This was one of the most relaxing things I know of, sweating, running around the court, roughly bumping into people, jumping to heights that are pretty impossible unless you have the right amount of adrenaline pumping in your blood. Shouting, panting, shooting the ball, the seconds you have to wait before the ball goes through the hoop. Your breath ragged, your heart pumping, the sweat cascading down your face and then the cheers, the smiles, the laughs after the ball goes through the hoop. You have no idea.
I sip the water still panting from all the running I've done and smile at Austin as he walks towards me. The baggy white tanktop and shorts making him look short in some type of way.
"Damn daddy that was some good game" Austin says, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand.
"Oh yeah ?" I smile and he nods "I like making my baby happy" I wink at him.
"Okay I've already had enough, you two, cut the crap" Drew chuckles panting behind me like a thirsty frustrated dog, leaning against the wall, his head thrown back.
"Had enough of what ?" Austin gets defensive.
"Yeah, don't you want me to be appreciated ?" I smile teasing Drew, then look over at Austin "Cammon baby, come dance for daddy" I chuckle, and Austin being the dumbass he is walks closer to me and bends infront of me streching his long, masculine arms down to touch his knees and acts like he's barely there ass all the while chuckling. "Yess twerk for daddy" I half yell, hyping him.
"Yeah and be careful not to drop your balls while at it" Drew chuckles standing upright from his previous position and Austin looks back at him and flips him off.
"Cammon you're just pissed you lost the game already during the first half.. You sore loser" I laugh at Drew then spank Austin's ass that was still set there infront of me, forcing him to stand straight.
"Ow !" he frowns "Seriously ?", his eyebrows furrow together in a funny way.
"Dude, I thought your gay ass would like that" Drew wiggles his eyebrows at Austin, grinning then gestures for me to throw him the water bottle in my hand.
"Cammon, I say once that I'm exploring my sexuality and you're already labelling me ?" Austin smiles his wide banana smile, where even his blue eyes smile along with him while shaking his head. I throw the water bottle at Drew, studying them both.
"Ohh, I didn't mean to offend you" Drew walks closer to us raising his hands in defense and slaps him in the back and they both bust into laughter for some unknown reason. I smile studying them closely, Austin's loud, laugh with his mouth half open, his long canines showing, his eyes half closed and Drew's hand over his mouth with his low laugh that sounds like an old man dying of hiccups. I scoff to myself. Moments like this when I somehow feel happy is when I ask myself how I'd survive without these two dumbasses.
Suddenly, the whistle is blown and we know we have to get back to the game. Without a word I run back to the court and let out a shaky breath, thinking, basketball is one of the only reasons I'm still in school. It makes me feel alive.
**
"Okay, so as I was saying.." Austin clears his throat pointing the piece of paper he had scribbled on "Popularity, and good sponsorship to get better machines and more people are two of the things that could boost Cananiar".
"So we get the gym advertised? " Drew asks scratching his chin.
I close the refrigerator door after taking a yoghurt then look outside at the sky. The sun was just about to set and the view from Drew's cando was magnificent. All the colours painting the sky making it look magical, it was as if, the sun fairy, took a painting brush and decided to play around with it's colour and test out her creativity. It looked beautiful.
"Hey cammon Cain!" I turn to find Aus snapping his fingers at me to try and get my attention "Get your head in the game".
"Hmm ?" I raise my eyebrows.
"Are you even listening? " Austin sighs rubbing his forehead as a sign of distress, then takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes using his thumb and forefinger.
"You need to take this abit seriously Nine" Drew narrows his eyes at me and I sigh and lean against the wall.
"Guys are you sure this isn't just a waste of time? " I ask "I mean do you know what this man makes in even a week ? and you think my stupid gym can make as much as he makes in a month ? " I scoff. It was pointless and Nik knew that when he made the bet.
"Damn it" Austin slaps the counter top angrily, a frown taking over his face "You already giving up on us?".
"I'm not... I just don't see the need to fight a fight I'll loose" I shrug my eyes scanning the sky one last time before Drew takes all my attention.
"So what? You'll go back to him? Work for him? get your hands dirty again? Get controlled?" Drew asks.
"Cain.." Austin speaks his voice low and I look over at him "You, basically had all types of mental issues when we found you, you were sicker in the head than you are now" he frowns harder.. Wow. It was true though.
"To be fair, Hayley had fucked me up too.." I mumble.
"Fuck that whore" Drew spits "You had just run away from your old man, started building a life and he still had the guts to buy off the gym from the previous owner just to torture you.. It's when you took that dumb modelling job remember ? To buy the gym from him, and even when you did he's still threatening you" Drew spat bitterly, anger clear in his voice. I slowly nod, recalling how desperate I was to have control over my life. I was desperate enough to take a modeling job for fuck sake.
"You would lack sleep back then and literally just sit in the dark... You had so many scars, both physically and mentally that you still can't talk about up to this day. But we can all agree that that man isn't safe for you" Austin speaks and I can hear all emotions in his voice, the anger, the sadness, the worry. I absent mindedly trace the top of the yoghurt bottle in my hand, staring unblinkingly at the wall ahead of me.
"You can give up and act like a shitty little brat, but I remember how fucked up you were and we won't allow you to go back there" Drew speaks and I turn and look at him, his jaw clenched, he looked straight at me never breaking eye contact. I look over at Austin who has his big, nerdy glasses on and was leaning against the counter top watching me.
"What were you saying about sponsorship ?" I smile and Austin slaps the counter top with excitement this time. I mean if they put it that way, then I guess it was worth a try to fight. Atleast I had people by my side this time.
"That's more like it, get your ass over here and let me expand your mind" Austin says gesturing 'mind blowing' with his hands "This is a project that I'll take more seriously than my own life".
"You better" I point at him and hop on the counter, sitting on it and crossing my legs.
"That's the spirit" Drew says craning his neck from behind Austin to look at me.
"Okay so as I was saying, we hold an event and this one's parents.." Austin points Drew with his thumb "Know rich people".
"Hey cammon, I myself know people, I have many connections" Drew defended.
"That's just it, you know people, we want rich people, not just people" Austin points Drew and Drew rolls his eyes.
"You're impossible" he mumbles then presses the bottle in his hand to his lips taking a sip of the water.
**
I wasn't being strong for me at the moment, the only reason I could laugh, smile or be happy was because of my friends. I couldn't let them give up on me like I had on myself, so I gave them hope.
Walking down the hall acting like a normal student with minor problems like exams and parties, who ignores everything else that doesn't concern them was what I was doing. Laughing at the silly jokes, punching them when necessary, winking at some random female, who turned out to be one of our lecturers after I studied her well. Oh well, who doesn't like a MILF.
Then my eyes landed on that kind of beauty that demands your attention once we got to the packing lot. That beauty that attracts even the blind. It was felt, not only seen. There she was, laughing with some guy, her laugh loud and smile as bright as the sun and moon combined. she looked so warm and welcoming her aura was like a magnet and I was a metal. She was pulling me to her without even knowing it. Holy shit, Sparks.
"Heyyy no" Austin Snaps his fingers at me as he enters the driver's seat of his car and I look at him shortly as he shakes his head at me then back at Sparks. Our eyes meet and I smile and wave at her, but she acts like I'm invisible and she didn't see that, then looks at the guy in front of her. Damn, is she still angry ?. I thought time heals... What the fuck ?.
"What did we agree on bro?" Drew chuckles climbing into the passanger seat next to Austin, and I roll my eyes pushing my hair back still staring at Sparks. How the sun was kissing her skin, how clear and beautiful her eyes were. She deserved better, what the fuck did I even want from her anyway ?. Fuck it.
"Hey, I'm driving !" I yell hitting the roof of Austin's car and he glares at me already in the driver's seat "Cammon, let Daddy have this" I pout.
"No, not my car, get in the back" he points the back seat and I sigh.
"So what? Drew will call shotgun every time ?".
"Dude, I didn't have to, you were busy drooling over your-" he stops when I glare at him then looks the other way and whistles animatedly.
"Ugh" I sigh and give Sparks one last look because I couldn't help it, this time I find her looking at me already and I give her a small less eager smile.
"Get in the fucking car !" Austin yells in a whining tone, and I notice Sparks return my smile even if it was just for a moment before she looks away again and I have to come back to my senses.
"Okay!, fuck" I yell back at Austin and get in the back of the car.
**
Ayo, comment and vote to help Cainine out of this situation will you ?.