The Girl who Fought to Provide

Chapter 6

"Don't remind me." I said huffing in frustration.

"Well you are gorgeous, so I get why they'll do it." She muttered as we entered the changing rooms.

"And you have confidence, what aren't you good at." She complained as I changed into my gym clothes out in the open of the girls changing room.

"No one ever comes in here but me and you, there's no use anyways." I said stripping out of my jeans and into my gym uniform.

"Do you know what we're doing today?" I called out as she changed inside one of the stools.

"No, he never told us last lesson." She called back.

Once we entered the gym, the hot topic was the party later tonight thrown by someone named Tyler. The gym teacher allowed us to do anything we wanted since it was the last class of the day so me and Nadia threw hoops since every other gym equipment was taken.

"Are you going to the party?" She asked throwing me a ball.

"No, parties aren't my thing." I shrugged.

"Are you going?" I asked bouncing the ball against the wall.

"I wasn't invited." She scoffed.

"Well neither was I." I laughed; I couldn't even go if I wanted to.

"Oh trust me you were, you just never noticed." She said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked sitting back down on the bleachers.

"Tyler tried inviting you but Zade and Silas told him to piss off when you were laying under that tree the other day, I'm surprised you haven't heard all the gossip about yourself but then again you don't interact with a lot of people to know any." She said, pursing her lips.

"And you know all this how?" I asked raising a questioning eyebrow.

"My friends Emma and Jake keep up with it all and they tell me." She shrugged.

"Jake? The cute boy with the glasses?" I asked, watching Zade and the rest of the boys play volleyball.

"You know Jake?" She asked with a hint of surprise.

"Blonde shoulder length hair, black glasses, a little awkward with a red backpack that has 'I hate you' written in Chinese on it?" I asked, watching as Zade won their team a point, his usual scowl sitting on his face.

"Exactly him, he'd be thrilled to hear you called him cute." She clapped excitingly.

I shook my head at her playfully. We talked more about her friends, what they were like and what they did during lunch. They sat in the open area near the cafeteria at one of the tables and her friend Emma talks everyone's ears off about anything and everything. They sounded nice enough so I told her I'd hang out with them sometime next week.

"Hey." Zade's deep voice sounded from the side of me, I didn't even notice he was sitting there nor did I notice Silas and the rest sitting on the benches below us, Kenna rolling her eyes at me.

"Hi." I nodded at him and then at the rest since they seemed so interested in my face.

"Nadia, can you give us a minute." Zade asked politely but still using his stoic tone.

"Sure." She said casually as I begged her with my eyes to say no.

Nadia stared at me, her face beet red as she took off down the bleachers and into the girls changing rooms.

Thanks a lot friend. I thought, groaning inwardly.

"Are you fighting tonight?" He asked, staring at me seriously.

"Are you fighting tonight?" I repeated his question.

"Yes." He said, surprising me.

"Hey Sis." Grayson called out running up the benches towards me.

"Hey, what's the matter?" I asked after he kissed my cheek.

"I have practice after school but there's a party on tonight, I was wondering if I could go, I tried calling you but you weren't picking up." He said with pleading eyes.

"I don't know Gray, I have something on tonight and I don't want to be worrying about you while I'm out." I said.

"That's okay, I understand, maybe next time." He winked with hopeful eyes.

"Keep dreaming, but tomorrow you can go out with your friends since I need to do some things in town as well." I said bumping shoulders with him as the bell rang for end of the day.

"Okay, thanks Av." He said, standing.

"I'll make dinner when I get home and I'll leave it in the fridge for you, have fun at practice." I smiled, as his long arms wrapped around me.

"Love you, bye." He ran back down the bleachers to meet his waiting friends.

"I like your brother, he seems like a good kid, very respectful." Silas said giving me a fright.

I forgot they were even there.

Hoping they never heard too much, I turned to leave but was stopped by the grip Zade had on my hand.

"Why does your brother ask you for permission? Shouldn't he ask your parents instead?" He asked, not making an attempt at letting go of my hand.

His hands were soft but bigger than my small ones. His hands felt comforting on my skin but I shook the feeling off.

"None of your business." I said too harshly, the mention of our parents was a hard topic for me.

"Sorry." I apologized, feeling guilty and slipping my hand from his.

"Don't be, so I'm taking it that you are fighting tonight." He said changing the subject, I was grateful for but not since the topic was also a touché one.

"Why?" I asked guarded.

"We just wanted to know." He said shrugging carelessly.

"I guess you'll find out." I said, jogging to the girls changing rooms.

Not bothering to change, I grab my things and headed straight home to get started on dinner.