The Comeback Season

|chapter eighty|

The sun slowly rises on this chilly Friday morning. The buses leave at 6:30, but the game doesn't start till seven. I'm guessing they wanted the time gap to give the players an opportunity to unwind and rest. Or, they are going to practice before the game, which I'm sure is the real reason.

I walk towards my friends waiting for me near the bus check-ins. I complied with their orders and put some club clothes in my suitcase. The staff usually always has a curfew for us, but we never follow it.

"Breaking out the Uggs?" I click my booted heels together at Coco's gleaming face. She has on her go-to black Uggs while Nova has on her tan ones. Reid has never been a fan of Uggs, so I'm not surprised by his eye roll.

"Seniors, please make your ways onto the bus."

We follow Mr. Mitchell's orders and stand in line for the bus. He has a clipboard in hand, checking off the student's names before entering the bus. I look around the parking lot and see multiple teachers doing the same thing for the other buses.

There is a total of three buses. One for seniors, juniors, and the football players, with the cheerleads. Not that many freshmen or sophomores bought tickets, so they are mixing them in with the juniors. On the other hand, the senior bus is full.

"Hey, mind if I ride with you?"

When I hear the richness of a guy's voice, I immediately register it with a face.

Bryce walks up to us, carrying an overnight bag on his shoulder. His messy bed hair and laid-back demeanor are making me feel heat in places I haven't in a while.

"Oh no," Nova says under her breath. I eventually see Drew join Bryce.

Nova is still angry that Drew didn't tell her about Rebecca. She said that entire guy code excuse was bullshit. I thought the same thing, but I don't want them fighting over me. I told her to let it go, but she's stubborn.

"You don't want to ride with your team?" I asked, nodding my head towards the team bus. Bryce scrunches up his nose. "Nah. I'm not really in the mood for talking about useless shit." I bob my head as I put my bag under the bus. Bryce sees me struggling and grabs my suitcase, quickly putting it in the undercarriage, along with his.

Nova and Drew are quietly arguing behind me, while my friends are discussing the game with Bryce. I have a sense of someone watching me. When I look over the crowds, I land on a pair of light brown eyes.

His sad eyes throw me off. How can he be upset about a situation he created? It's irritating me. I'm tempted to go over there and tell him to stop. Rebecca must have sensed him staring because she comes to stand right in front of him.

"Lia, I have a challenge for you this weekend." Bryce follows my view, and I notice his body tense up. My muscles relax after I see the tint in Bryce's eyes, grow darker. The fact that Bryce has my back makes me smile.

"What kind of challenge?" I check my name off on the list and walk onto the bus. I spot a pair of six empty seats in close vicinity towards the back of the bus. Coco and Reid sit in one, while Nova angerly sits in one with Drew.

"Window seat!" I call as I squeeze by Bryce. His sexy laugh sends shivers down my spine. He puts his bookbag on the overhead bin before sitting down next to me. Multiple girls walk past in awe of the hunk's presence. Whenever one pretends to bump into him makes me nauseous.

"Are you jealous?" I roll my eyes at his incredibly accurate question.

"No. What is this challenge you were talking about?" My attempt to change the subject earns a smug smile from Bryce. He lets out a small sigh and turns to me.