Zeke didn’t hint to us whether he had a plan already set or if we would co up with sothing together this weekend. He left us to go to his own class and we went to ours.
"Is it just , or are we being stared at..?" Noah noticed imdiately that the few classmates that were already in the room, didn’t take their eyes off us when we walked in.
"Noah!"
"Noah, Jake, co here!"
"Why didn’t you guys tell us?"
"Tell you what?" Noah asked after dropping his backpack off at his desk.
I did the sa.
"That Jake was on good terms with Jeremy Patterson now!"
I froze.
Noah looked around. "How do you guys know?"
"It’s going around." Alisha was the one to speak up and show us her phone. "Soone posted on a blog about him coming to the CIF ga and had pictures to back it up. And then added so pictures of the ga last night. Where Jeremy was taking pictures of the team and talking to Jake."
"What a creep!" Noah exclaid. "Who the heck does this?" He grabbed the phone and started to scroll.
Alisha shrugged. "It’s just a blogger from the area trying to be a reporter. He doesn’t have a whole lot of followers, but sohow it got around the school since your whole team was at the ga last night. Soone was bound to know one of you guys and then it just got around." She looked at . "So? Is it true? That you’re his brother?"
The class got quiet. Even Noah. He looked at like I would be making the decision to talk about Jeremy. "Uh...well, he is. My biological brother." The class started to ask questions all at once and it was hard to hear anything specific.
"Shut up!" Noah hollered, giving Alisha her phone back. "If you guys want to gossip before class starts, then I suggest you let Jake tell you what’s going on." The class was silent once more. Noah nodded at . "Just tell them what you want to tell them."
I don’t really want to tell them anything though..?
I sighed. "We aren’t exactly close. We haven’t spoken in years. He’s..." I shrugged. "He’s a professional baseball player."
"Do you think you can get us an autograph?" Soone asked.
I turned red, embarrassed. "I don’t know. Maybe?" I looked around. "Does everyone want one..?"
"I do!"
" too!"
"I an, if you’re offering?"
"Yea!"
"Definitely!"
"Okay, okay." Noah waved his hands around. "Settle down. We’ll see what we can do. Jake will ask, but if he gets told no, then that’s final." Noah sounded more like his parents as he cald down our classmates.
"Would he really tell you no?" Alisha whispered to as Noah placated the others.
I shrugged. "We aren’t close." I felt like a broken record, repeating myself over and over again. "I-" I stopped and realized I didn’t even text him this morning about coming over on Sunday. "Hold on."
I pulled out my phone and sent him a text.
: You can co over Sunday for dinner.
A reply ca back almost imdiately.
Jeremy: I’ll be there.
So quick. I looked up at Alisha, feeling her curious eyes locked on . "I...We’re not as distant as before."
She nodded like she understood. "That’s good."
She looked on as Noah talked to more and more classmates as it got closer to the start of class. "It’s not like you’re missing out on what a brother is supposed to be like. Noah does a great job protecting you."
I nodded in agreent.
She glanced at . "Hey, can I ask you for a favor?"
My first thought was that she also wanted sothing from Jeremy.
But she threw for a curve when she got closer and whispered so only I could hear. "I know I said I didn’t need a birthday gift, but can you make sure Noah gets one?"
My eyebrows raised with confusion.
"Please? It doesn’t have to be anything big." She pleaded.
I nodded willingly. Alisha was nice and she deserved a birthday gift. She invited us to her party and was okay with joining our softball team so it’s only right we do sothing for her.
"Thanks, Jake." She grinned and hurried to her seat since the bell rang.
All the other students got back to their seats too, knowing that we would get detention if we didn’t. Noah and I did the sa.
He leaned backwards and tried to relax. "Ugh. What a morning." He glanced at . "Do you think it’ll be like this all day?"
I shrugged. I hope not.
Unfortunately, it was just the beginning. Every class was just like the first, with curious classmates. It didn’t bother as much as the first ti around, but one question got to .
"Is he why you’re so good at baseball?"
I felt frozen in ti for two reasons. One, it’s a complint that I feel I don’t deserve. I’m good at hitting, not at baseball. Two, Jeremy had never played baseball with before. I vague mory of him and my dad playing catch made want to play too. Just to feel closer to them than the person I called ’mom’.
Noah was able to tell that kid off first, before I ca back from the shock. "What are you saying? Don’t you know that Jeremy didn’t even want to claim him as a brother? How could he be the reason that he’s good? Jake is good thanks to his own hard work. Are you good at biology because your parents are doctors or because you study?"
"Dang, no need to be so defensive." The kid muttered before walking away.
"Don’t mind them." Noah patted on the shoulder. "Didn’t you want to see Dr. Moore today? Let’s hide out in his office for lunch."
I nodded in agreent.
At lunch ti, we were able to make our escape from the curious gazes, sneaking through the office to Dr. Moore’s temporary office. He really embraced being the school counselor even though he wasn’t getting paid. This was the definition of being a good person.
He smiled as he watched the two of us creep in his office, closing the door behind us so no one else would co. "Happy Friday, guys. Looks like you’ve heard the rumors?"
"All day!" Noah groaned, slumping in one of the chairs across Dr. Moore’s desk. "You’ve heard too?"
"Not only did I hear, I saw it on tv." Dr. Moore looked at . "Before the ga, they showed how close Jeremy was to your team, even helping with pictures. He didn’t do that for any of the other high school teams so it garnered so attention."
That’s probably why the blogger started digging around.
I sighed and sat in the empty chair next to Noah.
"How are you holding up, Jake?" Dr. Moore asked.
I shrugged. "I’m not as scared as last ti. Or as mad. I’m just confused on what to say."
"What to say?" He asked. "What do you an by that?"
I shook my head. "I don’t have the answers. Am I close to Jeremy? I don’t know. Will he co to anymore of my gas? I don’t know. Will he visit my school? I don’t know. Can I get everyone an autograph? I. Really. Don’t. Know." I sighed again.
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