The Quarterback's Girl

Chapter 12

~Kim~

I hear the front door slam shut as Jason enters the house. "Where have you been?" I ask as he flops onto the sofa beside me in an exceptionally "teenager" way.

"Out." He answers plainly.

"Ooh with Stephanie?" I tease in a stupid voice.

"Maybe." He snatches the TV remote from me and switches channels. "Mind your own business." He scowls but I can see him trying to conceal a smile.

"Tell me what happened!"

"No, I'm not telling you."

"Why not?"

"Because you're my little sister, it's weird." He shakes his head.

"Steph will tell Poppy and Poppy will tell me so I'm going to find out sooner or later." I nudge him on the arm.

"Well," he rubs the back of his neck - that's what he always does when he gets nervous. A smile creeps in the corners of his mouth as he takes a deep breath. "I like her," he grins as though he's admitting it to himself for the first time, "I really like her, a lot."

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"Don't you want to sit in our usual spot for lunch?" I ask Poppy.

"I was sort of hoping we could sit with Ellis and his friends instead?"

"Um, sure." We make our way over to their neck of the woods and sit down at their table. At first I'm not sure that Jason is happy I'm there but he makes room for Poppy and I. Ever since our chat about Stephanie yesterday, he's been a little nicer to me and it's a somewhat unsettling.

"My parents are going to the theatre tonight so I have a free house, you guys can all come over." Sydney tells us.

We all thank her for the invitation, except Morgan who explains how she's getting a pedicure and then she'll get there. Eating lunch with these guys is making me wonder if I'm in their clique now? Something I never would've thought would happen.

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"Be ready to go in twenty minut-" Jason looks confused for a moment. "Why aren't you dressed to go to Sydney's?"

"Because dad won't let me go." I answer.

"What did he say?"

"Well, I didn't actually ask but I know he would say no because it's a boy-girl sleepover."

"Ugh, geez." He rolls his eyes closing my bedroom door behind him and sitting down on my desk chair. "First of all, don't call it a 'boy-girl sleepover', it makes me want to vomit."

"Then what do I call it?"

"It doesn't need a name, Kim. We're just hanging out." He shakes his head as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Upon reflection, it is. "Secondly, all you need to do is tell dad you're staying at Poppy's house."

"You mean lie to dad? What if he calls her parents and I'm not there?"

"He won't. Look, either you lie and come to Sydney's or you don't and you can stay sat in your bedroom all night." He stands up and breathes out as though explaining this all to me is exhausting him. "The choice is yours."

So I do it, I tell him that I'm staying at Poppy's. "Do you want me to give you a lift over there?" He asks.

"Um, I, er-"

"Oh dad, I'm staying over at Noah's house, remember? So I can drop Kim off, it's on the way." Jason interrupts my waffling and saves my butt. I don't get why he's being so nice and helping me out all of sudden. I decide not to question it though, I quite like it.