compliment catching up with the girls. I don't even know the others anyway.
"Thanks you did too considering football is your sport." Katie says and Anne gives me a tight smile. They don't say anything else and I am too tired to carry on a one side conversation so I make my way towards the locker rooms. A lot of people have already finished freshening up by the time I get inside. Since it's the last period there's no rush but I quickly freshen up anyway and make my way home.
*****
When I reach home I quickly make my way upstairs. I have waited too long to check that prank out.
Call your victim every hour on the dot. When they answer, say a random color and hang up. If they try to call you back, play a recording of the operator saying, 'I'm sorry; the number you called is unavailable.'
I knew it! Google can never fail me! This is the perfect prank!
I remember still keeping my old phone and search for it. After sometime when I actually find it there is a flip phone with it as well. I had already asked someone for her number. I download the operator's voice in my current phone and then dial her number.
"Hello?" Her voice comes from the other end.
"Green" I say.
"The h..." I hang up before she could say anything else.
When she calls back after a few minutes I play the recording.
"Are you kidding me right now?!"
I have already gotten under her skin. This is going to be fun.
*****
Author's Note
Hello everyone😄! I hope you all are safe and sound.
Firstly, Smitten Anyway now has over 800 reads and 250 votes. So thank you to each and every one of you who decided to read my story.
Secondly, I have created an Instagram page especially for Smitten Anyway where I will be posting about the progress of the novel as well as its quotes. Please check it out and show some support. The link is in my bio. But don't worry; I will still be announcing important updates on my profile as well as in the author's notes.
Now the third point is that I have edited all the chapters so there should be next to no mistakes. But if anyone of you still finds a mistake please inform me.
Now coming back to this chapter, I showed a glimpse of the Wilson household. What do you think of them? And even though I know a bit about basketball, I am no expert so if I made any mistake or used the wrong terms please point them out.
Lastly but most importantly I hope you all like the story so far and have a nice day 🙃!