Higher (East Knights book 1)

Monty

Friday 10:39 am

Fuck. I'm pulling up to Margot's house right now. I don't know if she still keeps a spare key under the mat but I'm hoping. Thank, God. I pick up the key and unlock the door making my way to her room. I use to come here all the time when Margot and I were dating, nothing has changed since. As I make my way around her room I find the uniform that she wears everyday. I pick up the pleated navy skirt, maroon polo, and gray sweater and shove it between my arms.

I make my way back out of her house and into my car. Fuck. I sit there for longer than I should.

Monty: I'll text you when I get back to school. Meet me in my car.

Margot: okay.

A gray bubble pops up telling me she's typing. I wait for a couple of seconds until I see it disappear. I start my car up and drive back to school. This is a waste of time, I should just let her wear the jersey but I really don't have the patience. I don't want people making this a bigger deal than it actually is, but I doubt this will help. I pull up to the school and take my phone back out of my pocket.

Monty: Here.

I see her making her way down the stairs of the school. She looks so pretty, she's wearing black jeans that flare at the bottom and then my jersey. My jersey. There's no reason for me to make her change. She knocks on the window once she approaches the car. "Hey," I say just rolling down the window. It's a safer option than allowing her inside. "Here," I say handing her uniform out of the window. "What's this for?" She asks staring at the clothes before taking pulling them towards her. "Change." I say nothing else and I watch her expression sink as she pulls the clothes into her chest. Once her hand is out of the car I roll the window back up and turn the car off. I sit there for a couple of minutes before walking inside, when I turn to my side I notice Maggie still standing outside of my car.

I start to make my way up to the school, Maggie following behind closely. "Montgomery." She doesn't use my full name unless she's pissed, or she really wants to get my attention. "Montgomery," She yells again stopping behind me. "What?" I yell back turning to face her. "What the fuck do you want, Margot?" I make my way towards her. She stands still as I stride towards her. She's not much shorter than me, I'm 6'2, she's around 5'11. "I'm not high enough for this right now," I mumble looking her in her eyes. I decide that this isn't what I should be doing right now. So I turn around and start walking back to the front of the school. I only stop when I glance that she's not following me, instead, I turn around to see her crying.

Fuck. "Maggie, stop crying. Please, I don't like seeing you cry." I make my way back over to her and pull her into a hug. Her hair smells like vanilla and it makes me realize that this is a mistake. I should just tell her to keep the jersey on, I know I should. But I just can't bring myself to let the words come out. "I'm sorry." She mumbles against my chest. "I'll cover it up if you really want me too." She says pulling away and wiping the now smeared mascara off from underneath her eyes. "It's fine, I made a big deal out of it." I say shaking my head, I lift my hand to wipe the tear off her cheek. "You look a mess," I laugh trying to lighten the mood. "That's a first." She replies laughing at my statement. "I really didn't mean to make you cry." I add. I say nothing else as we both walk closer to the doors. "Change if you want, you don't have too." I say quietly, the slight nod of her head tells me she could hear me.

We make our way into the school. It's passing period, and I just walked in with my ex-girlfriend, crying, walking beside me, wearing my jersey. What the fuck have we come to. I spot Ivy across the hallway and make my way over to her, leaving Maggie where she's standing. "Hey," I call out to Ivy, that gets her to turn and look at me. When I glance down her body I notice that she's wearing a jersey. Number 0. It's Matt's jersey. I didn't even know they knew each other, but I don't let it stop me from talking to her. "Still coming tonight?" I say, leaning on the locker next to hers. "9? Right?" She turns to look at me. "Yeah right after we beat Clayton's ass," Arlin exclaims walking up behind me. "Ain't that right captain." He says as he puts his arm around my shoulder. He reeks of alcohol, I take his arm off of my shoulder and turn to look at him. "Are you wasted? It's 11 in the morning dude, what the fuck?" I whisper hopefully quiet enough that Ivy can't hear me. "Nice jersey, you'd look better in mine." He says pointing to the jersey Maggie is wearing as she walks past us. "You wish Galvez. Maybe next weekend." Maggie replies and I won't lie a spark of jealousy flames inside of me. Fuck no she won't. I don't ever plan on seeing that girl in anyone else's jersey but my own. "Good joke," I add entering their conversation. "Oh, big man chill out, you know she'd rather be with me." Hearing that come out of his drunk mouth shouldn't bother me as much as it does. Instead of chilling out, I push Arlin off of me and into the locker next to me. "Fuck off," I say sternly before turning back around. When I turn to where Maggie and Ivy were standing I see that they have both moved back as if they were expecting a fight. And maybe any other day it would have led to one. But not today. It's game day, and I'm planning on throwing a party later without my mother finding out. I don't plan on beating his ass right now, not at school anyway.

Friday 12:25 pm

The bell rings and I make my way to lunch, sitting at my regular table with the rest of the guys on the team. When I take my seat I notice that Arlin is missing. I glance around the cafeteria until my eyes land on him. He's sitting next to Maggie, arm around her, making out with her. I've never been so mad. She's wearing my jersey for fuck's sake. Wearing my jersey and making out with my best friend. In the cafeteria for all of the school to see. I get up from my table leaving everything sat down where I put it and make my way over to Arlin and Maggie. "What the fuck Galvez!" I yell as I continue to stride over to them. Maggie immediately breaks away from the kiss and gets up from the table walking towards me. She reaches me right before I can put my hands on Galvez. "Calm down." She says putting both hands on my chest and pushing me back towards my table. "Monty, what the hell is wrong with you?" She says as if she doesn't know what she's doing is killing me. "You're wearing my fucking jersey Margot, and then you're going around and kissing my best friend." I say sternly, moving her hands off my chest. My jersey, my girl. That's how this jersey shit works. You don't just put your jersey on some random girl walking down the hall. You put your jersey on the girl you plan to get with that weekend. Margot is wearing my jersey, therefore she is my girl. Period.

Arlin gets up from the table he was sitting at and makes his way out of the cafeteria. "Don't fucking touch her Galvez I swear to God." I yell after him and that's when I feel myself being pushed back again. "Monty, get over yourself. We're not dating. You know I like Arlin, what the h-" I cut her off I can't listen to this shit. I walk back over to my table and pick my shit up. I feel her following my every movement as I walk out of the cafeteria and then the school. "Monty!" She shouts from behind me. "Montgomery Jameson." She says as she pulls my shoulder back so I'm facing her. "This," I say lifting the jersey up from her skin "Is my fucking jersey." I say glaring in her eyes. "My fucking jersey, on my fucking girl." I add.