Page 24 of The Forever After Bet

“Good luck tonight.” Hannah waves.

I crack my neck and breathe a sigh of relief when we walk out of the classroom. “Wait,” Bree yells, running down the hall toward us.

Ty groans, leaning on my shoulder. “She a psycho,” he whispers.

“Yup.” I chuckle.

“What did you need?” Jack asks, stepping slightly in front of me.

Bree glances at me and then back at Jack. I’m suddenly filled with dread. I know precisely what Bree is doing. She sidesteps Jack to get close to me. I turn my cheek just as her lips touch it. She’s surprised to get my cheek instead of my mouth, but she goes with it. She whispers, “Good luck tonight. You’ve got this.” And she turns on her heel, running back into the classroom. I wipe my cheek on my sleeve with a shudder.

“You’ve got this,” Jack laughs, slapping my back.

“She’s just being his good luck charm, like the website says.” Ty chuckles.

“Ha, ha.” I shove him and turn around, walking down the hall.

“Dude, where are you going?” Ty yells.

“I left my English book in my locker. I’ll be right back.” When I open it, a note falls onto the ground. I pick it up.

“Dude! Let’s go,” Ty whines from down the hall. I shove the note in my pocket, grab my English book, and run back to my friends.

“You’re such a baby when you get hungry, Ty. Do I need to start carrying baby snacks for you? Maybe a bottle.” I bump his shoulder.

“Yeah, Doritos and Mt. Dew. I’ll buy you a diaper bag to carry everything.” Ty laughs.

“I dare you!” I laugh. “I’ll see you in a few.” I unlock my car and get in. I start my car but wait for Ty to back out first. I dig into my pocket and pull out the note. There’s something hard in it, and I open it up. “Hannah,” I breathe, reading the note. I blink, and a tear falls onto the note, smearing her signature. “When did I become such a crybaby?” I trace my fingers over the shape of her lips, remembering our kisses on Saturday night. I shake my head.

When I get to Ty’s, I open the back seat, rummage through my basketball bag, and pin the note inside my jersey top. I want Hannah back. Whatever it takes. No matter the cost.

13. Nineteen Days

The bleachers are packed full for the game tonight. Basketball games have a different energy to them than football games, but it’s still electric and exciting. I enjoy standing on the side of the court to cheer it gives me an unobstructed view of the game. I went to a few games last year with June and Alison and always thought they were fun.

The players warm up for the first fifteen minutes. I glance at Ford several times, but he’s busy concentrating on drills and shooting the basketball. Ryker Baldwin, on the other hand, won’t stop looking at me and trying to get my attention. I finally look over at him. He lifts his chin, nodding at me, like that gesture alone should make me swoon and collapse into a heap on the floor. Please. I arch my eyebrow. Leah slaps my arm, and I turn to look at her.

“Oh, my gosh. Look!” Leah nods toward the main doors of the gym. I notice Bree walking toward the student section wearing a red shirt that says: Titan Good Luck Charm, and a handmade sign that says go number ten, which is Ford’s football number. His basketball jersey has the number twenty-three on it. I turn back to Leah and roll my eyes. She’s turning into a stalker the way she obsesses over Ford. It’s creepy and gross.

Ford, Jack, Ty, Cameron, and a guy named Asher Armstrong are the starting lineup for Lake City. I’m excited to see the guys play together. There were so many seniors on the team last year that the three of them rarely played at the same time. It will be interesting to see if they play basketball together as well as they play football as a team.

I head out into the hall after the halftime show to refill my water bottle. A beautiful older lady with silver hair and bright green eyes, who is very well dressed, stares at me as I turn around from the drinking fountain. I’ve never seen her before, but I’d know those eyes anywhere. It’s Ford’s grandmother. I smile at her and walk past, but she puts out a hand to stop me.. “You’re Hannah.” It was a statement, not a question. “Ford described you perfectly. You’re lovely.”

I blush, ducking my head, and tuck my hair behind my hair nervously. “Thank you. You must be Gigi—sorry—Mrs. Evans, Ford’s grandma.”

Mrs. Evans smiles. “Please call me Gigi. All my family does.”

I smile and nod. “It was nice to meet you. Ford was—well, he talks fondly of you.” Talking about Ford and me in the past tense is still impossible.

“He’s one in a million, my Crawford,” Gigi says.

“I completely agree.”

“Are you busy tomorrow after school?” She asks.

“I have cheer practice, but it ends around five.”

Gigi puts her arm through mine, and we walk down the hall together. “Would you mind coming over to my house for a chat?” I stop walking and look at her. My heart is racing. Is she going to yell at me for what happened between me and Ford? She continues, “I’d just like the chance to get to know you, Hannah, that’s all. I have no nefarious plans. I promise.”

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