Now You See Me

five.

***
Co-Captain? Or just... Captain?

I could see my friends' reactions on either side of me as we all took in what Elijah just said. Marty openly looked surprised, impressed even, while Sarai's eyebrows were slightly bunched, in a look of confusion.

I was still looking at Elijah. He was still looking at me. I cocked up an eyebrow, "Does that mean you're Captain of your team?"

He kept his face neutral, but his dark brown eyes held a look of smugness in them, as if he was proud of himself and our reactions towards his statement.

He nodded his head once and looked away, almost shyly..? Alarm bells were going off in my head as I spotted the briefest of smiles from him, half of his face turned away from us as he looked behind him.
Warning: dimples detected. Stay calm.

"Grape kid more like Strawberry kid." I heard Sarai ever so quietly muttered under her breath, seeming to have seen that quick but crazy good looking smile of his.

Why is he looking away..? Omg.. he's blushing!?

The lightest shade of pink claimed the apples of his cheeks, hence why Sarai called him Strawberry kid. But it was gone as quick as it came. His normal assured and confident self came around immediately.

"Anyway, what are you guys' names? Introductions are a two way road." He and his buddies looked at all of us, Judah looking on kind of bored.

Garrett finally spoke for the first time, addressing the smacking boy to my right, "You're Marty right?"

"Correcto-mendo. Marty Rivera, age 17. Full time Twitch streamer, part time All Star dancer." With that he poked his last bite of pizza into his mouth, brushing the crumbs off his clothes.

I rolled my eyes, smiling a bit at Marty's extroverted personality that always shown bright and clear as day. The guys in front of us looked slightly amused, then I felt all their eyes on me.

"I'm Sarai Simmons." We all looked at Sarai, a bit puzzled that she had butted in when it was assumed that I would go next. Her knee bumped into mine, a silent "sorry sis". I wasn't pressed though. Would it be weird that I didn't want them to know my name..?

Just as I turned my face back to the boys across from me, Miss Cindy clapped her hands three times, effectively grabbing everyone's attention in the backyard.

"Okay everyone, look over 'er! It's already 7PM so it's time for y'all to go find your rooms and start preppin' for the night." A chorus of complaints arose in response since it's only 7PM. I mean c'mon, we're a bunch of upperclassmen now, like what the heck?

"Yeah, yeah I know, I know y'all are grown and whatever but I never said y'all have to go to bed," she put her hands on her hips, "all I'm asking is that you guys put your belongings in your respected rooms, put on your jammies and meet out here by 9PM." With that she turned and walked in the house.

You could hear everyone beginning to sound excited as we all wondered why we had to be out here again later... in our pj's.

"Okay, team Grenades, meet me and McMasters inside- now." Coach Taylor yelled out as everyone began getting up and cleaning after themselves.

I had gotten up and walked over to the nearest trash can, throwing my plate- with an untouched pizza slice- away. I lost my appetite as soon as we sat down at Elijah's table because my nerves suddenly got the best of me.

Speaking of the devil.. "I never got your name." I jumped a bit, Elijah having caught me off guard.

I faced him, no one else within earshot of us. I caught sight of Sarai pulling Marty away from a group of Angels' girls behind Elijah. I focused on him again, mentally fighting a blush that was fighting it's way onto my face because I noticed how close- and alone!- we were.

Though I was battling my thoughts in my head, I smirked a little as I answered him,

"I'm Angelina Fierro. My friends call me Angie, but to strangers" I walked past him, "it's Angelina." I turned my head to catch sight of him shaking his head, chuckling at my mimic of his earlier words.

I kept walking, feeling giddy but the reality of the cheesiness of what I just said quickly dawned on me.

"That was mad cringe Angelina!" I heard Elijah yell behind me as I sped into the house, my hands on my cheeks that were on fire.

Ew ew ewww!! Angie what the heck? This isn't some cringy Wattpad story! That was literally the cringiest thing I could have said. I need to get myself together and not act like a dang fool.

Breaking out of my humiliating thoughts I saw my team huddled around our coaches. Sarai spotted me and beckoned me over.

"Girl, where have you been? McMasters is about to let us go to our rooms. I have to go to the bathroom real quick but can you take my stuff with you to my room, room 11? Yours is room 15 since I know you weren't paying attention at the airport." She wiggled her eyebrows up and down at that last statement, making me playfully shove her in the direction of the bathrooms,

"Dude shut up. But yeah, I can. Come to my room when you're done." She nodded and jogged away. McMasters had just released everyone to go to their rooms. I followed the majority of my team headed to the yellow house outside.

"Fierro! Where are you going girl?" I turned my head, seeing Coach Taylor with about 8 other girls following her towards the tan house across the yellow one.

Puzzled I answered, "Um, going to my room?"

"You're in room 15, which is in this house over here. Weren't you paying attention earlier?" I hesitantly shrugged and followed her and the group towards the tan house.

"So, why are we staying in this house away from the rest of the team?" I asked as our small group walked into the lobby of the home.

"So you weren't listening earlier. If you were you would have heard McMasters say that part of our team would be sharing one of the houses with part of the other team," at this I slowed down, looking at her, "and so two of our team rooms are here in this house, rooms 11 and 15."

So that means... only girls are staying in this house right?

"All the coaches will be staying in the middle house we were just in earlier where Miss Cindy stays. We trust everyone to be professional about this trip since you guys are all mature- ha- so we hope that we won't have to send anyone home for um, inappropriate behavior." She winked. All of us bursted out laughing. 

Taylor lead us up these beautiful wooden stairs and down a long corridor. The hallway broke off into two shorter hallways, bedrooms aligning both sides of it. "I'm just going to lead you girls to your rooms. Remember, be outside in the backyard by 9. See you ladies!"

With that she strutted away, heading back where we came from. All of us looked at each other before my teammate Sam, said, "Okay, room 15 people, follow me."

***
Ah so they learn each other's namesss 🤪 You guys can already guess what's happening next in the next chapter aHA- is it too obvious🥺..? Prolly but whatever, also that cheesy bit when Angie copied Eli's intro, I was like I HAVE to put that in.

I just got off work. I need to stop picking my face bc it's starting to break out again😤🔫 I work at chick fil a... lemme just say that when we ask yall to park DONT GIVE US SASS OR ATTITUDE BECAUSE WE WILL FORGET YOUR SAUCES ON PURPOSEEEE and thats on being nice.

thx for reading me ted talk. U may proceed :)