Goals Off Court | SatoSere

Chapter 23 - One Text Away

[Text from: May]
ofc! dawn and i were just about to come check up on you and steal you away tbh. come down so we can dance for a bit and then meet everyone for dinner!

Serena smiled. She really had the most wonderful friends. They were always so concerned about her, always wanting to help her. She couldn't believe she laid around about this at all when she could've talked to them all about it. She knew she was allowed to be a little sad, but she knew this would be way better.

Her phone buzzed again.

[Text from: Dawn]
girl we're on a time frame here! hurry up and get your fine ass to the studio. we're having a party!

Serena laughed again.

[Text to: Dawn]
omg the studio isn't going anywhere! i'm otw now.

Serena grabbed her bag. She could do this. She would spend her time with her friends and her life would go back to normal. She needed to be back in her relationship problems free mindset and fast.

With the boys at their dorm, Ash swung the door open and tossed his bag onto his bed.

"Tomorrow, Gary," he said, taking a seat across from the brown haired boy who was relaxing on his bed. He wasn't going to think about his time with Clemont and what was said. All he had to do was focus on the excitement of returning to practice tomorrow.

Brown eyes bounced over to Ash's face. "What's tomorrow? Friday?" Gary asked, staring up at his roommate.

A laughing breath puffed from him and his tongue poked the corner of his lip, meaning back against the wall. "Yeah, I'm coming back to practice. Got my freedom back."

"Damn, time flies. Today was your last study session. See, I told you how fast it would've gone by." Brown eyes looked into Ash's that were accompanied by matching excitement. "Congrats, Ashy-boy! We'll have to go out tomorrow and party."

"Nah, I don't care about that. I just want to get on the court and dribble, and shoot til my hands and arms go numb." He grinned, rubbing his palms together.

Gary's large grin on his face grew into complete exuberance. He chucked at his friend's eager ways back in action. "How you are on court scares people, you know? It's unreal."

"Good," Ash scoffed without hesitation. "They know who they're dealing with and who to watch out for."

"Some things never change," Gary huffed a laughed, lifting his chin in thought, but decided not to contemplate too much on that. He moved onto more important subjects. "So are you going to keep dancing with Serena? Misty said her friend Dawn was thinking about asking because you two had... good chemistry."

"I already told you. I said it was going to be over." Ash rose from his chest, having a hard time meeting his questioning green eyes. Ash's fingers ran through his own hair. "I'm not a dancer, man."

"What? You told her it was over?" Gary tilted his head with a short, confused laugh and when he detected he wasn't going to get a laugh or smile in return, he frowned with a raised eyebrow." Like—Even between you two?"

"I told you I had to end it," Ash stated bluntly. He scanned the timidity in his friend's appearance, continuing. "I don't know why we're even talking about this again. The lessons are done. That's all they were between us."

"I didn't think you were serious. I figured you two might talk it out or something." Gary chin lifted and a twisted, yet curious brow stayed on his face. "That's messed up. Don't you think you're being too harsh—a harsh damn idiot?"

"Getting close to a girl in that way and relationships are a distraction. Dance is a distraction." A tone of great indignation grumbled from Ash's lips. "A distraction is the last thing I need in my life."