"How were you not able to sleep last night? Does rain not put you to sleep?" Nicole ask as we are all sipping coffee.

"I just wasn't tired. I slept the whole way to Chapel Hill."

They're about to ask more questions but my phone starts ringing. It's my brother.

"If you'll excuse me I'm being summoned." I say as I grab my phone and rush to my bedroom.

"Hey."

"Taylor! How's North Carolina?"

"It's raining. It's been raining since last night."

"I'm nervous."

"Seth Lawson! It is okay to be nervous it's your first game as a college athlete. You have a lot to prove. What have I always told you?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know or you want it to come out of my mouth?"

"Tell me, Taylor."

"It's ok to be nervous before a game. If you're nervous, it shows that you care."

"Thanks."

"Now how's my favorite Kentucky wildcat?"

"I'm only your favorite because everyone here hates you."

"Ouch that hurt. Mom and dad attending tonight?"

"Dad, yes. Mom, no. She's going to watch Austin."

"Austin is going to win. Syracuse is so good this year."

"Yeah." He sounds nervous.

"What's wrong?"

"When we play UNC this year will you come? I want my sister there to watch me play in person."

"Yes. I will put aside my differences with everyone there and watch my baby brother play, in person."

"Ok."

"Hey, Seth?"

"Yeah?"

"I gotta go Austin is calling. I love you."

"Love you too."

"You're gonna kill it. Murder it. They are all going to be left on the court. Bye."

I hang up with Seth and answer Austin my older brothers call.

"What's up, sista?"

"Austin! Don't you dare start talking like them Yankees." I hear laughing in the background. "Am I on speaker?" The laughing stops and I don't here background noises. "No."

"Are you calling for the annual advice?"

"Yes."

"Well put some work in and kick some ass. Don't lose that's embarrassing!"

"Wow not what I was expecting."

"I'm running out of advice. I've only done this since your freshman year. You're a junior now. Just know it came from the heart."

"I know it did."

While I'm on the phone with my brother there's a knock on the dorm room door.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me. Guess who's my roommates friend?"

"I don't know."

"Hayden Caperall."

"Slap him for me."

"I'm waiting for the right moment."

"So are you seriously going to keep your last name a secret to your new friends?"

"Yes. Well if they really wanted to know who I am they'd see the family picture on my desk. The one from Christmas where we are all in matching pajamas. I mean they understand basketball. I'm sure they'd figure out by looking at that picture I'm Becca and Ryan Lawson's only daughter. Who if you ask some is a screw up."

"You're not a screw up."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyways I got basketball dudes to talk to I'll call you if they start talking trash about you. Or I'll stick up for you. Maybe I'll even slap them."

"Please do. I just have to wait a couple of days and then I can take them down."

"Correction. You and you're team can take them down."

"Bye, Taylor."

"Bye, Austin."

I hang up with my brother and go to the bathroom and brush my hair. I'm not trying to look like a screw up today.

I keep debating whether I should apply some makeup on.

I decide on no. Who am I trying to look cute for anyways?

I walk out into the kitchen to join the others.

"How's your brother?" Loren ask

"Good just needed some advice before he starts his first college game today."

"Who does he play for?" Gabe ask

"Kentucky. He's a freshman and gets to start today so he's excited. Once I got off the phone with my younger brother my older brother called."

"Let me guess your older brother is sitting on daddies money. That's how you got into our school late in the year. So I'm sure your brother is a rich kid." Hayden infers. That makes my blood boil. I'm not a rich spoiled kid. Hayden woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.

Everyone looks at him like he has three heads.

"Actually my brother plays for Syracuse and is nationally ranked. He got into Syracuse on scholarship, a full ride because he's just that good. Does my family have money? Yes. Me and my siblings worked. We worked in high school. Nothing comes free in life not even to the rich. Yes we have a trust fund. That we haven't touched. Because we made our own money. How I got into this school, I don't know. But what I do know is that my daddy didn't pay my way in here."

To think I thought he would shut up after I corrected him.

"I bet your brother sits on the bench." He says with so much venom.

"He did. For 4 weeks while he was injured but he didn't sit on the bench half his freshman year for failing a drug test."

That shut him up.

"How do you know about that?" Gabe ask. Looking at me shocked.

"I was born into the basketball world. Plus Coach Carson is my fathers best friend."

Nobody says anything. I guess they all thought I'd believe the statement the school put out to cover for him. They said Hayden Caperall had a shoulder injury. Coach Carson told us what really happened. I hate schools who do that.

Kentucky did it for me. When I said I was going to opt out my sophomore year. They said I had a family issue going on so I was going to announce if I was playing in the up coming season when it got closer.

I opted out. Kentucky started losing I was blamed. Which I take as a compliment. People were saying if I was on the team they'd be better. If me and Skylar were on the team we'd be winning. I didn't give the a reason as to why I was opting out. Then a couple months later I transferred with no word. I told nobody except for my family. The team hates me because I didn't tell them.

I grab my phone and walk out the dorm leaving the rest of my roommates speechless.

As I start walking in the direction of the basketball arena I hear footsteps behind me.

"Taylor." That's Chase. I haven't known him that long but I know his voice.

I turn around.

"Can I help you? Or are you here to insult me like your friend did." I ask with attitude.

"I'm sorry about him."

"That's one thing I do hate."

"What?" He ask

"Apologizing for others. It's stupid."

I'm sorry he couldn't be here. I'm sorry he doesn't love you. He would be here if he could. I'm sorry he did this to you. Those words hurt. Don't apologize for others. If they can't apologize to your face they're not worth it.

"Well the real reason I came out here, is well..." the dude is stuttering. He needs speech therapy.

"What all do you..um, know about us?"

"I know you are Brad Jackson's son. But don't worry I won't look at you differently."

That's what I would've wanted others to say to me but they never did.

He doesn't say anything.

"I knew since I saw you and the girls said your last name. Plus everyone knows Hayden Caperall's second in command is Chase Jackson."

I start walking.

I hear footsteps his walking with me.

"Hold on." He stops me from walking.

"Hayden is my second in command." He tries to clarify.

"Please everyone knows you do his dirty work for him."

"Did Coach tell you that too?"

"No. I'm not dumb. It's quite obvious if anyone has ever seen y'all play. I have an idea of you want to do his dirty work for him, try not to make it so obvious."

"Who's your brother?"

"Not saying."

"Why not?"

"I like remaining a mystery. Plus if I told ya, I'd have to kill ya. I really don't want to kill you. So I can't tell you."

"Do you not want to kill me because you find me attractive?" Well that took a turn. Is he flirting with me?

"No, you look heavy. I know I'm only like a foot shorter than you but you look like you're all muscles. If your all muscles then you are definitely heavy. I would have to find someone to help. Which would be another witness. So I can't murder you but I can give you a hint. My brother is a starter and has been trashed talked by your best friend."

"That's gonna be hard. Hayden has trashed talked so many starters."

"Well guess your just gonna have to do your research."

We start walking some more.

"So why are you going to see Coach Carson?"

"He has a comfy couch in his office. I'm tired."

"I get it. Dorm room beds suck. That's why I moved out of the dorms and into the basketball house."

If only he actually got it. I can't sleep without knowing I'm protected.

I used to be afraid of the dark as a child but know I'm afraid of what could happen while I'm sleeping.

When I go to sleep. Normally someone I trust is in the room. If they leave it's like my body knows. So I can't sleep alone. Without someone watching me, making sure I'm safe. I trust Coach Carson he's been there for me. Since I was a baby. He's like the better version of my father. So I will feel safe if I fall asleep on his couch in his office.

"Why are you going to see Coach Carson?"

"He let's me use the court before anyone else."

"Oh, favoritism at it's finest." I tease.

"Am I really his favorite? Has he said?"

"You sound like a child. No you're not his favorite college basketball player, my brother is."

As we walk across campus we are stopped by a bleach blonde with a faker tan than Nicole. That says a lot because Nicole's tan is almost orange. This girl is orange with blonde hair. Not a good look. She stops Chase and I make my way to walk past her but her friend blocks my path.

"Chase. What a surprise running into you."

"I walk this path every morning to practice at this exact time. It's not a surprise." He states directly

"Well lucky for you I walk this path everyday as well, to get to my car." She looks as if she thought of that right there on the spot.

"Well me and Taylor here are heading to the basketball arena and don't have time for chit chat." He says as he throws an arm over my shoulder.

Is he really trying to play this act right now?

"Well I'll be at the party after the game tonight. So if you need company just let me know."

"I have my company right here." Is he talking about me. I am no one's company. I try to move out of his hold but he just pulls me closer.

"When you get tired of the dumb blonde, call me. I'm sure I'm already on your speed dial." Dumb? Oh hell no.

"Excuse you, I'm not a dumb blonde. If I was a dumb blonde I'd be Orange like you. I'd also walk the same path of this dude here" I point to Chase. "To try to get his attention every morning. Also you shouldn't be proud to be somebody booty call. It's quite disgusting. If you want to be someone booty call I suggest you drop out of college and apply to be a hooker. Then you'll get the attention you seem to be craving."

Her and her friend just stand there stunned while Chase is trying not to laugh.

I can see the wheels turning in her head.

"Don't you dare try to say something else to me." She doesn't say anything she just walks around me and Chase and her friend follows.

"That was-"

"Shut up." I tell Chase who was about to compliment me on my second blow up this morning.

"Why?"

"Because I wouldn't have had to say anything if you didn't put your arm over my shoulder and bring me into the conversation."

This dude as not taken the hint to shut up. He's about to say something else.

"Two words, One finger."

"Huh?" He ask giving me a confused look as we start walking.

"Ohhh!"

He finally gets it. And to think I thought he was smart and hot. No, he's just slow and hot.

We walk the rest of the way to the basketball arena in silence. Comfortable silence.

When we get there the same dude from the day before gives me a weird look. "Where's Coach Carson?" I ask him

"Not here yet."

"He's never here early." Chase tells me.

"Seriously you could've told me."

I take a seat at the bottom close to the court.

Chase disappeared probably to the locker room.

I pull out my phone to text my brother to inform him of my morning and how close I was to slapping Hayden Caperall.

I'm almost done typing a paragraph when I hear a basketball bouncing. I look up to see Chase practicing. I thought UNC was good. If their star pointing guard can't handle the ball correctly they can't win. They can't be good. The pointing guard is supposed to be the best player on the team. He's not doing good.

"Are you sure you're a pointing guard?" I ask Chase as he takes a sip of water.

"Yes. I'm pretty sure. That is all I have been my whole life. Following in my fathers footsteps."

"Well a word of advice. You should dribble low, not high. If your opponent is tall which most are you shouldn't give them easy access. Maybe also learn to dribble without looking at the ball."

"Coach tells me that too." He admits

"I sure do. Now Taylor are you trying to take my job?" Coach Carson's voice echoes through the arena.

"Nope but I am here to take your couch."

He nods. "Through the boys locker room. I have papers to fill out. Chase keep practicing. I need you head in the game especially since your parents are coming."

"Yes sir."