to live for the hope of it all.

Chapter 15

October 5th, 2023

"All I feel in my stomach is butterflies,
The beautiful kind, makin' up for lost time,
Taking flight..."

Beckett

In hindsight, inviting Bailey over tonight probably wasn't my smartest idea.

Usually I spend nights before a game going over plays and focusing on our weak spots so I could be prepared. But I really was struggling with this essay, and I really did want it done before tomorrow's game so I wouldn't have to worry about it.

Bailey had turned hers in earlier today, and I was desperate for her help. It also didn't hurt that I would get to see her, something I've been doing a lot these last few weeks. We haven't had much time to hangout just the two of us again, soccer has kept me busy. Our morning car rides and English are the only times we get together, so maybe that was why I jumped at the opportunity to ask her for help on this assignment.

"What?" I asked Beau, who was laying on my bed staring at me. "I really do need help, okay?"

Hearing the doorbell downstairs, I tried to run down so I could answer it before my mom or Delilah. But I should've known better than to wait in my room, because mom already had the door by the time I got there.

"Bailey! Everything okay?" My mom asked her. Bailey smiled and pointed to me over my mom's shoulder.

"Yes ma'am, I'm helping Beckett with his essay for English," she answered, shyly. My mother turned to where she was pointing and saw me at the bottom of the staircase.

"Alrighty then," she smirked. "Let me know if y'all need anything."

I rolled my eyes before smiling at Bailey and nodding at her to follow me upstairs. Delilah must have already gone to bed, considering I hadn't heard a peep from her, and when Bailey is involved, Delilah always peeps. Bailey followed me into my bedroom before I closed the door behind us and watched as she took my bedroom in.

It was then that I realized she had never been in my bedroom before. To be fair, she hadn't seen the inside of my truck either. It was weird, that we've grown up neighbors and she's never seen these small details of my life, just like I've never seen the small things of hers. Sure, I knew what I had gathered over the years, but not the other big stuff.

What did her bedroom look like? Is it full of books?

"I like this picture," she said, breaking me from my thoughts and pointing to a picture I had framed on my desk. It was a photo of me and Delilah on her first day of kindergarten. My little sister was terrified, and she clung to my leg so tightly I'm not sure how it didn't fall off. She smiled big anyways, and I did too. She had nothing to be nervous about, because she made so many friends. This was Delilah after all.

"Yeah, it's one of my favorites," I replied, watching her as she continued looking around my room.

I sat on my bed where all my papers and laptop were spread out and watched her with a smile. I liked that she was curious, because I was curious too.

"Sorry," she said, sheepishly when she saw me waiting for her.

"Don't be. Sometimes I forget you haven't seen small things like my truck or my room."

"It's weird, right? That we've grown up neighbors and we're barely seeing these parts?"

"Not weird, it just feels like you've already seen these parts of my life," I hesitated. "But then I remember we didn't really talk as much as we do now."