My Happy Ending

chapter twelve

Chapter Twelve.

Laiken Kerrivan doesn't show up to school for the next two days. Instead of worrying or feeling concerned for his nonattendance as I usually am, I attempt to focus on other aspects in my life.

I spend my Wednesday night with my family as we all sit around the fireplace in my living room, singing hymns as my father plays along on the guitar.

Even while at school I decide to catch up with my friends, for it feels like I haven't hung out with them for ages except for at lunches. They seem to feel the same way as I join them for lunch on Thursday.

"Where have you been?" Charity asks as I sit beside her.

"I'm sorry," I apologize. "I've been caught up in some stuff."

"It's cool," she replies. "But you're coming to the basket-ball game with us tonight to make up for it."

"Yeah, sounds good," I reply, remembering my conversation with Laiken.

I have to stop blocking myself away from everyone. It's time to start living again.

"Alright, I'll text you the details about it later," Charity says.

It's not until my mother drops me off at the school's gym that I feel myself grow nervous and desire to return to the comfort of my own home.

"Take some risks, do something spontaneous, live a little," I think of Laiken's words.

I push open the front doors and enter through them. I stare up at the massive crowd before me, all waiting anxiously for the first game of the season to begin. A few heads turn towards me, but my eyes desperately search the crowd for my friends. I finally spot Alondra's head in the seventh row, and I instantly make my way towards them. As I walk up the stairs in the stands, I glance towards the empty bench, and I wonder if Laiken will be here tonight.

I shuffle past a few people until I'm standing next to my friends. I take a seat alongside Ryder who holds out popcorn for me. I take a massive handful and stuff it into my mouth, resulting with a stunned expression from him, and we both break into hysterical laughter.

My focus immediately shifts to the gym floor when the lights go dim and music blasts through the speakers.

"Give it up for your Riverdale Knights!" A loud man screams through the speakers.

A large mascot dressed as a knight appears from the change room doors and sprints towards the middle of the court, jumping and dancing as he runs.

Then the entire basket-ball team bursts from the change room. I'm able to distinguish Samuel, Eric, Isaiah, and a boy named Calvin dash out from the change room, but I'm unable to recognize any of the other boys.

My heart flutters when I see him. He doesn't run out like the rest of the team, but he slowly ambles out behind them alongside the two coaches of the team, including Jackson Ware from the basket-ball ceremony. Laiken wears a black warm-up shirt with the words "Kerrivan" on the back of it, but instead of wearing basket-ball shorts, he's clothed in a pair of dark jeans. Nonetheless, he appears dazzling as usual.

The boys all take a seat on the bench, including Laiken who sits in the middle of everyone. The coach leans over and begins to speak to them, probably boosting their morale. Afterwards, they all scream in excitement before running to the court to begin their warm up.

My eyes stay on Laiken, and I know that he must be feeling so lost tonight. It's his first game on the bench, and that definitely can't be easy for him. I watch closely as he removes himself from the bench and approaches the basket-ball court. He starts to help out with the warm-up, throwing balls left and right to the players as they run to a certain spot on the court.