Sneakers over heels #Wattys2021

Chapter seven

Thirty-six.

Thirty-seven.

Thirty-eight.

Thirty-nine.

Forty!

I drop down on the floor of the gym. "Fuck, I hate planks," I mutter to myself as sweat pours down the side of my face. I got a call earlier today from Cassy informing me of practice. It's Sunday, but I was more than happy to have grabbed my sports bag and rush to school.

Practice was to start at 10 a.m but I was already at the gym by nine and so I decided to do some workouts. My muscles ache after an intense workout. Sweat pours down the back of my spine and my t-shirt clings to my body completely drenched. Pushing myself up I get to my feet to change. I always carry spare T-shirts in my bag. I pull out a clean one and remove the sweaty one off of me when the doors of the gym pulls open.

There's still half an hour until practice starts. Who in the world is up here so early?

Carrying her bag and tapping on her phone, Nora enters. She looks up and then pulls out her earphones. Pocketing her phone, she walks up to me. Taking my drenched self and panting she perks a brow.

"Are you deliberately trying to tire yourself before practice? I was said we have three practice matches today apart from the exercises." She says in monotone.

"I just like to work out when I've got the time. I don't get tired that easily Nora." I say as I shamelessly parade in my sport bra. Should I just continue with this?

"Get dressed, will you?" Nora says dryly almost reading my mind. I chuckle at her uncomfortable self and put on the clean t-shirt and the two of us sit on the bleacher waiting for the rest of the team. I keep looking at Nora since I've nothing better to do and I bet it gets under her skin.

"Stop staring at me." She says with an irritated tone not looking at me and tapping away on her phone. What's in it so much?

"Sorry, just felt bored," I respond and now she looks at me like I'm the weirdest person she's ever met. I shrug and she sighs turning back to her phone. There's a silence between us once more. I'm never lost for words. I could go on for hours having a conversation with any girl or well, any human being if it has something to do with my sport. And hell, we're in the same team! But somehow the atmosphere was awkward.

"So you've become friendly with the Howell siblings," Nora finally breaks the silence since I'm sure even she felt the silence creeping up her nerves. I perk a brow at that wondering just where she had heard that from. "I saw you sitting together at a table during lunch break." She says answering my confusion. I stare at her surprised.

"You were in school!?" I ask and then realize how stupid that sounded.

"I go to Westview high?" She says, confused herself.

"Sorry. It's just that I've never really seen you in school. I simple made up my mind you're some kind of basketball ghost taking a girl's appearance and visible only to us in the gym." I say breezily like I hadn't just called a human a ghost. The next thing I know I slip off the bench and stare at the girl in horror since she burst out laughing.

What the fuck?

"I just keep to myself and hate attracting attention." She says amidst her laughter. I scramble back up and sit beside her, grinning from ear to ear.

I made Nora laugh.

"The newbies seem to be hitting off so well." Tori's voice cuts through the gym. Nora and I turn to the entrance at once and find Tori with Cassy and Kaera walking towards us.