The Nerd and the Jock (1st bk of Nerd Series)

Chapter 12- Bailey

I couldn't concentrate with him next to me. I was very aware that he was right beside me, working on the project that we were almost done with.

After this Saturday, things had changed in the way that I was seeing Blake. I had been seeing the great guy that the others had seen.

"Bailey?" Blake asked, pulling me from my thoughts. He furrowed his brows in concern, but I could tell that he had caught me staring. A small smirk appeared on his face, but he didn't comment. "Are you ok? You have been spacing out."

"Oh, ya, ya," I said. I moved a hand through my hair and took off my glasses to rub my eyes. "I'm fine. Tired but fine."

Blake leaned closer, concern replacing the good humor. "What's happening?"

"I'm turning eighteen in two or three days, so I have a meeting with my lawyer to go over everything."

"The kids?"

"We'll be going over them too." I moved a hand through my hair and sighed. I was tired of all of this, but I knew that I had to do this for the sake of Sara and the kids. I was the only person that Sara could trust to raise them, and I couldn't help but feel proud and honored. "Sara wants me to take full custody over them."

Blake was silent and looked at the four kids underneath my care. "What will happen if she gets clean? Will she want them back?"

I shrugged my shoulder. My heart broke for my friend because we both knew that she wouldn't be able to take care of them, much less herself. "Sara... is probably going to check herself into a mental health institution," I said softly. "In another state."

Blake stayed silent for a moment and pursed his lips. Sadness filled his eyes, and I guess he could tell what had happened. "It's that bad?"

I nodded my head. "Very," I replied. I placed my glasses back on and cleared my throat. "Let's just say that... the kids are basically miracle children."

Blake nodded his head. "Was she clean when she had them? Were they addicted to anything?"

"Sorta," I replied, not really wanting to go into details about it. It was something that was only between Sara, the police, the attorneys, and me. I didn't need anyone else to know, not yet at least. I didn't want to be judged for taking them in when I was a "child" myself and could be "prone" to do drugs, even though I had seen what they could do to people first hand.

Blake nodded his head again but stayed silent. He had this thoughtful look in his eyes, and I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking about.

I looked at my phone when it lit up and pursed my lips when I saw a message from one of my bosses. "I got to go. It looks like someone didn't show up for work, so they are short staffed."

"Wait, why are you working at the studio? I thought you were only working there a couple of days a week."

I packed my bag and smirked. "I am not working at the studio today."

"Then... where are you working?"

"You will have to find that out by yourself. Come on, Kids. We have to get going."

"Where?" Ryan asked, packing his bag before helping his siblings pack their bags.

"Are you going to help beat up people?" Mimi asked. She jumped out of her seat and looked really excited to see me do one of my other jobs. She placed her bag on her back and watched her other siblings do the same before looking back at me. A smile was on her face, and for a minute, she did freak me out.

"Maybe," I said smirking. I hefted my bag onto my back and started to walk to the door with the four following me. I didn't care that the four of them raced ahead of me because they weren't going to leave the library nor the school without me behind them.

"Wait; what?" Blake asked, looking confused. He was still seated at the desk, stunned because we still had time before he was supposed to be going to practice. Concern filled his eyes, and I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. He probably thought that I was in some gang, even though that was not true.

I turned around and walked backward, making sure that the kids weren't behind me. I smiled at him and waved my hand in slow motion, and he looked at me weirdly. "See you tomorrow."

"Bailey!" he exclaimed when I turned around and started walk away. "What does Mimi mean?"