Love Left Unrequited

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

(A/N: The dedication goes out to @MyDifference for being super sweet and supportive! Wish her a happy birthday this week! Thank you for everything!)

"Octavia!" my mom yelled from outside of my door. "You'll be late if you don't get up now!"

"What?" I sluggishly said, my aching bones protesting as I sat up.

I must not have set my alarm last night, I noticed. I still had the book on my chest, right from when I had fallen asleep.

I checked the time and noticed that I had a half hour to take a shower, get dressed for tennis, and go to school. My heart raced as I realized that it was more like twenty minutes, as it took ten minutes for me to reach the school.

I dashed out my bed and took the world's shortest shower, not even bothering to condition after I applied the shampoo. I dried my hair in about three minutes and wrapped it up in a ponytail.

After getting ready the fastest I had gone before, I sprinted out to the car and had to contain myself before I did 80 all the way to school. On my way, I passed a sign that read 'Slow. Children at play.' The sign was full of lies. All I could see around me was a sleepy neighborhood, free of children.

I rushed into the building to see that I had about three minutes to dash over to tennis. On my way, I had been looking at the ground and, before I knew it, I was ramming into someone.

"Oh gosh, sorry," I said, not even looking up to see who I had hit before the figure tugged on my shirt.

"Come back, Damsel," said a familiar voice, and I looked up to see Spencer hovering over me.

"Word on the street is that you in all of your damseliness saved the dashing prince. That's a new one."

I held back a blush that wanted to inflame my cheeks. "I wasn't the only person."

He shrugged. "I still could have died."

"I remember. How's your arm?"

"Oh, that? It's nothing. The doctors just disinfected it and put a bandage on it. I can't play baseball for a while, though."

"You play baseball?" I asked, shocked.

"Yeah. Varsity pitcher."

"Oh," I replied.

"Speaking of sports, why are you dressed like that?" he asked, referring to my ponytail, sweats, and a hoodie.

"Tennis practice."

"In a hoodie?"

"It's January. I'm improvising," I said with a laugh.

"Well, I should be going," I told him after a moment of awkward silence.

"Yeah, me too," he replied.

"I hope you feel better," I said as I started to walk off.

"Thanks," he replied with a small smile.

I slowly walked away and so did he. Soon, a swarm of people surrounded us, and he hidden from my vision. I took my time getting to the courts, considering that I had a feeling of dread creeping up into my bones.

"Octavia, walking in late again," Carissa sneered from inside the locker room.

"I'm not late. First off, the second bell hasn't even rung yet, and secondly, look around. Everyone else is just now getting here too. Third, I don't see you out on the courts right now, so why are you getting onto my back?"

"Oh shut up, Octavia. Nobody wants to hear your whiny voice."

"Tou- freakin'- che," I remarked as I set my bags down and walked out the door, leaving a fuming Carissa behind.