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AARON TOLD ME everything about yesterday.

My stomach hurt the entire time as he held me and I cried trying to flush out the memories. I threw up twice just thinking about Liam. He-

I could not even say the word.

Think about his face.

"I hate him." I seethed tucking my legs under me.

Aaron rubbed my arms. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault it's mine. If I hadn't gone to his car. If I had used my small brain I would have chose the right choice. I would have- you were right." I rubbed my eyes angrily and I could tell the red lines that printed on my face.

"It's over Bryce. I won't let him come next to your ever again. Never again." He promised himself and I firmly. I nodded and swallowed.

"I'm so sorry. I ditched you because I was mad and-"

"Don't." Aaron shook his head. "I should have been more persistent with my objection. I was too stuck in the head thinking I knew nothing about you. He felt like competition." He hotly muttered furious at himself.

"He never was." I sniffed hugging myself. "I can't believe he tried this again."

"Again?" Aaron sat up straighter looking at me. "What do you mean again?"

"Liam and I met drunk. He had taken me to his room and then we- you know. I was so scared but he told me it was his first time so he was understanding. I bought his sweet act and then one thing led to another and we became drunk more and more and accused the other of things. Which turned out even a drunk mind of mine was telling the truth." I angrily scoff. "The audacity he had to show up again. The audacity I had."

"Forget about it." Aaron murmured kissing my head. "I'll deal with him don't worry. But for your safety stay away from him. If he tries anything and I mean anything you tell me or our friends. We know how to handle people like this." He instructs me pushing my hair away from my face. "Are you coming for the competition?"

I nodded licking my lips. "Yeah. I have to." I got up sighing. "I need two hours to pack everything up and get ready." I turn around and smile at him. "Thank you again. I think that words been coined by you now seeming the amount of times you save me."

Aaron rolled his eyes getting up and stretching though I could still see the faint frown on his mouth and the worry in his eyes. "Just about a month and then Christmas'll be here."

"Yeah." I grin thrilling about the pile of presents and Christmas lights and decorations. "It'll be brilliant."

"Mhm." He grins and walks up to me and wraps his arm around me before kissing the sensitive part of my neck. "Spare ten minutes?"

"Why?" I furrowed my eyebrows and looked around trying to search for my phone since my entire WSC calendar was there. I had to send my supply of relay race batons and shoes to the sports court and rally the girls at the game.

"I made cheer me up ice cream sundaes." I raise my eyebrows at him.

"Are you bluffing?"

"Check it out yourself." He smirked at me and escorted me to the kitchen island where indeed two blue glass tinted bowls were set with gelato and hot fudge on top.

"You are my favorite person Aaron Mercer." I sat down digging in immediately.

"I have that effect on people." He arrogantly grinned at me. "Not gulp this sugar and get to your team cause those shit load of get well soon cards are piling." I laughed looking behind me at the coffee table scattered with papers of different colors and presents of chocolates and flowers.

"Guess I have that effect on people." I murmur eating happily as my heart swelled.

So many friends in so little time.

So much care I never gotten when I was younger.

I felt like I was in a home. These people were my home. My family.

...

"Are you all ready?" I asked looking at the girls.

"No. Why'd you choose me?" Madison hissed at me. "I don't do pressure."

"You're fast." I shake my head waving her objections away. "We need fast people on the relay."

"Not me." Madison pleaded looking around. "What about Natalie?"

"Not my thing." Natalie shrugged. "I can't run fast and you can Maddie. Don't be a wimp right now."

"Yeah come on Madison." Sersha mused. "If we win this we are up by 4-2. We all know we suck at basketball so the boys could goal that one in but the scavenger hunt will have our captain in that race."

"Exactly!" Emery added. "We can't lose this. Come on. Bryce can you say the names again?"

I purse lips and speak. "Madison, Emery, Genevieve, Chloe, Loraine, Olivia and I." I said off my list. "I want Sersha to be my second and handle anything that goes wrong. Alright?"

"Affirmative." Sersha saluted me.

"Girls come on. The boys are already stationed and ready. Grab your batons and set up your race." Ms. Clarissa hurried us over to the cold trimmed field where the green grass was as fake as unicorns.

"Position!" I instructed the girls and headed to my post. I was the third track in front of Emery and next to Jordan.

"Ohhh this is gonna be good." Jordan rubbed his hands together. "Madison versus Quinton is a good one."

"Shut up Brooks." I teased. "Don't psyche my competitors out."

"Alright part of the play Bryce." He grins at me. "After the competition I need you to meet up with me and the group. We are all going to Owen's."

"Sounds like a plan." I agreed and listened until the large scream of the whistle ripped through. I looked behind me one hand behind my back while my front faced well front.

"Come Emery." I whispered to myself as she ran to me my hand gripping on the red baton fast and ran to Genevieve in front of me.

My legs pumped as I swung my arms and leaned forward running days with my heart racing as I neared Genevieve and hit the baton into her palm. She took it an ran making it to Loraine.

Jordan panted beside me seeing as Logan ran. "Seth dropped it before I could fucking grab it." He slapped his leg angrily. "This close."

"Chill out Jord." I mused. "You did good."

"Thanks." He breathed running a hand through his hair. We both looked as the baton was reached three second before the boys. She ran through the field her face determined as she rushed neck to neck against Quinton.

I bounced on my toes impatiently trying to see the it through.

And...

Madison jumped forth her body flinging across the finish line first.

"YES!" I screamed jumping up and down. "WE DID IT!"

"No!" Jordan cried out loud as I jumped out of joy fist bumping the air.

"THE GIRLS HAVE WON THE RACE!" Principal Simone announced through the megaphone the voice amplifying throughout the entire space of the field.

I ran towards the crowd of girls who ran to me. I jumped onto Madison and hugged the living crap out of her. "I told you you could do it! I told you!"

"I know right! I'm awesome!" She laughed wiping off her happy exhilarated tears. "I did it!"

"We won." Sersha says in a cave man voice flexing her arms making us all laugh. "Boys can eat our dust oh. Burnnn."

I hugged Sersha laughing. "You are so far out but I love you."

"I love you guys too." Sersha sniffed hugging Madison and I tightly. "You both are my family."

"Aww god we are so getting a vacation together." Madison announces.

"Don't worry you all are coming to my mother's wedding." I chuckle wiping my eyes too. We did it.

I turned and saw Emery smiling at us in a distant space. I walk over to her with my arms extended and engulfed her. "Fuck you Emery. You did amazing." She squeezed me back.

"I'm so fucking sorry for everything." She sobbed through laughs. "I was such a bitch. God." I pull back and smile at her.

"We both were." I grinned as I was ripped away and engulfed in another hug.

"You did it my bitch." Owen mused hugging me tightly. "You won the first relay race known to this school. You won as a girl. Do you know how proud I am?"

"Thank you Owen." I beamed at him brightly. "Go to Olivia. She deserves your affection."

He nodded and ran to his girlfriend scooping her up and spun her around.

"Congrats West." Aaron pulls me in a hug his grin wide.

"Sore loss huh Mercer?" I tease kissing him. He picks me and hugs me tightly. "We got the scavenger hunt to do if you make two points too you know?"

"I'll up my game. Don't want to miss that." He chuckled setting me down. I ran a hair through my now unbound shirt and look around at everyone's happy and well some sad faces. The crowd was bouncing and cheering and I could tell Principal Simone was beyond happy as she gave me a thumbs up.

"Now on to the second round of the day." Sersha bounces in between us squealing excitedly.

...

The next round was about basketball. And as expected our score was doing bad.

I bit my knuckles looking at the score board and then at the girls.

Not good.

Sienna was trying her best and quite honestly no one in our team played basketball much to our dismay. I rubbed my face as the boys made another shot.

Shit.

"It's okay. We can make the next competition guys." I tried lightening the mood though I could tell my tone was tense.

Ms. Lennon walked over to me in her tight bun and frowned. "That's not a school goody take it off. The next time I see you in it consider yourself gifted with a year's worth of detention." I frowned as she walked away looking at my black hoodie.

It was fucking plain.

"Someone's stuck up." Owen snorted glaring at the back of the teacher's head.

"I hate the orange cut off shirts." I groan taking my hoodie of nimbly and standing awkwardly in it. Orange was soo not my color.

"It doesn't look that bad?" Owen winced looking at my shirt.

"It looks horrible." I hugged myself unconfidently. "I hate it. It makes me feel self conscious or shit."

"Hey!" Owen stands up planting his hands on his hips wearing the same shirt as me. "If a horse can wear a dick and be called a unicorn then you can wear that shirt and be a motherfucking boss." I smirk at his choice of motivational words.

"You should be a public speaker." I offered my eyes returning to the game.

5-28

We were going to lose for sure. I could tattoo it on my hand permanently for the saying. I knew the girls were bad at coordinating with the ball and the fear of them getting hit was vivid. I could not blame them for something that was evident in me too.

I looked as the orange and black striped ball bounced across the polished wooden floors and hit the net. The score board dinged and the boy's' number one upped.

My hands clenched and I clenched as I matched in with the loud atmosphere of the place. The tension running in the air more then the chill itself as I watched the girls sweat and pant shaking their heads each other.

The silent communication of downfall.

"Damn you guys are losing like hard core. Like really bad. Like astronomically-"

"Shut it Owen." I muttered slumping against the benches. "Why aren't you playing?"

He sat down next to me crossing one leg over the other. "Because I'm a terrible aim." I screw my face at him. "Oh shit that came out wrong. I'm a beautiful aim no doubt about that just not with balls- that sounds even worse never mind."

I pat his head gently. "Your smartness just wasn't made for this world. It's alright." He grinned up at me his sponge hair tickling my neck as he leaned next to me.

"Yes mate! One for the boys." Owen hooted flipping out his middle fingers at the scene. "Two minutes to go and then game over."

"Why is it even continuing?" I exclaimed knowing we were to lose. Was this to spite us?

"Ask your lover boy over there. He seems to think those two minutes are damn important." We both looked at Aaron who indeed was shouting out instruction to Harry who transmitted them to the team. He really looked like he was making the world and not playing basketball. "Liv is actually playing very well." Owen mused cheering for Olivia who seemed startled but smiled back.

"Aren't you two just so cute." I cooed at him playfully. "I hope she knows what's in the package deal." Owen nudged me with my elbow making me wince. Damn did he have scrawny elbows. Felt like a fucking twig was poking me.

"She knows all about the package deal thoroughly." He mused smugly. "Multiple times."

I covered my ears. "Gross Owen. I do not need to know about your sex life."

"Puh-lease. That's exactly what my dorm partner says banging on the other side of the wall. Weird kid he is." He said it so sincerely I actually felt bad for laughing internally.

"Bless your brain." I chuckled as the game ended and the girls groaned to the floor while the boys jumped on top of each other reincarnating a human mountain.

"Yeah baby. We won. Who won? We won. Woohoo." Owen cheered merrily to himself skipping towards the boys and jumping angelically on them as if he was the cherry on top.

"Well fuck basketball." Madison muttered falling and laying on to my lap with a sneer at the boys. "I may be good with balls but these ones were just not it."

"Me and you both sister." Olivia breathed chugging down water.

"You guys did good. Next one will be ours. We win. The score is 4-3 now. We still have a chance." I pepped them up. I could feel myself believing no word being uttered from me. My confidence was like the glaciers melting. But oh well.

The game clean up was a workout. I had never scrubbed so much floor in my entire life. I did not even look at the floor much. Much I swear I must have seen bajillion stains on the wooden floor. What was the point of us cleaning if the janitor would polish it anyway?

It became enormously more a nuisance when Owen stepped on my fingers like fucking ten thousand times. Admitting it would do know good to him seeming I think he was half related to dolphins. A mind always half asleep.

Madison was improvising and had changed into one of her old shirt and shorts making them drip with water. Sersha squeezed soap onto the floor and Maddie looked up to me still on her belly. "This is my calling. Move me servant." I laughed picking up her legs and grabbing her by the ankles before pushing her back and forth like a human mop.

We did this for three minutes before she hissed and got up laughing in tears. "My tits hurt like hell. Fuck. Bad idea." She hugged her breasts jumping up and down.

I laughed falling on the floor nearly helping as Reuben maneuvered me by my ankles across the floor. "I found your destiny Bryce. Forget flipping burgers in McDonald's. You could be a mop instead."

"Yes get rich by it." I swaggered on the floor as he pushed me across the floor higher.

"If I didn't know you guys I might have that you were exuberantly high but because I know you this would be the classic normal." Aaron muttered from where he was piling the chairs.

"You're just jealous because the floor and I have more chemistry." I shouted back at him laughing as Sersha squirted more soap in the floor. "Hey Owen bring your hair over here and sponge the floor."

"Leave my sexy hair and me alone." He stuck his tongue out at me.

"You know I used to do Batman like this." Sersha mused looking down at us. "I could never hold anyone up."

"Bite me." I crouched my knees in front of me and stuck my hands up. "Come on Reubie."

"You won't be able to carry me Bryce no matter what super hero you might think of yourself." Reuben teased but went along anyway. He leaned down lacing his fingers tightly with mine as I placed my feet on his abdomen and pushed up.

He hovered for a few moments before my legs turned wobbly and slipped making him shriek so shrilly I though I might have killed him. "My crotch! Fucking hell!" He said through tears gripping his manhood on his knees.

"Shit sorry maybe you should um ice it?" I offered cringing at the option.

He shook his head while Owen laughed. "There there Reuben your delicate handle shall not break today."

I burst out laughing with everyone else while Reuben cursed.

"You sure you ain't acting just so you could get a make me better blow job?" Aaron teased clasping Reuben on the back.

"Fuck you all. I hope all your tiny wieners get chopped off and mistaken for sausages." He hissed slumping on the floor.

"Damn the aggression." Madison drawled with a sizzling intake of breath. "The quiet ones huh?" She winked at me and I laughed winking at Sersha who seemed too interested in looking at a lump of huckleberry gum on the floor. It looked nasty.

"Time is up." I pop looking at the gigantic digital clock board. "My time to clean is up." I toss the rag in the bucket on the bench and stretch cat like hearing some of my bones pop.

I felt so ready to just delve in a hot bath but sadly the Academy did not accustom me with them and only standing showers were permitted much to my dismay. All I wished was to go home and be in one of those warm oil scented baths that smelt heavenly.

Speaking of home I should probably notify everyone on the plane tickets and see who could or could not come to my mother and Jake's wedding. I know Miles and Lu had arrived there already trying to get to ground as quickly as they good seeming as my sister was pregnant.

Catherine on the other hand was not bothered to communicate with anyone but me. I convinced her to come either way and she was willing to a week before the wedding. No sooner to avoid any social or awkward interactions. I secretly hoped she brought Grayson along with her because that would be interesting to meet the boy who had her frowning all the time.

The rest of us went into the elevator nearly suffocating at the expense of all of us squashed in. "Who the hell pressed four floors?" Aaron growled irritated and narrowed his eyes at us.

"It was my fucking knee so shut it." Madison sniffed as we went up and stopped at the first floor. Aaron shut it as went higher and higher and stopped again.

The door opened and Jordan stared at us wide eyed with Emery just behind him. "Elevator party or some shit?"

"Or some shit." I breathed through Owen and Reuben.

"Well I'll just come in too as-"

"Take the fucking stairs." Aaron pressed the button the silver doors closing before he could squeeze in.

We eventually made it to the fifth floor all gasping and alive as Owen unsheathed his keys that hung a large fat seal cartoon keychain. He unlocked the door and pushed it open. "Mi casa su casa." He welcomed as we all stepped in some of us piling in the kitchen and couch while Maddie dismissed herself to the bathroom.

Jordan grumbly stomped with Emery while I Cheshire grinned at them. "Glad you could make it."

He rolled his eyes but smiled anyway collapsing on the couch next to me. Emery awkwardly sat on a bean bag whilst Owen jumped over the