Page 24 of Missed Notes (Rixon High 5)

His brows waggled. “Me and E were talking earlier and figured we should make the most of it.”

“Coach will shit a brick if he finds out.”

“Relax, Deputy Dad. We’ve got it covered.”

“I’m not sure—”

“You’ve got to come, otherwise we’ll be an odd number.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sofia won’t come if she has to play fifth wheel and she needs this, man. After everything that’s happened lately, she could do with letting loose.”

I wasn’t so sure about that, but once Aaron got an idea into his head he was like a dog with a bone.

“Sofia’s going?” I tried to keep my voice neutral.

“Well, yeah. Why wouldn’t she?”

“I don’t know. I just thought—it doesn’t matter.”

“You’re coming,” he said. “As your captain and best friend, I’m pulling rank.”

“Fine.” I switched the shower off and grabbed my towel, hoping he couldn’t see my expression.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go. Sneaking out after a game was part and parcel of the senior year football experience.

But I knew Sofia wouldn’t want me there.

And that was a problem.

CHAPTERFIVE

Sofia

“We’re going to a frat party?”Poppy shrieked as we piled into the Uber. The one that had met us around the back of the hotel.

“Relax, Jordan Handell is good people. Besides, it’s not a frat party. It’s just a few people.”

“What is going on right now?” Poppy protested again, flicking her wide gaze from Ashleigh to me and back again.

“I think what Aaron means is, we’re going to a college frat party.” Ashleigh smirked, burying her face into Ezra’s shoulder.

“Like I said Handell is good people. He graduated last year and plays for the Pittsburgh Panthers now. He heard we were in the area and invited us to hang out.”

“At a college party,” I added.

“Correct.”

“And you didn’t think to tell us this before?” Poppy said.

“Babe, relax.” Aaron dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Your dad and my parents will be in the bar all night. Coach Macintosh already did room checks. Everything is good.”

“It’s senior year.” Ashleigh grinned. “I say we seize the moment. It’ll be graduation before we know it.”

Seize the moment.

Guilt snaked through me, shredding my insides with its thorny branches.

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