"control your emotions"

⋆✧⋆✧⋆

"What do you want to do today?" I ask my little sister.

"Watch Frozen!" Charlotte replies. I definitely should have predicted that. It's her favourite movie.

So we do what she asks. I make some popcorn and turn on the movie. I throw a blanket over the little girl beside me and she curls up into my side.

We watch the movie- well I watch the movie and Charlotte reenacts the scenes- and before I know it, it's over.

"I've got to get going, Charles." I say watching as her smile falls.

Her eyes well up with tears and she grasps onto my arm. "Please don't leave." She begs. My heart shatters. It's just her and dad in the house with me at school, and even though I live close, she's still alone. She loves dad, of course, but it's hard. He's at work constantly and so she spends her time at school, gymnastics, and with a nanny. Dad and I try and be there as much as we possibly can for her, but it's not nearly enough.

After over 10 minutes of my sister crying and begging me not to leave, I manage to say goodbye. Once I make it to my car, I begin driving back to campus. Today is my first tutoring session, and I'm not looking forward to it.

⋆✧⋆✧⋆

I hate school. It's as plain and simple as that. I always have and I think I always will. It's pointless. A bunch of memorizing that turns into useless knowledge, professors who really don't care about you, lectures that bore you from the inside out. It's all meaningless, so why should I try?

Unfortunately, I have to do this. I have to be tutored and I have to raise my grades. If I don't, I can't be captain, and hockey is one of the only things I care about. Even still, this tutoring thing not going to be easy for either of us.

I walk into the library and spot a short brunette trying to reach a book on the top of a bookshelf. I laugh to myself as I watch her go on her tiptoes, and stretch her body as tall as possible.

"You look like an idiot." I point out as I reach above her grabbing the book she was reaching for.

"Good, that was my goal all along." She retorts, trying to seize the book back from my hands.

"What do you say?" I ask, feeling the urge to irritate her.

"Give me my book." She states blatantly.

I look down at her, "Wrong"

"Thank you." She mumbles, obviously annoyed with me.

"Good girl,"

She pats my shoulder, "Come on darling, we need to get studying. I can already tell you're going to need all the help you can get." She uses that dumb nickname she selected for me, clearly not able to let me win.

We spend a couple hours trying to study. She uses her handmade flashcards and pristine notes and I mostly stare off into space. I have to give her credit though, she's definitely a step up from my boring ass professor. I think he's 90 years old and a french fry away from a heart attack.

"Alright Laney, I think it's time I head out."

"Ok, we covered a lot today and I hate to say it, but you're not as dumb as you seem."

"Gee, thanks. I'd give you a compliment too, but I'm not sure you did anything to warrant one"

Her jaw drops and she swats me with her notebook. "You're rude, you know that?"

I smirk, "So I've been told."

"Good lord" I hear her mutter under her breath, "Goodbye." She walks away, leaving me to put back all those damn books we used.

⋆✧⋆✧⋆

I shut my locker and start to get ready for practice.

Jax's agitating voice rips me out of my thoughts, "Who was that girl you were with today, Blake?"

"Do I need to add stalker to your never-ending list of unadmirable traits too?"

"Don't flatter yourself, it's not like you own the library. I saw the two of you when I was getting a book." He reasons. "Plus that chick of yours really knows how to catch someone's attention." He adds when he realizes he isn't getting much of a reaction from me.

I turn to him, trying not to let my displeasure show, "She's not my chick."

"Oh, so she's available then."

I immediately shut that thought of his down, "I didn't say that either." No fucking way that scumbag is getting anywhere near her.

"Well if she isn't actually yours, then you really don't have a say on the matter anyways." A cocky grin dances across his lips.

I grab him by his shirt and slam him into the locker, finally letting my frustration get the better of me.

"You don't know what you're doing." I ignore Theo and Owen trying to pry me off of Jax. "She's off limits, not that she'd be dumb enough to go out with you anyways."

I hate this fucker, so much.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Coaches voice makes me drop the dumbass I'm holding against the cold metal.

"Nothing, coach" I vocalize. "We're all good now."

"Yeah, all good." Jax spits out, his embarrassment clear as day.

"Alright then. Get your gear on and let's go." He shouts to the locker room go guys.

Practice goes by quickly and I don't even bother showering at the rink before I head straight home, enough with everyone's bullshit.

⋆✧⋆✧⋆

"What the hell was that?" Luke questions me, as he and the guys walk through our front door.

I challenge him, "I don't know what you're referring to."

"He's referring to the fact that you wanted to kill Jax over the mention of some girl."

I don't even respond to Owen's clarification.

"That's the thing." Mason starts, "She's not 'some girl' to him." I roll my eyes.

"Please, do go on." Theo voices his curiosity.

When I don't say anything, Mason proceeds to blabber all the information he's acquired over the last several days.

"She's Charlotte's gymnastics coach."

"Got all weird and dopey the moment he met her."

I defend myself "Not true."

I hear Luke and Owen chuckle, while Theo just looks thoroughly interested.

"Then he found out she's his tutor for psych." Mason has the time of his life giving the play by play.

DING! My phone goes off.

Of course it does.

I fling my body to my phone, not wanting another Mason reads my phone situation to occur.

Thankfully, this time I grab my phone. Unfortunately for me, it's 4 against 1.

Luke and Owen tackle me to the floor and Theo rips the phone out of my hand, giving it to Mason.

"Holy shit it's her." He glances at the bright screen in his palm.

I try and stop what's about to happen, "Don't you dare start reading it, you piece of shit." But I know it's no use.

"Hi, darling" Mason basically shrieks out the text.

The boys absolutely lose their shit over this. "When did you guys turn 13?" I groan.

In their fit of laughter, I manage to pry myself out of my friends' grips and snatch my phone back.

"You all suck. I'm kicking the four of you out of this house tomorrow morning!" I yell as I walk away from them, up to my room.

I text.

She responds quickly.

I offer a vague explanation

I can't help but chuckle at her text, She goes on,

I joke.

I think to my schedule and give a serious reply,

I wrap up our possible never ending banter.

⋆✧⋆✧⋆

How are we feeling about today's chapter? It's currently two in the morning and I most definitely should be asleep, but I need to stock up on chapters for you guys.

Question for the chapter: What's your favourite song right now?

I love reading your comments- they make my day. (quick reminder votes help a ton<3)

I hope everyone is doing well. Stay safe and healthy :)