Controlled

Chapter 6 - Sophie

"Wasn't planning on it." He set his water bottle down and began dribbling. I set my water next to his and jogged over to him. We started playing, moving around each other, and trying to shoot the ball into the hoop.

I didn't know all of the official rules to basketball, but I wasn't dumb. I grew up with Justin always playing it, and I've gone to more games than I could count. I was never into sports, but I went with Zoey to support him, especially when the school went to the championships.

The excitement of the crowds at sporting events is contagious. More than a few times I found myself cheering loudly along with the people around me. It was fun for me, so I always looked forward to going to any game Justin was playing in.

A thought hit me. I went back to what Zoey kept saying about Justin's feelings towards me. I wondered if she was just saying that, hoping for Justin and me to get into a relationship. Part of me felt that wouldn't be the best idea. I would be worried that it could ruin our friendship. I'd been through his relationships with him ever since middle school. Not once had he ever shown romance showed me, but I helped him through numerous breakups. Ice cream can be a hell of a factor when it comes to cheering someone up.

I was dribbling the ball towards the hoop after I had somehow managed to get it away from Justin. Nearing it, I heard him come up behind me, so I quickly moved and my body to fake which way I was going. He must've known, because once I turned I crashed into his chest, falling back and losing the ball. My back hit the hard asphalt and I groaned. I opened my eyes to see Justin hovering over me. The sun was blinding behind him, but I could just make out his sweaty face.

"Ouch," I mumbled, sitting up slightly. Justin didn't move from leaning over me. I looked up at him. "What?"

He was staring at me so intently. His face was serious, which made me nervous.

"Justin, what-?"

His lips slammed into mine. My eyes widened and my body froze. I felt his hand reach behind my neck and pull me in closer to him. His kiss wasn't desperate, or even forced. It was passionate and sensual. My face grew warm. The butterflies in my stomach were going crazy. My need to deepen the kiss intensified, so I moved my free hand to the back of his head and pulled him into me. My fingers intertwined with his soft, blond locks.

Zoey was right about Justin having feelings for me. How long had he felt this way? He wasn't the only one who hadn't shown any romantic tendencies towards or friendship. I hadn't shown any either. For as long as I'd known him, I'd never even thought about him in that way. But after he kissed me, my feelings were starting to change.

We pulled apart, panting, and staring at each other. I wasn't sure what to say, and I didn't want to say the wrong thing. I had a feeling he didn't either because it felt like minutes before either of us could say something.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I whispered breathlessly.

"I was afraid you'd friend-zone me," he chuckled, breathing hard. I laughed with him, pulling him into a hug. We stayed like that for a few seconds, then he pulled me onto my feet. My elbow was sore and badly scraped, and my back was killing me. "Come on, I have a first-aid kit in my car."

I let him lead me out of the basketball courts and towards his car. He opened his trunk and pulled out a white box with a red cross on it. I sat on the hood of the car and let him look at my bleeding elbow.

"Why would you think I'd friend-zone you?" I asked him, watching his face carefully.

He was quiet as he bent my arm, making sure there was no further damage other than the scrape. He opened an alcohol wipe and started cleaning the wound. I winced from the sting and tried not to pull away.