Aileen winked as she waited by the passenger door for Jani to unlock it. “I’ll buy you a big bag at the grocery store.”
“They won’t taste as good.” Jani started her car. “Something about the crisper in the fridge or what. They are so cold, plus juicy and yummy. Gala apples. Red delicious.” She licked her lips.
“You can run back in and grab one.” Aileen now felt bad for fleeing the scene. Maybe he hadn’t noticed them. He could have been talking to someone or reading. She had been bent over the water fountain and hadn’t seen him. In hindsight now, she maybe shouldn’t have rushed out of the weight room so fast. However, there was no way she was walking back in there to try and appear cool about it.
Jani waved her hand. “Nah, I’ll be okay. I’m ready for a McDonald’s Egg McMuffin with sausage.”
Aileen shook her head, half at Jani, the other half at herself. It was Tyler who hadn’t said hello, right? She shouldn’t have had to walk across the room to greet him, right? That was his job, wasn’t it?
“We also can pick our scholarship checks today. Coach Maves told me yesterday that they were ready.”
“What are the checks for?” Aileen remembered Coach Anderson saying something about them after she had signed and told him she would be moving in with Jani. However, she couldn’t remember what they were for.
“We get a stipend to cover living expenses. If you were in the dorms, you wouldn’t get one. It helps to cover your rent, food, and bills. We have cheap rent so it’s great.” Jani pulled the car out of the parking lot and headed in the opposite direction of home. “How about we hit the golden armpits and then grab some stuff for the party? Unless you want to go home and change first?”
Aileen glanced down. Gray jogging sweats and pink t-shirt? She was good to go! “I’m good. I’ll shower before I go see Laurie.”
Jani pulled the car into the parking lot by the basketball coliseum. Sports were definitely the king of the castle at this school. She led Aileen inside to a large u-shaped front desk where a small lady, with glasses hanging off the end of her nose, sat.
“Jani! How did summer school go?”
“I passed.” Jani smiled, looking kind of embarrassed. “One last class to take this semester.”
“Great.” The little lady slid her glasses onto the top of her head. “And you must be a new athlete on the team?”
“I’m Aileen Nessa.”
“Oh, yes!” She scurried around the big desk and gave Aileen a tight hug.
Jani laughed. “This is Mrs. Peters.”
“Hi, Mrs. Peters.” Aileen patted the woman’s back, wondering if she was going to let go of Aileen.
“If you ever need anything, you make sure you come and talk to me. None of my athletes need to have to worry about anything.” She gave Aileen a tight squeeze before letting her go and hurried back around the desk. She slipped her glasses back to the end of her nose. “Here to pick up your checks?”
“Yes, please.” Jani picked up a white binder off Mrs. Peters desk. She flipped to a page and grabbed a pen to sign her name. She handed the pen to Aileen. “Just sign your name to say you picked up your check. No one can pick it up for you.”
“Okay.” Aileen signed her name and accepted the envelope from Mrs. Peters. “Thank you.”
“Thanks, Mrs. P! Have a great day.” Jani headed back outside, holding the door open for Aileen. As they walked to the car, Jani opened her envelope. “I’m going to assume you’re on a full scholarship?”
Aileen nodded. “Are you?”
“You better believe it!” Jani laughed. “Do you have a bank account in New York already?”
“My dad set one up for me. It’s at the Meridian.”
“That’s where I bank! Perfect!” Jani rubbed her shoulder against Aileen’s. “We were so meant to be soul sisters.”
Inside the car, Aileen opened the check. “Fifteen hundred dollars?” That was more money than in her bank account right now. “I get
“They won’t taste as good.” Jani started her car. “Something about the crisper in the fridge or what. They are so cold, plus juicy and yummy. Gala apples. Red delicious.” She licked her lips.
“You can run back in and grab one.” Aileen now felt bad for fleeing the scene. Maybe he hadn’t noticed them. He could have been talking to someone or reading. She had been bent over the water fountain and hadn’t seen him. In hindsight now, she maybe shouldn’t have rushed out of the weight room so fast. However, there was no way she was walking back in there to try and appear cool about it.
Jani waved her hand. “Nah, I’ll be okay. I’m ready for a McDonald’s Egg McMuffin with sausage.”
Aileen shook her head, half at Jani, the other half at herself. It was Tyler who hadn’t said hello, right? She shouldn’t have had to walk across the room to greet him, right? That was his job, wasn’t it?
“We also can pick our scholarship checks today. Coach Maves told me yesterday that they were ready.”
“What are the checks for?” Aileen remembered Coach Anderson saying something about them after she had signed and told him she would be moving in with Jani. However, she couldn’t remember what they were for.
“We get a stipend to cover living expenses. If you were in the dorms, you wouldn’t get one. It helps to cover your rent, food, and bills. We have cheap rent so it’s great.” Jani pulled the car out of the parking lot and headed in the opposite direction of home. “How about we hit the golden armpits and then grab some stuff for the party? Unless you want to go home and change first?”
Aileen glanced down. Gray jogging sweats and pink t-shirt? She was good to go! “I’m good. I’ll shower before I go see Laurie.”
Jani pulled the car into the parking lot by the basketball coliseum. Sports were definitely the king of the castle at this school. She led Aileen inside to a large u-shaped front desk where a small lady, with glasses hanging off the end of her nose, sat.
“Jani! How did summer school go?”
“I passed.” Jani smiled, looking kind of embarrassed. “One last class to take this semester.”
“Great.” The little lady slid her glasses onto the top of her head. “And you must be a new athlete on the team?”
“I’m Aileen Nessa.”
“Oh, yes!” She scurried around the big desk and gave Aileen a tight hug.
Jani laughed. “This is Mrs. Peters.”
“Hi, Mrs. Peters.” Aileen patted the woman’s back, wondering if she was going to let go of Aileen.
“If you ever need anything, you make sure you come and talk to me. None of my athletes need to have to worry about anything.” She gave Aileen a tight squeeze before letting her go and hurried back around the desk. She slipped her glasses back to the end of her nose. “Here to pick up your checks?”
“Yes, please.” Jani picked up a white binder off Mrs. Peters desk. She flipped to a page and grabbed a pen to sign her name. She handed the pen to Aileen. “Just sign your name to say you picked up your check. No one can pick it up for you.”
“Okay.” Aileen signed her name and accepted the envelope from Mrs. Peters. “Thank you.”
“Thanks, Mrs. P! Have a great day.” Jani headed back outside, holding the door open for Aileen. As they walked to the car, Jani opened her envelope. “I’m going to assume you’re on a full scholarship?”
Aileen nodded. “Are you?”
“You better believe it!” Jani laughed. “Do you have a bank account in New York already?”
“My dad set one up for me. It’s at the Meridian.”
“That’s where I bank! Perfect!” Jani rubbed her shoulder against Aileen’s. “We were so meant to be soul sisters.”
Inside the car, Aileen opened the check. “Fifteen hundred dollars?” That was more money than in her bank account right now. “I get
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