Senior Year
Chapter one- Who do you call?
"Bella that color is so cute." Pepper squealed taking the light pink lipstick from Bella's hand.
"Don't get me started." Bella replied adjusting her blonde curls in front of the mirror.
The girls were huddled in front of the vanity in Bella's room. They were getting ready for the back to school bash at the Starcade. It was the beginning of the festive weekend before their senior year begun. Things were kicking off at the Starcade followed by Sawyer's barn party Saturday night.
"Come on we all look amazing any more adjusting and we're going to be late." Sophie huffed. "I am not starting my senior year by missing out on the first party of Senior year." Sophie chided finishing lacing her knee high boots.
"Okay okay." Bella said with one last look in the mirror. The girls filed out of Bella's room with Bella leading the charge. At the foot of the staircase was Bella's mom and she almost grunted at the impending blockage to her senior bliss.
"Bella, girls."
Sophie and Pepper exchange knowing looks knowing exactly what was going to happen.
"Hey mom. Can't talk on our way out." Bella said ushering Sophie and Pepper ahead of her. Her best friends shuffled to the door as fast as possible but Bella's mom cut them off.
"Bella it can't wait." her mom called behind her.
Bella sagged her shoulders and looked at her friends apologetically.
"Fine. I'll catch up with you guys later." Bella told Pepper and Sophie.
"Are you sure?" Pepper asked with one foot already out the door.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Bella sighed looking at her mom.
Once the girls left Bella sat next to her mom on the couch.
"It really couldn't wait sweetheart. I've been trying to work up the nerve to talk to you whole summer. But it can't wait."
"Mom what's this about?" Bella asked now flooding with nerves at the serious tone of her mother's voice.
"Everything's fine sweetheart but you're going into your senior year."
"I am. What's wrong?"
"Have you given any thought to your future? College."
"Of course I have. It's football. Obviously. It's always been football." Bella said giving her mother a confused stare.
"I know you love the sport sweetheart but it's just not practical."
"You're kidding right? Mom, Troy and half the team already have scholarship offers."
"Exactly sweetpea. You play better than half your team. You don't think you would have received an offer if you were going to get one by now?"
Of course the thought had been hovering in the back of her mind whole summer but hearing it out loud and from her mother plummeted Bella into a pit of depression. She had planned to play harder than she ever did this semester to get herself a scholarship but the odds weren't in her favor. She was crying before she knew it.
"Sweetheart I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you."she said pulling Bella in for a hug.
"You didn't. Silverado has really changed, broken down the barriers for female footballers but-"
"The rest of the world hasn't caught up yet. Don't let this damper your senior year, you just have to find something else you're passionate about."
"You're right mom." Bella said standing up and drying her eyes.
"That's the spirit. You go enjoy that party."
Bella smiled sadly and swiftly left the house. It took her all of five minutes to completely breakdown. With blurry vision she pulled out her phone to call her friends. Sophie and Pepper probably hadn't reached to the Starcade yet but that's not who she called. This was technically a football problem and Bella couldn't think of football without thinking of-
"Troy," she sobbed, "hey, I really need you right now."
Bella heard his loud thudding steps climbing the bleachers. She rose her head up from her lap and wiped at her tears. Troy looked at her with concern in his white t-shirt and jeans.
"Sorry I pulled you away from the party." she offered as he sat next to her at the top of the bleachers.
"It's all good. Party was a stinker anyway." he said nonchalantly.
Bella glanced over at him with disbelieving eyes.
"Okay fine the party is amazing. Pepper and Sawyer are practically dry humping on the dance, Alonso and Sophie are either fighting or making out in the women's bathroom and Newt snuck some vodka from his dad's liquor cabinet and we know how well he takes his alcohol." Troy said excitedly only simmering down when Bella stifled a sob. "But never mind that. What's going on Belles?"
"I don't know what to do Troy." She sobbed letting her tears fall freely again.
Troy wrapped his arms around her shaking shoulders and pulled her closer to him.
"Bella talk to me. Please." he pleaded desperately.
Bella sobered enough to tell Troy about her conversation with her mother. By then the tears had subsided and she felt almost numb.
"Belles listen to me..." Troy said but Bella stared off at the football field stoicly.
"Was I crazy?" she asked rhetorically so he didn't answer. "Why did I think it was going to be like this forever. Me, you-the guys and football. Had I gone completely mad."
"Well what good will it do you moping around?" he asked with a harshness Bella didn't appreciate.
"What?" She finally looked at him.
"You have the entire year to reinvent yourself. You don't have to give up football right now. Right now it is still me, you and the team. You haven't lost it yet. This is our last year together Belles. Do you really want to spend it moping around and thinking about your doomed future?"
"Easy for you to say Mr. Three scholarships."
"That I haven't decided on yet. Yeah I'm Mr. Shit together. I'm not worried for you Bella. If anyone can do it, you can." He nudged her with his shoulder and she finally smiled.
"I'll help of course. Quid pro quo. I help you go through brochures and personality test and you help me past History."
"Troy I've been tutoring you since middle school. You didn't have to ask."
"Well I barely saw you this Summer. You and Zach were painting the town I hear." Troy said teasingly.
"Heard from who? And you're one to talk. Which two airheads are you juggling at the moment?"
"See this is why we needed to meet up and catch up. The Troy is flying single Senior year."
Bella feigned trembling. "Is that a chill in the air? Has hell frozen over? Of course it has because Troy is single."
"Okay... I deserved that one. But those girls...too much drama. I could do with a lot less of that. If I am going to be eligible for any of those scholarship I need a miracle for my grades."
"I got you." Bella said.
The two friends looked at each other and fist bumped as affectionately as if it were a hug.
"What do you say? Should we go to that party after all?" he asked.
"Yeah why not. This is our Senior year after all. You drive here?"
He nodded as they both stood up. He surprised her by pulling her into a hug. His big frame almost swallowed her up. She felt so reassured in his arms with his chin resting on top of her head.
That was when she knew everything would be fine.