The Younger Girl

Chapter 16

Theo POV

"Theo!" Don smacked the back of my head and sat down next to me, "Why didn't you bring your ass to practice yesterday?" I was sitting in the library catching up on some unnecessary work. I was dreading speaking to any of my teammates today but I knew this was coming.

"Don," I warned, "Don't hit me...and I took Collae out." He deadpanned and sighed.

"Theo, don't become those guys who blow everything off for their girl okay?" He huffed. I didn't see that as this. I saw it as I really adored someone and couldn't let her get away.

"Dona relax it was this one time, I've been to every other practice," I scoffed.

"It better just be this one time, we don't have time to slack off right now, playoffs are soon, I need you, we're a duo, and I can't do it without you," he patted my shoulder.

"Yeah, I know, I'm coming to practice all this week, and you could do it without me."

"No I can't," he chuckled, "We went over some plays yesterday."

"Damn...but we'll rerun them," I shrugged.

"No we're going to be running because of you, but whatever, how'd your date go?" He rolled his eyes.

"Dona," I chuckled, "I can't even tell you, bro, Collae is something else, and—did you know her parents died two years ago?" I wasn't sure why I told him, I guess I just wanted someone else to know what she was going through.

"Nah...that's tough, I already lost my dad I don't know what I would do if I lost my mama too—now you really can't break her heart man, she's already lost enough," he stood up to leave, "Treat her right."

"I will."
~~~
Ninth Period

     "So... how's Collae?" Jeremiah smirked. Ugh. Everyone was so annoying. I wondered if people were going to ask me about her every damn day. I wasn't sure if it was because it wasn't the typical girl I'd been with before or because no one knew her really.

"Fine Jeremiah, how's your dry dating life," I smiled.

"Don't act like you're getting anything from Collae, Don told us all about how she wouldn't let you kiss her until she got to know you," he laughed. I glared at Donatai, he took a sip of his water and looked away. Nothing in this group stayed a secret for too long.

"Shut up, you don't know anything," I scoffed. I haven't been able to kiss her but it was something I was okay with and when the time came I knew it would be special.

"Whatever orange, all I know is that she's been getting buddy buddy with Harrison," he shrugged. What did he mean by 'buddy-buddy'? I told Collae already Harrison was not a good guy, I had to confront her about this.

"What Jeremiah?" I huffed.

"How long y'all been together?" She held his hands together.

"We aren't together," I mumbled, I hated that Collae still wasn't fully mine. It meant that she was still available and now that I was interested in her other people were starting to take notice in her. I knew Harrison and had no good intentions, he wouldn't even have known her name a couple of months ago.

     "Yeah so she's still single," Jeremiah chuckled, "I saw her this morning talking to him, looked interesting." I furrowed my brows at the information.

     "Nice to know," I crossed my arms. Collae literally never talked to any other guys so why now is she speaking to him, was she trying to make me jealous?

~~~

"Hey Collae," I waited beside her locker startling her as she looked up from her phone.

     "You can't keep doing this Theo," she huffed, "But what's up?"

     "Why were you talking to Harrison today" I asked quietly but sternly.

     "Theo...you stalking me?" she laughed, she started to walk to the main stairs to leave, and I walked alongside her.

     "Collae didn't I tell you to stay away from him?" Her face scrunched up at my words.

     "So you're stalking me and telling me what to do?" She chuckled. She shoved me back while releasing a scoff.

     "What's your problem? I thought we had a good time yesterday. Now you're going and talking to that piece of shit?" I stopped and turned her body to face me.

     "Oh I see what this is about," she smirked at me, "You're jealous, we were just talking," she shrugged.

     "About?" My voice lowered an octave and my eyes never left hers.

"Not that it's any of your business but he was apologizing to me about how he acted at the party, even though I barely remember." She studied my face for a reaction.

"Yeah he was a dick," I spat, "You can't trust him." I only wanted to look out for Collae, she was also going to be mine and clearly, I hadn't made it clear that I wanted her enough so I needed to do something that would finally let her let me fully in.

"It really wasn't anything Theo, calm down, and we did have a good time yesterday," She assured me with a soft smile, "I have to leave now and get home, text me."

~~~

I walked into my house tired as usual, the scenery was wild as usual, nothing new. Except this was the first time everyone in the house was screaming all at once.

"What is going on? Why's everyone yelling?" I shouted.

"Adrian brought a rat into the house!" Ella whined standing on the living room table.

"It was hungry," Adrian shrugged.

"Tu ne peux pas être sérieux,"(You can not be serious) I deadpanned.

     "Theo! Good, you're home!" My dad yelled with a broom in his hands. My dad was terribly afraid of rodents. When he was younger a raccoon hissed and chased after him, he hasn't liked rodents since.

     "Where is it?" I laughed.

     "The last time I saw it was under the counter in the kitchen," Enzo shouted.

     I walked into the kitchen and crouched down. I looked under the counter and the little thing was probably more scared of us than we were scared of it.

     "Someone get me some gloves like right now," I said quietly. A few minutes later Ella brought some gloves and I put them on.

     "Where's mom?" I asked reaching for the rat.

     "She went out with her girlfriends," Dad whined, "I wanted us to have some alone time too."

      "Ew." Me and Ella said at the same time.

     "Well. It's how you guys were born so."

     I grabbed the rat and cuffed it in my hands. It squirmed around making me very uncomfortable.

     "Open the door!" I shouted at Enzo. He opened the door quickly jumping back. I walked the rat to a drainage and left it there.

     I walked back onto the house to see Adrian calmly playing on his iPad and lying on the couch.

     "You're dead Adrian!"