“Hmm” he said “We should ask my Uncle Grey the detective what to do, maybe he can help us. What do your parents say?”
“Whose, mine?” I replied, “I haven't told them anything because I'm not sure what to tell them, but I guess I should just in case Cale comes around the house again.” I said it but I wasn’t sure I meant it.
We arrived at Nic's house, as she was closest to the school.
“Jett, I think you should pretend you and Addie are boyfriend and girlfriend because she can't afford to be knocked around anymore. You should also introduce her to Kyle so everyone thinks she's a friend of the family. This way they'll think if you mess with her, you mess with the McGaven's.” Declan schemed. Jett chuckled “True.”
“I think that would be a good start, and Addie you shouldn't go anywhere alone until we know for sure what's going on.” Nic added. “Plus, we’ll tell Detective Grey.”
“So you, Jett and Declan will be my bodyguards then, and we aren't going to tell anyone else about this until we talk to Detective Grey. If he thinks it warrants other actions, I'm sure he'll let us know, right?” I questioned.
“Yeah” Jett explained “I forgot you've met him. He’s a really cool guy and has always helped us out when my brothers and I have gotten into trouble.”
“How do we schedule a meet with your uncle?” Nic asked.
“Good question my dear Watson!” I looked at her with a smile. “What?” I said to Declan and Jett who looked back at me funny. “I don't think I'm Sherlock – I was just jokin'.” I blurted out.
“Oh I know! Jett and I will go ‘park’ when your uncle's on duty and get caught!” I said with enthusiasm.
“What?” Jett exclaimed.
“I meant necking, you guys are perverts.”
“Oh boy” Nic said “We better get her home before she really gets slaphappy.”
“Oh I know what if Nic and I break...” Nic interrupted “That's it, I'm outta here.” I started laughing.
“Yes, I'm feeling a little slaphappy. Hey Nic?” She turned to look at me before closing the door “I gotta stalker and you don't.” She slammed the door in my face. She waved and Declan backed out of her drive.
I put my bag at one end of the seat, laid down and put my head on it. Detective Grey had given me his business card, if I can find it, he told me to call anytime. Jett started talking to Declan “What's up with her? She seems awfully happy,” in a low hushed voice, pointing his thumb back at me.
“This is how I get Jett, deal with it, I sometimes get slaphappy!”
On my behalf Declan told him “She's actually pretty funny sometimes. It doesn't happen often though; not the funny part, the slaphappy part. Plus, she's pretty sarcastic. Like I said, a good match for you.”
“Why thank you my dear Watson, I appreciate the compliment.” I was losing it. “My dear friend, stop at the nearest bar I need a drink.” I said with a little accent on it. Sometimes I just couldn't stop myself. Jett and Declan chuckled a bit. Declan floored it over a hill and I rolled off my seat onto the floor which would have been funny if I hadn’t hurt my shoulder again.
“Damn it, that's twice in one day.” The two of them were laughing, I would have but it just sent more shooting pains up and down my arm.
“That's twice you fell off a seat.” Declan said.
“No, that's twice I fell off my shoes. Hardy, harr, harr, no that's twice I hurt my shoulder.” He slowed down, “Ooh sorry, I forgot about that. You okay?” he asked as he turned his head as much as possible to check on me.
I sat up “Declan are you taking me home first?” – That finished my slaphappy mood. “I was going to take Jett first” he came back.
“Fine” There was a bit of silence in the car. Then Jett started “I'll call my Uncle to see when we might be able to meet with him. We should all be there, I'm afraid I don't have enough details for him, plus if your shoulder still looks bad he can see that.”
“Well, if the two of you keep beating me up, I'm sure it will.”
“What, are you grouchy now?”
“Well yes. I'm female, a teenager and hormonal! Plus, my shoulder, shooting pain, lots of fun.” I said sarcastically. “I definitely need a drink now”. I said under my breath.
We turned into Jett's driveway. “I'm getting in front.” I announced and Jett gave me his hand to help me out of the back. He pulled me close to him and asked “Do you need an ice pack.”
“No, I'll be fine bodyguard,” and I slid into the front seat. Jett squatted down by me and put his hand on my thigh, I could feel the heat radiate from him; how could someone be so warm all the time and it’s winter.
I looked at him “Sorry, I’m in a bit of a quandary today, my shoulder hurts, I supposedly have a stalker and now I have a bodyguard. At least he's good looking.” I turned my head toward Declan and winked.
“Hey!” Jett retorted, “Oh yes, I mean two good looking bodyguards.” I said. He laughed a little and slid his hand off my leg, slid it into my hand as he stood and held it lightly until it fell out and closed my door.
“Take me home James.” I said to Declan. “I’m exhausted.”
“I believe this has got to be an emotional roller coaster for you.” Declan suggested as he pulled out of Jett's driveway. I turned my head toward him and gave him a subtle smile.
“An emotional roller coaster, huh. It just makes no sense Declan, why me. I never hurt anyone and I'm not special.” I closed my eyes.
“Crazy obsessed people don't do things for any rhyme or reason. You were probably in the wrong place at the wrong time and he has honed in on you ever since.”
“I guess” I said. “The only good thing to come of this is I get to pretend I'm dating Jett. Good idea by the way.” I was slumped down in my seat a bit, I was always very relaxed around Declan.
“Yeah well, he likes you.” With that I sat up in my chair.
“How do you know?”
“Well, for one, he was rubbing your neck in architecture.”
“You noticed that huh? Why else do you think?”
“I like you and he has the same taste in girls as me.”
“So you like me?” I squinted my eyes at him.
“Well, not like that, but I think we would be compatible.”
I dropped that subject quickly “Maybe he's dating around, playing the field, I'm sure he has plenty of girls interested in him.”
“He does have girls after him, but I don’t think he's interested in any of them.”
“So you know something you aren't supposed to tell me.”
“Maybe.”
“Why doesn't he just ask me out then?”
“Maybe he will. Don't forget he was really sick over Christmas break and it really freaked him out he told me he thought he was going to die.”
I closed my eyes and scrunched back down in my seat. “He was that sick…”
The next morning, I was in a good mood. Jett was flirting with me plus we were pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend. Even though that's all it was, pretending, I was fine with it. Since we were all about staying together Declan picked Nic and I up for the wrestling meet tonight, which was at Copley. It's where I used to have swim team practice during the winter months before I was in high school. I was glad to be here; a familiar place with good karma, at least for me.
One of us needed to keep score, and the other needed to video tape the matches. While all the guys were weighing in Nic and I were in the gym lying on the bleachers. We were alone except for the custodians setting up the scoring tables; the main mat and team chairs were already in place.
Some boys from Copley came up to us and started chatting. I’m always a flirt; well let’s call it social, I love to talk to people. It's not my intention but Nic tells me I'm always overly friendly. Of course, she’s the same way. There we were talking to a couple guys and everyone was being 'overly friendly.' I had my arms and legs crossed casually sitting on the bleachers and Nic was standing casually next to the Copley
guys when in came Storm and Declan.
They didn't look too happy when they came up to us, they looked glum, so I introduced the other guys to them like they were good friends of ours. They were short in conversation, darn right rude and acting all grumpy until the Copley guys left; Storm and Declan stayed. They stood there with their arms crossed and acted like they were going to ground us or something.
“What do you two think you are doing?” Storm replied. I shrugged and Nic said “Making friends, you didn’t like Jace, Ryan or Sam.”
Storm looked at us like we were crazy. “What?” he said.
“They were nice and if you guys hadn't come along I’m sure Addie and I could’ve gotten dates,” she raised her brow. The rest of the team was trickling in along with people sitting in the bleachers.
“You two, of all people, aren't allowed to flirt with the opposing team,” Storm stated, Declan nodded in agreement.
Nic excitedly told them. “They aren't on the wrestling team…” We glanced over at our team, they looked upset with us.
“You know what we mean” Storm said quietly through gritted teeth. “You're making us look bad like 'our' girls need to stray. You're supposed to be on our side.”
“If you guys want us to be on your side then you're all going to have to at least acknowledge us and chat with us once in a while. A little flirting wouldn't hurt. Everyone can come and talk to us a little before and after their match and help us video tape and score. It's pretty boring sometimes.” Nic explained and I agreed.
I hope we got our point across and I think we did because Storm pushed his bottom lip upward contemplating what we said and replied “I hadn't thought about it that way. You guys just waiting out here doing nothing until the match starts and videotaping alone, I've done it, and it can be very boring.”
“I guess you’re right.” Declan looked at me and squinted his eyes at me.
“What Declan? I mean body guard? I wasn't alone, Nic and I were together.” I talked towards him as he walked away.
Nic didn’t have a boyfriend, at least not yet, I couldn’t believe she didn’t have one because she was tall and gorgeous. I would kill to have her long legs. She was tall enough to be on the basketball team just not coordinated enough. She laughed when the basketball coach asked her to try out.
She and I got so chatty while setting up the video camera that I forgot to look for Jett when we heard a “hey” behind us, startling us both. It was Jett all dressed in his wrestling gear, coming toward us. We were at the top of the bleachers in a second gym setup for gymnastics that over looked the main gym floor. He didn’t look happy, Nic said “I'm leaving, I need to go keep score.”
As soon as she turned around, I begged “Don’t go Nic, he doesn’t look happy.”
“I'm not mad, just in wrestling mode.” I smiled a Cheshire cat smile, all my teeth showing, but Nic kept going.
“Can I talk to you a minute?” Jett asked.
“Sure.” I mumbled. “I have to start recording as soon as the first match starts, so you actually only have a minute.” I continued setting up the camera and Jett took one of the wires and unwound it for me and plugged it into the wall. I looked at Nic below and noticed one of the wrestlers had pulled a chair up next to her to help keep score. She was introducing the other teams wrestling manager to him, who had nothing on Nic.
“So what's up Jett?”
“I like how you say what you want and you seem to be yourself around me. Other girls can seem fake.” I looked over at him and nodded. My heart started to race a bit; this was either going to be good or bad.
“Hold that thought,” I said. I pointed the camera in the right direction, focused the lens and started to record. Once in place all I had to do was start and stop the camera between matches so the wrestlers didn't have to fast forward through a bunch of nothing. Plus, it saves tape. We walked away from the camera and watched the match; Jett started telling me about the other wrestler that he was really good, so it was important that our guy win, because they were both fighting for the number one slot at this point.
I held a hand up and rechecked all the settings to make sure everything was on and in focus and I walked back over to him. I thought he was going to break up with me even though we weren't dating. Maybe the fake relationship isn't working for him. My hands started getting a little clammy; I thought I was over all this nervous stuff, I wish Nic or Tori were here to run interference. I was looking at the floor, then the walls, anywhere but at him. I had my arms crossed waiting for the bad news to come.
“I only have a minute Addie, I saw you talking to several boys earlier....”
“Sooo, you were checkin' them out huh!” I said sarcastically, I always had something smart to say.
“Okay smarty pants, I only have a minute.”
“Sorry” I wanted to say it's been like five, but I didn't.
“This week, you know us pretending to date? Well, when I saw you with those other guys.... well, I didn't like it..... I didn't think you were interested in anyone else.”
I interrupted, “I'm not.”
“Would you just let me finish. Wait, what did you say?”
“I'm not interested in anyone else.”
“So you were talking to those guys to make me jealous?”
“No, we were talking to them to be nice and we had nothing else to do. It's not like any of our team is social with us.”
“Yeah that's what Storm said. Can you maybe not flirt with anyone else until I wrestle, maybe the rest of the meet? I can't concentrate when you do that.” he pleaded.
“Okay,” I said with a soft smile and took a step closer to him. When I did he took one back and put his hands up. I squinted at him, he explained “I don't think so, I have to go wrestle with a guy, in this…” he said pointing to his bibs, “so we'll talk afterwards.”
I agreed “We'll talk later then.” A lot more things came to mind but I didn't say any of them. I walked back to the camera to put it on pause. When I turned around he was gone. I looked at the gym door below and he was walking in, he looked up at me and gave me a half smile. I smiled back, he started stretching.
A couple of minutes later our 98 pound wrestler, Jim, who had just finished his match, came by me.
”Hey” he said.
“What's up?” I said back. “I taped your match, it was a good one – does this mean your number one?” I turned around to turn the tape recorder back on.
“Yes, I think it does. Too bad I didn't pin him though.”
“But you won.” I replied. We both started chatting and the next thing I knew Brad, another wrestler, was up talking to us. I looked at Nic and a new wrestler was talking to her too. It was nice, they were keeping us company. I was leaning over the rails along with a couple of other wrestlers cheering Dean on when I heard a very soft “hey” from behind us. It was one of Copley's wrestling managers, she had a t-shirt on that said Copley Wrestling.
We had all turned around and said “hey.” I walked up held my hand out and introduced myself and I turned to watch the match so did she. “So.... your guys are really nice to you two girls, and I think it's really cool.”
“Thanks. Our guys are very nice to us and sometimes too protective,” we all laughed a little.
“Well I think it's nice. Our guys just ignore us.”
Jim leaned over and chimed in “That's too bad. You two seem so nice.”
“Oh, I'm Susan and that’s Leah,” she said pointing to the score table.
“I met Leah earlier, she's very nice and a good score keeper.” Jim was flirting and fine by me. They chatted through an entire match. Throughout the match the wrestlers on our team rotated keeping Nic and I company. “I like your shirt Susan, did you have it made?” I asked.
“Oh yeah, the whole team had some made.” she answered.
“Nice, I'll have to see if I can get one made for Nic and me.” We talked a little more before she left.
Our wrestlers kept coming and going, rotating
by me and Nic, I wondered if they would keep on supporting us the rest of the season. I hope so, because it made the meet more enjoyable, and I bet they just might. Two other girls from Copley approached us from the bleacher side. Two of our wrestlers squatted down by them and chatted them up.
Storm came up by me since his match was done and I told him “I don't think it's fair that you guys can flirt with 'the other team’s girls' but we can't flirt with the guys.”
“Sure it is” he said “This way none of our team feels jealous, plus, their team is now getting their undies in a bunch.” I looked over at the Copley team and, sure enough, they were checking out the girls who were chatting with our guys and looked a little envious.
Storm put his arm around me “you guys have us” I shrugged him off right away. “What, are you kidding me? Your brother will get all mad.” He just laughed.
“Who cares? It's not like you're dating.”
“Well, I told him I wouldn't flirt any more today. It seems like he's all worked up about something.”
“Whatever” he grumbled and went over to talk to the other girls.
When the match was over, Nic and I waited in the lobby with the camera equipment. As we were waiting we had some more girls come up to us and ask about Storm and one of them gave us her number to pass on. For some reason, I think the girls approached our guys tonight because they were talking to us and being nice. It's easier to talk to guys when other girls are around.
Storm, Jett and Declan all came out in a group. I handed the piece of paper to Storm. He opened it and laughed “Which one was this?” Nic described her to him.
I took a bill out of my pocket and held it up in the air and said “My mom gave me $20 for pizza. Who wants to go?” Declan swiped the money out of my hand and said “I do.” Jett swiped it out of his hand and said “We'll all go. Nic and Storm can drive with Declan and you can drive with me.” Jett instructed. I liked that plan.
“So, are you two still pretending you're dating or is this the real deal? Because you know she isn't dating anyone else.” Nic said and continued. “As a matter of fact Jett, the first day she laid eyes on you she broke it off with the guy she was dating." I jabbed Nic in the side for saying that. “Oops” came out of her mouth.
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