the price of being ace

Chapter 37

Everyone's kinda acting weird to me at school it's either sympathetic looks which I don't understand or whispered disgust which I double don't understand
"Hey need some help?" I ask watching Erin struggle trying to flip through a bunch of paper while still holding her textbook and binder
"Yeah thanks" she says and hands me both items
"What is that?" I ask
"The waiver booklet for the weekend training camp in a week or 2" she says showing me the title page
"Oh where are you going" I ask as she starts to walk so I follow beside her
"It's like at a summer camp 2 hours away"
"Isn't your class on the other side of the school?" She asks and I shake my head
"We're going to drama Remember this is third" I say and she sighs then face palms
"Gosh today is moving so slow" she says with a grin and I nod

We have a pretty rough draft of our staging and it's going really well until Willow decides to show up but instead of participating she just stares daggers at our group
"It's getting really unsettling" Makayla says and I nod
"I heard the sheriff had to go to her house and tell her she had to come to school otherwise she'd get charged with truancy" another kid says then someone whispers something in his ear
"Oh" he says to whatever the other boy says
"What?" Makayla asks
"The sheriff didn't talk to her about truancy or whatever,he found her outside his house watching your best friend through her window" he says to me and I sigh
"That's nuts" Makayla says

When Erin comes back from the bathroom she's acting kinda weird like she doesn't want to be around me anymore
Me:swimming tonight still?
Erin:I guess
Me:what do you mean I guess
Me:what happened?
"Texting Erin again huh?" Jo says leaning over to look at my screen
"Yeah she's avoiding me and I have a feeling it has to do with Willow"
Me:you know if she threatened you you don't have to listen to her I'll take care of it
Erin:what
Erin:she didn't.
"Ooh a period how'd you make her mad?"
"I have no clue ok it was like we were hanging out a lot lately then all of a sudden boom she's avoiding me"
"We are skipping 6th period maybe she was reminded of the fact we are terrible students to associate with" she says jokingly
"Yeah maybe I am overthinking this" I say

"You should tell your dad she's been stalking you a lot longer than the time he caught her" I say and she gasps softly
"Wait what"
"Yeah she knew you when she came to town which meant she probably was watching you and everyone I know since before she came to the school like probably when she called us" I say
"Why does she feel the need to do this stuff" she asks rhetorically
"Because she's a crazy stalker" I answer anyway

I go home and even Jackson seems a little strange too
"Why is everyone weird around me today Apollo,at least you aren't avoiding me" I say as Apollo comes and sits right on my laptop keyboard as I'm trying to do my homework
"Hey ace we could use your help down here" Kate calls up the stairs
"Well no rest for the weary" I say getting up

"What?" I ask getting downstairs
"Jackson's football buddies thought it would be a good idea to prank our house today so we have to take toilet paper off the tree" Kate says and I frown
"But it's raining" I say and she nods
"It wasn't when they did it" she says
"I'm sorry I didn't know today was tp day I would've warned you" Jackson says and she just shakes her head at him
"Tp day,tp day!" She says then repeats it louder as she goes outside to which I promptly get on my shoes
"Dumbass" I say to Jackson before grabbing my coat and leaving after kate

An hour later we have got most of the wet toilet paper off the tree then my phone buzzes
Erin:can you tell Jackson to pick up his phone
Me:sure
Me:you ok you haven't talked to me at all and when you text it's to tell me to get Jackson to talk to you
Erin:yeah sorry I just need to talk to him and he's not answering
"Jackson your girlfriend wants you to answer your phone" I say leaving her on read
"Ok ok tell her my phones inside" he says but I don't think I'll tell her because he's going to grab his phone right now anyway

As much as I want to avoid Erin who's avoiding me there's this pull like tension between us I just can't shake
"You're acting weird" digs says at practice
"Am not" I say and she frowns
"Are too juvie" Cassie says and I'm not expecting her to pass the ball to me and it bounces messily off my arms
"You're off your game by a long shot ace I've never seen that happen" Emily says and I sigh
"I can't stop thinking today" I say running a hand through my hair
"About what?" Digs asks
"Just a girl" I say so only she hears
"Your cousins girl perhaps?" She asks and I frown
"No" I lie
"Be careful ace" she says and I nod
"I am" I say

I accidentally bump into her on the way to the truck to meet Jackson
"Shoot" I say grabbing my books off the floor
"Sorry" Erin says and is about to walk away when I catch her
"Hey do you want to do a swimming session today?" I ask and she smiles
"I don't know ace I have stuff to do but maybe after 7 if that's good with you" she says and I nod
"Yeah that's fine I'm not really doing anything today" I say and she nods
"Ok Well see you about 7:30 at the mansion then" she says and I nod