"Are you going to the game tonight?" Delilah asked on our way to lunch.

"What game?" I threw my backpack on the ground by my locker.

"The football game" she said like it was obvious and it probably was.

I put my extra books in my locker.

"I don't know. I've never been to one I would be totally confused."

"There's not much to know, we score you cheer. We yell with the cheerleaders, and do what the rest of the crowd is doing, easy" she wrapped her arm around mine and we walked into the cafeteria.

We sat at the same spot we did yesterday. Dylan never showed.

"Where's Dylan?" I asked.

"He has smart people things on Friday's. Some sort of test" she shrugged not giving me anymore information. I don't think she even knew any.

I went to the Haywood's yesterday and honestly it wasn't bad. I threatened Ashton to actually do something. Again he didn't do much and he watched Netflix most of the time, but it's a start. Parker drove me home again.

"Are you going to the football game tonight?"Alex asked as him and Parker both sat on the other side of the table.

"I was thinking about it but I don't know for sure yet" I answered honestly.

"You should go it would be fun." Alex prompted. "Please" he begged.

"I'll talk to my dad" I sighed, giving into his begs.

"Awesome, see you there" Alex smiled.

"See you later Aspen" Parker waved as he caught up with his brother.

"Can I have the one you don't want? I'm fine with either" Delilah asked from beside me.

"Del I don't want either of them, they're just friends"
***
"Where are you Del?" I asked through my phone.

"I'm not there yet, just pick a place in the stands"

"What?"

"I'll be there soon bye" she said before she hug up.

I climbed through the stands, which were already pretty crowded. I looked around for a good place to sit. I had no idea where to go though.

"Hey Aspen" a familiar voice said from behind me.

I turned around to find Alex.

"Hey Alex"

"Do you want to sit with us?" He asked.

I do but I don't want to leave Delilah without a place to sit or someone to sit with.

"Don't worry Delilah can sit with us too" he smiled. "Come on" he started walking up the stands and I followed.

He sat down and I found an empty spot next to him.

"Hey Aspen" Parker said shyly.

I noticed he doesn't talk much. Maybe that's why he doesn't date.

"Hey Parker"

"Aspen!" Flynn squealed and crawled into my lap.

"Hey buddy" I said giving him a big squeeze.

"You haven't met the others year have you?" Parker asked. I shook my head in answer.

He was about to say something else before our attention was shifted somewhere else.

"I swear if I have to pull you from one more fight, I will tell mom" a guy chastised a boy. His dirty blonde hair a blue eyes claimed him as a Haywood.

"He started it!" The kid whined. He had brown hair like Flynn and brown eyes like his mom.

"That's Jasper" Alex pointed at the older guy. "And the kid with the black eye is Rhett."

"We got snacks!" One boy announced to his brothers.

His brown eyes and brown hair matched Rhett's.

"That's Silas" Parker pointed to the boy handing out candy.

"No Jake I'm at my brother's football game. No I will not get you a cheerleader's number jackass" he said and hung up the phone, taking a seat on the other side of Jasper. I could tell he was their brother by his blue eyes and dirty blond hair. The oldest ones look almost exactly the same.

"That's Briar"

Silas handed Parker and Alex their candy.

"Sorry we didn't know you were here or we would've gotten you a snack" Silas apologized.

"No worries, I'm good."

"She can share mine." Parker offered. He gave me one of his Reece's.

Silas smiled and sat on the other side of Alex next to Rhett.

My phone rang and I answered, seeing Del's contact picture flash on my screen.

"Where did you sit? I don't see you"

"I'm with the Haywoods. We're in the middle near the top. I saved you a spot."

"Okay I think I see you I'm coming" She hung up.

"Who was that?" Flynn asked.

"That was my best friend."

A few seconds later Del hit to us and sat by me.

"These are the Haywood's, I believe you know them" I winked at her. She shoved my shoulder.

The national anthem started and we all stood up.

After it was over, the cheerleaders
and football boys ran out as the speakers played the school fight song. I was forced to stand up and clap along.

The football game started. I had no idea what was happening. Alex and Delilah were my only hopes on knowing anything.

"What's happening? Which one's Ashton?" I asked no one in particular.
I just wanted an answer.

"Basically they have four tries to make the ball move fifteen yards while the other teams tries to keep them back. We're on offense right now and Ashton is number fourteen."

I nodded still slightly confused but what he said made sense.

The game went on an and both teams had scored some points. I think we were winning. It was offense which means we have the ball.

Ashton was about to throw the ball when someone ran around the wall of boys and tackled him.

Ashton was shaken up as he got up but he seemed fine.

"That was a jackass move you hoebag!" Briar screamed. The parents, mainly the moms, faces struck with shock and terror. Some of them covered their kids' ears.

"Briar, we're at a high school football game, sit your ass down there's little ears" Jasper warned Briar. Briar sat down and pouted.

I couldn't help but laugh at them.

"What just happened?" I asked Alex.

"Ashton just got sacked, we have to move back five yards."

"Oh no"

"Okay bathroom break, come on Aspen" Del tapped me on the shoulder.

"Wait I have to go too" Flynn whined.

"Come on" I smiled and stuck out my hand for him to grab.

I waited outside the bathrooms for Delilah and Flynn to finish.

"Are you waiting for someone cutie?" A thirty-year-old looking man asked me.

"Yeah she is" Flynn's voice made an appearance behind me.

"Well aren't you just her Prince Charming coming to save her?" He taunted as he bent down to Flynn's level. Flynn stood proudly not blinking an eye. He is definitely a Haywood boy.

"Leave him alone" I growled and yanked Flynn behind me.

"Get the hell out of here Trent" Delilah said in disgust as she walked out of the bathroom.

The Trent guy scurried away.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"The creepy guy of Howell High School. He's Ashley's older brother." She rolled her eyes and started walking back to the stands.

"Wait I want a snack" Flynn whined, pointing to the short line at the concession stand.

"Okay" I gave in and walked over there.

"What do you want buddy?" I asked.

"Skittles skittles skittles" he cheered.

"Okay. Can I have a pack of skittles please?" I saw coffee on the menu and I immediately wanted it. "And a coffee please"

She handed me the skittles and the coffee and I paid.

Del saw me with a cup of coffee and she shook her head.

"You have an unhealthy addiction."

I shrugged and me made our way back up to the boys.

"You didn't have to get him anything" Alex said when I sat back down.

"I know but he's so cute" I took a sip of my hot coffee.

I definitely prefer iced coffee but it was surprisingly good for being at a concession stand.

"What'd you get?" He asked trying to smell my coffee.

"Coffee" I smiled happily as I kept sipping it.
***
"Hey, I need a ride home, can you take me?" I asked Alex as the boys got all of their stuff.

"Didn't you drive here?" He asked.

"Mom dropped me off, Del was supposed to take me home but she had to leave, something about Dylan" I shrugged.

"Yeah I will but let's go somewhere before I take you home" Alex said as we walked down the stands and to his car.

"Like where?" I asked.

I guessed he had an idea of where to go. I didn't know this town well enough to know where to go.

"Where do you want to go?"

I tried to think of places that are everywhere.

"Starbucks!" I squealed.

"Didn't you just have a coffee? And it's late, should you really be drinking coffee?" He stuffed the blankets in the back of his car.

"I drink coffee at all times of the day. And yes but Starbucks is better" I smiled at him matter-of-factly.

I gave him puppy dog eyes, hoping it would make him take me to Starbucks.

"Ok fine" he sighed in defeat. "But we have to wait on Ashton. I'm his ride tonight."

I sighed but it seems like I had no choice.

I sat in the front seat of his car. Alex looked at me weird before shaking it off.

Ashton came out of the building. He opened the passenger door, where I was sitting. He took one look at me and rolled his eyes.

"Why is she doing here?" He sighed.

"SHE is getting a ride home" I answered for myself.

He stared at me as if he was waiting for me to do something.

"What?" I snapped.

"You're in my seat" his monotoned voice spoke.

"Hell no! You can sit in the back, I was here first." I said in an authoritative voice.

He groaned, but reluctantly shut my door and moved to the back.

"Also, we're going to Starbucks" I smirked when I heard him groan in the backseat.

Alex took me to Starbucks. I went in and got my coffee then came right back out to Ashton sitting in the front seat.

I rolled my eyes at him but hopped in the back not wanting to start a fight.

My phone buzzed and I looked at it. It was my dad.

Hey red jelly bean be sure to come home soon I love you be safe

"Hey can you take me home? My dad wants me home soon"

"You talk about your dad all the time. What's with your mom? Is she dead or something?" Ashton asked and received a smack in the head and a punch to the gut.

"No she's not dead. If you ever listened she's the reason we came to San Francisco." I growled at him.

The rest of the ride was in silence.

He pulled up to my house and I hopped out of the car.

"Thank you, Alex!" I called as I ran to my house and unlocked the door.
***
"How was the game tonight, sweettart?" Dad asked.

We sat on the couch enjoying our family time. Every night we sit in the living room and talk for a few hours before we head to bed.

"It was fun. We won"

"Who'd you sit with?" Mom asked.

"The Haywood boys and Del"

"The Haywood boys?" Mom questioned.

"Boys?" Dads eyes basically popped out of his head.

I groaned at his reaction knowing that he'd probably make a big deal about it.

"They're just a group of brothers. Three of them our in my grade and they're really nice. Well mostly Ashton's a bit of a handful but he was the one playing football"

"I'm glad you had fun sweetie" mom kissed my head before getting up to clean some dishes.

"How's this Ashton guy a handful?" Dad asked curiously.

"He's the one I'm doing the project with. He likes to argue for fun, I had to force him to do his work, he thinks he can get anything he wants, and he's just plain out rude to me sometimes" I ranted.

"Sounds like a lawyer" dad joked.

"Dad!" I whined, shoving his arm. "It's not funny, I'm being serious"

"So am I, he sounds like he'd make a great lawyer" he laughed.

I looked over at the clock and yawned. I was getting tired.

"I'm gonna head to bed, goodnight dad" I hugged and kissed him goodnight.

"Good night, peanut butter m&m" he said as I walked up stairs.