A/N: Ok so I was reading through my previous chapters and I totally forgot I had written that they had an English paper to write. So this chapter will talk about that.
I woke up the next morning to the annoying sound of my alarm clock. Upon rolling over I came face to face with my English paper that I had finished the night before. I had written it about the shooting and how it caused me to realize how important relationships with people actually are. I include my new friendships with my brothers, Haley and Moxie. I wasn't to sure if it flowed as nicely as I wanted it to so I was going to have Lucas proof read it before I handed it in tomorrow. The fight we had last night echoed in my mind. I grimaced at the thought. I grabbed my English paper and headed down stairs. I saw Lucas in his room packing his book bag before he headed out for his morning run.
"I'm sorry." I said leaning in the doorframe. He turned around with a look of irritation on his face but didn't say anything. I was obviously the last person he wanted to talk to right now. "I was upset last night. The thought of Nathan getting in over his head with this Daunte guys scares the crap out of me." Lucas' expression softened a little.
"It scares me too." He answered honestly. I walked further into his room.
"I'm just not used to having people care about where I am." I explain to him.
"You better start getting used to it." I laughed and pulled my paper out from under my shirt.
"Can you read this over and tell me what you think."
"So this is what that apology was about." Lucas joked taking my paper.
"Something like that." I smirked.
"I will get this back to you tonight."
"Thanks Luke." I smiled at him.
Lucas parked in his normal parking spot and we walked into school together. As usual I fought my way to my locker.
"Hey Aidan!" Moxie greeted me. Her locker was about four down from mine.
"Hey Mox!" I greeted her back.
"Tim Smith asked me out after the game last night." She said when she got closer.
"Are you serious?" I asked her shocked. She nodded her head excitedly.
"I just wanted to make sure it was OK with you."
"Why would you have to ask me permission?" I asked her taking out my last notebook for my first class.
"I know that he is Nathan's friend and all."
"Moxie I wouldn't go out with him because I think that he is creepy and weird and not all that bright but if you want to go out with him I am not going to stop you."
"And I wont stop you from going out with Landon." She said as we walked to homeroom together.
"Landon and I are…"
"Just friends." Moxie finished my sentence for me.
"Yeah we are."
"Aidan, Landon is a total fox!"
"Total fox or not I don't see Landon and I going any farther as friends." I said taking a seat near the back of the classroom.
"Then you are blind because that boy is crazy about you." I rolled my eyes at her and finished my homework that I didn't do the night before.
The end of the school day couldn't come soon enough. My classes were so boring. My only saving grace from dieing of boredom was that Moxie and I would text each other throughout our classes. As I was packing my book bag I felt fingers linger across my lower back. I jumped at the touch and turned around to see Landon about six inches from my face.
"You scared me." I said pushing him back a little.
"What are you doing after school?" He asked me. Normally I would say that I was hanging out with Moxie but today she said that she couldn't come over because she promised her aunt that she would baby-sit her little cousins.
"Nothing." I said shrugging my shoulders.
"Want to do something." I pretended to think about that question. I saw Landon smile at me impatiently.
"I have nothing better to do." I merely said.
"Great!" He said. Landon threw an arm around my shoulder and walked me out of the school.
"Wait! I have to let Lucas know so he doesn't worry." Landon raised an eyebrow at me.
"He apparently likes to know where I am." I said waving my hand in the air. I reached in my bag and pulled out my phone. I hit number four on my speed dial and waited.
"Hey." Lucas said when he answered his phone on the third ring.
"I am going to hang out with Landon after school so I will be home later." I said
"Ok I have practice after school then Nathan and I are going down to the Rivercourt."
"Ok I will see you later then." I hung up my phone and turned back to Landon.
"Ready?" He asked me. I nodded at him and he led the way to his car.
Landon pulled up to the abandoned bowling lane.
"Are you going to kill me?" I joked repeating my words from the last time we came here.
"No I figured that we could try this again." He said getting out his car.
"I still hate bowling." I said as we walked up to the door.
"Who says we are going to bowl." He said seductively wigging his eyebrow up and down.
"Oh don't be gross!" I shrieked giving him a push.
"Fine we can just bowl." He said with a bored tone. He pulled open the heavy doors and I recognized the smell of dust and mothballs.
"Again sorry about the smell." Landon ran around to open windows.
"You would think that you would have opened them earlier." I mocked jumping up on the old counter.
"I didn't think you would say yes." He said struggling to open the last window.
"I am a changed women." I said.
"Yeah sure you are." He said sarcastically.
"Hey I don't have to bowl with you." I said pointing my finger at him.
"Is that a promise?" He asked sarcastically.
"Do I have to remind you that you brought me here." I pointed out.
"I wasn't planning on bowling."
"Stop it!" I laughed.
"Let's just bowl." Landon said handing me a ball. I laughed and started the game.
Landon dropped me off at the Rivercourt around six. I saw Lucas and Nathan playing a game of one on one not paying attention on who just dropped me off. I walked around the court and made myself comfortable on the picnic table.
"Who dropped you off?" Nathan asked me after he shot. Damn I thought I was out of the water.
"Landon." I said picking at my fingers.
"Really?" Lucas asked balancing the ball on his hip.
"Really." I replied. They continued to play until a pair of headlights blinded us. I recognized the two guys that stepped out of the car. Daunte and Bear walked slow but steady toward us.
"Hello Aidan." Bear said to me obviously trying to make Nathan nervous.
"Hello Lion." I said bitterly.
"It's Bear." He said grumpy
"Whatever Tiger." I mumbled. Lucas stepped in front of me as if Bear couldn't take Lucas down.
"Nathan can we talk to you alone." Daunte said. Nathan looked back at Lucas and me.
"Yeah." He answered. The three walked away. Lucas looked back at me and I shook my head in disappointment. Lucas sat next to me and we watched the three talk. I tried to read lips and understand what was being said. Nathan threw us a glance back at us. He looked worried. Finally Daunte and Bear got in the car and left. Nathan walked back slowly toward us looking at the ground.
"You promised me it was over!" I jumped up and yelled at him.
"It is!" I placed my hands on my hips. I didn't believe him and he knew that.
"It's not over is it Nathan." Lucas said to Nathan. Nathan didn't look at us.
"I will try and talk to Dan." Was all Nathan said before he walked away.
"Damn you Nathan!" I yelled after him. He didn't look back but I could see his muscles tense up.
Lucas and I walked home shortly after. I went straight to my room and grabbed my journal. Writing was definitely the only way I went from going crazy. I usually needed a new journal every year. I heard a knock at my door. I didn't even look toward the door. I figured that it was Lucas. Knowing Lucas he would barge in at any second.
"I have your paper." Lucas said when he opened the door.
"Thanks." I muttered.
"It's really powerful." He said taking a seat across from me on my bed.
"You think so?" I asked him closing my journal.
"Oh yeah. I didn't know you felt that way." He said placing my paper on my laptop. I shrugged my shoulders. "Don't blame Nathan." Lucas changed the subject. I sighed and rested my head against the wall.
"I don't know what to think about it." I said.
"He is just trying to make things work with the baby." Lucas defended Nathan.
"He can be really naïve though."
"He will talk to Dan and everything will be taken care of." Lucas said. Apparently Lucas can be naïve also. I heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. Nathan appeared in the doorway a few seconds later.
"I talked to Dan." He said standing in the middle of the room.
"And…" Lucas said impatiently.
"We have to lose the state championship."
"Dammit Nathan!" Lucas yelled.
"Luke we have too."
"What about, Skills, and Whitey and the rest of the team." Lucas stood trying to intimidate Nathan. "What about me this is my last year to play."
"We have to lose." Nathan walked out of the room and Lucas followed him. I shook my head in aggravation. I was too upset to even think about anything. I saw my cell phone sitting on my nightstand. If Dad wasn't going to help Nathan then Uncle Cooper would.
"Uncle Cooper, Nathan is in trouble." I said when Uncle Cooper answered.
A/N: What a weird place to end! Next Chapter: Will Uncle Cooper help out his nephew? What will Aidan do when Landon tries to take things to the next level? I guess you will have to Review!!!