Other Worlds - The Wilds

Chapter 29

  Yep, there was definitely something going on there.

  Shelby seemed to notice the way that Toni was watching them. Because when Toni turned away from them and back to Shelby, her eyes flashed with what looked like jealously at first but eventually changed to recognition.

  She saw it too.

  The rest of lunch flew by. Toni even managed to eat something and was feeling a hundred times better than she was in the morning.

  The bell rang and everyone stood up, said goodbye and started to make their way to the next class. Toni gave Shelby a small wave and turned away, running after Fatin and Leah, who were walking together even though their classes were on opposite sides of the building. "Hey! wait up," Toni shouted after them. They stopped and waited for her. She was panting by the time she got to them. Damn she was really out of shape, basketball was going to kick her ass if she got back on the team.

  "Hey," she said, dropping her hands to her knees and breathing heavily for a moment.

  Fatin waited for a moment before announcing, "Your stamina has really dropped Toni. Bet Shelby is not loving that."

  Wait, what? Toni rapidly straightened up. "What are you talking about?"

  "Oh please. I know sexual tension when I see it."

  Even Leah looked surprised at the comment. "Are you and Shelby..." She made a vague, almost graphic gesture with her hands before Fatin reached out and pushed her hands back down.

  "No. What? Where did you even get that from. We are hardly friends." Reel it in Toni. you're overcompensating. "I meant we only just became friends. She's straight anyway."

  "Chill, we won't tell anyone." Fatin replied with a knowing smirk.

  "We're not-" Toni decided to ignore it. "Whatever, never mind. I actually wanted to ask if there was something going on between you two."

  Fatin hardly reacted. "We're sleeping together." She dropped Leah's hand, which Toni only just noticed that she was holding. "Nothing more though."

   Leah looked away from Toni but not before he caught the disappointed look that flashed across her face at Fatin's words. Toni wondered if Fatin knew what kind of game she was playing with Leah. She hoped she worked it out before Leah ended up hurt. More hurt than she already was.

  "Huh, okay," Toni said to Fatin before glancing over at Leah again. She gave her a sympathetic look before saying, "Well... I gotta get to class. See you guys later."

  "Was that it?" Fatin asked.

  "I guess... I thought it was going to be a bigger conversation that that honestly," Toni laughed awkwardly.

  Fatin laughed and swung her arm around Leah's shoulders which looked a bit strange because Leah was taller. "Nope, it's not really a thing," she confirmed. Toni cringed as she said it, thinking about how Leah must be feeling.

  Leah still looked dejected. Her head was hung and she was barely making eye contact with anyone or anything other than her shoelaces. Toni kind of regretted asking. Poor Leah. She made a mental note to check in on her tomorrow.

  "Alright then, later." She jogged to class, eager to exit that conversation and not wanting to be late.

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  Shelby drove them to the basketball court. She handed Toni the AUX as she got into the car but Toni just put on Shelby's favourite songs. She felt like Shelby would probably be freaking out any time soon and might have benefitted from a little familiarity. Guitars, fiddles, harmonicas and mandolins soundtracked their journey. Toni was actually starting to tolerate country music as well at this point.