1. Kaitlyn
CHAPTER ONE
Kaitlyn
PAST
Oh my god. I made the cheer squad.
I still can’t believe my name was on the list of girls who made the cut.
I knew it was a long shot, but I still hoped all the practicing and training I did this summer might pay off.
Thanks to all the time I’ve spent surfing, I’ve always been athletic, but trying to get ready for tryouts really kicked my ass.
I’m proud of myself for trying something new.
When the twins told me last spring their parents were okay with them finishing their senior year at Shoreline Preparatory Academy, I was thrilled to finally be at the same school as my best friends.
I have friends at my school, but I’ve never felt as comfortable with them the same way I am with Bailey and Hunter.
With the guys, I don’t have to be anyone other than myself. I can eat whatever I want, and they didn’t care I had three inches of height on them before they shot up like a pair of weeds our sophomore year. They also don’t give a shit about what I look like.
Unfortunately, it’s made me realize that even if I don’t give a shit their last name is Walker, everyone at my school is treating them like royalty.
I’ve always been able to keep this part of my life separate and safe from the curiosity of others, but now with both of them here, it’s all anyone seems to talk about.
Are you really their best friend?
Do you think they’d come to the bonfire this weekend?
Have you hooked up with one of them?
God, every time I’m asked that, I can feel how hot my face gets as I deny it.
I haven’t. They’ll never see me that way, even if the truth is I can’t remember a time when my heart didn’t beat faster from the way Bailey’s smile softens when his eyes land on me.
It doesn’t matter he makes my stomach flutter with butterflies.
He’s my best friend.
Things would never be the same if Bailey knew how I felt about him. It’s a miracle he hasn’t caught on to the way I’m always looking at him or how I hang on to his every last word.
It would complicate everything with Hunter as well.
I couldn’t even imagine what he’d say if he knew how much of a jumbled mess my head is.
Actually, he’d probably be horrified. I’m better off smothering my feelings until they disappear completely.
I’m hoping that by making the cheerleading team, I’ll find a new part of my identity.
Maybe it’ll give me a sign of what I want to do at college, since I haven’t narrowed it down yet.
All my friends have at least an idea of what they want, but the thought of choosing one thing to do for the rest of my life makes my chest feel tight.
The only thing that makes me feel somewhat better is knowing Bailey might end up at Duke with me next year if he accepts the offer from their soccer coach.
But for now, I can ride the high of choosing something .
It’s late, but I’m betting my brother will still be up.
I laughed so hard at the gossip magazine cover he found himself starring in.
Knowing him, the party boy rumors couldn’t be further from the truth.
It’s hilarious—or at least it is to me—how they’re portraying him.
Obviously he doesn’t tell me everything, but I also know Henry well enough to understand he’d rather be at home with a book than sitting at a club.
“Hey, Kait,” he greets, answering the phone, and I can hardly keep my excitement to myself.
“Henry, I made the cheerleading team!” I kick my feet in excitement on my bed.
“That’s great. I knew you would,” he says, and I realize this is the perfect opportunity to fuck with him.
Technically, we’re half-siblings with a nine-year age gap between us, but Henry’s never failed to be there for me as my overprotective big brother.
Sometimes I think he even gets jealous when I call the twins my best friends instead of him.
I grin, trying not to laugh. “Thanks. Maybe if I work hard enough, I could end up cheering for you at your games.”
Henry scoffs, which is exactly how I expected him to react. “Fuck no,” he blurts out. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just you’re seventeen, and all the guys are . . . they’re just . . . I don’t know. If you want to be a cheerleader, then be a cheerleader.”
Wow, that sounded like it was painful for him. “Henry, I won’t be seventeen if I’m cheering for you,” I remind him. Sometimes I think he forgets I’m now a senior in high school.
“Just stay away from boys.”
Oh my god, he’s such a hypocrite.
“Yeah, ’cause you totally stayed away from girls when you were my age,” I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. He’s mellowed out the last couple of years, but I remember hearing my parents reminding him they weren’t ready to become grandparents yet. It probably wouldn’t hurt to give him a reminder.
“You were eight, what exactly do you remember about it? ”
“Ta gueule!” ? 1
“Whatever. How is it having your boyfriends at school?” he taunts, giving me a taste of my own medicine.
I roll my eyes, but after everything at school this week, it’s more annoying than usual.
“Henry, don’t call them that. Hunter and Bailey are my best friends, they just happen to be boys.
” Even if I want Bailey to be more than my best friend.
But unless I’m able to disappear into a parallel universe, he’ll never be more.
“If you say so,” he says, chuckling under his breath. I’m glad he can amuse himself. “Is it nice having them there, though?”
“It’d be nicer if everyone else wasn’t obsessed with them,” I mumble under my breath, instantly feeling guilty after saying it. I’m glad they’re making friends, but I’m ready for things to calm down.
Bailey’s been acting off the last couple of days, but when I tried to ask him if everything was okay, he brushed me off. I figured he might just be bummed about Mirabelle and JJ moving out of the house, or maybe he’s getting overwhelmed by all the attention he’s getting at school.
Hunter isn’t having any problem fitting in with the football team, but I can tell all the changes are wearing on him. I’m glad he has the routine of football right now to help him adjust.
“Sorry, what was that?”
I sigh, putting my phone on speaker to start twisting my long hair into a braid while I wrangle my thoughts.
“Yeah . . . I guess it is nice. I don’t think you have anything to worry about when it comes to me staying away from boys.
Every guy is too busy obsessing over Hunter and Bailey because of their dad.
I don’t think any of them would notice if I walked into a room naked. ”
Not that I want to walk into a room naked, but it’s frustrating.
“Well, I’m personally on the team of don’t walk into a room naked because I’d end up in prison for killing everyone who looked at you,” he says after a moment, and I appreciate him trying to be supportive. “I’m sure that’s not true, Kait. It’s only been a couple days.”
“I know. I’m just annoyed.”
“I know.”
“So have you seen Mirabelle around the stadium yet?” I ask, changing the subject to the eldest Walker as I tie off my braid.
Mirabelle is one of the coolest people I’ve ever met.
She helped me with some of my forms this summer to get me started in the right direction for tryouts, and honestly, I might even be a little in love with her too.
She’s as hot-headed as Bailey, great at everything she does, and she’s beautiful. It’s unfair how good-looking all of the Walkers are. It’d be nice if they left something for the rest of us.
It’s painfully obvious to everyone except Henry that she’s in love with him, so I’m curious to see how their close proximity might change their friendship. I’ve never asked, but I’ve always wondered if there’s a chance Henry might return her feelings.
“Yeah, I saw her today,” he says, giving me nothing to work with. God, it must be nice to be a man. Everything seems so simple in their minds.
“She’s so cool,” I say, picturing what it might be like if they ever got together. “I wish she was my sister.”
Please give me a sign you’re not totally oblivious to the pretty girl in love with you.
“Excuse you, I think I’m a pretty awesome brother. ”
At this point, it might take a neon sign to get the information through his thick skull.
I think Mom is secretly hoping for the same thing after the look she gave me a couple weeks ago.
Dad had made a comment about how Henry’s going to have to step up his big-brother act now that she’ll be at the stadium every day.
Just because he’s always seen Mira and Henry as siblings doesn’t make it true.
“You are, but she’s an Olympian. Maybe you should hang out with her instead of your friends. She never would’ve let you get pictured with those girls.”
“You saw that?” he asks, sounding embarrassed, but he should have expected it.
“Everyone has seen it. You’re earning quite the reputation, but I sure hope you’re wrapping it up. I’m not ready to be an aunt yet.” Unless it’s a baby with Mirabelle. I could be on board with that.
Henry chokes. “It’s not what it looked like. I was only there to babysit my friends. The only thing I had to drink that night was water.”
“Wow, that’s definitely not what it looked like.
You might want to be more careful.” I can’t help laughing because I’d think he’d know better than to assume someone wouldn’t take a picture and spin it to look a certain way—especially now that he’s QB1.
My phone buzzes with an incoming call from Hunter.
“Oh shit, Hunter is calling me. Can I call you back tomorrow?”
I vaguely hear Henry start to say what sounds like, That’s fine , and I hang up on him to answer Hunter’s call.
“Hey, Hunt.”
“Congratulations on making the cheer squad,” Hunter says, and I’m hit with a wave of happiness all over again.
“Thanks, I’m really excited.”
“B and I are heading out on dawn patrol before school tomorrow. We can celebrate by letting you catch all the best waves,” Hunter offers, and as nice as it sounds, both of them are too competitive to ever let someone else just have all the best waves.
“You could’ve sent that in a text,” I remind him, fiddling with my necklaces.
“Maybe I wanted to be one of the first to tell you congratulations. I’m proud of you for trying something new.”
“You’re a good friend. I’ll be there,” I say, unable to help the big smile on my face as I think of starting my day off in the perfect way.
Hunter scoffs. “Thought I was your best friend, not just a good friend.”
“You are my best friend.”
Maybe everything will work out just fine this year. It doesn’t feel like too much to ask for.
1 ? Shut up!