Here is the first chapter of my work on The story with Jakobi and Aiden. It focuses mainly on character development and the suspense of the two reconnecting. More to come (hopefully)
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The bright glow of the stadium was like a firefly in the distance. She sucked in a deep breath, stepping out of the truck and locking the door behind her. How long had it been since she'd even been on this campus? Freshman year seemed like a lifetime ago. Here she was a senior, almost an adult, and she was back where she started. Back to square one.
Starting towards the bright speck in the distance, she reflected on the past four years. How quickly they had passed! The Highland campus still felt like home, though she'd only spent a single semester here as a freshman.
Long enough to change everything for you, Aiden,
she reminded herself.
She had been heartbroken when her parents pulled her out of public school and began homeschooling her after that first semester. High school had been some sort of blessing for her. Aiden had always been the odd girl out, the one that never quite fit. Her first year of high school had changed everything for her. Finally, she had a place where her geeky fun-loving self had a place to fit in and find herself.
Aiden found herself reminiscing as she walked through the campus toward the stadium. How young and naïve she had been in her time here... She was a loud, bright teenager, who was ready to take on the big bad world at fourteen. At the thought of that now, her eighteen year old self had to laugh at her youthful innocence.
Her fond memories were not the only thing that drew her back, not by a long shot.
Especially not tonight.
* * * * * *
Jakobi sat in the locker room, the noise of the growing crowds in the stadium above him tying his stomach in knots. This was his last year as a highland lion. Senior year had come too quickly. Wasn't it just yesterday he was tying up his cleats for the first game of the season freshman year? Here he was now, tying up his cleats for the last game of senior year.
His phone vibrated in his locker above him, and he let it ring, knowing Kat was on the other line. His beautiful girlfriend was desperate for him to win the game tonight, flirty promises of a filthy reward if the lions brought home the championship. "Winning turns me on." She had giggled to him before skipping out in her tight cheerleading uniform.
He felt sick to his stomach, thinking about that. The only thing that kept him from breaking up with the shallow bitch was his social status. Did that make him shallow as well? He didn't care.
He used to care. He cared so much that people took advantage of him, walked all over him. Why couldn't things have stayed the same?
Jakobi had been popular from freshman year. Girls wanted him, guys wanted to be him. He never had to work for it. His blonde, messy hair and quick blue-grey eyes made girls blush, and made guys jealous. Being quarterback all four years of high school kept him in fantastic shape. Baseball ensured that shape stayed year-round.
He sighed, forcing himself to put the game first in his mind. Winning. Go out with a bang.
Sliding his shoulder pads on, he stood up and checked his phone for the voicemail Kat had left him. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't from her.
Slowly, Jakobi read and re-read the number. It wasn't familiar. He stared intently at the screen, and after a few minutes, the phone slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.
