I know I said that this would be the party, but I completely changed it because I didn't like it. And while I was trying to rewrite it this chapter was born lol.
BOP
Main Building
Photography Room
Thursday, September 5th
1:25 P.M.
"How did you talk me into taking this class?" Layne asked from her spot next to Claire, blindly toying with the camera in her hands. "I suck at this."
Indeed, Layne's shots were mediocre at best. They would probably be a little better if she didn't chug a Red Bull right before they walked together from Verona Hall to the Main Building. By the time they reached the classroom, Layne was hyped up and ready for the last class of the day with jittery hands.
"You'll get better!" Claire insisted encouragingly. Although it was only the first week of school, she had her doubts that there would be any major improvement by the end of the semester for Layne. And for the sake of Layne's grade and her health, Claire hoped that she would cut back on the energy drinks.
"I hope I get better," Monica said as if she had been a part of the other side of the table's conversation. "Or else this was a waste of my time…" She gave Cayden a pointed look, grey eyes smoldering with a quiet fury.
Cayden was completely unfazed by a wrathful look that made Claire want to melt under the table, and she probably would have if she wasn't so oddly interested by what was being exchanged before her.
"You would have been overworked with your old schedule." He admonished more like a worried relative than a friend. "You needed a fun elective."
"I had two…"
"Advanced Readings in Russian is not fun." Cayden rolled his eyes as Claire exchanged a glance with Layne.
"No, it's not." Monica laughed, her angry look at him seemed long gone, her eyes shining now. "But it would have been an easy A."
Claire had heard that the class was incredibly hard. Not only did you have to read classical Russian literature, but also write essays and give speeches on the assigned readings. And like every advanced or accelerated language course at BOP, no English was allowed.
She hadn't even known that Monica could speak Russian. But it wasn't a surprise.
During their freshman year, Alicia had done a little research on Monica's old Swiss boarding school, Le Rosey, a prestigious school even among the world's elite.
The main campus is located in the Château du Rosey in Rolle. In the winter the entire student body and all of the faculty move to the winter campus in the Swiss Alps resort town of Gstaad. Not only did the school's location provide natural exposure to French and German, but there was a ten percent quota for each nationality so that there was a mix of cultures and languages. The curriculum was bilingual with twenty-five mother tongue language and literature classes for students to stay in touch with their culture.
"I don't think Harvard will mind if you take one non-boring class." Cayden rolled his eyes. Everyone knew that Monica was destined to be accepted early to her school of choice.
But the mention of Harvard sent Monica's smile crashing. Cayden quickly noticed his friend's change in mood and jumped into action.
"Come on, you know you'll get in!" He encouraged. "Both of your parents graduated from there, you're a legacy!"
Her frown deepened the second he mentioned her parents. "I don't want to get in because of them." She spat and instantly Claire understood.
Monica didn't want people to think that her parents or her extreme privilege were the only reasons she was accepted to a top university. She wanted to be able to say that she had the mental capabilities to enter the Ivy League, that it was something she earned, not something her parents paid for. She wanted to prove herself...
Monica picked up the big black camera in front of her and pointed it at Cayden before snapping a picture. She opened her mouth to say something but shut it. Her perfectly shaped brows furrowed in confliction as she glanced at Claire and Layne across the table. She debated amongst herself for a moment before saying quietly, "Besides, I didn't apply for early admission to Harvard."
It was an effort to restrain her head from snapping to Layne to confirm if she had heard that right. Monica and Cayden's conversation was becoming increasingly personal and while she was curious, Claire felt as if this was something private and should remain between the two friends.
"Really?" Cayden gasped. This was news to him too.
Monica quickly snapped up his shocked expression with her camera.
He looked at the two other girls at the table, biting his lip hesitantly before asking, "Did you apply early anywhere?"
"Yale." She put the camera down and checked on Mr. Hart's progress with developing an old film roll he had found in the back of the storage closet. When she noticed that he was almost done she quickly added, "New Haven is closer to here, and Boston just seems so far away…"
"Isn't that the point?" Cayden asked. "Your parents can come to visit you more if you're closer…"
"Oh, but they won't." A slow smirk spread across Monica's lips. "Not when they're so incredibly disappointed in me and my decisions." Claire wondered what that could possibly mean.
"But what about Liam?"
This question made Monica completely freeze. She remained expressionless but her eyes were like a cold grey winter day: icy and dreadful.
There was always that cliché couple in every high school that thought that they would graduate high school together, go to the same college, and after that, they would plan the rest of their lives together. At BOP, this couple was Monica Sova and Liam Walker.
They were the couple that appeared to be so perfect that everything would fall into place for them. They would go to Harvard together for undergrad and grad school. He would give her his grandmother's enormous Harry Winston ring, and then they would move somewhere classically charming in Manhattan like a rare townhome off of Gramercy Park (with one the exclusive keys to the park, of course) or a chic and trendy place in SoHo. After a few years, they would start having kids and either stay in the city or move to a gorgeous colonial mansion on Long Island Sound or a sprawling estate in northern Westchester County like the ones they had grown up in.
But when Monica's beautiful expressionless mask cracked, Claire could see immense guilt. And for a moment, it looked that BOP's golden couple wasn't quite so golden after all.
Claire's phone quickly buzzed in her pocket.
Of course, it was Layne.
L: Omg is she going to kill us for knowing too much?
She emphasized her question by sending the knife emoji.
Claire had wondered the same thing, or at least why Monica was admitting this in front of them. It was the same conversation any high school senior would have, debating what school to go to after graduation, but Monica didn't look too comfortable revealing information that not even Cayden had known in front of Claire and Layne. She knew that this would likely get to Alicia…
But, just when Monica seemed ready to answer Cayden, Mr. Hart exclaimed that the development was ready.
The results were pictures from the yearbook club in 1962, a few years after Briarwood and OCD's upper schools combined to become co-ed. The quality was grainy, and they obviously weren't in color, but the old school aesthetic drew Claire in.
All of the guys looked much cleaner cut and all of the girls had variations of the same haircut and the glasses with winged tips. Everyone was dressed preppy. There was one photo that was of a boy that looked like Cayden with glasses in a strangely appealing varsity sweater. She wasn't sure if her blush was from him being nearby or from guilt as Cam's face popped up in her head.
But, even though the students from the early Sixties looked different, the school looked the same for the most part. Today, the interiors of the older buildings integrated the original ornately carved oak-paneled walls and marble floors with more modern sleek designs. From the outside, the campus almost looked the same. The same immaculate grounds with the same old gothic buildings, it looked every bit of the picturesque New England campus then as it did now.
Claire snuck a peek at Monica. To the average person, she looked at ease as she looked at the pictures. But after a few days of sitting near her, Claire could tell by the tightness around her eyes and the Prada tapping on the floor that she was anything but. It seemed like the more pictures from BOP's past that were shown, the more uncomfortable she became.
It was then that Claire realized that she was anxious.
But was the worry from the stress of college admissions, or the trajectory of her relationship with BOP's top soccer star?
BOP
Verona Hall
Alicia's Locker
Thursday, September 5th
2:34 P.M.
"Do you think that it's a good idea for Massie to be doing equestrian with Monica on the team?" Claire adjusted the Max Mara silk blouse Massie had given her when they had first gone to the Blocks' new estate. Alicia had a suspicion that it was because Massie had been pissy Claire had chosen to wear Alicia's choice for her first-day outfit. Since then Claire had been choosing her garments from Massie's never worn collection out of guilt.
"Probably not," Alicia shoved her iPad into her Prada backpack next to her Macbook before shutting her locker. Claire frowned at this and Alicia sighed. "She can handle herself," Alicia insisted. Massie had been one of the best riders at Galwaugh's exclusive camp, and would likely be a valuable addition to the equestrian team. Even Monica would see and appreciate that. "Besides, it was all her idea." Massie's plan to join all of Monica's extra-curriculars and spy on her was destined to blow up in her face, and why the PC wanted nothing to do with it. Alicia liked to lay low and avoid Monica as much as possible. She was already pushing the limits by following Ethan's plan, she didn't need to give Monica any more reasons to come after her.
"But you know how competitive she gets…" Claire's big worried blue orbs flashed with all of the possibilities. But, Alicia had to admit, Claire had a point.
Massie naturally wanted to be the best at everything, but horse-riding to Massie was what dance was to Alicia… It was her passion. She had to be the best, it was the only way for her to thrive.
But, Monica was the same way.
And you can't have two number ones…
"Maybe Monica will knock her off her high horse," Alicia shrugged. It could be a good thing for Massie to learn to lose, to finally come in second place.
"It's a long fall…"
When they reached the large doors and walked down the steps, Alicia fished out her phone as they walked under the old enormous oak trees shading the sidewalk. She tapped on the Snapchat icon and quickly pulled up the map. Monica and Massie's fashionable Bitmojis were thankfully down the road at Galwaugh Farms ahead of schedule.
"No!" Claire suddenly yelled, looking down at her own iPhone.
"What?"
"My snap steak with Cam ended!" Claire wailed, shoving the screen under Alicia's eyeballs. Sure enough, the little the number that had been counting the days had disappeared. The little yellow heart signifying that they were each other's top best friends was also gone. "He hasn't opened any of the ones I sent him last night and he's been avoiding me all day!"
"Maybe he's just tired," Alicia offered. It wasn't like Cam at all to just ignore Claire, or at least when his band wasn't involved. "You know, with soccer tryouts, homework, and band practice."
"True," Claire sighed. "I just feel like we never see each other anymore."
"Well, have you told him that?" Alicia asked, setting her sights on the parking lot.
"No…"
"Then maybe it's time for a talk," Alicia scanned the lot and smiled when her eyes landed Ethan's black Tesla. Unfortunately, she couldn't see if he was inside from the sun's glare.
"Where's the limo?" Claire around, but the only thing in sight was rows of luxury vehicles instead of the Rivera limousine.
"We're not taking the limo." As if on cue, Ethan's car left its assigned spot and rounded the rows to get to them. Now that she had a view, she could see that someone was in the passenger seat. And as it pulled up next to them at the curb, she could see that it was Cayden McKenzie.
"Are you crazy?" Claire snapped at her under her breath before Ethan could roll the window down. While the blonde had been worrying over everything since Massie moved back, this time it wasn't exaggerated. If Monica didn't like them hanging out, even it was under the guise of being for the Animal Advocates, this could all backfire on her.
But just like her gossip points cost-benefit analysis, Alicia had weighed all of the trouble she would be in if Monica found out against how Ethan made her feel. It was a no brainer that she would risk it all to be with him.
"Hey!" Ethan greeted and the doors unlocked.
"Hey!" Alicia sang as she opened up the door and forced Claire to follow.
"Hey, Claire." Cayden greeted as she and Alicia slid into the back seat.
"Hey," She smiled back at him. When Alicia had heard that Cayden and Monica were not only in Claire's photography class but also sat at her table, shed had been thoroughly surprised. And if she were being honest, it scared her. Had Monica known that Claire was in that class and wanted to spy on the PC?
But, Alicia knew that the McKenzie twins were like brothers to both of the Sova siblings. What if Cayden sniffed out her and Ethan's relationship and reported it to Monica?
"Hope you don't mind that Cayden needed a ride," Ethan explained as if sensing her brief moment of unease.
"Yeah, sorry," Cayden said sheepishly. "My worse half took my car."
"No probs," She answered. For a moment Alicia thought that he meant his girlfriend, Annie, but then realized that he meant his twin brother.
Alicia and Claire clicked on their seatbelts and Ethan turned up a Lil Nas X song before pulling out of the parking lot. Claire quickly texted Alicia asking where they were going, but Alicia just turned to her and smirked.
This was going to be her first time seeing Ethan's home. Whenever they had hung out over the summer it had been while Monica was away, and he had always picked her up. But, thanks to modern technology and her generational impulse to stalk someone through social media she had known that the Sova estate was in Westchester's most exclusive neighborhood, Geneva Shores.
Away from the city lights in northern Westchester on Lake Geneva, a dozen or so lucky families lived in elaborate homes encircling the private lake. There was the country club on the north side that was known for their luncheons and the mimosa bar on the roofed deck that extended out over the water. Because it was nestled in the heart of bucolic North Salem horse country, there was a celebrated equestrian facility on the south end.
"Oh shit!" Ethan exclaimed just as they were pulling out of the parking lot. "I forgot to send Landon my old notes."
"Landon Crane?" Claire asked, finally pulling out of her nervous shell.
"Yeah," He confirmed. "You know him?"
"Kind of," She tucked a piece of blond hair behind her ear. "He used to date our friend when he went to ADD" Claire explained. And like the ah-mazing beta she was, pressed for answers so Alicia wouldn't have to. "How do you know each other?"
"We played on the same club team in middle school."
So, Kristen had been right.
"Cool," Both girls replied although they could care less now that they had their answer.
"Claire," Cayden called from his passenger seat before turning around. His blue eyes seemed even brighter with the all-black interior. Claire seemed to have noticed this too by her discreet gulp. "Are you going on the extra credit trip to the Museum of Modern Art?"
"Uh, probably not." She said with a frown. "I don't have a ride."
Alicia shot Claire a questioning look. What extra credit field trip were they talking about?
"Monica said she'd drive," He said, smiling. "you and Layne can carpool with us if you'd like."
Monica stuck in a car with Layne to the city? That, Alicia, would pay big money to see.
There was only a brief flash of apprehension on Claire's face before she expertly hid it. "Yeah, thanks," Claire said after a moment and Alicia's head snapped to her. Did she really just do that?
Alicia met Ethan's eyes in the rearview mirror and he raised a brown brow. He was just as confused and curious as she was.
When they finally pulled into the Sova's gated driveway, Alicia tried not to look impressed. Even by her high standards, the grounds of the estate (and the estate itself) was something to behold.
Ethan had often mentioned how much he disliked the house because of how empty it seemed. She knew there was a ballroom, a gift-wrapping room, multiple parlors, and sitting rooms all over. There were a lot of rooms for a four-person family, and his parents stayed at their Upper East Side townhome a lot of nights.
Ethan parked in front of the massive garage before a man in a black and white uniform opened up a dark wood door with frosted glass. A blur of yellow fur came rushing out past her legs, rushing at Ethan like a rocket.
"Hey, Duke!" Ethan greeted as a giant glossy blonde Golden Retriever launched himself at his owner. The second Ethan started petting him he laid down and rolled over so he could rub his belly. Alicia had almost forgotten that Ethan had purposely requested a Tesla for his sixteenth birthday because of the feature that allows you to safely leave animals in the car.
When Ethan stopped petting him, his big brown puppy eyes landed on the two non-familiar visitors and immediately sought their attention, which she and Claire gladly gave to him.
"Where there's one, there's more," Cayden warned and before they could ask what that meant, something slobbery with kibble breath was licking Alicia's face and it wasn't Duke…
Alicia bit back the disgusting grimace that desperately wanted to plaster itself across her beautiful features, but managed to hide it as the chunky yet short Pitbull mix licked her Chanel foundation covered cheek. While she was fairly confident in Ethan's feelings for her, she was pretty sure he would choose his beloved dogs over her if she didn't like them.
Not that she didn't like them, though. She loved dogs... Just not doggy breath.
"Where's Khaleesi?" Cayden asked as they walked towards the massive entryway.
Khaleesi, aka Leesi, and Duke the goldens were from the same litter and had been gifted to Monica and Ethan the previous year as Christmas presents. Both were often featured on their Insta stories. Alicia wasn't sure why Ethan named his puppy what he did, but she did know that Monica was a huge Game of Thrones nerd and had named it after Emilia Clarke's character, Daenerys Targaryen.
"Probably the pool." Ethan shrugged.
Suddenly, Alicia's Ralph Lauren blazer seemed suffocating at the mention of water. The lack of air-conditioning was beginning to make her sweat and the last thing she needed was to have a stinky pit sweat! Nothing killed the mood like B-O.
"You guys wanna jump in?" Ethan asked, leading them around the garage and through a garden with a maze of hedges and marble statues.
"Yes!" Both practically yelled. Every minute they spent outside, the hotter it seemed to get. She would just have to be careful not to get her hair or makeup wet. If she had known they would go swimming, she would have prepared with waterproof mascara.
To their right was the tennis and basketball courts, and down at the edge of the long sloping lawn was the large lake. There was a stone break wall along most of their property's shore, except for the beach area where a paddleboard lay abandoned in the sand. A boathouse rose up over the edge of the water and on the top, there was a large windowed room.
The large mansion that overlooked the lake also had a view of the pool down below. Complete with a bar, waterslide, and a tastefully landscaped waterfall that had two purposes; to serve as a diving platform, and the little cove that it rained over was the entrance to the grotto.
Laying on the end of one of the cushioned loungers was a Golden Retriever similar in shade to Duke, but a slightly more copper color with blond paws that almost looked like furry socks. Alicia recognized from Monica's Insta that this was Khaleesi.
"Well, thanks for the ride." Cayden adjusted his black leather messenger bag on his shoulder. "But I should go home."
"You should stay," Ethan said and Alicia silently agreed. She wanted to know more about the little trip Claire would be taking to Manhattan with them. "You don't have practice until five anyway."
"Good point," Cayden agreed, not needing much convincing at all. He threw his bag onto one of the lounge chairs at the edge of the pool. "This sounds way better than homework."
"The extra suits are in the pool house, first-floor bathroom." Ethan pointed to the smaller version of the mega main house on the other side of the pool. Then he turned to Cayden, "Don't even bother running home, you left yours here yesterday."
Alicia and Claire headed for the pool house and the guys to the main house. A little welcome mat at the front door had a welcome mat the said 'wipe your paws' and looked like it had been purchased off of Amazon. Alicia grabbed the handle and pushed her way in, gasping at the sight.
"Eh-ma-gawd!" Claire exclaimed when the door closed behind them.
While the main house looked like it should be decorated with antiques and priceless objects d'Art, the pool house was very rustic Ralph Lauren with large oversized chairs and tribal blankets everywhere. A massive stone fireplace took up the wall in front of a couch, a wide sleek tv bolted above it.
On the stairway banister, a black leather sleeved varsity jacket (reserved only for captains, any other varsity player had white sleeves). Alicia picked it up, and sure enough, it had the Sova last name stitched in thick burgundy thread. But, instead of it saying lacrosse under the name, it said equestrian with cheerleading. When she flipped it over the giant B patch on the left side was covered in pins and special medals from important competitions.
"It looks like someone lives in here," Claire pointed to the Macbook on the coffee table. Next to it were a bunch of different flavors of Whiteclaw and a bowl that had only been half-smoked. And in the kitchen, there was a plate with only a few scraps and an empty but used a coffee mug.
"Huh, Alicia continued to snoop around as they made their way to where he said the bathroom was. "That's weird."
The bathroom had three sections. The first was what you would expect to find in a regular bathroom (toilet, sink, etc.). Then after that was the shower section, followed by the changing area.
There were two racks on opposite walls of the changing section. One was filled with men's swim trunks and the other with bikinis and one-pieces. But unlike the extra swimsuits that Alicia's other friends handed out, the ones hanging before her weren't cheap itchy plain material… they were all the latest from her favorite designers. For a millisecond Alicia wondered why there were so many different styles with every available size until she remembered that Ethan's mom was one of the most powerful people in the fashion industry.
Choosing a Stella McCartney python print underwire bikini for herself, she quickly entered one of the curtained bays and stripped out of her stuffy hot clothes. When she stepped out, Claire was waiting for her in a floral Zimmerman bandeau bikini. Once they checked themselves over in the full-length mirror, they were ready.
Ethan and Cayden were already diving in off the top of the waterfall when they joined them. A Post Malone song blasted out of the outdoor speakers that were all around and floaties had been thrown into the water for their convenience. When Ethan made a perfect dive off the top of the ledge, Khaleesi finally left her napping spot and jumped in after him.
After Cayden jumped in and surfaced, both boys turned and looked up at them expectantly. Even though she didn't want to ruin her makeup, Alicia didn't want to seem high maintenance around Ethan. So, both girls locked arms and made their way up the stone steps to the top of the ledge above the pool. When they were at the edge, Alicia finally noticed how high up they were.
"Well?" Ethan asked with a laugh, practically daring them to jump.
"Jump!" Cayden cheered.
With one last look at each other, both girls took a deep breath before jumping off. When she hit the water, Alicia was met with cool relief. She felt reinvigorated as she pushed off the bottom of the pool and kicked towards the surface.
But when her head came above the water, the music was gone and when she opened her eyes she saw a large-eyed Claire, panic swimming in her blue eyes. Cayden was biting his lip, and Ethan shot her an apologetic look before she finally looked up at the edge of the pool.
Standing over her fully equipped in riding gear, was Monica.
Briarwood-Octavian Prep
Bates Soccer Stadium
Thursday, September 5th
4:55 P.M.
The humid air clung to Derrick's skin as he ran until Coach blew the whistle. Summer still had a grip on the East Coast, which meant that the last night of tryouts consisted of constantly trying to stay hydrated. He was still getting adjusting to his new position.
As a goalie, he hadn't moved around as much, but now as a striker, he was constantly on the move. But he enjoyed the endurance and liked seeing how far he could push himself. Like in the semi-finals last year…
They had been down by one and he had been exhausted to the point he didn't think his legs could carry him anymore. But it had been do or die, and his fighting instincts had kicked in. If his adrenaline hadn't been pumping before, it had been in the last few minutes when he tied the game. His pass to Cam had given Liam the perfect chance to score before the end of the game.
"Bring it in!" Coach Brookfield bellowed from his spot next to the Gatorade cooler. The two assistant coaches were furiously swiping on their iPads, still looking at player profiles as they debated who would make the final cut.
"How do you think my chances are?" Chris caught up to him as he made his way to the forming circle around the staff.
"Good," Derrick said honestly, "You kicked ass, man."
"Awesome." Chris high fived him and took a deep breath, finally showing just how fatigued he was.
"I want you all to know that I'm proud of you for all of your hard work these past few days," Coach B started off the same spiel he gave every year before letting down a majority of the guys that tried out for the team. "I would love to have all of you play for me, but unfortunately there's a small number of spots…"
Chris shot him a worried expression, but Derrick didn't fret. Plovert had been close to making the team as a freshman and had improved a lot in a year on the JV team.
Derrick stopped paying attention as Coach explained what would happen next. As the guys headed to the locker room to shower and change, the coaching staff would head to a conference room to make their final decision. Then, each guy would be sent an email detailing if they made the team or not. All those that made it to the final roster stayed in the locker room and elected their new captains.
He wished them the best of luck and sent them on their way.
"How do you think Dempsey's chances are?" Cam asked as they made their way off the field.
Derrick's brown eyes landed on Dempsey, head fully tilted back as a large jug of water dumped over his face, relief washing over him.
"His ex is still better than him," Even Derrick couldn't deny Kristen's kick-ass skills on the field. "But, he has a decent chance."
"I'm pretty sure Kristen is better than most of the guys here." Cam laughed. The PC's most athletic member was destined to go to a Division I program or could even possibly be a future player for the U.S. Women's National Team.
"True." Derrick agreed with a chuckle. If only she were allowed to play for the guys' team. They would beat Crestmore for sure if they had her.
When he was done showering and pulling the clean shirt his mom had quickly thrown into his bag over his wet hair, his normal sky-high confidence began to waver. All around him, the rest of the guys were also finishing getting dressed and beginning to obsessively refresh their student email account. There were a lot of good players trying out this year…
Being on the team the previous year didn't guarantee him a spot this year, although he had been one of the top scorers. That was one thing that set him apart from the rest.
"Ready?" Cam asked, sitting down on the bench with his cracked phone in hand.
"Dude, can you even read on that thing?" Derrick grabbed his phone from its cozy cushioned spot in his Nike bag. Unlike Cam, he protected his phone from stupid accidents. While moving his band's equipment into their first NYC gig a few weeks ago, Cam had dropped it and hadn't gotten it fixed.
"Sort of." Cam shrugged sheepishly. "My parents said they're not paying to fix it." Cam was currently on his third phone in less than a year. The first one had simply been left behind in an Uber, and the second had gone to the bottom of Plovert's dyed green pool on St. Patrick's Day when Claire had drunkenly taken both of them in.
And now the third looked like it had dived from the top of the Empire State Building.
"If I get paid for the party tomorrow I can go to the Apple store on Saturday," Cam said with a shrug.
"Fuck," Chris came around the corner holding his stomach. "I feel like I'm gonna hurl."
Cam tossed a bottle of water at him as he came and joined them, quickly followed by Dempsey and Josh. A few minutes passed, but it felt like a lifetime. Every person in the room seemed to radiate nervousness, anxiety, or both.
Finally, a new email popped up in his inbox. All of the conversations in the room hushed as their eyes scanned their screens.
"YES!" Chris jumped up, throwing his fist in the air. A bunch of other celebratory whoops followed.
Once Derrick confirmed his spot on the team was safe, he congratulated his friend.
"Phew, I was nervous for a sec." Cam's face, nearly white only a few moments ago, finally regained some color.
"Same." Derrick laughed, but his friends' smiles froze and they looked at him like he had grown a second head.
"Yeah right," Josh rolled his eyes.
"You?" Chris asked like he couldn't believe it. '
While Derrick exchanged high fives with the guys, he noticed that someone wasn't celebrating with them… He turned around to see Dempsey still sitting down, staring down numbly at his phone. "Shit…"
"I made JV again," Dempsey muttered, not looking any of them in the eye.
"You're only a sophomore," Cam reminded him. "There's always next year."
"How am I supposed to impress Kristen on JV?" Dempsey snapped. Over the summer he had devised a plan to get her back. He had started training with her, not only to get better but to spend more time with her. Somehow since then, he had concluded that if he made varsity, she'd want him back.
"Dude, I'm sorr-" Cam started to apologize but Dempsey quickly stood up and cut him off.
"Save it, I don't want your pity." Dempsey grabbed his bag and left.
A few of the other rejects began to walk out with sluggish defeat.
"Don't worry about him," Josh rolled his eyes. "He'll get baked as fuck tonight and never mention it again."
Derrick frowned at this news. Ever since Layne and Dempsey started hanging out with Griffin Hastings, Dempsey had immersed himself into stoner culture.
As the rest of the guys that didn't make the team left, those that remained excitedly chatted about their future season. After a few more minutes, the door opened revealing Coach B. He was followed by the other coaches and Liam Walker. The coaches congratulated them before turning to a topic that clenched his stomach.
"As all of you know, Liam had been chosen as Captain last year." Coach B gestured to Liam's tall and lean form. "But, we still need an Assistant Captain…" Derrick's stomach folded in on itself as Coach's eyes scanned the new team and stopped when they landed on him. Was that a good thing, or a bad thing? Did Coach B think he was ready? Or still too young and inexperienced? "You will all be allowed to nominate someone, but Liam has already offered up a name…"
Derrick took a deep breath, and looked over at Liam, meeting his gaze.
So if you don't watch Game of Thrones (or read it), Khaleesi basically means queen. It's also a little tribute to our queen, Lisi.
Also, Le Rosey is a real school. Everything mentioned about it is true.
Hope everyone had a happy Halloween!
PLEASE tell me what you think!