Reputation

7

While homecoming week was a fun time to dress up every day of the week and feel the anticipation of the game and dance, it was hell to plan.

After a long day of school and cheer practice, all I wanted to do was go home and take a nap. When my advisor told me the 200 plus t-shirts for the senior class (that had to be handed out tomorrow) hadn't been organized, I wanted to cry.

I was going to beat Hayden's ass.

"Hello?" Hayden answered the phone.

"Hayden!" I shouted as I drove, "Why didn't you finish organizing the shirts?"

"Oh, shit" he grumbled. "Carroway, I've been so busy with work I actually forgot."

The boxes of shirts sat in my backseat. "Well, you'll need to help me because I can't do this alone."

"You can, you just don't want to" he shot back.

I groaned. "Hayden, please. I'm tired."

"Knowing that you need me is turning me on. Send me where you want me to meet you." he gave in. 

I hate him.

That's how Hayden Brooks ended up at my front door.

"Nice house." he commented as I moved out the way to let him in.

I closed the front door. "Not like you haven't been here before, but thanks. And, it's not mine so I'll send my love."

I led Hayden to our formal living room that never really got used during Christmas day and some parties. I'd already laid the t-shirts out, we just had to organize them by size and owner.

"That stack of paper is what we have to get through." I pointed out.

"Cool" he divided it in half and handed one stack to me. 

We sat down on the floor and got to work.

Hayden and I worked in silence and it was a little awkward. 

Maybe that was just me since I hated being in the quiet.

"I noticed you finished fixing up your car," I began. "Congratulations."

He let out a small chuckle. It was quiet but I still heard it.

"UT Austin?" he pointed out my sweatshirt

"Yeah. I'm trying to get out of here." I responded. "Do you know where you're going or want to go?"

Hayden shrugged. "Not for sure. I got an offer from UT, University of Tennessee so if no other D1 schools have anything for me that's where I'll be."

I knew Hayden was good at basketball, but I didn't know he was SEC basketball good. That was good for him. I thought everyone should leave their hometown at least once if they got the chance to. 

"That's good." 

"Yeah" he mumbled.

"Are you going for pre-med?" Hayden questioned me.

I shook my head. "That's Shawn and Sloane's thing. I'm going for general business with a finance minor which sounds stereotypical and basic but that's what I'm doing."

"Fits you." he responded.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"God, Carroway, you get on my fucking nerves, but not everything I say to you as a jab at you," he explained. "Before you walked in the homecoming meeting, everyone was just grumbling and tired, and then as soon as you walked in, everyone perked up."