Chapter 323 - Back Row

Chapter 323: Chapter 323 - Back Row

By the time Roxie reached Briarwick, the parking lot already looked like half the cheer team had decided to move out of town.

Suitcases were lined up beside the charter bus, mixed with duffel bags, uniform bags, pillows, blankets, cases of water, and enough snacks to feed everyone for a week instead of a couple of days. One girl was trying to shove an oversized pillow into the luggage compartment while another stood beside her arguing that it belonged inside the bus because she needed it to sleep.

Coach Miller had his clipboard pressed against his chest and the expression of a man who was already regretting agreeing to travel with a bunch of teenagers.

"Where the hell is Madison?"

"She went to the bathroom," someone called from beside the bus.

"I checked her name five minutes ago."

"She had to go again."

Coach Miller closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at his list. "Of course she did."

Roxie laughed under her breath as she dragged her suitcase toward the growing pile.

Karen was standing near the bus in sweatpants and a Briarwick hoodie, looking like someone had personally offended her by scheduling their departure before sunrise. Angela, on the other hand, had somehow found coffee and had enough energy to talk for both of them.

Kendall was worse.

Her hair was already tied back neatly, her luggage was tagged, and her uniform bag hung carefully over one arm as though she had been awake since three in the morning preparing for this exact moment.

Damn. She made everyone else look like walking corpses.

Roxie glanced down at herself.

Leggings. Oversized hoodie. Sneakers. Hair twisted into a messy bun she had barely bothered checking in the mirror.

Good enough.

"Rox."

She looked toward the luggage compartment and found Zac already reaching for her suitcase.

"I can carry it."

"I know, but I couldn’t let my princess carry her own bags, could I?"

Heat rushed straight into her cheeks.

Roxie punched him in the arm. "Stop calling me that."

Zac only smiled as he took the suitcase from her.

Ever since the Sweetheart Dance days ago, Zac seemed to have found his greatest addiction. Calling her his princess and treating her like one.

The independent part of Roxie hated how much she enjoyed it. She had survived eighteen years carrying her own bags, opening her own doors, and taking care of herself.

Yet her knees still went weak whenever he did this.

Feminists everywhere would probably be disappointed in her.

"You’re enjoying this way too much," she muttered.

Zac lifted her suitcase into the compartment. "Enjoying what?"

"Annoying me."

"I’m treating you well."

"You’re using the princess thing to embarrass me."

He turned toward her with an innocent expression. "Princess, I have no idea what you’re talking about."

Roxie raised her fist again.

Zac laughed and caught her wrist.

"Violence this early?"

"You earned it."

"I cooked you breakfast."

Her arm immediately lowered.

"You did?"

Before Zac could answer, someone called from behind her.

"Jones."

Roxie stopped.

She knew the voice before she even turned around.

Ethan was crossing the parking lot toward them with a coffee carrier in one hand and a brown Corner Grill bag in the other.

A smile pulled at Roxie’s mouth before she could stop it.

"I told you, you didn’t have to come anymore."

"And let the viral queen leave for Nationals without saying good luck?"

Her smile disappeared immediately.

"Never call me that again."

Ethan continued toward her, completely unaffected. "Too late. I already saved you under that name."

"You better be lying."

"I’m not."

Roxie reached toward the pocket where she knew he kept his phone, but Ethan shifted the coffee out of her way.

"Careful."

She stopped when she noticed the logo on the cups.

"The Grill is still closed."

"I know."

Ethan pulled one cup free and handed it to her.

Roxie stared at it. "Where did you get this?"

"I opened the Grill."

Her eyebrows shot up.

"You opened the restaurant just to make me coffee?"

"And breakfast." He held up the paper bag. "Everyone sends their congratulations, by the way."

Something warm settled in Roxie’s chest.

For months, the Corner Grill had almost been another home to her. She had left the job, but apparently the people there had kept watching what happened to her anyway.

"You shouldn’t have." Her smile ruined whatever seriousness she intended. "Tell everyone thank you for me."

"You can tell them yourself when you come back with a medal."

Roxie took a sip of the coffee and sighed.

The familiar taste almost brought her back to those long shifts when Ethan would bring her a cup after she had spent hours doing dishes.

Behind him, Zac had gone quiet.

Roxie glanced toward the luggage compartment and found him holding another suitcase while his eyes rested on the coffee in her hand.

He caught her watching.

Then Zac calmly picked up the suitcase and shoved it into the luggage compartment with slightly more force than necessary.

Roxie pressed her lips together.

Ethan followed her gaze and immediately understood.

"Oh, damn. The psycho is actually trying to behave."

Roxie turned back to him, fighting a smile. "Don’t do that. He’s trying."

"He better."

"He’s been good."

"That sounded disturbingly similar to something you’d say about a dog."

Roxie laughed. "Shut up."

Ethan held the Corner Grill bag toward her. "Here."

She took it. "What did you put in this?"

"Food."

"Very helpful."

"You can open it on the bus."

"You poisoned it, didn’t you?"

"Yeah. I woke up before sunrise, opened a closed restaurant, made coffee, cooked breakfast, drove here, and poisoned you right before Nationals."

Roxie considered him. "That does sound like a lot of effort."

"I appreciate you noticing."

Coach Miller’s voice suddenly carried across the parking lot.

"Ten minutes! If you still need the bathroom, food, medication, your emotional support pillow, whatever the hell else you people brought, deal with it now. Once I start loading you onto this bus, I am not counting heads six more times."

Several people started moving at once.

Roxie looked at Ethan.

"Okay. I gotta go."

He opened his arms.

She stepped into them without hesitation and hugged him tightly.

"Thanks for coming this early."

"You better remember this when you’re famous."

"Shut up."

She let him go.

"Good luck, Roxie."

"Thanks."

Ethan glanced past her toward Zac.

"Try not to kill anybody, Prescott."

Zac stared at him for a moment.

"Drive safe, Ethan."

Ethan blinked.

Roxie did too.

He slowly looked at her. "Damn. He really is trying."

"Go away."

Laughing, Ethan headed toward his car.

Roxie watched him leave before turning toward Zac.

He had her cheer bag over one shoulder and another small bag in his hand.

Roxie lifted the Corner Grill bag. "He brought me food."

"I can see that."

Zac immediately held up the bag in his other hand.

"I got you food."

Roxie stopped.

"You did?"

"I literally told you that before Ethan showed up."

"Oh."

Zac stared at her.

Roxie bit the inside of her cheek.

He looked toward the Corner Grill bag. "Apparently opening an entire restaurant is sweeter."

Roxie laughed. "He opened it to make coffee."

"And food."

"He works there."

"That somehow makes this worse."

She reached for the bag he was holding. "What did you make?"

Zac pulled it away.

"Hey."

"You already have breakfast."

"Oh, stop."

"You have a whole bag."

"And now I have two."

His eyebrows rose. "You’re eating both?"

Roxie looked between the bags and grinned. "I can’t say no."

Zac released an exaggerated sigh and tipped his head back.

"Really?"

"What?"

"I wake up early, cook for my princess, and Ethan appears with coffee and suddenly I’m sharing breakfast duties."

Her cheeks warmed again.

"Can you stop saying princess in public?"

"No."

"Zac."

"No."

She punched his arm before reaching for the bag again.

"Give me my food."

"You already have food."

"You made that for me."

"I changed my mind."

"You can’t change your mind."

"It’s mine now."

Roxie stared at him.

"You’re seriously competing over who feeds me?"

"I wasn’t competing until he showed up with breakfast."

She laughed.

"You’re jealous of food."

"I’m jealous of the guy who brought the food. The food itself hasn’t done anything wrong."

That made her laugh harder.

Coach Miller appeared in the doorway of the bus.

"Prescott! Jones! Unless you’re planning to hold a breakfast competition in the parking lot, get on the bus."

"We’re coming," Roxie called.

The inside of the bus was already loud. People were calling across rows, stuffing bags into the overhead compartments, fighting over window seats, and claiming spaces with blankets and pillows.

Karen and Angela had taken seats several rows from the front. Kendall sat farther back with her things arranged neatly beside her.

Zac kept walking.

Roxie followed him until the last row came into view.

Her steps slowed.

The back row.

She remembered another bus ride and another version of Zac sitting there.

Back then, he had been the obnoxious quarterback she barely tolerated. She had been pissed at Kendall and somehow ended up sitting on his lap while half the bus watched them.

At the time, she had wanted to sink through the floor.

Now the memory made her smile.

Zac stopped when he realized she had fallen behind.

His eyes followed hers.

Recognition hit immediately.

"Oh, I remember."

Roxie shook her head. "Whatever you’re thinking, forget it."

"You don’t even know what I’m thinking."

"I know you."

Zac walked to the back row and dropped into the seat.

Then he tapped his thigh.

Roxie stared at him.

"There’s an empty seat beside you."

"There was one beside me the first time too."

Her lips pressed together as she tried to keep from smiling.

She sat beside him.

Zac leaned back. "Want me to tell you my version of that ride?"

Roxie looked at him suspiciously. There was already a naughty glint in his eyes.

"Shut up."

She took the container from him.

"Don’t you dare destroy the innocence of that time."

Zac chuckled. "Innocence?"

"Yes."

He opened the container for her.

Eggs, bacon, potatoes, and toast were packed inside.

Roxie looked at him. "You really made all this?"

"Yeah."

He picked up a piece of bacon and held it toward her mouth.

Roxie stared at him.

"Eat."

She opened her mouth.

He fed her the bacon before stealing the next piece for himself.

"That was mine."

"I cooked it."

"For me."

"I’m checking it."

Roxie shook her head as the bus engine started.

Zac fed her another bite, ate one himself, then continued until they had nearly finished everything.

When Roxie finally pushed the container away, Zac reached for Ethan’s bag.

She slapped his hand.

"That’s mine."

"You’re full."

"That doesn’t make it yours."

Zac pulled out the sandwich anyway and took a bite.

Roxie stared at him.

"You asshole."

"It’s good."

Roxie grabbed the sandwich and took a bite before giving it back.

"There."

Zac laughed and finished the rest.

The bus finally pulled away from Briarwick.

The noise gradually softened as people settled into their seats. Roxie yawned and leaned toward the window.

"I’m going back to sleep."

Zac looked at her. "Come here."

"I’m already here."

His hands suddenly went around her waist.

Roxie barely stopped herself from squealing when he pulled her onto his lap.

"Zac!"

She looked across the aisle.

Most of the cheerleaders around them were already asleep or buried beneath blankets.

Roxie pushed against his chest.

"Put me down."

Zac grinned. "Let me tell you what I was thinking that first time."

Roxie stopped squirming and looked at him.

The grin disappeared from his face, and his ears slowly turned red.

"When I saw you walking toward me, I had no idea what to do. Then you sat on my lap, and all I wanted was to pull you closer."

Roxie blinked.

Zac buried his face against her neck.

"I had the biggest crush on you, then suddenly you came to me first."

Her mouth slowly curved.

"You already had a crush on me?"

Zac lifted his head. "Roxie."

She laughed.

He pulled her closer against him.

"Zac."

Then she felt him, hard.

Her eyes widened.

Zac laughed and immediately helped her back into the seat beside him.

"Sorry. Those memories are dangerous."

Roxie stared at him, completely mortified.

"Damn you."

His grin widened.

Roxie punched his arm before settling back into her seat.

She looked toward the window as Briarwick disappeared behind them.

That first bus ride suddenly felt like forever ago. She rested her head against his shoulder and Zac slipped his arm around her.

After a moment, he looked down at her. "Nervous?"

Roxie knew he meant Nationals. "Yeah."

"You’ll be fine."

She lifted her head. "Amazing."

"You want me to tell you everybody else sucks?"

Roxie thought about it.

"Actually, yes."

"Everybody else sucks."

She laughed and settled against him again.

Somewhere ahead was Nationals.

For now, Roxie closed her eyes against Zac’s shoulder and let the bus carry them toward it.