The Rise of the Isles II Mat Barzal

Chapter 7

 Bailey walked into Victoria's room with a smile that can be seen from miles away.

"How was practice?" Victoria asked.

"Tori, you won't believe it!" Bailey said.

"I mean, I already can't believe that you're friends with half of the Islanders, but go ahead,"

"Coach wants me on the team!" Bailey announced ecstatically.

"What?" Victoria asked. Her jaw dropped. "No way!"

"Yes way!" Bailey said.

"So does that mean you're staying here?" Victoria asked.

"Yeah!" Bailey couldn't stop smiling.

"That's great!" Victoria said. "You need a place to stay, though, Nat's coming back soon,"

"Barzy said that I could stay with him," Bailey said. "I don't know if that was genuine or not,"

"Barzy?" Victoria smiled.

Bailey blushed.

"All of his teammates call him that-" Bailey started.

"It's cute," Victoria said.

Bailey heard something coming from the bathroom.

"Is someone else here?" Bailey asked.

"Well," Victoria started. "I hope you don't mind-"

Nick came out of the bathroom, fixing his hair. He stopped once he saw Bailey.

"Hey, Bails," Nick said.

Bailey looked at Victoria who let out an awkward smile and then at Nick who did the same.

"Did you-?" Bailey looked at the both of them again.

"He was just leaving," Victoria said.

"No he wasn't," Bailey said. "By the way, if this is real, I support it,"

"Really?" Victoria and Nick said in sync.

"Yeah," Bailey said. "I always knew there was something between you guys anyway,"

Nick rubbed the back of his neck.

"OH," Bailey said. "Nick, I'm not going back to North Carolina,"

"You're staying here?" Nick asked.

"Looks like we're gonna be working together," Bailey smiled.

"What?" Nick asked. "You got a job?"

"Sort of," Bailey said. "Coach said that nothing was official yet,"

"You talked to Coach?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, and I practiced with the team," Bailey said.

"Wha-" Nick didn't hear about any of this aside from her practice with Mat.

"Oh and like I was saying, I might have a spot on the Islanders," Bailey said.

"You're kidding," Nick smiled. "You're kidding!"

"No cap," Bailey said.

Nick hugged her.

"Damn, seriously?" Nick asked. "I'm going to work with my favorite team and my baby cousin,"

"Nick," Bailey smiled. "I'm not a baby anymore,"

"Tell that to this," Nick pulled his phone out of his pocket and brought up his camera roll. He showed Bailey a picture of their first Islanders game, one different from the one as Bailey's profile picture for Nick. In the picture, Bailey, Nick, Ryan, and Bailey's dad were in the picture, smiling. Bailey was about a year or two old in the picture, but extremely happy. Bailey smiled looking at the picture.

"I don't remember this at all," Bailey laughed. "But by the looks of my face, I was born to be an Islander,"

"Hell yeah," Nick messed with her hair and sat on the couch next to Victoria.

"Hey, if I'm third-wheeling or something, I can leave," Bailey said.

"Not at all," Victoria said. "You can stay,"

Nick looked at Victoria and Victoria looked back. They communicated with just their eyes and understood it. At the end of their eye-ball conversation, Nick rolled his and laughed.

"Are you sure I'm not interrupting?" Bailey asked, getting up from the couch.

"Nope," Victoria said. "Sit down, Bailey,"

"Alright," Bailey smiled. "So, what are we gonna do?"

"You can start by telling me what the hell happened in your practice with Barzy," Nick said. "Was he nice?"

"He was a gentleman," Bailey said.

"Did he take you to dinner after?" Nick asked.

"He did," Bailey said. "Why are you so interested?"

"He's my friend..." Nick started. "You're my cousin..."

"Woah, how similar," Bailey said.

"Huh?" Nick asked.

"You and Tori... me and Mat..." Bailey said.

"Are you and Mat together?" Nick asked.

"No," Bailey said. "We're just friends,"

"But you're staying here," Victoria said. "Isn't that the reason why you didn't wanna be with him?"

"Coach said that he doesn't want us together anyway, it could hurt the team," Bailey said.

"That's true," Nick said. "So you're not gonna be with him?"

"Are you upset that I'm not gonna end up with Barzy?" Bailey asked, smiling.

"I shipped it," Nick said. "Barley,"

"The cutest," Victoria added.

"Guys," Bailey said.

"Okay, fine," Victoria said. "We'll stop,"

"SO, back to my story," Bailey said. "Mat told the team all about me and how good I was at practice,"

"Awe," Victoria cooed.

"I went to Anders Lee's bar-be-que, which was fun," Bailey said. "Anders makes some great chicken wings,"

"You got invited to the bar-be-que?" Nick asked. "Cool, he must like you then,"

"Thanks for putting in a good word for me, Nick," Bailey said.

"You're good," Nick said. "I'm so glad you had a great time,"