Chapter Thirty-five:
"AJ, are you ready?" Her mother calls out for the tour of the school.
AJ is in her room, in a dress, taking deep breaths. She doesn't want to explore a new school. "I am coming mom." She grabs the brochures and her phone to head down. "I'm here." She tries to act excited.
"Princess, just keep an open mind." Her father hugs her.
"I will."
As her parents open the door, Jack appears at the other side.
"Jack!" She runs into his arms.
"AJ!" He picks her up and spins her around. "Oh, I have missed you." He embraces her tight.
"What are you doing here? Are you back from your vacation?" She inquires very surprise and shock his presence.
"No, although Randy text me that you have receive an incredible opportunity. I want to congratulate you in person." He vaguely explains.
"You didn't have to come all this way." AJ blushes at his romantic action.
"Randy insisted, he said that you need me to accompany you."
"He did." She smiles. "I don't know if I can bring you with me I think it is family only." She pouts to have some comfort with her.
"Oh really, well I will be here waiting for you when you return." He kisses her head.
"Mom. Dad, are you sure he can't come with us?" She asks excitedly still hoping he can.
"I am sorry princess he can't. The Headmaster specially told us family only." Her father answers firmly.
"It is okay Mr. Lee I will take care of some errands and meet you all back when you are done." He smiles.
"2:30 we will be done." AJ utters hugging him again.
"2:30, I will be here. I must be going so you all won't be late." He heads to Randy's car that he led him to borrow for the day.
"Bye see you later." AJ waves. "Shall we go?" She asks her parents.
"We shall." Her parents, with smiles on their faces, head to their car.
"Hey guys." Jack greets Randy and John outside the school for lunch.
"How did it go?" Randy asks.
"What no 'hi Jack, how was your vacation?'" Jack sarcastically divulges.
"Sorry, I just don't want AJ to mope around and possibly ruin this opportunity." He explains.
"Do you think she will go?" Jack inquires settling that she will transfer to another school.
"It is a family decision."
"Aren't you her honorary family?" Jack inquires again.
"We are, but this is a strict blood family decision. Plus, our parents warn us to not involve ourselves." Randy explains as John nods in agreement.
"So you are using me for it?' Jack crosses his arms.
"Yes." They both agree without hesitation.
"I don't know what my sister sees in you, Randy." He shakes his head with a grin.
"He sees a good looking guy who care deeply for her. By the way, how is she? Is she enjoying her hometown?"
"She never misses taking a picture of everything so she can show you." Jack rolls his eyes.
"I can't wait to see them."
"Also, when she overheard us talking on visiting here, she threw a fit that she couldn't come. My parents settled her down with forcing me to deliver something from her to you. Now, remember this is not from me and I don't approve this. I am only showing you this because I was force too." He clarifies to not have any confusion.
"What is it?" Randy excited.
Jack searches through his phone. "Here." He gives Randy his phone.
Randy gulps at the picture. "Wow." He starts to sweat.
"No thoughts please that is my sister." He sees the reaction being inappropriate.
"Why didn't she just send it to me?"
"Something that private shouldn't be sent and I agree. I was forced to capture this picture on my phone." He huffs being forced to witness his own sister like that.
"I agree as well." John takes a peek at it.
"Hey, these are private for my eyes only to see." He scorns John.
"Whatever lover boy. I am heading back to see if they have any more brownies." He waves Randy's order off.
"Tell her she looks hot and thank you for making my day." He mentions.
"Text her yourself and I am just the messenger from her to you. Plus, I will be too uncomfortable to text her that."
"Right."
John is line to pay for his brownies.
"Hey John, what are you up to?" Kourtney asks with Becca.
"Getting food and eating the food." John replies rudely.
"Oooo… brownies thanks John." Kourtney and Becca both take one.
"Hey! Come back you have to pay for those." He calls out not wanting to step out of line.
"Why should we?" They stop to answer while enjoying their stolen brownies.
"You took them and ate them." He answers back.
"Fine, pay for them now and then come to my locker so we can repay you." Kourtney flirts.
"Forget it." John just pays for the rest of his brownies."
"Don't worry she does that everyone. At the end of each semester, we will bill her family for the cost." The cafeteria lady states.
"At least there is some justice." John is in relief.
"Have some fries on her." The cafeteria lady scoops some fries onto his plate.
"Thanks." He appreciates.
John exit out to see them again.
"Oooo… you bought us fries as well." They each take one again.
"Buzz off, Kourtney." He passes them.
"Sure thing hot stuff." She compliments.
"Excuse me." John stops in his paces.
"We both think you are hot stuff." They blush. "We have seen you work out and it makes us both flustered." They fan their face with their hand just thinking about it.
"Sorry you can't have me either." John declines.
"Why, you don't have a girlfriend. Randy and Jack both have girlfriends so we both figure out it is not worth it to pursue them. You, on the other hand, have no girlfriend." They analyze.
"I do."
"Oh really, where is she?"
"I don't need to answer to you." He doesn't want to expose their relationship.
"Oh… I know what that means you don't have one or you imagine to have one. Don't worry John, you don't have to imagine anymore." They stand on either side of him.
"I am not imagining." He stands his ground.
"Come on, imagine having two girlfriends. Imagine having twice the pleasure with us." Kourtney seductively offers. "We can fulfill your dreams twice."
"Sorry, I strongly decline." He immediately speaks.
"I bet you get lonely and have to pleasure yourself. Imagine you pleasure both of us at the same time." She rubs her hands up and down his chest.
"Sorry, I have to go." He rushes out to prevent himself for doing anything he regrets because of his urges.
"We have almost got him." Becca sniggers.
John meets up with Randy. "What's up with you? Did you take a detour to pleasure island?" He jokes.
"More like devil island." He sits a picnic table.
"What did she do?" Randy already know the meaning is Kourtney.
"Kourtney and Becca are coming after me now since I 'supposedly' don't have a girlfriend." John puts air quotes on supposedly.
"You do man tell both of them."
"I did, however they didn't believe me."
"Well, I don't see how they can you do walk the halls alone." Randy agrees to some level.
"You know why I do." He fires back.
"We do, but no one else does. I am surprise no one has asked you out because of that."
"I am not worried when it happens it happens and it did happen."
"Of course, just do what I did ignore her. She will move on to another guy soon enough." Randy advises him not knowing that Kourtney still in pursue of him. "Remember the Quarterback and then Fullback, and now you the Running back."
"You are right, however if she or Becca don't stop playing with my urges I don't know how long I can take." He admits nervously.
"You have got this you are stronger than them." Randy boosts his confidence like he does for him and AJ.
"Thanks Randy, where did Jack go?" He notices his disappearance.
"He had other errands to do before heading back to AJ's house. I hope AJ doesn't have to transfer to that school." He hopes, although he has to accept the decision her parents make.
"I might have done something to help with that." John reveals.
"What did you do?" Randy asks suspiciously. To his knowledge, John did not give word that he couldn't involve himself to persuade AJ's decision to not comply to this opportunity.
"I made a phone call to someone." He divulges with a grin.
"Come on John, tell me." Randy pleads.
"I called-" The bell rings for class. "Well, look at that saved by the bell, I will tell you later." John chuckles.
Randy just sulks heading to class.
AJ is almost done the tour of the school. "Here are the classes you would take if you transfer here next semester." The Headmaster hands her, her schedule. She looks at it not surprise by the load of classes she has to participate in.
"Excuse me, where are the extra-activities I have to take from the brochure?" She inquires.
"Those are mandatory activities that happen before and after school with practices on the weekend near tournaments. You have to pick at least one."
"Plus homework, right?"
"Yes, we don't give you time in class for that." The Headmaster agrees.
"I see, now tomorrow you will be paired with a student to experience-"
"What, tomorrow? No one said anything about following a student around." AJ speaks surprise.
"We told your principal." She sighs. "Anyways, you will follow he/she to get the experience of what it is like to attend here." She mentions.
"You don't know who it is so I can meet him/her already." AJ asks not wanting anymore surprises.
"We have one, however we need confirmation from the student to accept."
"Oh okay, I guess I will see you tomorrow." AJ politely speaks before turning away.
"Yes." The Headmaster heads back to his office.
"Princess, are you okay?" Her father wonders at their car.
"I don't want to lose time with my friends. The reason I get excellent grades to be in this school is because of them." She mentions.
"I am sure that is not true." Her mother assures her. She is quite shock at the discipline is put in this school.
"Okay, what about my anxiety, my lack of confidence in front of people? Who is going to boost my spirits if I fail?" She makes known that this could a bad decision.
"You can always call them to hang out during weekends." Her mother tries to have her think positively.
"What if I have practice on the weekends, I can't have my friends watch those practices are private. I would become just a person they know by the time we finish High School." She argues.
"Remember to keep an open mind." Her father reminds her.
"Don't get me wrong father, it is a great school. I get my own equipment in Science, a huge library, and study area."
"However, there is a discretion." They notice there is more to her rant.
"You missed the part where I could live there. They have dorms so I don't have be driving back and forth." She reveals noticing little details during the tour.
"He didn't say anything about that." This news to them.
"Read the pamphlets they gave me I don't want to feel like I am in University yet. I don't want to leave my friends until I have to." She fusses over.
"You are just delaying the pain. You all won't be at the same College or University." Her mother acknowledges.
"I know, but I am in High School still. I have read these are supposed to be the best years of my life."
"They will be."
"I don't think so."
"Just wait until tomorrow. After tomorrow, we will discuss this logically from both sides." Her father states.
"You two listen to my side too. You two sometimes put authority first and my feelings last. I know you what me to be as successful as you, however I can be successful in my own way." She mentions.
"Jack!" AJ rushes to his arms in front of their house.
"How was your tour?" He puts her down after a bear hug.
"Come in I will tell you everything." She opens the door to help him in.
A few moments later, Randy approaches AJ's house with John. "Hi Mr. and Mrs. Lee." Randy greets walking from school to get his car from Jack.
"Oh Randy, what are you doing here?"
"I just want to give AJ this." He hands them a scrapbook of Team Siblings.
Mrs. Lee slightly flips through the scrapbook. "This is beautiful we will give it to her."
"Tell her whatever happens Team Siblings will never die." He includes.
"Thanks."
"This is not getting any easier." Mr. Lee acknowledges.
"No it is not."