Switching Sides | A Jamie Johnson FanFiction

• Part 4

I was trying to forget about the football team trials, when Ruby and Callum came over to me at lunch one day; they looked mad, or rather, Callum did. I had no idea why, the only thing I could think of was that I didn't tell them I was trying out, but why would that bother them?

"Bella!" Callum said, marching over. "What is this?!" he said, waving a piece of paper in my face, too fast that I could actually read it however.

"I don't know, try keeping it still!" I replied, grabbing the piece of paper from him and reading the list. It was the team sheet: my heart sunk as I read the names and didn't see mine. Then I moved further down the sheet to the reserves.

"I made the reserve!" I exclaimed, but Callum and Ruby didn't look as pleased. "What?"

"You can't join the football team!" Callum shouted back, and I was aware that people were starting to stare at us in the food court.

"Callum..." Ruby said calmly, but he cut her off.

"No!" he replied, shaking Ruby off. "You don't understand! The football team is basically just a group of Jethro and his friends."

"I know that." I replied bluntly, but didn't tell them that that was basically just the reason I joined in the first place. "Why are you so against it?"

"Callum had some...bad experiences with them. A long time ago." Ruby explained as Callum glared.

I knew better than to ask what they were, and my silence seemed to make Callum calm down a bit.

"Ok, well are we good now? Cos I..." I started, but Ruby interrupted.

"By the way, Callum, I have some good news for you." she said, maybe predicting what I was going to say and knowing it would cause more arguments. "The reason why Demi wasn't with Jethro the other day," she said, raising her eyebrows. "Is because they broke up."

Callum's eyes seemed to light up. "What?"

"I thought you hated them all?" I asked.

"Not Demi. Just Jethro and his mates."

"I don't understand you sometimes, Callum. Demi's just as bad as the others." Ruby replied.

"Liar." He replied bluntly, and sat down on the table, obviously annoyed.

___________________

After lunch, I had Chemistry for the first time. In Primary school, when we had done any science at all, it was about rivers and stuff, things I guessed would not come up in year 7 Chemistry, but thankfully I wasn't in top set, so I hoped there wasn't too many expectations.

When I walked in, there was a seating plan displayed on the board. My embarrassing school photo glared back at me from the front row. I noticed I was sat one seat in front of Ruby which I was glad about, and unsurprisingly, Jethro was in the back row, sat next to Alex like he seemed to be in every lesson.

When I took my seat and Ruby did too, I immediately swung around to face her before the lesson officially started.

"Why is Jethro in the back row every lesson?" I said quickly.

"Money buys a lot of favours." She replied, raising her eyebrows. "By the way, I'm sorry about Callum. If you wanna join the football team, that's up to you..."

"Thank you." I said quickly, glad someone was on my side.

"...but if I were you I wouldn't." She finished, and I groaned. Why was everyone so against it?

"Are you kidding me? You too?"

"I'm sorry Bella, but we've known Jethro and his mates for years." she said.

"So?"

"So, they're just..." she paused. "Nothing."

"Have you ever spoken to them?" I asked.

"Not that much, but..."

"Has Callum?"

She scoffed. "Callum can't go anywhere near them when Demi's around."

"What is going on with him and Demi?" I wondered aloud.

"He's had a crush on her since forever." she paused. "And he's not the only one of my friends who's got a crush." she said cautiously.

I bit my lip. I don't know if it was because someone had actually called me their friend for the first time since coming to this school or because I was nervous that she'd figured it out.

"You like Jethro, don't you." she stated bluntly, and I sighed.

"Maybe, I suppose." I said. "Don't tell anyone."

She laughed. "Don't worry; you're not the only one who's fallen in love with Jethro Stevenson.

"Why?"

"Well, let's just say practically half the girls have liked him, or rather his money."

"You think I like his money?!"

"Money, looks, you name it." she replied.

"Ruby, I'm not materialistic; I just...really like him."

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Fine. You wanna do something fun this weekend?"

"Sure, what?"