Be My Girlfriend

62

Jo's P.O.V.

I involved myself in other school activities, like arts, photography, sewing, cooking, chess club, and others that don't require physical strength.

This is not because when I was granted to continue with my scholarship, even if I couldn't play volleyball, and the principal told me that I had to be involved academically.

 It was because I couldn't just... not do anything. 

I need to be involved to make me feel like I still can do something.

I don't go to the field now as often as I did before, I was just torturing myself and it just breaks my heart every time I see the girls playing without me.

Though before the first game, I came to the locker room to wish them good luck. I heard they won and I couldn't be happier for the girls.

"Sorry, I'm late." Brittany said as soon as she arrives. I was waiting 5 minutes for her in front of my house.

"Good morning!" I greeted her cheerfully as I sat in the passenger's seat of her car.

"My parents came early this morning and had to-" 

"Babe, it's okay." I cut her off. "It was just 5 minutes." And I smiled at her.

She return the smile and drove off.

It's been going well to both of us these past few months. It was smooth sailing even though Rachel sometimes would come to me and say hi.

I also notice that she don't mingle much with her minions and even to Hailey.

Hailey.

She never left my head ever since the accident.

We greet each other, say good morning and hi, hello every time we see each other at school, but that was it. I still see her staring at Brittany, giving her lingering looks but I don't think Brittany even notice her.

"So, how was your minions?" I remembered to ask as she told me yesterday that she was meeting them for coffee.

"Same old, same old." she said like they don't matter. "And oh, they invited me to go away for spring break." She looked at me briefly before continuing. "I said yes, hope that's okay?" She threw me another look before refocusing at the road.

To be honest, I was kind of expecting to spend the break with her, just like thanks giving ang Christmas. We were inseparable, maybe because both our parents are away.

"Uhh, yeah, of course. You haven't been spending time with them." I said, though I was opposing inside me.

I don't want to be possessive of her.

But the thought of her with them—especially Hailey—made something twist uncomfortably inside me.

We pulled into the school parking lot, and to my relief, there wasn't a single one of Brittany's minions in sight.

Thank God.

"Do you have any plans for spring break?" she asked as we both got out of the car and started walking toward the building.

"Umm, no. I don't think so," I answered honestly. "I don't really have family or relatives aside from my parents, and well... both aren't exactly accessible for me. So, I'll probably just stay home."

Brittany slowed, then stopped walking altogether, forcing me to pause with her.

"Now I feel bad," she said, her brows drawing together.

I gave her a small smile, hoping it would ease whatever guilt she was carrying.

"Hey, don't, okay? I usually spend school breaks at home or at work. Or sometimes, if Mrs. Schmidt needs help with her mom, I go there and take care of her. I'll see with her if I can do that again this time. I need to save up anyway... for after graduation."

The second the words slipped out, I regretted them. I saw it in her eyes—the way her expression tightened, like I'd touched a nerve we hadn't dared expose yet.

We never really talked about what was coming after.

Not about our 'deal,' of course—that part of us was long gone—but about what we actually wanted. About where we would go. About us.

We talked about her parent wanting her to go to their alma mater and I have told her my plans too, but that was before we made us official.

Graduation was only a few months away, and the silence around our future had started to feel heavier with each passing day.

Brittany's voice broke through my thoughts, softer than usual but steady. "I think... we should talk later."

I nodded quickly, my throat a little too tight to say much more. "Yeah."

She reached for my hand, lacing her fingers through mine, and we walked together to my locker before heading to class.

I focused all day on the lessons and tasks our teachers gave us. Even without volleyball, I was still running to be the valedictorian, and I couldn't afford to lose focus.

Even though college wasn't in the picture for me, I still wanted to finish strong. Graduation wasn't just the end of high school—it was my finish line. And I wasn't about to stumble right before crossing it.

By the last bell, my nerves were fried.

As I was shoving my books into my bag, Brittany's voice floated beside me. "Shall we?"

I handed her the stack of books I wasn't taking home and smiled.

We headed straight to my locker.

"I told our maids to prepare lunch for us," she said casually, but then her tone shifted, lighter, almost playful. "I was thinking after we eat, we could hang out in my room and..."

The corner of her lips twitched, teasing, like she was hiding something.

"Ow-kayyy." I cleared my throat, fighting the laugh bubbling up.

We went to the parking lot with a smile, probably thinking the same thing.

Brittany swung her keys around her finger before unlocking the car, and I couldn't help but laugh at how smug she looked.

"What?" she asked, smirking as she opened the door for me like some kind of chauffeur.

"Nothing," I said, sliding in. "You just look... suspiciously happy."

She grinned wider. "Maybe I am."

I raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, happiness that involves lunch and your room?"

Her only answer was a wink before she shut my door and walked around to the driver's side.

The ride to her house was filled with little glances, half-smiles, and that energy between us that always felt like it was buzzing under my skin. 

And just like that, our pending talk about what comes next after graduation didn't matter.

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