「 𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐄! , 𝗉𝗈𝗅𝗂𝖻𝗂𝗈 」

!002. different court, same game.

   [ 𖣘, JAYA's CORNER
or AUTHOR's NOTES ✰
!second chapter, featuring
a jealous mattia.

— *🕸! •⁂ ,'✰🕊

⋋ ⇁ REYNA ALMONTE ◇ ⋌
!point of view! 🖇

the bell shrieks over-head, signaling the end of four period. collecting my stuff, i lean against the back wall and wait for mattia to hand his work into our substitute. once his task is finished, he wraps his arm comfortably around my shoulder and grabs half of my books — carrying them along with his, leaving me with smaller weight of books.

mattia's the only one of the boys that i have fourth period with, so we stay in our own little world in the back during this class. usually playing imessage games or doing something random after finishing our work.

as the hallways were pretty loud at this time of day, mattia took the opportunity to bend down and whisper into my ear, " game tonight, and guess who's repping my number ? " he asks.

" uh, i don't know. who ? " i tease, knowing he's overly excited for tonight. he glares at me and playfully shoves me away.

" okay, okay. me, i'm who. " i admit, sliding back under his arm.

reaching my locker, we slip all of our books in there — something we do before lunch, so we don't have to carry all of our books.

" and why are you the one wearing it ? " he questions, getting a bit hyper.

" because you asked her, idiot. " roshaun snickers, rounding the corner with alvaro and kairi.

mattia rolls his eyes and attempts to shove roshaun into the nearest set of lockers, their loud laughter ringing through the hallway.

reaching the lunch room, alejandro appears with robert — both of them coming out of the library. alejandro breaks the two up, ruining their fun to drag them into the lunch room after him.

in the mist of all our laughing, i didn't notice kairi signal to mattia that gabriel was coming over to our table.

once he spots him, mattia's entire face falls and his grasp on my shoulder gets tighter, " can he do nothing on his own, what does he want ? " he sighs.

i smack mattia's thigh, " be nice, mattia. "

" be nice, mattia. " he mocks.

once he reaches our table, gabe slides onto the surface of the table with a huge smile on his face, he's got news, " i made it ! " he announces.

" made ... what ? " i ask, genuinely confused.

" the soccer team, silly. " he replies. mattia's head pops up when he hears that. i don't know what he's more upset about, the nickname — or the fact he'll have to play with gabriel from now on ?

" are you playing tonight ? " mattia shrieks, his eyes widening at gabe.

" no ! don't worry, i won't steal your spotlight. " he reassures mattia.

" steal my- do you know who- " mattia begins, before robert shoves a chip into his mouth to shut him up.

attempting to change the subject, i realize that i haven't introduced the other guys to gabriel, " gabe. this is kairi, robert, roshaun, alejandro, and alvaro. " i say, pointing throughout the boys.

he shakes everyone's hand, " oh and, i heard you play softball during volleyball's off season is that true, rey ? " he asks, i'm aware that he plays baseball as well.

before i can answer, alejandro pipes in, " okay, dude stop with the nickname. ' rey ' is our name for her. " he teases, along with the other boys.

" yeah, and i don't want you calling her that. she's my girlfrie- " mattia begins again, only for robert to shove another chip in his mouth.

" dude, i know you like her and all that jazz. but, she told me that you guys aren't even dating. this is fair game. " gabe debates, obviously a little fed up with mattia.

mattia gives him the nastiest glare before he grabs my hand and pulls me into the hallway with him. from where we're standing, i spot gabriel walking back to his previous table while shaking his head.

" reyna, look at me. do you like him ? " mattia questions, irritated.

" mattia. for the last time, i just met him. i don't know anything about him. i can't like him, already. " i huff, frustrated that he keeps asking me this.

" already ? reyna, i know you. he's the embodiment of your type. tall, fit, brown eyes, tan skin, black hair, deep voice, athletic, all of those. " he rolls his eyes, leaning back on the wall.

" so are you, and we're not dating. " i point out.

he sneers bitterly, " well that's because you won't give me any chance. you keep pushing me away. " he shoves his hands in his pocket.

" why would i date you ? "

" ouch. " he pouts.

" i'm just saying- i didn't mean it like that. you think i don't know you too ? you're joking with me and you have been since the second half of freshman year. you never liked me in the first place. " i cross my arms.

" what ? you think i'm joking ? " he says.

" you've got to be. " i purse my lips, looking into his eyes.

" you know, everything i've said to you — i meant it. i'm not playing with you reyna. "

i can only look at him. no words, no movement. nothing. only the sound of my breathing.

" and pretty boy's gonna take you from me- "

" no he isn't ! what are you so worried about ? "

" well, apparently you don't like me so .. who knows ? maybe you'll end up with him. "

" i'm sure that isn't gonna happen, mattia. "

" why ? are you gonna plot twist on me ? tell me you like me back ? " he mocks, with an attitude.

" maybe .. " i rock on my toes.

" say it, i wanna hear it. " he pushes, walking closer to me.

" nope, i'm good. " i laugh, pecking his cheek and walking back into the lunch room.

" at least i got her to kiss me. point, mattia. " he mutters to himself.