The Enemy

Chapter 1

"Jase! That's not funny!"  Bryn shrieked at her older brother as he took yet another embarrassing photo of her in her Cookie Monster pajamas. They were a gift from her aunt who still seems to think that she is ten years old.  Her aunt lives in California; almost a three day trip from where they live.

"Do my chores for a month, and I will delete them" he grinned sheepishly.

"Every one?" She asked suspiciously.

"Every last one.  Scout's honor."  Bryn rolled her eyes and hesitantly agreed.  Jase did a little happy dance and took off running down the stairs.

"Hey!  You still need to delete those pictures you tool!"  Bryn's other two brothers emerged from their rooms rubbing their eyes in sync.

"What are you two fighting about now?" Jax asked hazily.  James added a silent 'yeah' to agree with him. The three boys are triplets, and couldn't look more alike. Each shared their father's dirty blonde hair but their mom's Caramel brown eyes.  On the other hand, Bryn acquired her mother's shiny brown hair and her father's crystal blue eyes.

"If Jase takes one more stupid picture of me, my brother count will be down to two."  Her brothers shared a look of amusement. Bryn was tall for a girl; standing at five feet nine inches, but she was no where near as tall as her six foot three inch brothers.  She reached just above their chins.

"School starts in two days. You guys can get eight hours a day to ignore each other. Can you please be civil for forty eight more hours?"  Their mother interjected.  She was a very stern woman when it came to her children.

The rest of the weekend passed with minimum fights between the two siblings. Monday morning brought the first day of the boys' senior year and Bryn's Junior year. The boys all had football practice after school, so she would be left to find her own way home.

The one person she could always count on was her best friend Natalie.  They have been friends since before they could remember. Their mothers were college friends.  They still do everything together.

"Hey Nat can you give me a ride home after school? Stupid football starts today and my ride will be busy."  She rolled her eyes. It's not like she hated the sport; she actually quite liked it. The only problem is that the males in her house thought it was everything. They eat sleep and breathe football.  Any competition to them is their enemy. Especially the quarterback from Wilson High. Lias Hamilton. He is a very talented player, and he and James have been competing since they began to play.

"Of course bro-mitsfa! That's what besties do!"  She giggled at her best friends energy.

The school day passed by in a blur; as did the rest of the week. Next thing she knew, their first football game was here. And it was against their rivals: Wilson High.

The football field buzzed with adoring fans who were decorated with their school colors and carrying around cheap food and extra jackets to be prepared for the chilly evening breeze.

Natalie basically pulled Bryn to the game by her arm to watch her boyfriend Kenny. Bryn always thought he was as bright as a bag of rocks, but of course she would never tell her friend that.

"Isn't this great?" Natalie shouted over the crown of cheering people.

"Oh yeah totally."  Bryn rolled her eyes at her excitement. Natalie doesn't know a thing about football, but she pretends like she does just so she doesn't have to listen to everyone try miserably to explain it to her.

After fifteen minutes of standing at the sideline feeling bored as ever, Bryn decided to just wander around for a little while.

"Hey Nat, I'm going to use the restroom. I'll be back in a bit." Natalie just nodded her head, not taking her gaze away from Kenny.  Bryn started wandering towards the visitors side just as the half time buzzer went off. She got caught in the mess of football players clearing the field, and was almost trampled.

"Careful!" One of the boys shouted, but it was too late. Bryn landed on her back in a muddy puddle. Her whole back was soaked through.  Wilson High players laughed as they passed her. One hand shot down in front of her.

"Here." The deep voice echoed in here ears.  "Let me help you up."  Bryn felt goose bumps rise on her arm as she took his hand.  He hauled her up with no effort at all.

"Um...thanks.  I wasn't paying attention and-" he interrupted her.

"It's okay. I understand. I have an extra shirt in the locker room.  I'll go get it for you."  Before Bryn could decline, the mysterious boy disappeared into the room filled with disgusting football players. When he returned, he had a clean t-shirt and an under armor hoody for her.

"Thank you so much. It would be so embarrassing to have to go sit through the rest of the game with muddy clothes on." Bryn giggled nervously. She's never really talked to other people outside her school.

"No problem.  Listen, I gotta go back to the field. Can I see you again before we leave?"  She was stunned. This gorgeous man actually wanted to be around her.

"Oh yeah-yeah of course! I mean sure. We can meet back here at the end of the fourth quarter."  He smiled and began to make his way to his team.  Bryn found a bathroom and changed quickly into the clothes he gave her. The smell of his cologne made butterflies erupt in her stomach. When she finally made it back to Natalie, it was the end of the third quarter.

"Where have you been?!" Natalie squealed.  "I almost sent out a search party for you!"  Bryn was in such a dreamy haze that she wasn't even paying attention to her. "Hello!"

"I just met the most amazing person. He's nice and giving and so...so perfect."  Natalie looked at her like she was crazy as she described the mystery boy.

"He sounds like Jesus. Bryn this guy is too good to be true.  He comes from out of nowhere, helps you, and even offers you his clothes.  Something's fishy."  Bryn rolled her eyes.

"Just because he was nice to me doesn't mean he's like plotting my death or something."  They both giggled.  Bryn looked at the clock just as the fourth quarter ended. "Oh crap. I gotta go. I told what's his name that I would meet him again."  She waved bye to her friend and took off running to the locker room before her brothers saw her.

"Hey."  She huffed once she reached him.

"Hey to yourself." He smiled as he waited patiently for her to catch her breath.

"Sorry. I didn't realize what time it was. So..." She dragged on as she kicked her foot.

"I gotta go get on the bus soon, but can I have your number so I can text you?" Bryn stared at the boy in shock.  She hasn't had a boy be so straight forward with her. He looked worried when she didn't answer for a few minutes.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Of course. Let me see your phone."  They swapped numbers, and just as he was about to walk away she realized something.  She didn't even know his name!  "Wait!"  He froze and looked over his shoulder.  "What's your name?"  He gave her a heart stopping smile.

"Lias Hamilton."