Hello everyone,
Here is the new chapter for this story. Thank you for the reviews. I appreciate them all.
The order for updating will be Friendship Tested, Right Thing, and Secrets Exposed. I will try to update them in that order. However, if I get ideas for a specific story I will do that one first. I hope this makes sense. If doesn't I am sorry for confusing you.
Enjoy this chapter.
Chapter Nine:
"Sister?" AJ questions.
"Yup, she is my sister. She is actually in the same grade as you guys. Hello sis." Jack sits beside her.
"Hello big brother. Hello AJ." Stacey greets.
"How did I know that I would find you here?" Jack sarcastically inquires.
"Because you are aware of your surroundings, I get it." She rolls her eyes.
"Stacey, don't you roll your eyes at me." He playfully orders.
"Whatever." She playfully shrugs it off/
The sibling batter continues as AJ sits there awkwardly. She can't believe that they are siblings. Her feelings towards both of them are completely different. It is a bit awkward for her. As she ponders her thoughts, Jack tries to get her attention.
"AJ. AJ." He calls out.
"Oh hey." She looks towards him.
"Stacey told me that you two know each other, right?" AJ nods. "Are you okay?" He doesn't see the bubbly personality anymore.
"Umm… I don't want to interrupt your sibling bonding. I am going to watch at the bottom." She heads slowly to the bottom.
"AJ, you-" He stops his thought to see her almost there. "Stacey, I thought you were friends because of Randy." He is confused with AJ's actions.
"We are not there yet. I know she is still disappointed with the Kourtney situation. I knew how important she is to Randy and I didn't stop it." She sighs knowing this could put a strain in her brother's friendship with AJ.
"But you redeem yourself with the video recording." She shrugs. "Only Randy knows about it, doesn't he?" She nods sadly. "Why didn't you tell her?"
"I wanted to. I was going to tonight at AJ's house for dinner, but I can wait until next Friday."
"You got invited to the dinner too." He chuckles on how it all transpired.
"Yeah." She giggles. "What are the odds that we like two people that are best friends?"
"I am guessing pretty high. On a serious tone, you have to tell her sooner than later. They are all planning a thank you party for the person who recorded the video, which is you. They can't do that if they don't know it is you." Jack explains.
"I know." She lays her head on his shoulder. Randy told her all about the thank you party. It is one of the reasons he was pushing to have her at the dinner.
As AJ is watching the practice, she looks up at them to see Stacey upset. Now she is a bit upset that she thinks she hurt her feelings by leaving. She should at least try again with Stacey with her liking Jack.
"AJ, you are here. I thought you would be with Jack." Randy stands besides her taking a sip of his water.
"He is up there." She points to him casually.
Randy looks up coming up with assumptions. "Oh AJ I'm sorry. You don't need him anyways. There are plenty of guys who would date you." He comforts her not knowing that it is Stacey, Jack's sister.
"No, he is with Stacey." She clarifies.
"What?" He calls out. "He is ditching you for my girl. Oh I don't think so." He marches up to them
"Randy, stop." She follows him. "Randy it is not what you think it is."
"Oh I know. Jack!" He yells out. Jack looks at Randy come furiously with AJ trying to catch up. Her legs can't keep up with Randy's long strides.
"Jack, what are you doing with my girl?" He gets in his face.
"You're girl, you two aren't dating." Jack retaliates.
"Yes we are, isn't that right, honey?" Randy asks not looking away from Jack.
"I-" Stacey starts, but gets interrupted by her brother.
"You don't call her honey. If you two were dating I would have known." He stands up to be at the same level at him.
"And why would you know? I mean you have a great girl in AJ and you are here with my girl. She looked upset when she was down there." He informs him.
"AJ, is this true?" Jack looks at AJ behind Randy. He never meant to see to do that to her. He thought they are all friends.
"Don't talk to her. After this situation, I don't want you near her or my girlfriend." He authorizes in the heat of the moment.
"Randy no, you can't do that!" AJ pulls his arm.
"It is for the best AJ. I will not conduct someone hurting you, whether it is physically or emotionally." He makes it know to them.
"Randy, he is not doing anything wrong. Come on let's go back to your practice." She tries to defuse his anger.
"You are just going to leave it like that." He is appalled that she is leaving the situation like that.
"He is not doing anything." She repeats. "So let us go back to practice, come on." She pulls him down the bleaches.
At the bottom: "You are not dating him."
"I will date whoever I want." She argues back. "I will see you at my house."
"And how are you getting home?"
"I am walking." She struts down and off the field. Randy just watches as he is riled up himself. He doesn't think that something bad could happen to her.
"That is your boyfriend." Stacey nods. "You are not dating him." He tells her.
"I am and you can't stop me. If I can't date Randy, you can't date AJ. I don't want you to date girls that are my age." She gives him a silly reason.
"You know how silly you sound."He speaks the obvious.
"I know, but he is not that way. He is very protective of AJ right now. After the attack, he always wants to protect her because he didn't that time. He feels guilty for not being there." She explains his actions plus she knows about his stress problem.
"Okay, I'll give him one more chance." He informs her. "If he can't have a good impression you are not dating him." He puts his foot down just looking at for his baby sister.
On the field:
"Baby, you were fantastic." Stacey runs to him as everyone has left. Being QB means he is the last one off the field.
"Really, how did I look?" He hugs her.
"You were looking hot. My boyfriend is the man, my man." She pecks him as their arms are still attach around each other's waist.
"That's right your man." He looks over to see Jack join them. "What do you want?" he just hugs Stacey with one arm.
"I come in peace. I just want to say bye to my sister." He proceeds with caution.
"Your sister, who is your sister?" Jack looks at Stacey. "Stacey is your sister." He nods. "Oh man, that is what AJ was trying to tell me. She tried to tell me that you are siblings. And the reason she was not with you guys is that she wanted to give you some time together. She really appreciates having any siblings since she doesn't have any. I have to go find her. John, are you okay with staying until I find her?" Randy asks John who is playing on his phone.
"Don't worry I can drop him." Jack offers.
"Are you sure?" Randy wants clarification.
"Yes, now got find AJ." He smiles thinking he could be a fit for her sister.
"I'll talk to you later, honey." Randy pecks her before heading to his car.
AJ is walking down the sidewalk almost to her house. She is not mad at Randy anymore; he is just being a protective brother to him. If a guy would to cheat on her, this is the reaction that she would want. As she continues to walk, a car stops by her.
"Hello AJ, do you need a lift?" The driver inside asks.
AJ looks inside the car to see find the four football players from the attack. "No I am fine, thank you though." She says politely.
"Come on we want to say sorry for what happened." The driver tells her having a plan for their revenge.
"No thank you. Now please me alone." She walks faster.
They continue to follow her. "Where are your bodyguards?" The passenger person asks this time.
She stops. "They are not my bodyguards; they are my friends. Now please leave." She puts more anger behind it.
"Wow, I think she needs to have more respect slapped into her." The driver commands.
AJ gulps as he tries to run, but one of them stops her. He got out of the car during the conversation. The rest now get out of the car to surround her.
"You got our friends expelled. It is time for some payback." The driver warns.
"Yup and what will hurt Randy and John more?" They all ponder. "That is right, it is you, so don't fight and it won't be that bad." They all smirk.
As they get closer, there is a car horn. They ignore it, but the honk gets louder and repetitive. They all look at the honk direction to see it is Randy's car. They all stand in front of her as he stops and comes out. He has his hands behind his back.
All the football players charge at him until he pulls out a chain. They stop as he wraps it around his hand. All of them think twice and get back inside the car. He watches as they drive away. He then walks to AJ to have her shaking. "AJ, come on I'll take you home." He gently guides her not knowing if she is still mad at him. AJ gets into the car as Randy does too. As he is about to start the car, AJ puts her hand on his. Randy looks at her to see a smile on her face; it is a thank you for being there.
"I'm sorry AJ. I shouldn't overreacted like that." He kisses her hand.
"I want you to act like that when a boyfriend is out of line. I want you there to teach him a lesson." She appreciates the gesture however, it is the wrong timing.
"Thanks, but again I left you and you almost got hurt. I'm sorry." He looks down.
"Randy it is not your fault. They are just jerks and loyal to their friends. They are more jerks then loyal." She titters.
He chuckles. "You can date Jack if you want." He gives her his permission, even though it wouldn't have mattered.
"Oh thank you, I didn't know I needed your permission." She smiles.
"I am the big brother figure of course you need my permission. I want the best for my baby sister." He acts all confident and elderly.
"You are only 2 months older than me." She giggles.
"So, I am still older, so you have to deal with it. You can't date anyone until I meet him." Randy does his impression of AJ's father.
"I am going to tell him you did an impression." She jokes going back to their teasing ways.
"Oh don't, he hates them." He is worried. Mr. Lee doesn't like Randy too much, since a situation that happened, but he will be civil for his daughter's request.
"Fine, you owe me big time." She grins.
"Oh man, do I have to wear the banana suit again." He starts to drive.
"Maybe, so Stacey can see you dance." She giggles.
"You are evil, evil woman." He is shock a bit at his best friend's warning.
"Thank you." She accepts with confidence.
At AJ's place:
Everyone is there waiting for AJ and Randy to arrive. After ten minutes, they do arrive.
"Hello guys, why are you still out here? Come on in." She guides them into her house like nothing happened. "Mom dad, we're home." She calls out putting her book bag on the couch.
"Oh princess there you are." Mr. Lee hugs her. "John, how is football going?" Unfortunately, he only doesn't like Randy.
"It is good Mr. Lee, I am Running Back." He fills him in.
"That's great. Hello Randy." He clears his throat.
"Dad, behave please." She glares at him.
"Of course and who are these two people?" He looks towards Stacey and Jack.
"These are our friends, Stacey and Jack." She introduces them to her father.
"Please to meet you Mr. Lee." Jack and Stacey shake his hand.
"The pleasure is reciprocal. Will you two be staying for dinner?"
"Nope, we just want to see AJ's home." They politely decline.
"Actually, we invited them to dinner next Friday, if it is okay?" AJ lets him know.
"Yup, it is definitely fine with me. I will do anything to make my daughter happy." He kisses her head.
"Well we better get going. I will see you Monday AJ, John, and Randy. Nice meeting you sir." Jack waves bye to them.
"Yes, nice meeting you two, such nice friends you have princess."
"I'll walk you two out." Randy offers, so he can kiss Stacey bye.
"He is trying dad give him some slack." AJ tell her father.
"You know I appreciate him for all he has done. I just don't like his protectiveness. I am the only protective one here for you."
"Stop competing and start bonding like you used to. You have been on his case since we tried to date and it failed. Neither of us is to blame for it to not work; we are better off as friends.
"Fine, for you I will try harder." Anything his daughter wants she gets especially when she pouts.
"Thank you daddy I love you." She hugs him tight.
"I love you too princess." She kisses her forehead as they walk to the dining table for dinner.
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