Coach's Daughter

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

New Year's Eve

I closed my laptop with a sigh, glancing over at my phone.

It was a quarter to 8 and I had spent the last 4 hours of my day playing Sims 4... Thrilling New Year's Eve. My parents were spending the evening at my aunt and uncle's house, but I just didn't have it in me to be that social with family. Lately it was all about the fact that I was leaving for college and how early it felt, despite the fact that I was old enough to be well into my sophomore year already.

I slid my laptop off of my lap and stood up from the bed with a big stretch. Might as well go see what's on TV... Simply moving from one screen to another, why was my life this boring?

Ashley was supposed to be having a party, not that I would even go - why would I subject myself to people who would just remind me of Kade, or even Kade himself, when I could wallow away in my own dwindling sadness. I wasn't even sad anymore really, just more kind of over the whole thing. I told myself I didn't care, and sometimes I felt like I didn't even care, but I wasn't back to my full potential of messing around and genuinely not caring. Cleansing my palate probably would be a good idea, and I knew that if Ashley was having a party there would be plenty of fish in the sea to take a trip down memory lane back to the days before Kade was in the picture.

But regardless of whether or not I would even go, Ashley cancelled the party last minute due a spectacularly colorful broken ankle and a prescription of bedrest for a week. A week! Sure, I'd spent the last week since "graduating" high school in my bed, but that was because I wanted to, I couldn't imagine being forced to...

So due to the fractured tibia, most of that age demographic were no longer even in town - the lure of a college party was significantly better than spending a New Year's Eve with their parents and siblings. In fact, even most of the high school seniors were spending the weekend in East Lansing, Ann Arbor, or Grand Valley with friends, getting that early taste of college.

So when Jesse knocked on my door with a duffle bag and a clear tote of makeup, I knew exactly what she was proposing before she even opened her mouth.

"Jess..." I groaned, leaning against the doorframe. "I'm going to pretend you're here for an epic Hannah Montana style makeover and then eating candy on the couch?" I offered.

"Not even close." Jesse grinned, pushing past me to get inside. "Remember when I told you that Charlie Johnson asked for my number last week?"

"Uh huh." I said, kicking the door shut and following her down the hall to my room.

"Well. Today he texted me and asked if I wanted to meet up later, but turns out he's at MSU and figured I'd be there too, so we're going to MSU. I'll drive, and don't worry I won't get too fucked up. In fact, I'm going to stay perfectly sober and by your side all night, let him think I'm hard to get." Jesse grinned, tossing the duffle bag on my bed.

"No fucking way. That's like a 90 minute drive and it's New Year's Eve." My eyes widened, sitting down in the chair in the corner. "The roads are going to be a mess, and where are we going to stay?"

"We'll find somewhere! We know enough people. You know enough people." Jesse brushed off the question. "You know how many of your dad's soccer guys go there now. All you have to do is just smile at one and you'll have a place to sleep."

"And what about you?" I questioned.

"Don't worry about me. Tonight is all about you. This is your reentrance into the world. Gotta shock my idiot brother out of your system before you start college." Jesse said proudly, disappearing in the clothes of my closet.