Sneakers over heels #Wattys2021

Chapter seventeen

Ah fuck!
 
"Who's it from?" Travis asks as I dump my phone into my backpack and hurriedly zip it.
 
"Cassy.  I forgot we've got an evening practice today." I finish the last bits of my drink and get to my feet. "Can you drop me off?" I ask and Travis nods as he pushes his chair back and leaves the cafe with me.
 
The roads were empty so we reached the school pretty fast. Let's not forget that Travis drives like a madman in certain instances.
 
"Thanks, bud." I remove the seat belt and push open the car door. Before I could take a step outside, Travis grabs hold of my arm.
 
"When will you be done with practice?"
 
I raise a brow at him. He's never asked me this before.
 
"I can come pick you up." He says with a shrug. This makes me laugh.
 
Would you look at that? Someone is starting to feel lonely already.
 
Travis gives me a sullen look and I stop my laugh so he wouldn't feel any more miserable.
 
"We'll be done by seven at most," I say and he gives me a full tooth grin.
 
"Got it. I'll be here so don't you dare get a ride from anyone else or walk home.” He finishes with a stern glare. Sometimes he acts like my dad. Sighing and shaking my head I get off the car and pulling the strap of my bag over my shoulder I walk towards the school.
 
I didn't have to turn around to look, but I was sure Travis was still rooted to the same spot.
 
Oh! Isn’t that-
 
Tori was hobbling towards the school building in front of me.
 
"Hey, Tori." I quickly call out before she disappears inside the school.
 
"Judy." She looks behind and smiles as she starts hopping my way but I quicken my steps to reach her so she wouldn't have to strain much.
 
"How's the leg doing?"
 
"It's getting better by the day." She replies with a shrug.
 
"Thank goodness. James's arm had healed quite well." I say making small talk.
 
"Yeah, his wasn't all that big of a deal. Oh and Judy? I heard all about what happened. Between you and James." There was a slight tease in her tone.
 
How did she? Did he spill the bean?
 
"Do the two of you always share things with each other?"
 
"Nope. He was sulking in a corner and I irritated him until he spilled it all out." She said with a sinister chuckle.
 
Wow. What a fabulous sister she was.
 
Travis pesters Ava all the time. Tori irritates James. Is this what siblinghood is all about?
 
But wait.
 
"Sulking? Wasn't James just fine?" He seemed just fine when I met him the other day. He even helped me out.
 
"Oh, Judy you blockhead. You really don't think of anything but basketball do you? One simply cannot just be fine after being dumped by the one he likes." Tori says with a light chuckle making me feel bad all of a sudden.
 
This is why I'll never be in love. It's too complicated.
 
"Um, do I have to talk to him?" I ask her unsurely. She just chuckles as she places a hand on my shoulder.
 
"He'll be fine once he's given time. More importantly, I think there's someone else who might be more interested in you than James." She says and I stare at her confused. She jerks her brows skyward a couple of times. I look behind me and find no one there except for Travis by his car.
 
"Oh, I'm just babysitting him."
 
Tori stifles a laugh almost choking. She looks at me with amused amazement as she shakes her head.
 
I look back once more and wave at Travis and shoo him off. In the distance, he chuckles before getting back into the car and driving off. 
 
We trace our steps towards the open gym and find everyone already present, with some even throwing practice balls.
 
"Finally. She's here." Rekha who was seated crosslegged on the floor says getting to her feet.
 
"Uh, there's 10 more minutes before practice starts?" I say checking my watch just to be sure in case I really did get late.
 
"You used to be an hour early before practice doing workouts," Senora says and I find disapproval in her tone.
 
"I had to text you in case you forgot about practice, Judy." This time it was Cassy, giving me a nervous smile.
 
The smile on my face drops at once and I stare at my teammates with guilt. 
 
What the fuck are you doing Judy? Playing friends? Is this what you've been training for? To let your team down?
 
"I'm so sorry. This won't happen again. I promise." I say mustering up every ounce of determination I could find within me.
 
They quickly give me a smile and Nora throws the ball to me which I swiftly catch.
 
"We're not blaming you. Don't worry. Actually, you being tardy proves you do have a life outside of basketball." Cassy makes light jokes and I frown at her making her laugh. The others chuckle making me scowl.
 
And so we begin our evening practice.
 
Precisely at seven Coach Harlot asks us all to stop. Drenching in sweat and out of breath with yet another of her Spartan training, we all drag ourselves to the bleachers.
 
"Take a day off tomorrow girls. We've got a match on Monday and I want you all to be in top shape. I don't want to come across anyone doing selfpractice. Do you hear me?" Her voice loud and clear booms inside the silent gym. Everyone shouts back a "yes coach!" But I'm too tired to voice out my words.
 
"Do you hear me?" She repeats and so I look to where she's standing and find her eyes on me.
 
Oops.
 
"Yes, coach." I say and so she leaves.
 
Tori hobbles over to where I am and chuckles. "She knows very well you'll be doing self-practice when there's no team practices."
 
"Huh? Of course, I'd be doing self-practice. How else am I to improve myself?" I say frowning at Tori.
She frowns back at me.
 
"Didn't you hear what the coach just said?" She asks making me feel confused.
 
"Uh, she asked us to be in top shape on Monday?" I say in a more questioning way than an answer.
 
"Oh my gosh, Judy. You didn’t even listen to what she said and you went "Yes coach"?" Tori was laughing now.
 
What's so funny?
 
Senora comes from behind and she too was chuckling.
 
What's the big deal!?
 
"Coach asked us to not strain ourselves with selfpractice tomorrow," Senora says in-between her light chuckles.
 
Oh.
 
Wait.
 
"WHAT!?" I yell bewildered. When did she ever say that!?
 
Everyone shakes their head at me and no one helps me out in trying to figure out just when she had said something so outrageous.
 
"Let's go, Judy," Senora says hitting me gently with her bag and pulls me to my feet.
 
Sometimes I feel like her little sister the way she cares for me.
 
"I'll just go to the next street and play street basketball then. Coach wouldn't find me there." I grumble under my breath but Senora must have caught it and chuckles while shaking her head at my antics.
 
We all leave the gym at once. Everyone goes their separate ways and it's just Tori, Cassy, Senora, Nora, and I to ourselves.
 
James was coming to pick up Tori and she was giving Cassy a ride back home since they seem to be living pretty close to each other.
 
"Well then, I'll see you girls-" before Senora could finish, a car horn disrupts our conversation.
 
"Your rides here Judy." It was Tori and the way she said it made me feel annoyed.
 
I'm about to give her a piece of my mind when the color of her face pales.
 
"Uh oh." She whispers more to herself but I catch it and follow the direction of her gaze.
 
Another car was pulling into the school and it so happened to be James.
 
Great.
 
What drama awaits me now?
 
"Things are going to get messy." Cassy just had to voice out her opinion.
 
Why is everyone being dramatic now?
 
But honestly. I don't see what's wrong?
 
I mean I clearly told James I'm not looking for a boyfriend, and Travis is my best friend's brother. What's the big deal?
 
"You girls are being overly dramatic." With that, I wave to them and make my way towards Travis's Porsche.
 
James comes up the school stairs to help his sister and stops for a minute beside me.
 
"Hey, Judy. Going home?" He asks sweetly but since my mood was ruined, the question pisses me off.
 
No, I'm on my way to a stripper club. Want to join?
 
Yeah, I don't say this out loud with fear of Senora tailing me to see if I'm actually going to one.
 
I give him a nod and with a wave, I walk past. I can feel his eyes on me and so I quicken my steps towards where Travis was.
 
The dude just had to park so close. 
 
"All good?" Travis asks as I throw myself inside the car.
 
"Just drive." I snap at the poor guy who didn't deserve my bitchy attitude. He doesn't say anything nor counter and pulls back out of the school parking lot and onto the road.
 
Leaning back on the seat, I lean towards the window, sighing aloud. A headache taking over.

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A/N: I'll be updating thrice weekly from now on. ♥️
Since I've entered my book into the wattys, I'm trying to get it updated and completed before the deadline.

All comments and likes are much appreciated! ♥️