Chasing You

46

BRADEN

MARCH

This bus ride is ass.

Everyone is antsy to get off of the bus and go to the bars. I, on the other hand, can't wait to go to sleep. My shoulder is aching and I need some ice. Jeremy is beside me rapidly texting the girls in the group chat. They are supposed to be saving tables at McKinnely's for all the guys.

We won this past game but this one we lost. Our record isn't even close to being as good as it was last year and we are facing a lot more injuries. Including my own. My shoulder has been getting better and I no longer have a brace. Just some tape that I occasionally need to put on like for times when it aches.

"Yo Asher," Jeremy yells. Asher lifts his head up from behind us. Asher and Trey sit behind Jeremy and I with Robbie and Sanders beside us.

He takes out an AirPod, "What?"

"Can you call Carter and see if they have left you? None of them are responding to me," he asks him.

"She's not going out tonight. She's sick," Asher explains. Jeremy releases a loud groan and I watch as he calls Tori instead.

"So are you not going out tonight?" I ask him. I turn around to face Asher. He looks rather worried which makes me kind of worried. Trey gives me a 'Is that even a question?' look.

"Nah, she said I could but I don't know," he says, shrugging his shoulders. Trey grabs onto Asher's shoulders.

"Come on, Bro. We need you tonight," Trey says, shaking Asher's shoulders. He shrugs at Trey while glaring at him.

"Carter is sick. I will not leave her alone when she's sick," Asher grumbles. He shoves his AirPod back into his ear with a frown. Trey removes the AirPod from his ear.

"She's sick, she'll be okay, Fletcher," Trey insists. Asher grabs the AirPod back from him and puts it back into his ear without another word.

"Leave him alone Trey," I suggest when I see Trey going to bother him some more. Jeremy is yapping away with Tori and Sanders as they figure out the plan for tonight. Trey turns his scary blue eyes at me with a shit eating grin on his face.

This is never good.

"Are you coming?" he asks me.

"Um no, I wasn't planning on it," I tell him honestly. His face drops and he slumps back down into his seat.

"Screw you guys," Trey huffs. I sigh, turning back around in my seat just as Jeremy gets off the phone.

"We are all set with tables," Jeremy says. He glances around from me to Trey to Asher. I hear the sound of FaceTime behind me. Jeremy furrows his eyebrows, "Why does everyone look so stressed? I know we lost this game but-"

"Hello?" I hear Carter's voice. But it's different. It sounds gravelly and hoarse. She does not sound good. Jeremy and I both turn back around to see Carter on Trey's phone and Asher looking pissed off.

"Trey! Leave Carter alone!" Asher snaps. He grabs the phone away from Trey.

"Is she sick?" Jeremy asks curiously. I nod my head at him and he frowns, "Is she okay?"

I shrug my shoulders because honestly, she doesn't sound great over the phone. Jeremy's frown deepens as he glances at Robbie and Sanders.

"Everyone is bringing down the vibe even more than it already was," Robbie comments. Sanders nods his head in agreement and I roll my eyes. The vibes have been low for this whole trip to Virginia. Now that we lost, everyone is just ready to get drunk.