Always Gonna Be You | Ongoing

31| A Play for Love

"How are things with the girl?" my dad asked, raising an eyebrow.

"There's a girl? Grayson, what are you not telling me?" my mom inquired, looking intrigued.

"He's found himself a potential lover," my dad teased with a smirk.

"Since when?" my mom pressed.

"Since the first day I saw her," I admitted, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Which was?"

"A few weeks ago."

"I'm gonna need you to be more specific."

"Remember when the guys and I went to Target? And then the guys told you about the incident with a girl?"

My mom's smile grew. "Yes, I remember."

"Well, the following Monday, she ended up being Kiara Reed, the girl dad told us about."

She gasped. "No way."

"Yeah."

"The girl has him in a chokehold," my dad said to my mom, throwing a smirk in my direction.

"You have a girlfriend?" Hazel, my little sister, piped up from beside me.

"No, she's just someone I find interesting and want to get to know better."

"You liar. You like her, don't you?"

"And why should I tell you about such things?" I retorted.

She gave me a knowing look, which made my parents laugh.

"You know, I think you'll like her if you meet her," I said.

"Really?"

"Yes, really, Hazel."

"Mmm, I'll be the judge of that."

"If you come to my game, maybe you'll meet her," I suggested.

It was game day. I woke up early for a run. Once back home, I took a quick shower, got dressed, put my curls in a half-up, half-down style, and added a white bow.

I grabbed my bags and headed downstairs to the kitchen, where my mom and Jayden were already sitting.

"Wow, you got ready fast," my mom remarked.

"Mhm," I replied, taking a sip of water.

"Don't forget, I'm going over to Mila's house after school," I reminded her.

"Oh yeah. Have fun there. I'll see you later at the game," she said, placing a plate of waffles in front of me.

I thanked her and dug in.

"And you? Ready for tonight?" Mom asked Jayden.

He lifted his head from his phone and said, "Yeah."

"Good."

I walked to my locker, grabbed my books, and headed to my first class, English.

I opened the door and found my friends, except for Grayson, already there. I joined them at our table.

"Hi," I said, setting my bag down and taking a seat next to Logan.

Ten minutes into class, Grayson still hadn't arrived, which was starting to worry me. We were given an essay to work on and had just started our rough drafts when the door finally opened. Grayson walked in, and everyone's heads turned.

"Nice of you to join us, Grayson," Mrs. McGregor said sarcastically.

He gave her a tight-lipped smile and came over to sit next to me.

"Hey," he greeted, smiling.

"Hey," I replied, feeling a sudden boost of happiness.

It's the end of the school day now. After setting up everything for tonight's game, we headed to Mila's house. She pulled up to a beautiful home, and it was even more stunning inside.

"Your house is gorgeous," I complimented.

"Thank you," she replied.

We went upstairs to her room, which was just as beautiful. The girls threw themselves onto her bed while I noticed a small light brown kitten walking in. I squatted down and gently stroked its fur.

"Well, aren't you a pretty one," I said, smiling as the kitten purred and weaved between my legs.

Mila's door burst open, and a beautiful blonde woman with long hair and blue eyes, just like Mila's, walked in.

"Oh hey, guys," she greeted.

They all called her different nicknames, and I simply said, "Hi."

Her eyes landed on me, soft and welcoming. "You must be Kiara."

"That is me, ma'am."

"Oh, you don't have to call me that. You can just call me Lauren," she said warmly.

I nodded. "Nice to meet you."

"It's lovely to finally meet you. You are exactly how the girls described," she said, then turned to Mila. "What time do you think you'll finish up?"

"An hour or so," Mila replied, looking at us for confirmation. We nodded.

After a bit more chatting, her mom left, and we were alone in the room. I moved to a beanbag in the corner and plopped down, finding it surprisingly comfortable.

"What are you guys gonna wear?" Kayla asked as she rolled off the bed.

"Just a red cropped top and denim shorts with my red Converse," I said.

"Black leggings, red cropped shirt, and my Air Force Ones," Jordan added.

"A red dress with black Converse," Mila said.

"Oh, okay, good, because I have jeans and a red top with my red Dunks," Kayla said.

We all changed and were now doing our hair. I didn't do much, just tied the upper half with a red bow. I French-braided Mila's hair while Jordan touched up Kayla's straightened hair.

After finishing up, we headed downstairs to take pictures. Mila's mom, Lauren, handed us red, white, and silver accessories.

"I brought these for you guys if you need them," she said, placing them on a table outside.

"Thanks, Mom," Mila smiled.

We took pictures together and then made our way to school, ready for the big game.