He's Giving Me a Reason, an Emblem3 Fan Fic (Sequel to Riptide)

Chapter 25

I was practically asleep on the way over to school the next morning. "Hey Aves, you want me to get coffee?" Tyler asked from the driver's seat. I nodded my head. 

"Not unless it's Dunkin." I stuck my tongue out at him and he laughed out loud.

"Avery you are fully aware that there is not a single Dunkin Donuts in the state of California." Tyler said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Hrmmph." I said pretending to be aggravated. But even he knew that I would give in eventually because I was so dang tired.

"Starbucks it is then." We still had time before school started so he got in line at the drive-thru. "What's got you so tired anyway?" He asked.

"I was up late last night studying for the Trig test." I groaned. Just thinking about the law of cosines was making my head pound. 

"Oh, so that's what Wes was doing in your room last night." The smirk on his lips was enough to break me out of my sleep coma. I slapped him on the shoulder.

"Yes." I said, feeling my cheeks burning a dark shade of crimson. Nothing had happened, but the idea that Ty thought something did embarrassed me to death.

"Uh huh." He said smirking again.

"Shut up!" I said smacking him again.

"Okay, but-"

"I said shut up Ty!" I said loudly.

"I just wanted to know your order." He replied pointing to the drink menu. There was still a small smile on his face letting me know that he got me again.

"Venti Iced Caramel Macchiato. And you're paying." I said grinning. He was about to protest, but instead he narrowed his eyes at me and rolled down the window to order. 

"Why thank you." I said accepting the drink as Tyler paid.

"Yeah, yeah." He said driving off towards school.

* * * * *

"That was..."

"Horrible?" I finished Wesley's sentence.

"Exactly." He stuffed his calculator into the biggest section of his backpack. "I'm pretty sure we didn't learn any of that shit." 

"Mr. Ackwell totally hates us." I groaned leaning on his shoulder as we walked through the hallway. "And after all that studying we did last night." I pouted.

"I don't think any amount of studying could have prepared us for what we just took." He ran a hand through his hair. I smiled slightly; this was the first day that Wes hadn't worn a snapback to school. He looked cute.

"Hi West!" A group of girls came by giggling. I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

"West, huh?" I said turning to him laughing.

"I changed it, you didn't hear?" He smirked slinging his arm around my shoulders. I chuckled.

"You're not going to correct them?" I asked knitting my brows in confusion.

"Nah. It's good to see who the real fans are- the people who like me for me, not because I'm going to be famous, you know?" There was something about that statement that made me smile. His words were just very... admirable.

We walked across the quad hand in hand but unlaced our fingers when we got to the table. Drew and Adrianna were sitting on opposite sides of the lunch table, and no one was talking. Jason's head picked up when he saw us coming.

"Thank god you guys are here." He whispered as I sat down next to him. The look on his face said that everyone knew about Dadrianna calling it splitsville, but didn't know why.

"Don't worry about it." I whispered back. "Just act like nothing's changed." He nodded and started talking as usual. I turned to Brianna who was sitting on my left. "So what's been up with you?" I asked her.

"Nothing too interesting." she giggled, but I could tell she was leaving something out. I raised my eyebrows at her while I unpacked my container of grapes. "Okay, fine." She grinned. "So, uh... Tyler asked me out last period." She bit her lip.

"What!?" I squealed excitedly. "What did you say?!" 

"I told him that I'd think about it." She admitted.

"Why? I mean, don't you like him?" I asked her curiously.

"Yeah but I just wanted to check with you first." She said.

"Bri, you don't have to check with me!" I laughed. "Of course it's okay!"

"Are you sure? Because I know you guys aren't actually related, but thought I would ask anyway-"

"Bri, it's totally fine. Actually, I've been trying to convince Ty to ask you out for weeks now. He really likes you." I nudged her lightly.

"Really?" She blushed to herself.

"Really." I nodded. "Go out with Ty." I smiled at her.

"So, I guess I have somewhat of an announcement to make." Jason said, catching everyone's attention. "I found out on Friday, but I didn't really want to steal your thunder with the whole X Factor thing." He said to Wes and Drew.

"Dude, it's totally fine. What is it?" Drew asked.

"So I got my letter from Villanova..." He started.

"About basketball?" Brianna asked. I felt my stomach drop. I completely forgot that Villanova scouts were looking at Jason this past season. He's been driving himself crazy these last couple of weeks, wondering if he'd been accepted.

"Yep." Jason nodded slowly.

"...And?" I asked. It was driving me crazy not knowing.

"I got in. Full scholarship." He grinned at us. My mouth dropped to the ground.

"OH MY GOD!" I hugged him to death. Drew and Wes came over and lifted him up in a huge hug.

"That's amazing dude, congratulations!" Wes said, genuinely happy for his best friend. While everyone continued to congratulate Jason, I sat down to finish eating. Plus I needed some time to think. I've received letters from 4 out of 5 of the colleges that I've applied to. Out of those four, I was only denied by Harvard (shocker). But the one school that I really wanted to go to hadn't replied to me yet.

Adrianna and I were both dreading and super excited to hear from NYU. We had both applied, but neither of us had heard back yet. A part of me really wanted to get the letter, but another part of me wanted the letter never to come. NYU was my dream school, and I don't know what I would do if I was rejected.

HOLY BUCKET OF OATS GUYS :O 56 votes on the last chapter? That's so insane! :O I love you guys so much!!!! Thanks for voting and commenting every chapter!!! You're da bomb ;)

55 votes for chapter 26 :)

BTW, guys! I've entered Riptide into the Watty Awards!!! I've never entered a story before, so I don't really know how this whole thing works, but I hope that you'll vote for me