Working up the guts to answer him came at its costs.
"Yes?" my voice was already cracking at that simple word. I didn't even know where we left off or what happened between us even meant. If it meant anything at all it was beyond me.
"I haven't seen you around. Would you like to hang out sometime?" the masculinity in his voice was beyond anything that I have ever heard.
"I don't know. . ." I trailed off.
"You can come home with me after school tomorrow, we can watch a movie or something?" he seemed to want me over, but I knew all too well what his intentions were.
"We will see." the hell. What was I supposed to say? "Ask me at school tomorrow." before I could hear what he had to say, I hung up the phone, leaving it at that.
My sisters Eliza and Amber came in my room and asked me if I would like to go watch a movie with them. We spent the rest of the night watching Mrs. Doubtfire. Robyn Williams is one of my favorite actors.
The next morning during tennis, we were paired up randomly with one of our team mates. Coach said that we need to get prepared for the season. I was paired up against Taylor Waylons. The tennis "Goddess", the girl who never lost. Well, occasionally she did, and when that happens she acts like a poor sport. I hate playing with people like that, but I'm not going to let her intimidate me.
"Take a good look at your partner. You will be playing against them all week long. Your scores will determine your ability to play during the season. Next week we will alternate partners until you are my star players. Tennis is not something any of you should take advantage of or slack off it. You will work for your one hundred in here. You will work hard, if I see any potential, some of you may possibly move up to Varsity after Christmas break." we listened to his rant for about twenty minutes. Afterwards we began to play.
Taylor definitely had good ball placement. I fumbled and fell in an attempt to run all the way across the court. I shook the burning pain in my knees and palms away. I heard her swear under her breath anytime I made a point, which irritated me.
Our score was 5-6. She had to beat me by two in order to win, I shook off the nervous tension and made a goal. I'm going to push forward. I'm not going to let her take this one. If she wins this game, she wins the match. If I win, we are tied. I did a little foot shuffle to shake the heart wrenching moment away.
"Game count 5-6. Love all. First serve!" The ball flew up into the air. Shit. Not an even throw. Alright, I got this! The lime ball flew up into the air once more, perfect. A perfect serve. Taylor swiftly returned it back to me, and we went at it like that for the remainder of the game.
I had to get this.
"Wrap it up ladies, two more minutes before we need to hit the showers!" I felt the tension between us, but it didn't bother me as much as it did Taylor.
I noticed her brows wrinkle in frustration as we hit back and forth to one another. Curses went under her breath. Sweat dripped off her face, her chest heaving as she took rapid breaths. I returned the ball to her, my hit was weaker than what I was aiming for. Luckily for me, the ball went right over the net. Unfortunately for Taylor, she was all the way at the end of the court. Her legs extended furiously as she ran towards the ball. As she reached it, the ball had already bounced twice. I won the match.
We tied.
Taylor didn't even look at me for the rest of the day. Too bad.
The rest of the day went by like a snail. Slow. Jake walked right past me on my way to my third period class. He didn't say a single word to me. It irritated me because I know he saw me, he obviously doesn't want me to come over that bad. I didn't even know if I wanted to go over.
"Hey! Did you hear what Tiffany was talking about?" Margret questioned me, with shock in her eyes. Margret was a friend, no where near close as Brooke and I were, nor Chelsea.
She was someone I associated with from time to time, one of those acquaintances who are qualified as friends, but you never go out of your way to speak to them. Her red hair lingered down her shoulders making her hair even more frizzed out.
"No?"
"Tiffany was telling her friends in Physics that her and Jake are getting back together. Or so they have been talking about it." suddenly my heart dropped.
What? After everything he has said to me? After everything he has done to me?
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? We weren't together." A simple lie. A simple lie that twisted inside of my stomach. This is ridiculous, why should I let him have this effect on me? Quite frankly he isn't worth it.
Or is he?
After school I scurried through the student body, ignoring the tugs on my heart that made it hard to breathe. I was almost to my car when I heard a familiar voice yelling after me.
"Renee'!" I turn to see Jake, wearing a pair of nice jeans that complimented his height. His shirt was a bit snug on his chest, the muscle poking out of the fabric.
"What?" I couldn't tell if I sounded rude or not, but what the hell.
It seemed to catch him off guard. "Are you okay?" his voice hummed in my ear as he pressed his chest against my face in what I thought was an awkward hug.
"I don't see why I wouldn't be."
"Well you are coming over aren't you?" he looked like a puppy for a minute, or my mind was playing tricks on me. Should I make an excuse to not attend to the two-party party, or should I risk my heart and go?
"Depends." I love leaving people on an edge, especially when I am scared of what's to come.
"On what?"
"Are you not telling me something?" he shook his head with confused eyes. "So you are clarifying that you are being completely out front with me?" another confused look in those amber eyes as he, this time, nodded.
Throwing my backpack into my car, I told him I would follow him. No need for him to take me back to the school. Might as well take my car.
I don't know if I should be worried about Tiffany, her and Jake did date for months the previous year. I just couldn't make out what would be the wrong or the right thing to do.
I guess for now, I should follow my heart into oblivion.
