[𝟑] 𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐘 | adam banks

C H A P T E R 12

Our walk to school with my boyfriend's brother was pleasant; he seemed like a cool guy.

"You know, hearing about Adam making it to varsity makes me both worried and a little proud of him," Alex confessed.

I glanced at him. "He told you?"

He nodded, adjusting his backpack on his shoulder.

"Yeah, and he seemed pretty let down," he said, looking at me. "And I heard you made it to varsity too?"

I sighed. "That's true."

"Feeling disappointed or nah?" he asked.

"I'd say disappointed. Firstly, because I – well, we aren't on the same team as our friends anymore. Secondly, everyone assumes I made it because I'm Riley's cousin," I grumbled, causing Alex to widen his eyes.

"You're Riley's cousin?"

I groaned. "Why does everyone act so surprised when I mention that?"

"Because, my dear best friend, you don't resemble being Rick Riley's cousin," Connie stated, patting both my shoulders. I furrowed my brows at her comment.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means Rick Riley's demeanor and presence give off a bit of an unfriendly vibe, while you seem ready to defend your loved ones fiercely," she explained.

"She's got a point," Alex chimed in.

"I usually do," the sassy brunette next to me added, elegantly sweeping her silky hair back.

That brought a chuckle from all of us, but then Alex's tone turned serious.

"The reason I'm concerned about my brother being in varsity is that it can really affect his self-esteem," Alex stated.

"What?" I whispered in surprise.

"I used to be in varsity, El, and I was also friends with Riley," he confessed, surprising both Connie and me.

"What happened?" Connie inquired.

"Well, let's just say we didn't part on good terms," he began, with a bitter chuckle. "During my time on the varsity team, I constantly doubted myself because of Riley. Even now, I wonder why I ever became friends with him."

Connie and I walked in silence alongside Alex.

"It feels like they'll pressure you into doing things, even if you don't want to, just to earn their pride or gain their respect."

"And then, I lost my spot on varsity when Rick's brother appeared."

"Nathan Riley," I whispered.

"Exactly," Alex nodded. "Initially, I was a little disappointed, but eventually, I got over it."

"I heard he lost his spot because of us?" Connie asked, causing the older Banks to chuckle and shake his head.

"He got what was coming to him."

We didn't realize we'd arrived at the school.

He halted in his tracks, casting a serious gaze at me. "Just promise me you'll look out for Adam? I know what he's been going through, especially with our father putting immense pressure on him."

"But what about her? She's also in varsity?" Connie finally spoke up after being quiet, pointing at me.

Alex shrugged at us. "It's different," he simply said before walking away, leaving us.

Connie and I exchanged worried glances once again before we began walking toward the school.

***

Eventually, Connie and I had to separate as we both had different class schedules. I hadn't seen Charlie or the other Ducks, especially Adam, until lunch.

Entering the cafeteria, someone gently grabbed my wrist, pulling me aside.

"What–"

"Shh, it's just me," Charlie said, looking at me.

"Oh, what do you want now, Spaz-way" I replied, rolling my eyes at the boy.

"You're really not going to let go of that nickname, are you?" he sighed, and I shook my head.

"Listen, I'm sorry about yesterday. I was just mad about Bombay leaving us and–"

"Okay, stop. I forgive you," I sighed, and he visibly relaxed.

"I didn't mean to offend you, I swear," he continued, still trying to explain.

"I understand, Charlie, alright?" I assured him, and he nodded, flashing a smile.

Russ and Fulton suddenly appeared behind him, saying, "Hey, look over there," prompting us to turn our heads in the direction they pointed.

It was the varsity players, messing around with Kenny's lunch by passing it around among themselves. What caught me off guard, though, was Adam Banks sitting among them, not making any effort to defend his friend or, let's just say, former teammate.

Before any of the boys beside me could say something, I immediately approached them.

"Oh, look who it is!" Riley exclaimed with false enthusiasm.

Without a word, I approached them, wearing a blank expression, and extended my hand, gesturing for him to hand me Kenny's lunch.

I caught Adam's worried gaze, his blue eyes expressing worry as they met mine.

Rather than handing me the lunch, Riley tossed it to its owner. He was about to push him away when I swiftly grabbed his arm, halting his action.

"You think you're so cool, coming here to act all righteous?" Riley jeered, his tone laced with mockery.

"Oh, and you're the 'cool and righteous' one when you go around stealing someone else's lunch?" I laughed mockingly at him.

Riley stayed silent while the other varsity players whistled at my response. His eyes bore into me with a glare, but I chose to ignore him. Instead, I shifted my attention to the blond boy with a blank expression, then walked away with Kenny by my side.

"Thanks," he muttered, and I simply smiled in response.