(Unedited)

"My sisters will be here tonight." He tells me "Clarissa and Melanie. Clarissa is the oldest who just graduated UNC last year. Melanie is still in school. She'll be graduating high school this year."

"I miss high school. Everything was normal."

"What do you mean?" Chase ask as we pull into a neighborhood.

"I mean I had friends. Volleyball was my life and I had a boyfriend who I thought at the time was the love of my life. My family and I were close. Like super close. Kentucky football didn't suck."

"I don't miss high school. All I did was focus on basketball. I didn't get the high school experience."

"There's that saying you don't miss things until there gone. Well I miss everything that's gone now."

"If I could redo high school I would." He tells me. "I want the high school experience my sister has."

"I would love to redo the last 4 years of my life." I tell him honestly.

"Well here we are. Welcome to the Jackson family home." In the driveway I notice no cars. Great Chase and his father are probably going to get in an argument again. We should've brought Loren. We should've forced her in the car. Chase asked if she wanted to ride with us and she said no. So now that nobody's here yet they won't play the happy family. She said she was going to pick up Hayden. His car broke down.

I don't know why she wants him. Honestly. He sucks. He's always doing things to ruin their chance of being together.

I didn't expect them to live average. The live in a two story brick house. I expected a mansion. I mean only the best for a NBA hall of famers.

"You see that mailbox right there." Chase points out as he opens the door for me. "Yes." I say skeptical.

"I crashed my bike into that mailbox at age eight."

"Wow. So this is this house you grew up in."

"Yep. That oak tree right there." He points to the large oak tree in the yard. "I feel outta that tree at age six. Broke my first bone."

"Why'd you climb it?"

"Because I felt like it. Also my friend dared me. He said he'd let me be team captain next time we play basketball if I jumped." I laugh

"So let me guess. You jumped and weren't team captain the next game because you broke a bone."

"Correct. Can you guess what friend dared me?"

"I have no clue."

"Hayden."

"Of course he did. You should've known he's been trying to eliminate his competition since y'all were six."

Before Chase can respond a girl runs out of the door and into his arms.

"Chase!" She yells as she jumps in his arms and wraps her legs around his waist.

Chase looks shocked and is just frozen.

"Omg! How have you been? I've missed you so much!" She says as she runs her hand down his arm. Does he have a girlfriend I didn't know about.

While she's basically feeling him up. I start my walk inside.

"Hi. You must be the girl my brother can't shut up about." A brunette says as I walk in the living room.

"Maybe. I'm Taylor." I tell her extending my hand. Which she takes and shakes. "Clarissa Jackson." She tells me. "Soon to be Mrs. Mason." A man says entering the living room.

"Yes. It's coming up so soon. This is my fiancé Jake Mason."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Taylor."

"Taylor!" Mrs. Jackson exclaims as she brings me into a hug.

"Where's Chase? Shouldn't he be introducing you to all of us." Clarissa points out.

"He's outside with some girl." I tell her.

"I can't believe she showed up." Clarissa says and sounds very irritated.

"Who invited HER?" Hayden says walking in the door with Loren by his side.

"Are you talking about me because I have the same question. Who invited you?" I snap back.

"I'm talking about you and that witch outside."

"Who do you think invited her?" A girl who I'm assuming is Melanie says as she walks down the stairs. "The nicest woman here. Who here's that the girl is in town and says we're having dinner, you should come. She said no. She only wanted to come if Chase would be here."

"Why didn't you warn me?" Chase says walking in the door. I don't see the girl behind him.

"I tried. Mom wouldn't let me." She tells her brother.

"Why wouldn't someone warn me that her and her" he says pointing out the front door and then at me "would be here. I can't stand either of them." Hayden says with extra attitude today.

"Two words, one finger." I tell him and roll my eyes.

"Hayden! Wow! It's been too long!" The girl says pulling Hayden into a hug.

I take in her features she has black hair, brown eyes, and is wearing a crop top with Lululemon leggings. I don't mean like a casual crop top. She's wearing a glittery white one with while leggings.

"Who are you?" She says with so much attitude.

"Taylor. Who are you?"

"Leah Stuart. I'm sure you've heard all about me from Chase and Hayden." She states.

"I've known the guys longer and know absolutely nothing about you." Nicole states walking in the door hand in hand with Gage.

"What are you doing back?" Chase asked her

"Well I've though with careful, careful consideration and I'm enrolled now at UNC. I loved Clemson but I missed my two favorite guys!" She exclaims pulling them both into a hug.

Hayden dodges her hug and Chase does the same.

"I see you two grew out of your hugging stage."

"How'd you enroll so late into the year?" Hayden asked

"Daddy paid them. You know him always wanting what's best for his only child."

"Dinner is ready, children." Mrs. Jackson yells from the kitchen.

We all head into the kitchen.

"What did you make for us Mrs. Jackson?" Gage ask as he takes a sip of his water. Mr. Jackson demanded that all of the guys who have basketball practice tomorrow, drink water.

While Mrs. Jackson gave me and the girls red wine. I hate red wine but my mother told me as a child that you "take what is given to you and do not complain" so that's what I'm doing. I'm drinking this disgusting drink. I'm more of a beer drinker. I love Miller Lite.

I'm also sitting here eating Pepper Steak with Noodles. Mrs. Jackson is a great cook. My mom could never make this. She can't even make an oven pizza with our cooking the cardboard on it.

We all compliment her cooking when we get done eating and I offer to help with the dishes. More like I insisted.

I follow her into the kitchen with dirty plates in my hand.

"Have you talk to your mother?" She ask me as I put on the yellow gloves to scrub the dishes with.

"No. I'be had a bad couple of weeks. They weren't there for me. She's been calling but I keep ignoring her. My brothers call to and I ignore their calls. I'm not trying to be rude. I just felt like I had no one and I needed them but they were busy. So I'm busy and won't be answering their calls."

"You know your mother called me the night you joined us for dinner at that restaurant. After I sent her the selfie of us. She told me what you've been through and why you're really at UNC. I'm so sorry you went through that. You didn't deserve what life threw at you."

"I know." I can feel myself start to break down just thinking about everything that has happened to me in the past three years. "Thank you for caring." I tell her.

"Of course, sweetie. You shouldn't have to fight your battles alone."

"I can tell you're Chase's mom."

"Why's that?"

"Because he wants me to let him in so he can help me go through what I'm going through."

"You should let him in, you know. And when you do and he tells me because yes he will tell me. He tells his mother everything. So when he tells me. You will have dinner with us every week. No buts about it. I'm going to clean off the table. I'll be back." She tells me before walking back in the dining room.

"Me and Chase have history." A voice says from behind me. "Im going to be his wife." I turn around and see Leah.

"Okay. Why are you telling me this?"

"Well you showed up with Chase. He opened your door." I start talking before she can continue. "A man opening a woman's door doesn't mean they're a couple. It means he has manners and his mamma raised him right."

"I grew up with Chase and Hayden. I was Chase's first kiss, and first everything. So don't think you can walk into his life and take him from me. You may think you and him have something but you don't he doesn't go for ugly. So I don't care how much you try to make his mom fall in love with you in won't work."

"Jealousy isn't a pretty color on you. FYI I don't have to make Mrs. Jackson fall in love with me, you see she was in the room the day I was born. You may have been Chase's first but you definitely won't be his last. Also it's none of your business if I take a liking into Chase. By the way saying your daddy paid your into the school isn't impressive. A word of advice from a girl who has rich parents, be the girl who pays your own bills."

Before she can make a comment back. Chase and Hayden walk into the kitchen carrying dirt dishes.

"Wow you look good doing that. Being a house maid is a good look on you. You wanna come clean our house." Hayden teases to which Leah laughs.

I take high road. Which is the faucet sprayer. I take it and spray it at Hayden making sure he gets soaked. I then aim it at Leah because the bítch is on my nerves.

"Both of you have anything else to say?" I ask with the sprayer in my hand

"This is designer!" Leah yells.

"It's Lululemon. It will dry." I tell her. Before she makes her dramatic exit. Hayden quickly follows.

"What did she say to you?" Chase ask

"Nothing I can't handle or haven't heard before." I tell him.

He then takes the sprayer out of my hand. "Tell me or I'll shoot you."

"Do it. I dare you." I say as I quickly grab my wine glass. "Red Wine stains. You're wearing white. I hate to never see you in it again. Spray me and I'll throw wine on you."

"It's a cheap shirt." He says totally catching me off guard and spraying me with the faucet sprayer. I scream and accidentally drop my wine glass because the water was steaming hot. I was waiting for it to get hot before I started washing dishes.

"Are you okay? Im so sorry. Don't move their is glass everywhere."

Chase's mom comes rushing in. "I heard a scream. What happened?"

"Oh you know, I just got sprayed with steaming hot water and dropped my wine glass inches away from my feet. I'm sorry. Was this expensive?" I ask pointing towards the glass surrounding my feet.

"Oh no, sweetie. It was a gift from my grandmother that I hated so thank you for breaking it. Also y'all are staying the night here. It's pouring outside."

Great I have to stay in this house with Leah and Hayden. The two people that hate me.

_______

The Girls Aesthetic

6/18/21
7:39pm