The Nerd and the Jock (1st bk of Nerd Series)

Chapter 37- Blake's POV

Someone sobbed with relief as soon as I answered the phone, and I frowned and narrowed my eyes while I scowled because I had no idea why the person was crying. "Oh, thank God, Blake," the person, my mom, said, her voice barely above a whisper and cracking. She cleared her throat and took a deep, shuddering breath before she released it with a small whoosh. "It's me. Where are you?"

"Mom?" I asked, shocked and surprised to hear her voice because I had this feeling that I wouldn't have heard from her because she normally didn't talk to us while she was away on business trips. I furrowed my brows and frowned. "What do you mean where I am? Where are you?"

"I am home," she said, and I raised an eyebrow in question, mildly surprised and confused because I didn't know why she would be there. "I am at our house, but I do not know where you or your sister are at. I called the babysitter, and she said that you hadn't needed her at all. I was getting worried, so I came home to see that you aren't there."

I blinked and blinked again and realization dawned on me when I realized that I had not told her about everything that was going on. "Oh," I said and grimaced. "Ya, I am sorry about that, Mom. Both of us are fine and alive. I had been hanging out with a new friend and then Trevor. Sky has been hanging out with us as well."

"But where are you?" my mother asked. "Are you at the new friend's house, or are you at Trevor's house?"

"I am at my new friend's house," I replied, "and she is cooking for us." I looked at Bailey, who was watching me with gray eyes filled with something that I didn't know and didn't like. I cocked my head while I studied her, raising an eyebrow in question.

'Ask if she wants to come over and have some dinner with us,' she mouthed and cocked her head while she studied me with a small smile on her face. 'You can tell her that I have kids and have one of her daughter's friends living with me.'

"And who is this friend?" my mother asked and raised an eyebrow in question. Her voice turned darker and colder, and I couldn't help but frown and narrow my eyes. "And where does she live?"

"Her name is Bailey Pierce," I replied, "and she lives at the house with the ugly green door and roses up front."

Bailey snorted and rolled her eyes with a small scowl on her face. She didn't say a word while she continued to cook whatever it is that she was cooking, not looking at me again.

"The ugly green door..." Mom said. "Are you talking about the corner house on Myers Lane?" she asked, and I nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, Ma'am," I confirmed. "That is where I am at with Skylar." I hesitated and licked my lips. "She has a few children herself, but..." I shrugged and grimaced, pressing my lips into a thin line. "She is not actually their mother..."

"And how old is she?" my mother asked, and there was this bit of worry and a hard edge in her voice that she didn't approve of the people that I was hanging around.

"She just turned eighteen a few days ago," I replied while I shrugged and grimaced. "She works multiple jobs, is the valedictorian at our school, and she has been helping me get my grades up. They have gone up significantly with her help."

My girlfriend's cheeks turned red, but she didn't say a word while she looked at me, with her eyes turning a darker gray.

"And what about her parents?" she asked, and I had a feeling that she had raised an eyebrow in question. "Where are they? Why is she raising kids that are not hers?'

'She wants to know about your parents,' I mouthed. 'She also wants to know why you are raising kids on your own that are not yours.'

Bailey rolled her eyes and scowled. 'Tell her that she can come over tonight and that I will explain a few things, but she is not going to know about me being a Prescott.'

I nodded and pressed my lips into a thin line, worried about what was going to happen and hoped that my mom wouldn't judge her too badly. "My friend said that you can come over to eat. She'll talk to you about everything, but there are some things that she doesn't feel... comfortable talking to you about."

"Then I want you to come home and bring your sister home, now," Mom said with a small scowl in her voice. "I do not want you to hang out with her until I get to meet her. Is that understood?"

"Bu-"

"No, Blake," she said, interrupting me, and I had a feeling that she shook her head. "Come home, now, or else you are grounded until school is ended. Is that understood?"

I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line. Well, that means that you have to be here for that, I thought coldly but didn't say it out loud. "Ok," I said, and Bailey looked at me with a raised eyebrow in question. "I'll come home with Sky, and we'll be back for dinner."

Bailey rolled her eyes and scowled before she turned her attention back to what she was doing. Her whole body was tense, and I had a feeling that she didn't like it that I was going to go home and not stay here with them.

"And what time will that be?" my mom asked.

"I'll ask." I looked at Bailey, and she cocked her head closer to me. "What time is dinner going to be ready, Bay?" I asked.

"About five," she said and looked at the clock before she looked at me. "Dinner will be ready by five. I have to get the kids bathed and ready for bed after dinner so that they can be ready for school."

"No!" someone exclaimed from the door that was loud enough for my mother to gasp in shock and fear. "No baths!"

We turned to look that way to see Michael standing at the door with a frown on his face and eyes narrowed.

"What is going on?" Mom asked. "Is everything ok?"

"Yes, everything is fine. One of the kids is upset that bathtime is happening tonight," I said and watched Michael fold his arms across his chest while he looked at us, and his scowl grew deeper. "I do not think he wants one."

"I don't," Micahel said and shook his head. "I have more spots to hide so that I don't have to take a bath. Why are you telling me that I have to take a bath?" He looked at Bailey when he asked that.

"Because you are going to take a bath, and I know all of those hiding spots you are talking about, Michael," she warned and wagged her finger. "Do not think that you will be able to hide from me. Is that understood?"

Michael groaned and slouched forward with a small pout on his face, and he looked defeated. "But I don't want one, Bailey," he said with a small whine in his voice. "I am clean as a whistle."

"No, you aren't," she said and shook her head. "Dinner will be ready at five. Did you want a snack?" She raised an eyebrow in question while she stared at him.

"Please," Michael said and nodded in confirmation. "Can I have some cut up apples and other fruit for a fruit salad, please?"

She nodded and gestured toward the basement with her head. "Go ahead and see if the others want some as well," she said. "We'll make sure that there are cookies for you after dinner, but you will have to take a bath before you are able to eat them. Understood?" She raised an eyebrow in question.

Michael groaned and slouched forward in defeat while he nodded. "Fine," he grumbled with a small pout on his face. "I'll go ask." He turned around and started to walk down the basement stairs again.

"Also, tell Sky that she needs to come up the stairs because her mom is wanting her home," Bailey said. "She'll be back for dinner around five, so Mimi shouldn't be too upset about being away from her best friend." She rolled her eyes and bit back a small smile.

"Ok!" Michael exclaimed, and she bit back a tired sigh and shook her head. "Sky! Blake wants you!" he yelled, earning a small groan from my little sister.

I bit back a small snort and rolled my eyes, biting back a small smile. "As soon as Sky is up from the basement, then I will be on my way home. Ok?"

My mother bit back a tired sigh and slowly nodded. "Ok," she said before she cleared her throat. "I will talk to you soon. Bye."

And with that, she hung up the phone without letting me say another word.

Oh, great...