Big Bad Wolf

03

N E D

I was looking at the clock on the wall, waiting for the second hand to strike twelve and the bell to ring. It was my last class of the day, and I couldn't wait to go home—I felt so tired.

I immediately stood up when I heard the bell, startling Sandy, who was sitting beside me, which made me chuckle.

"Sorry," I said, and she laughed.

"It's fine. I was just startled," she said, and I nodded before sprinting out of the classroom.

I went to my locker, opened it, placed the books that I won’t be needing tonight, and pulled out my earphones. I plugged them into my phone and ears and searched for my playlist. I shut the locker and walked out of the building, starting my jog home. I always jog—except when I'm completely drained after practice.

After twenty minutes of walking and jogging, I stopped at a convenience store to rest. I walked to the refreshment section, opened the fridge, then changed my mind and grabbed a bottle of warm water from the opposite rack. I scanned the shelves—just in case I was forgetting something—then headed to the cashier.

I placed the bottle on the counter once the customer ahead of me left. The cashier smiled at me. I recognized her, of course—I came here often.

"My day wouldn't be complete if I didn't see you," she said, making me smile. She was blonde, wearing a round cap with the store's logo on it—kind of like a golfer's hat. She looked cute.

"But I don't come here every day," I said as she scanned the barcode on the bottle.

She chuckled. "I always see you passing by the window around this hour."

Her face turned a light pink when I didn't say anything and just stared at her.

"I'm sorry if I'm creeping you out," she said with a nervous laugh.

"You just surprised me," I said. "I guess I'm flattered." I chuckled, and she smiled.

I left the store as more students started to flood in. I emptied the bottle and continued walking home—ten more minutes on foot. I replayed my playlist and relaxed as I passed the familiar places I always saw every evening.

"Thank God," I muttered when I finally got home. I moved the welcome mat and picked up the spare key hidden underneath. A very typical hiding place. Mom always forgot to make duplicates, so this was our backup in case one of us got locked out.

I unlocked the door, went inside, and dropped the key into a bowl full of receipts. Then I headed straight to the kitchen, starving from all the running.

I found a leftover sandwich—probably Jameson's. He never finished his food, but I had no problem finishing it for him. After eating, I went to my room and took a long shower.

I was lying on my bed playing with my phone when I heard a knock on the door.

"Dinner's ready," Jameson said. I plugged in my phone and left my room.

I helped Mom with the plates while Dad asked how Jameson was doing in school. Jameson gave his usual, "School's fine."

I figured it was the perfect time to tell them about the training camp.

"We're having training camp next week," I said, and Dad looked up from his plate.

"Are you doing okay with your studies?" Mom asked.

"Of course." I wasn't the smartest kid in class, but my grades were good enough to keep my scholarship. So, yeah, I was doing fine.

"Don't focus only on volleyball," she said. I nodded.

"Do you have a girlfriend already?" Dad suddenly asked, making me look at him.

"No," I said, and Jameson chuckled.

"I do," he said, and Mom shushed him.

"Boy, you're too young. Don't even think about having a girlfriend," she scolded, making me laugh.

"Hear that? No girlfriend," I teased Jameson, and he stuck his tongue out at me.

"You don't have a girlfriend either," he shot back.

I chuckled and gritted my teeth at him. This kid.

I went to the gym early since my last class ended early. I wheeled out the cart full of balls, tossed one up, and spiked it at the wall, then received it. I kept doing that until I ran out of balls.

I turned around when I heard someone clapping.

"That's our ace player," Felix said, making me chuckle and roll my eyes. He always loved teasing everyone.

The others helped clean up, tossing the balls back into the cart. Coach came in, clapping his hands.

"Start running," he said, and we began doing laps around the gym. We joked around, and Felix ran around pinching everyone's n*****s, so we ended up running with our hands covering our chests.

Afterward, we stretched on our own while Coach was busy with his phone. I sat on the floor, legs spread apart, and bent down to reach my ankles.

"Gather around," Coach called. We got up and sat in a group, huddled close—mostly because everyone liked to mess around.

"I just want to remind you of the things you need to bring this weekend. You'll need your own tent, utensils, and toiletries," he said. "You'll be split into four groups, and the basketball team will do the same. The groups will be mixed between the two teams."

Michael, sitting beside me, groaned. "I hate those guys," he muttered.

I remembered Dean and instinctively scrunched my face.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Especially their ace."

Michael nodded emphatically.

My head was pounding as I rushed to school, my heavy gym bag slung over my shoulder. I groaned when I saw Justin of all people waving at me. I sat on a bench, waiting for the others. I'd arrived twenty minutes early and wasn't expecting Felix to be early too.

"It's a miracle—you're early. You’re that excited?" I asked.

"I'm excited to escape the house," he replied.

I pulled out my phone, plugged in my earphones, and cranked up the volume to drown out Justin's ranting. I leaned back and closed my eyes, trying to catch a quick nap—I'd woken up early to double-check my things.

I started bobbing my head to the music until someone tapped my shoulder. I opened my eyes and saw Kevin, our setter.

I pulled one earbud out.

"Ariel wants to know what you want to drink—he's paying," he said. Most of the team was already there, and across from us, the basketball team had also gathered. My eyes caught Dean's.

His stare was intense. I looked away quickly—it felt awkward, but I could still feel his gaze on me making me wonder why. It was uncomfortable.

"Let me see what's in the vending machine," I said, walking with Kevin to the others.

I grabbed a soda and thanked Ariel.

A few minutes later, a large bus pulled up and both of our coaches stepped out.

"Sorry we're late," our coach said, motioning toward the bus. "Let's go."

Everyone rushed in, scrambling to get window seats. I managed to grab one in the second-to-last row. I was about to save the seat next to me for Ariel when someone suddenly sat down beside me.

I looked up—and was surprised to see Dean.

"What about your car?" someone from the basketball team asked him.

"I let Garrett drive," he said, then looked out the window—past me. "Besides, I like the view here more."

Out of all the people... why Dean?

I turned my back toward him and plugged my earphones back in, resuming my playlist as the bus filled up and finally pulled away.

******