Page 43 of Our Forever Starts Tonight

Ceradi raised her hand. “Can we stay there the whole time?”

“Yes. You’ll be released briefly to come back here before lunch and then you can go back afterwards if you’d like,” Coach H explained.

Milton snickered next to me. “Leave the lunchroom to come back here, go to the lunchroom, then come back here, just to go back to the lunchroom.”

Coach H pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m aware of how silly that is, but it’s the only way for us to keep track of you, so just deal with it.” She paused to see if there were any other questions, but when no one else raised their hand, she kept going. “Great. Mr. Sung will be showing movies all day in the auditorium, so same routine there if you’d like to go there, or you can go to the gym for games. Anyone who wants to stay here, I’ll be cleaning and organizing the room and I’d love the help. I know it’s not much but anyone who stays to clean will have their lunch accounts loaded with enough to cover a few meals, so you’re technically getting paid.”

Ceradi sighed. “My—”

“I know,” Coach H cut her off, sounding annoyed. “I know money isn’t a struggle for you. Feel free to take another option.”

Ceradi gave her a cocky smile. “I will, thank you.”

“Alright, let’s split up. Who is going to take the study option?”

Ceradi immediately raised her hand, and everyone in our little friend group followed suit, apart from me. Hannah looked over at me and raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going?”

“Come on, Tris. Let’s go slack off,” Ceradi said, making no attempt to hide her words from the teacher.

“I’m thinking of going to the gym. You guys go ahead,” I said.

Ceradi shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Hannah, Ceradi, Milton, Josh and a few other students in the class signed out and left, bound for the lunchroom, and I looked over at Aria. Whatever she decided to do for the day, I’d do that too. I had to try at least one more time to earn her forgiveness. We were meant to be together. I didn’t want to just give up.

Coach H released the students who wanted to go to the auditorium and the gym, and then smiled at the handful of students remaining to help her clean. “You guys have always been my favorites. I know you think I’m just saying that, but I’m serious. I had a feeling you all would be left. You’re the good ones.”

I glanced over at Aria and we locked eyes for a moment before she looked away, but not before I saw the light blush rise to her cheeks. There was something there, I just had to prove that she could trust me not to hurt her.

Coach H picked up a clipboard and set it down on her desk. “Here are all the things I want to try and get done, in order of priority, so please fill in from the top down. What I didn’t tell the others was that lunch is on me today for your help, too, so please write down what you want from Stone and Sandwiches as well. We’ll enjoy a nicer lunch since you were willing to help me.”

There was a small round of cheers and then people started to get up one by one and head up to the clipboard. I lingered until everyone had gone up, and when everyone had returned to their seats, I stood up and walked over to the list. I scanned it and saw that Aria had signed up to deep clean and organize the supply closet, and there was no one else signed up to help. Praying it wasn’t a mistake, I added my name near that task, wrote down what I wanted for lunch, then returned to my seat.

Once everyone had signed up, Coach H took a look at the clipboard and smiled. “Cool. Thank you guys so much for the help. Denver, Shane, I’ll go collect the broom and mop bucket for the floors, but you can start by shoving the desks to the sides. Mary, Cait, Anna, if you guys want, you can get started with the markers. Then when we know how many are dead and have to be thrown away, we’ll move on to taking an inventory of everything. Tristan and Aria, your job is arguably the hardest because I have no idea what’s in that closet, but I’ll get you a big garbage can because I’m assuming most of it can be thrown away.”

Aria turned her head to look at me, and I gave her a weak smile, getting a deep eye roll in response. She wasn’t thrilled with my antics, but that was okay. I didn’t think she’d be that excited at the outset, but this was the most time we’d had to talk since my birthday. I just had to explain myself honestly and promise her that I wouldn’t hurt her again. Everything would be okay as long as I didn’t shove my foot in my mouth again.

“Let’s get started. I’ll put some music on,” Coach H said, then everyone jumped to get started. Aria and I collected near the supply closet in the back of the room and Coach H came over to unlock it. “I was certain no one would sign up for this. You two are saving my life.”

Aria smiled. “I always organize our storage spaces at work, so I’m kind of a pro.”

Coach H just shook her head. “I might have known. Do literally whatever you want, just run anything by me that you’re thinking of throwing away. I’m gonna go get some cleaning supplies too, so if you come across anything that is spilled or needs to be cleaned that’ll be here for you.” She tapped me on the back. “Thanks, Tris.”

I nodded. “No problem, Coach.”

With that, Coach H walked out of the room to go and get the cleaning supplies and Aria stepped by me and into the closet. “You didn’t have to sign up for this too.”

“I wanted to help,” I replied. “And spend a little time with you.”

She looked back at me. “We’re cleaning, and that’s it.”

It deflated me a little, but I didn’t let it discourage me entirely. “Yeah, cleaning.”

She tossed me a narrowed gaze, but then sighed and turned her attention to the closet. “Let’s just get everything out first, then we can go over it all and figure out the best way to organize it.”

“Okay.”

Aria started handing me things out of the closet, and I started to stack them on a nearby desk. I kept everything in as organized piles as I could, setting everything that I assumed we’d eventually be trashing off to the side on a different surface. Every time she bent over in front of me, my eyes immediately drifted to her curves, but I begged my mind not to get distracted. Yes, Aria was hot, but letting that muddy my mind while I was just trying to get her to deal with me again wasn’t going to be good for business.

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