Hiya! There might be tons of mistakes on this one as I tweaked and retweaked to my heart's content. Thanks for reading in spite of it! :3

Chapter 11.

It's almost the end of my shift, and luckily, no patrons are in sight. I start cleaning my area when the dreaded doorbell rings.

Fuck.

Tyler Crowley and two other beefy football players come into the shop. Still in their training gear, sweaty and muddy, looking like they just got out of practice. I adjust my visor low on my face, hoping to go unnoticed.

They're loud and obnoxious, bouncing off each other's shoulders as they get in line. They each get a foot-long, meatball sub. Double meat. Double cheese. Tyler is the last one, and as he's paying, I'm relieved that maybe he doesn't recognize me at all.

"Cullen, right?" he says as I hand him back his card. His friends stop to wait for him, now all looking at me.

Double fuck.

I nod, my attention on the card terminal, my finger roaming over the green button. "Do you want your receipt?"

"Hey, aren't you one of the cheerleader dudes?" One of Tyler's friends asks while hanging on his shoulder. "Where are your pom poms, bro?" The other one laughs as if it's the funniest thing he's ever heard.

"Good one." I smile acidly at him.

"Quit it, Jenks," Tyler says, pushing his friend away as I print his receipt.

Luckily, Tyler grabs his receipt in silence and leaves me alone. Unfortunately though, they sit at the table right by the door, with no way for me to leave this place without walking by them.

I think about it briefly as I head to the back, wondering if I should stay for a while longer, at least until they leave. Lauren is here though, and my shift ended five minutes ago, so I take off my apron. I know if I linger, she will put me to work—she's always trying to get me to stay longer.

Fuck that. Fuck Lauren. Fuck Tyler and his obnoxious teammates.

I walk quickly past them and out the door, but Tyler's voice stops me on the sidewalk. "Hey, Cullen, wait up!"

I take a deep breath as he catches up with me.

"Listen," he starts, standing in front of me. "I feel like we got off the wrong foot. You're Bella's friend and I want no beef between us."

"There's no beef." I keep my tone neutral; I don't want him to think he has any effect on me.

"I know it looked bad, Friday night at the lake house…" He scratches the back of his neck, looking nervously at me. "But I was keeping an eye on her."

"Sure," I say sarcastically, my anger catching up with me. To think that she was there, with them, getting drunker by the minute with no one doing anything about it. My hands turn into fists at my sides.

"It's true," he insists. "I wasn't drinking." I try to remember whether I saw him with a cup or not, but I can't recall. It doesn't matter. I don't trust Tyler. I don't trust anyone with Bella. "I'm a serious athlete," he adds with a smile, and I notice for the first time how young he looks despite his size. "I don't drink at all, and I would have walked Bella home if you hadn't shown up."

"Great." I attempt to resume my steps but he places a hand on my chest, which does nothing but infuriate me more. I think he senses it, so he drops it and inches away from me.

"Just…" He takes a deep breath as if struggling for words. "I like Bella. A lot. And I think she likes me, too. But she clearly cares about you. And you about her. So, if there's something going on between you two, I'll back down. Like I said. I want no beef."

Ah, for fuck's sake…why does he have to be decent?

For a second, I contemplate lying, telling him Bella and I are a thing, so he'll back off and leave her the fuck alone. But I don't think that'd be fair to Bella…or Tyler.

"We're just friends," I admit with a resignated sigh.

"Okay, cool." He smiles his full set of pearly white teeth. "So it's okay if I ask her out?"

I can't lie, it stings. Tyler is young...like Bella. He's not in our team either, so it would probably be okay with everybody. Just perfect.

"That's up to her." I shrug, avoiding looking at him. "Is that all?"

"Thanks, bro." He pats my shoulder, walking the opposite way.

I duck my head and speed to the dorms, wishing it wasn't my one day off with Jasper, so I could go train, so I could distract myself enough so I don't have to think about Tyler asking Bella out again.

"What's with the murderous glare?" Emmett asks while turning off his music as soon as I enter our room.

I just groan and flop on my bed.

"What's wrong?"

I don't answer, so he just sits on his bed. I can see through the corner of my eye that he is facing me while I stare at the ceiling.

"Babe—"

"Emmett, I swear to god…" I pinch my nose, closing my eyes as he chuckles.

"What's up your ass?"

"Do you know if there's a non-fraternization policy between the football team and the cheer squad?"

"A what policy?" He raises an eyebrow at me in confusion.

"Can footballers date members of the cheer squad?" Maybe luck would be on my side, maybe Tyler won't be able to date her either.

"You switching teams?" He waggles his eyebrows, grinning widely.

"No…" I sigh, turning to stare at the ceiling. "Fuck you."

"Is this about Swan?"

I breathe deeply instead of answering.

"You do know though that, even if those rules are in place, stuff is still going to happen, right? If anything, sneaking around just makes it more fun."

I turn to him in disbelief and he leans back onto the wall, linking his hands behind his head, a proud smile on his face, as he adds, "they have no way to enforce it."

"Has Jasper said anything about you and Vicky?"

"Nope." He gets up from his bed, stretching his shoulders. "But Vic and I aren't really dating, just having fun." He shrugs and leaves the bed in a little dance.

Maybe I could talk to Jasper, after I make mat—if I make mat. Maybe it would be okay. Maybe I could—

"Wait…" Emmett asks from his closet. "Is that why you won't get with Bella?"

"I mean, it's not the only reason." She's also seventeen and my stunt partner. "But yeah…"

"You're an idiot."

I groan, sitting up with my feet on the floor and my elbows on my thighs. "Don't you get distracted though? Thinking about Vicky while stunting? Worrying about dropping her?"

"No?" He chuckles. "I don't have time to worry. I don't think, I just do my job."

I scrub my face, looking down.

"I have a feeling you worry about Bella falling all the time anyway."

I laugh dryly. He's got that right.

"You think too much, babe," he says with a hand on my shoulder. "We're going up to the lake for a swim, you coming?"

"Nah..." Bella will probably be there, and with my luck, Tyler will tag along. "Shouldn't we rest before trials tomorrow?"

"It's just a swim…" he says, shrugging. "Do you want me to stay?" Emmett's kind to offer, and I know if I were to agree, he would absolutely stay, but I need some alone time to think.

I fight a smile, looking up at him. "No, thank you."

"C'mon, we haven't had a game night in forever. GTA? Black Ops? FIFA?" He gestures at his headset on his desk. "I'll go easy on you."

"I'll pass on the ego boost."

"So, stay and brood?" He extends his hand in my direction.

"Yeah," I say, reaching for his hand. Three palm taps, close around the thumbs, fingers hook, then release into a fist bump. Our handshake since middle school. The embarrassing dance that used to follow the fist bump was thankfully dropped early in high school.

"Alrighty." He walks away, grabbing his towel on the way to the door. "Suit ya self."

~.~.~

"Hey, honey," Mom answers the phone after one ring.

"Hi, Ma, how are you?"

"All's good, baby. How are you?" I hear her opening the door and then the sound of keys dropping on the counter. She just got home.

"I'm fine," I say and stare at the ceiling some more. "Did Uncle Masen get back yet?" I ask tentatively. He has been M.I.A. since I left for school, and my mom tends to cover for him.

"Not yet…you know, sometimes his trips take longer than expected."

"Right…" I decide to just let it slide. Uncle Masen's legal business is driving a delivery truck, but everyone knows he has side jobs under the table. Side jobs that often get him in trouble. I am thankful for him, I am, he took us in when my mom and I left Denver…when we were at our lowest. Since then though, I've always felt he takes advantage of my mom and her kindness. It's been over ten years, how long does she have to pay him back for taking us in?

"So how's everything?" Mom asks, excitement clear in her tone. "Is Emmett being good? Are you at least having some fun?"

"Emmett is being Emmett. Trials start tomorrow."

Trials. Tomorrow. Jesus. My heart starts beating quicker in my chest.

"Oh," Mom almost sings. "Do you feel ready?"

"I…I feel good, yeah. I think I've done enough." I probably could have done more.

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself, Edward. You'll do just fine."

I smile and sigh into the phone. Mom stays quiet for a bit. I can hear the noise of the ruffling and puffing of whatever she's doing while talking to me. Then she sighs too, as I hear the noise of our squeaky couch.

"How's the Bella situation?" There's a hint of amusement in her tone.

From the moment I first mentioned Bella to my mom, she's been non-stop asking about her. All I said is that we're stunt partners, friends, that she's taught me a lot...that she's amazing. My mom, of course, heard something else entirely. Apparently, she can tell from just my tone.

"There's no situation." I don't tell her about Bella and Tyler. I don't really tell her anything else. I deflect and talk about our stunt sequence instead and then Mom thankfully lets it go.

After I hang up, and against my better judgment, I decide to check Bella's Instagram.

There it is. The pic of her and Tyler. The one I took at our last practice on Friday.

It is a great picture. Bella's form is impeccable. Fucking Tyler is even looking right at the camera, with a proud smile on his face. The mountains glowing behind them. The lighting is perfect. Bella is smiling that beautiful smile of hers.

I fucking hate everything about it.

I think about passive-aggressively "heart"ing it, but I refrain. Instead, I look at her other pictures, at her videos. All the way back to the beginning of the summer and the ones she posted of us.

The first one, with the close up of just my hands and arms and her feet and legs. It has millions of views and likes, and there are so many comments on it, I don't manage to scroll all the way down.

I check my profile too, to pass the time. I've accumulated a few hundred followers during the summer, mostly from Bella tagging me on some of her posts. I post some of my tumbling sequences as well, but usually those videos don't get as much attention, and most of the comments are from my mom, Emmett, and Bella.

I go back to her videos, the reels playing again and again, until my phone buzzes in my hand, making me almost drop it.

It's a DM from Bella.

Hey, lurker ;) ~B

I type and delete a few inadequate greetings when she starts typing another message.

We're going for a swim. Wanna join? ~B

I groan loudly. At least Emmett will be there.

i'm staying in. Don't trust anyone handing out Jello-O shots, okay? ~E

She starts typing immediately.

lol…seriously, though, you're staying in? :( we could also do open gym, go over stunts for tomorrow? ~B

My fingers feel heavy as I hate disappointing her, but I couldn't possibly handle another long night with her. Not when I'm feeling so convoluted, so jealous, so...

i'm tired and still sore from yesterday. Sorry ~E

She sends me a puppy eye emoji, and I close the app, drop the phone on my chest, and stare at the ceiling some more.

Once I'm bored out of my mind and with too much energy to rest, I decide to leave my room with no plans really, other than maybe going for a walk to my favorite spot at the hill lookout.

I really should have just stayed in.

Of course, as I step out, I see Bella, standing at her half-open door, and Tyler Crowley standing in front of her. His back to me. I don't just recognize him from his buzz cut, size, and golden brown skin, but because he has his fucking name on the back of his shirt.

His hand is braced on her doorway, too. My blood boils.

Bella and I lock eyes briefly, and it looks like she might want to say something, but I'm rushing out into the hallway and down the steps before she gets a chance.

I head for the gym, in desperate need of something to do. Luckily, Jessica Stanley is there, willing to practice stunts with me for tomorrow's trials. So that's what I do until I am too tired to think about Bella anymore.