~5 ~

"What the actual fuck Jaden? I told you to stay the hell away from my friends" Jasmine had cringed loudly at me and I just shrugged.

"Ugh, maybe you'd like to rephrase that very statement Jas. Your friends are the ones who need to stay the fuck away from me and not the other way round" I shrugged my body off slightly and gave Tia a sideways glare and she snorted at me.

The guys just chuckled a little harder under their breath. Oliver gave me high five and Jasmine shot him a warning glare.

"I'm right here okay?" Tia had snapped at no one in particular before turning to shoot Jasmine a weak glare.

"And, will you please stop acting like my mom? Cos I think, i'm old enough to know who I want Jasmine" Tia had quickly defended herself.

"Of course you would say that, since you are such a bitch!" Jasmine had spat in anger causing the boys to uuuh and aaah in respond.

Ryder just slouched back against his desk with a bored expression. His eyes fixed at my direction and biting playfully at his lip ring. I bet he was having a hard time just listening to all the bantering even though he still have that passive expression going on on his face.

I can literally imagine what's running through that thick skull of his while he stared at me like a piece of stake he can't wait to devour.

Well, he can go ahead and imagine for all I care. As long as he stays the fuck away from me and my sister, there will be no cause for a bleeding nose and  busted lips of any sort, because am very much willing to mess up that pretty little shit face of his.

Fuck. Why do I even think his face is anything pretty and shitty at the same time? 

Arrgggh.

The school bell rang, pulling me out of my staring contest with Ryder and also putting an end to Jasmine and Tia little fight.

Lunch break was finally over. 

I got up on my feet as well as the guys before Tia could use me as an excuse to  grab hold of my elbow and act like what we are not and will never be.

I turned to Jasmine and found her whispering into Ryder's ear like a noisy house fly and I couldn't help but sort out loud.

"Didn't you hear the damn bell or you need someone to remind you, lunch break is officially over and that means, get your butt and hurry off to class and not seat here and giggle over nothing"

"Uhm, excuse me. You might be my brother but you can't tell me what to do so stay out of my hair Jaden. Now shooo." Jasmine had literally poke me in the chest hard, causing Ryder to chuckle hard at the exchange.

The absolute fucking nerve.

"You know what? Suit yourself but don't say I didn't warn you, sister!" I sneered at her and she just rolled her stupid eyes at me.

I shot Ryder a warning glare and stalked off, with the guys trailing me from behind and heading off to our next class.

**

Thankfully, my other classes for the day had no fucking Ryder in it, which was a total relief for me. I can't keep looking over my shoulders every damn minute for no fucking reason other than some creep watching me.

Darn!

His presence was already a bother to me. The last thing I needed is to deal with Jasmine rolling with that dude behind my back. Aside from him being from Oklahoma and shit, We have no idea who he might be other than being in a band, as if that was supposed to make me like him and that look in his eyes just seem to set me off every damn time like a fucking trigger.

The closing bell rang some hours later and I glanced at my watch before putting my writing materials away after realizing that I have written absolutely nothing.

Fuck.

I was practically staring into thin air the whole damn time with my head buzzing with creepy thoughts.

All that was left for me to do at this point, was turn in my English essay before heading out for practice. Coach Mike was waiting at the gym as well and there will be penalty for late coming.

Oliver had gone home right after the bell rang and Jasmine had taken off with my car as well. So am left with either riding the bus home or riding with Noah this time around after practice.

I swung my gym bag over one shoulder and rushed over to the court and stopped in my tracks when I realized a familiar dark messy hair warning up by the side.

What the actual fuck is he doing over here?

As if he could feel my presence, a  wide smile broke out on his face when he saw me approaching me and began to walk towards me with open arms.

"Hey Jaden. Guess what? Coach Mike said I could try out for the team. Isn't that exciting?"

"Fucking hell, it's not exciting Ryder. You don't belong here"

He took two steps towards me and stood an inch from my face. His breath reek of cigarette and shit.

"What exactly are you scared of hmm? That I might be so good that you will be forced to change your mind and like me? Or that I would somehow take your place in the team because if that's it then you need to rest easy. None of that is gonna happen because am not here to compete with you or anyone else"

"What do you want then?"

I watched something reflect in his eyes for a moment before he looked up at me in the eyes. This time, it was glinting with amusement.

"I Want something else Jaden. You just have to wait and find out for yourself"

His eyes trail my angry ones for a split second before settling around my lips briefly and he bite slightly at his lip ring before a smirk broke out on his lips.

"I don't care what the fuck you want Ryder. Just stay the fuck away from me, my team and my sister. Got it?"

Instead of thinking of a comeback, he simply threw his hand up in surrender and began to back away, one foot at a time.

"You got it Jad but let see what the coach says when am done with my beat up exercise"

Jad? Did he just fucking nickname me? I'm seriously gonna kill this kid. Oh I fucking will.

I stood by the corner with my hands anchored against my waist as i watched with new interest as coach Mike made him break into a full sprint just to access his speed and he seem to have pretty good one much to my disappointment, plus the way coach Mike kept nodding his head in approval while looking at his timer makes it pretty clear.

That Ryder fucking Smith was gonna make the damn team whether I want him to or not with the way he is going. I can see, he has the proper technique required to cover for Oliver position for a better drills from centre midfield.

Fuck.

His touch down passes seem pretty accurate. Pretty much what the team needed at this point in the competition.

By the end of his try out, coach Mike walked over and grabbed hold of  his shoulder firmly with a big grin plastered on his face and gave him the welcome to the team blah blah blah speech and I just literally gagged at the sight for sour eyes going on before me. 

And as much as I hate to have him anywhere close to me right at this point, I also know it's cool to have him in the team for winning sake but the real question is, can he actually survive in my team for long because am gonna make his life totally miserable.

And I don't mean it literally. So he better watch out.

"Welcome to the team Ryder. Glad you could join us man" Nathan had pat him over the shoulder with a silly wide grin.

"Yeah me too" he told him with a smile before glancing at my direction and I just snort and turned towards the locker room to get changed.

This game is just about to start and I don't know how to loose in my own territory.

This should be really fun.