Sweater Weather (BoyxBoy)

Ch 28

Skylar's POV

During practice Bam had me warm up by doing back-walkovers up and down the floor. I was only here for five minutes before Julie, a twelve year old that has privates after school, interrupted my lesson to tell me the receptionist sent her to give me the phone. She stood there in her pink and white striped leotard, the phone was in her hand and extended to me. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Bam glaring. I don't remember the last time I got through a practice without someone calling to speak to me.

I reluctantly took the phone.

"Thanks Julie." I tried to sound sincere, but in all honestly I didn't want to speak to whatever recruiter that was on the other end of the line. I held the phone to my ear, before I spoke Bam looked at me with serious eyes.

"Five minutes." She said. I nodded then she stepped away.

"Hello?" I said, folding my arms.

"Skylar!" A man's voice praised. "It's me again, Patrick Massey from Stanford."

I closed my eyes tightly and bit down on my tongue. Avoiding speaking with Mr. Patrick Massey was at the top of my priority list. I know if I speak with him he's just going to make his offers so much sweeter, sooner or later I won't be able to make myself decline.

"Hi." I muttered.

"You're a hard kid to get in touch with, you know that?" He chuckled. I tried to laugh along but it came off so synthetic.

"Sorry. I've just been busy with school and practice, and stuff."

"I completely understand. Good thing you're going to be on Thanksgiving break next week." How he knew we were going to be on break, I don't know. But I do know what he's going to say next. "Since you're going to be free next week, why don't you come down to California, spend some time with us."

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. " I don't know. My time sheet for that week is full, I can't afford to miss any practice with rankings right around the corner."

"You can practice with us. And I know once you do you'll be hooked and never want to leave. Our campus is beautiful, our gym is state of the art, and our team is-"

"A family." I finished for him. I've heard him say that phrase so many times it's permanently burned into the back of my mind. "Listen, I'm going to have to talk to Bam, but I'll let you know. I'm in the middle of a private right now, though."

"Okay. Well just call me the next time you get the chance. We really want you, kid." Then we hung up.

With another sigh I wiped my forehead with the tail of my shirt. I can't lie to myself, I really want to go check out Stanford, I just don't understand how I'm going to tell Jackson.

•••

Jackson's POV

Another day, another practice. Thank god it's over. Dylan, Kyle, and I walked to the parking lot after a pretty intense work out.

"I can't believe the semis are just a couple days away." Dylan said.

"I know, dude. Imagine how I feel. You two already have rings, if we win I swear I'm going to do flips up and down that field." I said.

"Yeah, but a ring for my senior year makes the other one look like fools gold." Kyle said.

"Good thing Coach is over his little mean streak. I actually thought we were going to lose last week before Clackson got in." Dylan said.

"You're telling me. That's the longest my uniform has gone without getting dirty in a game." I said. Kyle kind of looked down at his feet with shame.