Chasing You

32

LACEY

We should not be studying all together.

Not only have I not even started my study guide, Asher and Trey have been trying to recruit all of us to help with their studying. Tori and Rae have classes with them so they are harassing them for help. Robbie and Jeremy are trying to figure out their statistics review session and Braden is trying to write an essay. Julie is trying to ignore Trey and Asher but she can't stop laughing at them begging Tori and Rae for help.

He has one sentence written down.

Carter is the only one who is actually studying. Which is actually surprising. She is the first one to join in on the chaos. She is sitting far away using their pong table and wrapped up in a blanket with Sixer at her feet.

"Can you please just answer this one question?" Trey asks pointing at his laptop. Rae shoots him a glare while Tori rolls her eyes.

"No!"

"If we answer one question then you'll ask the rest of them," Tori shakes her head. Asher and Trey both fake being offended.

"That's a little fucking rude," Asher comments. I snort looking back down at my study guide. They ignore me and continue arguing with one another. Braden leans closer to me. I ignore him and type out an answer to one of the questions.

"Do you wanna come upstairs with me?" Braden asks amusement in his voice. I turn towards him and glare. His chocolate eyes have trouble written all over them.

"No."

I look away from him and he releases a loud groan. He buries his head in my neck and places a kiss there. I move away from him and closer towards Julie.

"Yuck, Braden. You have an essay due tonight," I snap at him. He frowns at me leaning back towards his side of the couch.

"I also have an essay due tonight," Julie says motioning towards my blonde hair on her laptop. I move away from her and upright. I send her a small smile.

"Sorry," I respond. She waves her hand at me looking back down at her laptop. She grabs her phone and cranks up the music on her phone. I turn away from her and back to my laptop. The boys are playing music from their speaker but I should have brought my Airpods. Braden is being distracting like he always is. This is why we don't study with them but the boys always insist we study with them. Only so we can help them because they have no faith in themselves.

"Asher! You don't even fucking need to pass you are going to the NBA!" Tori yells hands up in the air. That makes everyone release a laugh even Carter in the corner releases a laugh. Asher frowns at her and she finally looks up from her computer.

"What! Don't look at me like that, you know it's true," she says tilting her head at him. He leans against the couch crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're my girlfriend, you are supposed to be supportive," he grumbles.

"I am. I am supporting your failing," she says shooting him a toothy smile. Asher grabs a pillow and launches it at her. It hits her lightly in the face. Her brown hair sticking to the pillow as all of us laugh. "I deserved that."

Everyone has been wired this whole week. The boys play Duke at home this week and next week is finals. For the most part our finals are online so we should be leaving Friday if it weren't for the game. Everyone is staying for it. To say I am nervous would be an understatement. Although all the boys seem to be eerily calm for this game. I guess I am not just nervous for the game. I am nervous in general. I don't know what to do about winter break considering I haven't even talked to my mom since everything happened. I finally had a phone call with my dad and he said I should just call her. But, my ego won't let me. The girls said I should too but I just don't feel like now is the right time. I honestly don't know when the right time will be.