A/n this chapter is weird, i'm so sorry for this in advance (i was going crazy in isolation when writing this chap, leave me alone 😳✋)

Chapter 15 | Spirit week

Isabella:

Things I have realised over the course of this week: Lakeside high school takes spirit week very fucking seriously.

Yes, British school was fun; teaming up as a class to make supply teachers cry, watching huge weekly fights and people being thrown down the stairs as a whole school and field seshes were quite...something else. Fun, but something else.

Now, here in the US, things are a bit different. Yes there are fights, not as often or as extreme however, and so on, but there is something about the sense of community and unity that his school has that is really nice. I can't speak for all schools in America but here, it has definitly got to do with the fact we are only one out of the two high schools in this town, thus making it understandble as to why everybody takes school pride very seriously because there really is only one enemy/opponent.

Over the week, there had been a theme or an event held on each particular day:

Monday had been dress-like-it's-the-2000s day and Mia, Grace and I had raided our moms' closet for the iconic juicy couture track suits they had worn in their mid 20s. Mia wore pink, I had worn dark blue and Grace wore green. In all honestly, us girls went all out on this day, with the year 2k sunglasses and the iconic 2000s hairstyles: me with the ends of my hair curled outwards, Mia with two bunches and lots of snazzy clips and Grace with the claw clip ponytail.

Tuesday had been school spirit day and banner competition day where we had come in wearing our school colours (purple and yellow). I had worn a very oversized purple t shirt and a yellow headband in my hair and this group of freshmen girls had won the competition. Let's just say Mia was not pleased with that.

Wednesday had been pyjama and movie night day. The girls and I, of course, had turned up in matching cow print onesies and they had showcased High school musical in the auditorium after school. The boys on this day gained themselves detention for being 'inappropriate' and got themselves dress coded due to the fact they had turned up to school in nothing but their boxer briefs, claiming that is what they considered pyjamas and quote on quote 'went to sleep in'. For the entire day everybody kept their distance from Lucas, Aidan and Dylan as they smelled musty as hell from the clothes that the were ultimately forced to wear by the school that I am pretty sure were from the lost and found box.

Now today was Thursday, tomorrow night was the homecoming football game and I was pumped. Banners were hung all across the school, the cheerleaders were adding the finishing touches to their routines and of course, Lucas, Dylan, Aidan and the rest of the 'Lakeside Lions' had been training hard in preperation for the upcoming season.

As for today, the student body had been given the choice of choosing the event or theme and of course everybody chose meme/vine day.

"Oh my God!" Grace gasps as I approach the girls Thursday morning. "HE-LLO DWAYNE THE FUCKING ROCK JOHNSON!"

I tip my head back and roar in laughter. "Yay you recognised it!"

"Of course we did bitch, what do take us for? Uncultured?" Mia continues, her eyes widened into saucers.

We had planned on not letting one another know what meme or vine we would be going as and I was so excited to see the rest of the groups' costumes. I had been waiting all week for today.

"As for you guys," I giggle, raking my eyes up and down Grace. Her colourful tutu, the bright pink bow in her hair and the iconic hairstyle are a huge give away. "Jojo freakin' siwa!"

"I had to raid Lucy's wardrobe for this," she replies with a grin, giving me a little twirl, showcasing her outfit. "She's a Jojo Siwa enthusiast."

Mia sighs wistfully. "Aren't we all, sis is making bank just from dressing up as a little kid." She shakes her head before clasping her hands together and turning to face me. "Okay now guess me!"

"Flashback mary?" I guess immediately and from the way Mia sequals out in joy, I guess I'm correct.

"That's right baby," she flings her arms around my shoulders.

"Don't you mean sister?"

"Ooh yeah, sorry sister."

I snort, peering my head around the mass of people huddled around the outside of school, snapping pictures of each other in their costumes.

My eyebrows raise as I spot a Miley Cyrus from her wrecking ball days, someone dressed as Dwight from the office and someone even smashing their phone and breaking their skateboard trying to recreate the 'so no head?' vine. My heart squeezes in pain at the sight of the smashed phone.

"Where are the guys?" Mia asks, scanning the crowd, Grace is about to reply when our gaze falls on the four 6ft plus boys strolling towards us.

The crowd literally part for Lucas, Dylan and Aidan (and Sammy who is shortly following behind them).

Grace waves enthusiastically as they approach us. Aidan waves back as Sammy leans down to smack a kiss against Mia's cheek. I want to throw up at their coupleness.

"Gross PDA," Dylan makes a fake gagging noise and scrunches up his nose in disgust. "Keep the horrible couple stuff for behind door please, it's insensitive to us single people and that is frankly rude."

Mia smacks him across the head. "Shut up."

Before the two can start beating each other up, Grace intervenes. "Right what are all of you supposed to be dressed as?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sammy responds, his eyebrow raised and wiggling the croissant that's clutched in his hand.

He's wearing a white tank top that surprisingly showcases his actually impressive biceps that I didn't know he had and plaid pyjama bottoms.

"Oo you could've made me drop my croissant guy," Mia smirks, leaning forward and promptly taking a bite out of the said croissant. Sammy gasps and briskly smacks her head away before she eats any more of his prop.

"My one is obvious too," Aidan adds, strumming the guitar strapped across his shirtless chest, jogging my memory. "I love you bitch, and I ain't ever gonna stop loving you bitch."

As he 'sings' this, he stares straight at Grace who looks like she's about to melt into a puddle of goo. I shake my head at the two before turning to Dylan and Lucas.

I cock my head to the side as I try to figure out what they are dressed as and after a moment has passed I still haven't figured it out.

"Yeahhh, I don't know who you two are supposed to be."

The pair are wearing white t-shirts and grey sweatpants with black baseball caps balancing on their heads, backwards.

"Why don't we show you Belly," Lucas smirks, his dimples popping out in each cheek. "Dylan cue the music!"

Dylan throws me a wink before pulling out his phone from his pocket. "Everybody stand back!" He announces and we part to make space for him.

With a click of a button, a familiar song blasts out into the air and I automatically know what's about to happen next. I try to suppress a groan and the loud music blaring out loud begins to attract other onlookers who glance our way in curiosity.

In one swift motion Lucas and Dylan pull off their t-shirts and well...

Baby grind on me
relax your mind take your time on me

...begin grinding on the floor...very, very smoothly.

"My eyes," I gasp, covering my gaze with my hand and so not peeking through my fingers.

A couple of other gasps erupt into the atmosphere from the several people around us who have taken notice of the lovely performance Lucas and Dylan have put on display for everyone and I swear, I hear several girls' underwear drop to the ground on their own accord

Mine included.

NO NOT MINE INCLUDED.

Once the boys finish up with their btec magic mike performance everybody begins to applaud and flush faced Lucas cheekily takes a bow. "Thank you everyb...." he trails off, his smile dropping abruptly as he notices something over my shoulder.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

We all swivel our heads to see Ivy, looking very, very angry in her...

"Ivy...what are you meant to be dressed as?"

Ivy snaps her head to Aidan who asked that question. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Not really no."

With a fustrated sigh, Ivy digs into her bag before pulling out a...potato.

Nope I'm wrong.

A potato with a string attached to it.

She holds one side of the string and begins to spin the string potato around over her head. "A potato flew around the room before you came," she sings lamely and a chorus of 'oh's' fill the air.

The potato continues flying over her head, seemingly moving faster in pace and my eyes widen as my gaze zeros on the potato coming very loose from the string sellotaped to it.

"IVY THE POTAT-"

"OUCH!" Lucas stumbles back clutching his eye. "MY EYE," he wails and somebody starts screaming - Dylan of course.

As people tend to Lucas and run over to him, an unsettling pause hangs in the air as we all stare accusingly at Ivy and then:

"That's what you get for giving everybody a strip show!" Ivy snaps unapologeticly, throwing her hands into the air as she strolls over to Lucas and grips him by the arm.

"C'mon we're going to the nurses office."

***

Poke. "Do you think I make a sexy pirate."

I turn around very slowly, like it's paining me to look at his annoying face. Because frankly - it is.

"No," I reply bluntly, taking a hold of his index finger that was about to poke me in the back once again. "But if you don't stop poking me, I'll make you look more like a realistic pirate by giving you a hook after I break your hand!"

"Oo scary," Lucas grins, yanking his hand from my grip.

"Why oh why did you have to get transferred into my biology class hm?"  I mutter angrily.

His smile only broadens at my frustration. "Hey! I know you really love being in my classes, more time to hang out with me yippee!"

I blink slowly, blank faced as I stare at Lucas. He has one eye bandaged from the potato incident, even though the potato had really done no real damage in the end, he just wanted the attention. "No, that's really not true at all," I begin to respond just as Mr Bailey starts screaming from the front of the class.

"Lucas, Isabella, focus!"

I briskly turn to the front again and Mr Bailey continues with what he had been telling the class before.

"As I was saying, you have 20 minutes to come up with a short summary of the role of synapses within the nervous system. Discuss with the person next to you."

I glance sideways at the empty seat beside me. "Sir I don't have a partner!"

Mr Bailey presses his lips into a thin line. "You may work with Lucas behind you, but no going off topic!"

I blink slowly. "Can't I work with someone els-"

"No."

"Fine," I grumble. "Sit over here I can't be asked to turn around." I tell Lucas, whilst going on my word and not bothering to turn around.

I hear a scrape of a chair and a shuffling of things before a large figure plops down in the seat beside me.

"So...synapses."

We manage to come up with a summary in less than 5 minutes all thanks to Lucas. Seriously is this guy not, not good at anything?

"So do you think you'll win this game?" I ask Lucas, playing with the lid of my pen mindlessly. He stops jotting down whatever he was jotting down and from my peripheral vision I see him gaze me. His stare almost drives me with this urge to side the side of my face with my hair, away from his view.

"Yes I think we will win," he replies in a matter of fact sort of way.

I cock my head to the side and raise an eyebrow. "You sound so sure."

"That's because I am sure that we'll win...we have a good team this year." He pauses. "Hey, how many touchdowns do you think we'll make tonight?"

I snort. "I don't know one?"

He gasps and clutches his heart in mock hurt. "You have that little faith in us?"

"...Er."

"Wow Belly...I'm offended," he fake sulks. "I predicted that we were going to get at least 5."

"Five?" I repeat, beginning to fiddle with my pen lid again. "Is that a lot?"

"Yep, but like I told you...we're good."

"How can you be so sure you'll score five though?"

"I just know." He quirks an eyebrow. "Huh I can see you're still not quite believing that we can do this." He stares at me once again before shuffling in his chair and turning it to the side so he can face me properly.

I gaze up from where I had been keeping my eyes latched onto the table and turn around to look at Lucas also.

"How about this?"

I raise a quizzical eyebrow, playing with the chain around my neck.

"If we get five touchdowns...you have to come to homecoming on my motorcycle."

"What? No that's stupid."

"Why not? You sure believe we're not gonna win five touchdowns so what's the issue in agreeing to this little bet." He cocks his head to the side. "Unless you actually do believe I'm fantastic at football, like how I am at everything else."

He smirks evilly. "Right you do believe that don't you? Need I remind you of dinner at your house a couple of months ago."

"I don't what you're talking about," I deny, raising my chin in the air stubbornly.

"Let me jog your memory," he smirks. "You admitted that I was incredibly hot and a man of several talents."

"...Er no I did not," I continue to deny. "That was just a figment of your imagination."

He rolls his eyes. "Ok how about this, if we don't win five touchdowns, which is highly unlikely, then...I'll turn up to Hoco in a dre-"

I agree before he even finishes that sentence.

He extends his hand out so I can handshake him and I do, his warm palm encasing mine and I hate that this measly touch sends tingles down my spine.

"It's a bet."

"Wait." I'm struck with a realisation. "Don't you have to go with a Ivy isn't she your date?"

"Ah that's where you're wrong B," he clicks his tounge. "You see we do things a little different at this school."

"You do?"

"Yup, everybody here attends homecoming with their friends and then look for dates for prom."

"...Oh."

He grins broadly. "Don't think you'll get away that easily."

Shortly after, Mr Bailey announces that we may leave after the bell rings if we have finished out summaries so I begin packing away my things.

Just as I'm about to leave Lucas stops me. "What colour helmet would you prefer for tomorrow evening? Black and silver or just plain black?" He asks, a sly smirk playing on his lips.

"You pick." I roll my eyes. "But shouldn't we be deciding what colour dress you're going to wear tomorrow instead?"

"No because there's no way in hell that we're not getting five touchdowns."

I pat his chest as I stroll past him and towards the door. "We'll see."