Coach's Number One

Chapter Thirty One

I jump, startled, emerging from my deep slumber.

Groggily, I reach for my alarm to turn it off. I hit the button several times, the loud sound not disappearing. Groaning, I peer through my eyelid, to see my phone screen lit up.

I answer it, closing my eyes again.

"Whoever this is, I want to kill you," I grumble sleepily.

"Good morning beautiful, nice to hear your voice as well," a voice greets me, causing my eyebrows to raise and my stomach to clench due to the compliment.

"Hayden? Why are you calling me?"

"Because I'm outside your house and you won't answer the door."

"Why? I'm asleep, obviously."

"Do you often answer the phone in your sleep?"

"Was asleep, you know what I mean," I mutter wearily. "Why are you here, again?"

"To pick you up, remember?" he queries in a duh tone. "I told you yesterday I would."

"For school?"

"Wow, someone is slowly catching on today."

I rub my face roughly, slowly moving into sitting position. "What time is it?"

"Late enough that you should be ready for practise, not still in bed."

"Shit," I sigh, removing the warm, toasty blankets from my legs. "I must have forgotten to set my alarm again."

"You're hopeless."

"Mm," I mumble, swaying slightly as I get to my feet.

"Can you let me in? It's cold out here."

I hang up the phone and practically trip down the stairs. My eyes are heavy with sleep as I stumble to the door and open it.

"Wow," he comments slowly, his eyes raking over my bed hair and sleep-deprived face. "This is a new side to you."

"Shut up," I grumble, turning my back to him and dragging my feet up the stairs.

"Someone is clearly not a morning person."

After sending him a glare over my shoulder, I stomp into the bathroom and slam the door shut.

"You have 2 minutes!" I hear him call out and I wave my middle finger in the air.

After having a much-too-quick shower, I towel off and stroll into my bedroom, trying to find something to wear to practise.

"Oh baby, take it off," Hayden teases as I bend down to grab a shirt on the floor.

I turn, planting the hand that held the shirt against my hip, as the other one was holding my towel up.

"Your commentary isn't welcome."

"Ah, there she is," he grins. "The Grace I know returns."

I roll my eyes and swipe a pair of shorts from my dresser, before stepping back into the bathroom. Considering how late we are, I really should have put my swimmers on straight away, to save getting changed when I got to school, but my mind is not functioning properly this early in the morning.

"Seriously, the Coach is going to kick our ass if you don't hurry up."

Flinging my bag over my shoulder, not even having checked if I had the right books for today, I trip after Hayden as he jogs down the stairs.

Once we get to the bottom, my bag slides off my shoulder, hitting the floor and one of my textbooks tumbles out of it.

"You're a mess," he sighs, scooping down to retrieve my stuff. "Go grab something to eat on the way, I'll get this."