Tori's POV

It had been really cute watching Em and Shawn on Agga. I don't know exactly how Shawn asked her to Prom but it was obvious Em had said yes. So after they had taken a lap around the football field Shawn had gotten off the horse, stripped off his armor leaving him in a regular T-Shirt and jeans, and he rode Agga around the football field. He and Em would take turns making the poor horse trot from one side to the other. Or they would feed him sugar cubes that Shawn had bought.

When the bell rang to get back to class we all headed up the steps. Shawn told us he wouldn't be able to show up to class. He would be meeting up for us at the end of the day when we're all ready to head to the hotel for the soccer match. Shawn was suppose to be waiting for a friend that would pick up the trailer that was parked outside and take Agga back to his original owner. It was really sad seeing Shawn split away from the horse. He had surprisingly taken good care of Agga. As we were heading back to class he was taking Agga's saddle off and brushing his back.

"I have a feeling we're going to see Agga again." Cole had said.

To where I had responded, "Yeah maybe...let's just hope it rains over the weekend before Coach notices the hoof prints on the field."

Em was in her own little world. She smelled like barn but she looked like a little girl that had just been given the present of her life. She couldn't control her smile and whenever we'd try to ask her a question she'd either make us repeat it several times because she wasn't paying attention or she'd give us a short answer. She reminded me of Aurora after having visited Prince Phillip.

I barely made it to class as the bell rang signaling us to all take our seats. Before I sat down I went up to my teacher and handed her a note from the office telling her I would be excused in a few minutes. She just told me to sit down and watch. I was ok knowing I wouldn't have to do any work. Although tomorrow I would probably regret having more make up homework that needs completing. I was drowning in homework, essays, and projects. Right now I was simply trying to pass in order to graduate.

My eyes stayed glued to the clock as I watched the seconds tick by. It felt forever until finally the arms were pointing in the right direction. I stood up, grabbed my bag and crutches, and exited the room with a brief nod from my teacher as she silently gave me permission to leave class. I made my way to the bus loop hating how my crutches sounded like atomic bombs each time I took a step in the empty hallway.

"Tori," I heard my name being called from behind me.

I stopped and turned my head over my shoulder to see who it was. Hayden was only a few feet behind me so I figured he just came out of his classroom. His duffle bag swung in his hand while he tried to put his backpack on. I decided to wait for him to catch up and grinned as he got closer. "Hey Hayden."

He walked toward me and when we were side by side we made our way to the bus loop. "Look at you," He chuckled. "All in crutches and what not."

"The what not would probably be crutch burn I get on my side." It was true though. Every night when I change there's a red burning rash where my crutches are constantly rubbing against me. Sometimes I get so agitated with the crutches I throw them on the ground hoping I could break them. But then I realize I need them to move and quickly pick them back up.

"Ow," Hayden frowned. "Well why don't you wrap towels around the crutches?"

I grunted, "I have. The duct tape wore off and one of the towels fell so we just took the other one off too."

"That sucks." We stayed quiet for a second as we passed a teacher that gave us a strange look. When she finally rounded the corner Hayden started walking in front of me backwards to keep his eyes on mine. "So," He wiggled his eyebrows. "Heard you're going to Prom."

"No really?" I faked a gasp. "Now why on earth would I, a senior who's also a girl, not go to Prom?"

Hayden chuckled, "You didn't see the text did you?"

"What text?"

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and switched back so he was walking beside me. "Shawn sent a message to our group chat. The whole team is in this group chat so naturally it takes like half an hour for messages to send. And sometimes they don't fully send."

"What'd Shawn say?" I said with a bit of fear in my voice. That kid is crazy. There's not telling what he'll do or say. I tried looked over Hayden but couldn't focus on the words as I moved. The pit of my stomach turned as he started reading.

Hayden cleared his throat, "I'm quoting this directly: 'Guy's just thought I would let you know that my sis has been asked to Prom. It's a miracle like chocolate bunnies mating with marshmallow bunnies. No one talk to her, dance with her, or try to woo her over at Prom. This isn't medieval times. This is not a ball. There's no such thing as wooing unless you're a frog that makes really loud moaning noises. Please don't make moaning noises unless you're doing something that is causing you to moan. But anyways, if Tori or her date gets too frisky my brothers and I have decided it's ok if you pull them apart. She's underage. Remember that.'"

Hayden was laughing by the end of reading the text that it was hard to understand the last couple of words. I could feel my face heat up but I wasn't sure if it was out of anger or embarrassment. "He didn't really send that to the whole team did he?"

Hayden wiped a tear out of his eye. "He did. I wouldn't be surprised if he sent it to a few of his other friends too."

I started moving faster just so I could hit Shawn with my crutch as soon as I saw him. "I need a paper sack to cover my face."

******************************

"I said I was sorry." Shawn repeated for the hundredth time. He was still rubbing his shoulder from where I hit him with my crutch. Coach got a little mad at me for hitting Shawn. He didn't want me to damage Shawn right before the game. It could effect the way he plays if he has a bruise on his shoulder. I sincerely doubt it would but I quickly calmed down to please Coach.

I took a backseat on the bus as we made our way to the hotel and was listening to some music. Every five minutes Shawn would come back and ask for my forgiveness. I was giving him the silent treatment which he especially did not like. He took a seat beside me and pulled my ear bud out. "Do you ever feel that ear buds are a mind controlling device? Think about it. The government can hack into your cellphones, radiate a code noise thing, and boom! You're mind is hacked. Next thing you know we're mating with pickles."

I stared at him but didn't reply. He put his arms around me and started to fake cry. "Say something Tori. Anything." He started singing. "Say something I'm giving up on you!"

Everyone on the bus turned to look at us with raised eyebrows as Shawn kept singing. "I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you!"

"Shawn," I finally spoke to him after half and hour of silence.

He looked up with hopeful eyes. "She speaks! Yes?"

"Do you remember how mad you were at me the other day for stepping on your purple power ranger? And I bent its arm so now you can't make it hold onto the motorcycle really well?"

"Yeah..."

"That's how mad I am at you right now."

Shawn thought about it for a second. His mouth opened and closed several times like he was about to say something. He got up and walked his way to the front of the bus. He asked the driver for something but I couldn't hear. So I went back to listening music and staring out the window. Any moment like this was relaxing. Just staring at the passing trees unsure where we were headed. Everyone was either talking to the person that was sitting next to them, playing on their phones and listening to music, or taking a nap. Coach was at the front of the bus revising some tactics. Every couple or minutes or so he would look back at us to make sure we hadn't all died.

I felt someone sit next to me and I glanced over to see Shawn with a bag of ice. "The bus driver had an ice bag up there," Shawn grinned looking around the bus. No one had really paid attention to him. They knew he does crazy things anyways so people have learned to just never question Shawn. Him asking for an ice bag isn't odd at all. "Now we have to decide who..."

I smiled softly and pulled my earbuds out. "I don't think it's a good idea on a bus."

"Don't worry." Shawn grinned. "Just watch."

He got up slowly and made his way to Blake's seat. Blake was talking to our goalie. He kept asking about weak points in a goal other than upper corners. There didn't seem much to go by unless you knew the goalie. Shawn turned around to give me a thumbs up. Everyone at the back end of the bus was now watching him as he made his way towards Blake. "Surprise attack!" Shawn yelled while jumping on Blake. Somewhere and somehow in the bundle of it all Shawn managed to stuff the ice bag down Blake's pants.

Blake jumped up yelling curse words back and forth as he tried to get the ice bag out of his pants. Everyone turned to the spectacular of Blake jumping up and down with his hands down his pants. Even Coach started laughing as he was watching what was happening. Blake finally pulled the ice pack out and stared at Shawn. "What the hell Shawn?" He yelled.

Shawn giggled. "I was trying to make Tori not mad at me." He looked towards me. "Did it work?"

Still trying to control my laughter I nodded. "Yeah it worked."

Blake made a move towards Shawn. Shawn raised a finger up, "Hold up." He started miming a wall. "Look," Shawn said putting his hands flat on the air. At least it looked like a realistic fake transparent wall. "There's a glass wall separating us."

Blake stared at our brother like he couldn't believe the amount of stupid that was radiating in front of him. "What?"

"I wonder..." Shawn pulled a bouncy ball out of his pocket at threw it at Blake. It hit him in the forehead. "Nope there's no wall."

Shawn started backing up as Blake started moving forward. Cole intervened by taking a step between them. "Now now," Cole said putting his hands up between them. "Let's just all take a breather."

Blake stopped glaring at Shawn to look at Cole. He then gave a fake grin reaching out for Cole's belt. Blake pulled the hem of Cole's pants away from his body and dropped the ice pack into Cole's pants. Cole didn't have time to react and started jumping up and down exclaiming how cold the ice was. The pack ran down his leg and he tried getting it out by sticking his hands down his pants. Failing miserably, the pack continued down his pant leg causing Cole to shake his leg as he tried getting it out.

"It's like watching the Three Stooges." Sunshine said with a laugh.

I would like to say that it ended there but one by one every person on the bus ended up with the ice bag down their pants. Cole had put it down Shawn's and then Shawn put it down Trent's and it kept moving like that. When they all turned to me, getting ready to put it down my pants, I gave them a cold hard stare that caused every guy on the bus to cringe.

"Yeah I think we better now." Trent said. "Trust me. I tried to get into Tori's pants. It doesn't end well."

They all turned around and headed towards Coach. "You so much as touch me," Coach said without looking up from his papers. "I will run you all over with this bus."

By the end of the ride, the bus driver said we could keep the ice pack.

******************************

The hotel looked more like a high class motel. It wasn't anything special but at least it looked clean. When we all walked in everyone that was there for vacation stared at us with horror. If a group of about twenty guys walked into a hotel tossing an ice bag around like it was a hot potato I would have been terrified too. Just with the thought of not getting any sleep or being surrounded by annoying teenagers would have had me checking out.

Coach went to front desk telling us to hang out around the lobby waiting for him to come with the keys to our rooms. I put my crutches to the side and took a seat on one of the couches. The guys all sat around, some on the floor others on the seats and tables.

"So what's it like living with those three?" Hayden asked.

I glanced at my brothers. They were sitting across from me with small grins on their faces. "Why do I feel like this is a Q&A?"

"Because it is." Trent smirked. "We took it easy on you because you came out of the hospital but we all want to know."

"Have you seen any of them naked?" Sunshine asked with a scrunched up face before quickly adding. "In a non sexual way of course."

"Have they seen you naked?" Another kid on our team asked.

"Whoa whoa whoa," I held my hands up. "Stop right there."

"Yeah you guys." Shawn directed towards the team. "You see me naked all the time. Why would that be a big deal? Some of you join me in the shower."

A random guy that happened to be walking by as Shawn said that gave us all a strange look. Shawn looked up at the man and smiled, "I bet plenty of men have seen you naked too, right sir?"

The guy's eyes widened and he walked away so quickly he almost started running. Cole grabbed Shawn's backpack and pulled out a roll of green duct tape placing a strip on Shawn's lips. "This is why we don't take you out to public." Cole said hastily.

"So," Hayden edged on. "What's it like to live with them?"

I glanced at my brothers who were all listening intently. Shawn was leaning his head to a side, Cole gave me a half smile with one of his eyebrows raised like he was waiting, and Blake was lying back in his spot with his arms crossed waiting for my answer. "Well at first it sucked," I said looking at my team. They were all paying attention like I was a teacher and they were the students listening to the story I was telling. "Actually it didn't suck. It was hell. First, I had to get over the fact that my dad re-married. Then, the whole stepbrothers ordeal. Once my mind wrapped around the fact I was going to have stepbrothers it was ok. Then I told myself I need to wrap my mind around having the Parris Trips as my stepbrothers. That somewhat happened. I hated them though. It didn't help that they were complete jerks. But it was obvious they hated me so much more. Blake said he'd make my life the living hell. Well he kinda did.

"Blake was a rude arrogant asshole. He was the captain while Cole and Shawn were his troop. Even after Cole and Shawn kinda started liking me he didn't. It took me running away from home heart broken and sobbing my eyes out for him to come around. Have you ever made Blake mad? I don't recommend it. He'll make your life impossible. Then Cole. He didn't talk to me much. He liked my little sis Suzie more. He just sorta ignored me and didn't say anything. I just didn't exist. After Shawn started to talk to me more he finally paid attention and started helping me out. But there still wasn't much there. And Shawn...he would prank me. I mean what else would Shawn do? That's what he's good at. When he needed help with math he finally started talking to me and I helped him with Emily so it didn't take as long."

I paused for a second as everyone glanced at my brothers. Blake was looking down at his lap like he didn't want to hear what I was saying. Cole seemed embarrassed and flustered. And Shawn was nodding along because he knew everything was true. They looked torn because they realized they hadn't been all that nice to me in the beginning but I wasn't nice to them either. I tried to get on their nerves sometimes. So it wasn't all of their blame.

"Don't stop," Sunshine said. "Keep going."

I looked back at all the boys. They were intrigued. So I kept going. "Well...like I said. They were a group of bullies. Then again I was part of the problem too. I would try to get on their nerves. Constantly. I was the one that turned their jersey's pink. I'd annoy them to no end. I flipped them at one point just for the heck of it. Until my dad and I made a pact that I would try to get along with them. Of course they didn't know. It was awful living with them. I just wanted to go to college. But I tried. I figured, maybe if I start to be nice to them they'll be nice to me and I won't suffer as much. It was three verses one."

Everyone turned to look at Blake, Cole, and Shawn. They didn't know how to react or maybe they couldn't believe how much they had tormented me. Before anyone could say anything I started up again. "But..." I emphasized strictly making everyone look back at me. Blake and Cole finally looked up like I had given them a string of hope. A smile spread across my lips. "Then I got to know them."

"Come on guys," Coach said coming into our circle. "I got the keys. Everyo-"

The group shushed him. "Hang on Coach we're at the good part." Someone said.

Coach stared at us before rolling his eyes. "It's like I'm surrounded by a bunch of kindergartners." Coach took a seat on the edge of a chair listening in also. "You guys better not be pussies tomorrow."

"We won't now shhh."

"Where was I?" I asked.

"You got to know them." Trent said moving his hands in circles to try and get me to talk faster.

"Right. So I got to know them." I smiled softly trying to rush through the story now that Coach wanted me to finish up. "And even with all the torment. With the bullying. After I found out that Shawn is a nutcase, Cole is calm and collected, and Blake is actually still a pain but is actually soft and overprotective. I found out that I love them. And I don't know what I would do if they weren't my life right now. And honestly, I can't think of a life without them because it'd be so boring." I held up my hands forming a heart with my fingers. "I love you guys."

The three chuckled and held up their hands in shapes of a heart too. "Love you Tori." They said with their triplet telepathy. Except Shawn who mumbled a bunch of words through the duct tape.

My teammates clapped and laughed. Coach gave a slow clap a small smiling forming on his face. Before anyone else could say anything Coach stood up, "Well that was a lovely story." He said giving one firm clap. "But now I get to pass out your room cards. If you lose this card you don't play in the game tomorrow. I don't feel like going to the front desk at two a.m. because you decided to get ice in the lobby but forgot your card. Understood?"

"Yes Coach." We all shouted together.

"Sweet." He pulled out several small card holders that had names written on them. "We get the third floor. Just because we're all up there doesn't mean the whole floor is to ourselves. So no disturbing other guests..." Coach sighed running his hand down his face to his chin where he held down a little longer. "Who am I kidding? You're all teenage boys. And one teenage girl. Those suckers on the third floor are doomed."

Everyone chuckled. Shawn raised his hand pulling the duct tape off of his mouth. He licked his lips a few times before speaking, "Don't worry Coach. I'll be on my best behavior."

Coach faked a smile. "For some reason that doesn't reassure me. Anyways, I'll have room 302. Everyone remember that number. Write it on your hand if you have to. If anything happens like you get sick, Shawn accidentally kills someone," Coach looked directly at me, "Or you get your period in the middle of night and need things. Room 302."