Chapter Three

Bzzt, bzzt, bzzt.

The incessant alarm caused me to bash down repetitively upon it until it fell off my nightstand and unplugged itself. I grinned devilishly as the buzzing abruptly stopped. I rolled over to fall back asleep, and had overestimated how wide my bed was. I rolled off the edge and on to the floor. I groaned painfully as I attempted to sit up. All the events that had happened in the short time that I was awake made me realize this was not going to be my day.

After I managed to wake myself up completely, I walked over to my closet to pick my outfit. I looked at shirt after shirt after shirt, finally deciding on my favorite screen tee, one with the lyrics to a Beatles song. It was grey, and even though it had a joint on the front, my school didn’t care. It said, “I get high with a little help from my friends” in an oval around the joint. I grabbed my black zip up hoodie and pulled on a pair of baggy skinny jeans. I know, it sounds contradictive, but they said skinny jeans on the tag, and they were really baggy on me. I let them fall down a few inches then put my belt on to keep them from falling any further. I grabbed my orange and grey Nike high-tops and slid those on as well. I grabbed my hair gel and ran a bit through my hair, making it stand up in a messy but styled way. I grabbed my phone from its charger and shoved it in my back pocket with my keys and wallet. I grabbed my bag from off the floor and ran down stairs to grab a toaster waffle I knew my mom had already made for me like every other morning.

“Have a good day; I’ll be home by 6:30. If you get hungry, there are hungry man meals in the freezer,” my mom told me before heading out the door to go to work. I glanced over at her with a confused look on my face.

“You know I know how to cook a normal meal right?” I personally thought I was a great cook, and she never complained about my cooking either.

“I know, but we don’t have a lot of stuff to cook with, so they’re there just in case,” She stuck her head in the doorway and gave me a smile before she headed out to her car.

Normally, I’d hate my mom getting home so late, but this time, I didn’t mind. I had a lot of thinking to do, and an empty house helps with that. I devoured the toaster waffle and headed to school. I locked the door on my way out. I started on the half mile walk to school. I could ride the bus if I wanted to, but in all honesty, who wants to ride the bus? It’s loud, crazy, and people can be downright rude.

 

The walk took me all of about 10 minutes, and I headed straight to my locker in the freshman hall. I turned the lock to last number of my combination, but it didn’t open. Someone had been a jerk and decided to twist it so it wasn’t set anymore. I had to walk to the main office and ask for my combination since my locker had been set for the past two and a half months. The lady behind the counter wrote it down for me, and I walked back over and opened up my locker. I had forgotten to empty the flyers out of my locker yesterday, so they were all still sitting at the bottom of my locker. I picked up the pile of papers and was about to crumple them up when I saw what looked to be a note sitting on the top of them. I set them back down in my locker, shoved the note in my pocket, and then threw the flyers away. I set my stuff down in my locker and grabbed my textbook and notebook for first period. I slammed my locker shut; making sure it was still set, and headed off to Mr. Overmyer’s class for Algebra II. I was the only freshman in that class, as it’s a normal advanced freshman is in Geometry. I took Algebra in seventh grade though, so I’m way ahead of the rest of my class. I should be taking calculus my senior year.

When I sat down in his class, I had ten minutes till first bell, so I pulled the note out of my pocket and read it to myself.

Oliver-

I hope all the flyers didn’t creep you out; I just really thought you should try out for the team! I’ve seen you kick the football around outside, and you have a lot of potential. If you just come to tryouts, I’m sure you’ll love it. I hope you come; it’s actually a lot of fun. I hope I see you there.

-DJ

I didn’t know a DJ. And I don’t think I met anyone named DJ at tryouts. I was really confused at that point. I folded the note back up and shoved it back in my pocket so I could reread it later and see if it made any sense. I pulled out my notebook and started adding to the collage of doodles on the front cover. About 5 minutes later the bell rang and kids started filing in to the class, none of them excited about learning anything math related, especially this early.

 

An hour later, the bell rang to signal the end of first period and the start of our 5 minutes passing period. I headed to my locker and swapped out my textbook, noticing yet another note. I grabbed it and shoved it in my pocket before heading to band class.

I walked into class and headed straight to the director’s office. I knocked on his closed door, waiting for him to let me come in. Semester change was coming up in a week and I wanted his permission to switch to art class, but still play with the band at Pep performances. When he opened the door, he could tell I was going to ask something about switching out of band.

“Finn, you know you don’t need my permission to switch out of class right?” I had no idea how he knew I wanted to switch out.

“How did you know I was going to ask to switch out?” I was incredibly confused already today, and it was only the start of second period.

“You’re sound has dramatically decreased over the last week. It’s like you don’t want to play anymore. And I understand that. When you’re forced to do something you love day in and day out, without any freedom, you tend to get tired of it,” He explained.

 

“Well, I was wondering if I could still play at the basketball games and stuff?” I hoped he would say yes, but little did I know, he was expecting me to.

I didn’t have to play in band class today, and he said I wouldn’t have to for the rest of the week, since they were prepping for a concert that would happen after I switched out. I listened in, and helped the director with tuning, since four ears are better than two. A few people asked why I wasn’t playing, so I just told the whole class I was switching out, and that band class was getting boring for me. I made sure to tell them that it wasn’t anyone’s fault; I was just getting bored of the class. Even though I was a freshman, I was still drum major, one of the more important people in the class. I made sure to tell them that I was going to pick a new drum major, and that I’d be there when I could. I chose our best flautist to take over my spot. She had a very loud demeanor, and I was sure she’d be able to handle our band. Plus she was a little crazy, which is always needed in a drum major.

 

Band passed quickly, just like English, science and PE. All that was left was Health. The one class I hated. The teacher was a complete b***h to me, and she did everything in her power to fail me. I still managed to maintain a B average, but still, I was known in my family for having great grades. That one B made everyone frown. I sat down in the back of the room and prayed for the class to get over. I had one more hour till soccer. I don’t know why I was looking forward to it so much; it was just a stupid sport. Health was just a notes day, so I scribbled down everything that Ms. Searle wrote on the board and ignored everything she said, doodling in my notebook instead.

 

When the bell rang for the last time for the day, I practically ran out of her classroom and headed straight for my locker to grab my bag and head to the elementary school. When I opened my locker there was yet another note from the mysterious DJ. I grabbed the one I hadn’t read from last time out of my pocket and scanned over it quickly, not wanting to be snuck up on and have someone read it over my shoulder.

Oliver-

I know you prefer the name Finn, but I honestly think Oliver suits you(: I hope this isn’t too creepy, writing you these notes. But anyway, I hope you decide to stay on the team, because I doubt Camp or Coach would cut you. You’re a really talented player, and I know you have great potential during games.

-DJ

 

So whoever is writing these notes has to be on the team, since he knows who Camp is and he knows I’ve got ‘talent.’ I shoved that one back into my pocket and read the one sitting in front of me.

 

Oliver-

I know you’re probably wondering whose writing these notes, and I’ve decided I’ll give you a chance to figure it out. The whole team will know who it is, and I’ll give them all instructions not to tell you anything but the one clue I tell them. They’ll send you around to each other, finally leading to me, but you have to be up for a challenge in order to figure it out. This is going to be your initiation into the team. It won’t start till after the last tryout day when the team cuts are made. I’ll put your first clue in your locker then. I hope you’re up to it(;

-DJ

 

This was all so confusing, but in a few days, I’d know who was writing me these letters/notes/whatever the hell you want to call them.

 

Tryouts were the same as before, just not as many introductions. I ran my laps at a faster pace today, and I got through the drills even faster than before. When I was waiting for everyone else to finish their drills, Devyn walked over to me for the first time all day. All the feelings that I’d been ignoring for the entirety of the day came rushing back to me in a matter of minutes. I was so overwhelmed that when Devyn said hey to me, all I managed in return was an incoherent mumble of something along the lines of wuddup.

 

“What?” Devyn laughed at my mumbles, “I have no idea what you just said dude. I can’t understand a mumbler!”

 

“Sorry, I said what’s up?” I said, confused as to why I had mumbled.

 

“Not a biggie. And nothing, same as you, waiting for all the slower guys to finish. I have a feeling one of them is gonna be the goalie, and the rest are gonna get cut.”

 

I didn’t say anything back to him, just nodded a little and continued watching the guys finish their drills. The rest of the tryouts went pretty much the same way, until the last day. Camp decided it was time for us to meet Coach. After all Daily Doubles was tomorrow.

 

“You all are probably wondering who the infamous Coach is, and today, you all are gonna meet him. His name is Ayden Pardo if you don’t remember from last week when I told you. But you all, will call him Coach. Is that understood?” Everyone nodded their heads in understanding, no one wanting to anger Camp in front of Coach.

 

A short but muscular man walked to the front of the group of us. He looked almost identical to Devyn. That was when it hit me. Devyn had so much authority over the team because his dad was the coach! But it didn’t make sense. Coach’s last name was Pardo and Devyn’s was Cloud. What was going on?

 

“As is probably obvious, I’m Coach. I have my eyes on a few of you that Devyn has told me about. And some of you are probably already thinking this, but I’m not Devyn’s dad. I’m his older brother. Our parents are divorced, hence the different last names. But even though he’s my brother, I’m not going any easier on him or any of his friends during this season. If you guys want, you don’t have to call me Coach, you can call me any of the following; Ayden, Ay, Pardo, AP, and some of you might get the privilege of calling me bro. MIGHT,” Ayden had said, nowhere near as intimidating as Camp.

 

So I was wrong about the dad thing, but at least I could tell they were related. Devyn walked over to me and looked curiously at my face. “Are you okay dude? You look a little stunned.”

 

To be honest, I had no idea why I was stunned. I had a feeling they were related, why did it come as such a surprise? Devyn ruffled my shaggy red hair, grinning from ear to ear as he did so. Since when was he such a tease? Since when did I think he was a tease? I just shrugged the thoughts off and came back to reality, tackling him to the ground and pinning him down as I tickled him. The only thing running through my mind was the lyrics to I Miss You by Blink-182.

We can live like Jack and Sally if you want.

Where you can always find me.

I had no idea what was going through my mind, but Devyn’s look of pure happiness made me melt inside. When Camp yelled that it was time to go get changed and that the final results would be posted the day after daily doubles, I got off of Devyn and helped him to his feet. We ran back to the locker room, racing each other there like we were five years old again. Every second I spent with Devyn was amazing, even if I was just standing next to him. I would do anything I needed to be near him. We got changed, said goodbye, and both headed home.