A Player's First Choice // Stenbrough

024 / Milk

"Thanks?" "The names Patrick."

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—Tuesday 6:12 am

"Stan?" Someone whispers. My eyes flutter open. My room full of natural light from the sun.

"Hmm?" Beverly sits at the end of my bed. "Are you okay?" She hands me a mug, wrapping a blanket around herself. "Yeah? Why?" I take a sip, the smell of coffee filling my room quickly.

"You slammed your door last night...kind of got worried." She smiles gently as I grab clothes from my closet.

"Oh. Bill came by." "Oh...I kind of heard the conversation last night. He seemed mad." Her face softens.

"Yeah. He will be until I do something to fix it. I don't know why he's like that." I shrug pulling a shirt over my head.

"What about Richie?" "What do you mean?" "I heard his voice this morning." "I was on a phone call with him." Eddie comes in, sitting on the end of my bed.

"He okay?" "Yeah...Bill's pissed though. I texted him a couple of minutes ago." "Oh."

"Here." Ben brings a big plate of fruit for us all. "You're great Ben." He smiles brightly.

—7:16 am

"Everyone is staring at me," I mumble. "Probably because you're not wearing Bill's hoodie." "Look who is." Beverly points out a boy I haven't seen before.

"Hey. What happened been you and Bill?" A girl questions. "Argument." I shrug walking past her. "Whatever." She mumbles.

"Watch out man." A familiar voice startles me. Pushing me into my locker slightly. Bill's smile fades when he looks at me. He continues to throw the football throughout the hallway.

Over a fucking hoodie people can tell something's wrong?

—10:48 am

"Hey...I heard what happened between you and Bill." "Can you like shut up?" I snap at the person. "Oh wait, Mike. I didn't mean it...lots of people have been asking me about it. I'm honestly tired of it." I push my hair back as Mike listens.

"Yeah...sorry about that." "It's fine. I really don't care at this point."

The teacher begins to talk as my headache becomes slightly better.

—lunch

"What the fuck man?" I turn around quickly. There stands the boy with Bill's hoodie. "What?" He gives me a twisted look. "You were being an asshole to Bill last night."

Before I can say anything else he tips the carton over my head. Milk goes everywhere as I squeal. "You bitch." "Oops." He giggles before walking away sitting at a table.

He sits beside Bill who stares at me as everyone else laughs. Once the boy sits down he glares at him.

"Come on." A random person grabs my arm, taking me out of the cafeteria. "What the fuck?" We end up in our hallway, he opens a locker. Handing me a shirt. "Here."

"Thanks?" "The names Patrick."