CHAPTER 11
Tasha just got out of bed when she heard a knock on her door. Still in her pajamas, she went and opened it. No one was there but instead her handkerchief was pinned on her door with a note attached to it
"Turns out I have enough handkerchiefs to go around so you could have yours back. Don't worry I washed it. Also, I sprayed my perfume on it to make it smell more awesome but if you don't like the smell, you could just wash it again or burn it. Whatever you feel like doing. K bye. - Yuri"
Tasha went to the balcony and saw Yuri walking away in a t-shirt that fits her body perfectly, jeans and a pair of converse and with a small bag pack, just like a teenage boy. Tasha smirked, went back and took the handkerchief.
She looked at the handkerchief and eventually smelled it, "it's sweet...I like it"
Tasha went back inside and got ready as she has her own classes to attend to as well
At school, things died down a little between Kristen, Summer, Tasha and Brenda but they're still wary of each other. They can now co-exist in the same room without the sarcastic side remarks and death glares
"They're still not talking to one other, they're not even greeting one another" Amber spoke to Toby as they watched their friends in the cafeteria occupying different tables that are pretty far away from each other
"Yeah, well at least they no longer give death stares to one another, that's an improvement" Toby countered
"But Kristen is okay with us dating right?"
"She's..um..indifferent?" Toby answered
Amber pouted, "I guess that'll do for now"
Toby smiled and held Amber's hand, and the girl smiled back sweetly
"Ugh! They are just gushy with each other aren't they?" Kristen spoke as she watched her brother and her girlfriend from a far
"I still can't believe they're already together after just a month of dating" Summer added
"Then they must like each other that much, it's "le flash!" "Coup de foudre!"" Yuri spoke
"Le what? And when did you learn how to speak French?" Summer asked with a confused look, Kristen also stared at her with confusion as she waited for an answer
Yuri looked at the confusion-filled expression of her friends and chuckled, "It means love at first sight and there are a lot of things you can learn on tumblr. It's a wonderful place, like being high without the drugs"
After a few seconds of silence, Kristen suddenly laughed, "Are you always this random?"
"Yeah, yes she is" Summer answered with a smirk, "makes for an interesting conversation doesn't it?"
"Well, I try my best to be your personal clown, and thank you, that'll be $100! Don't skimp on the tips!" Yuri said with her right palm open, playfully teasing her friends
Meanwhile, on the other table across the room
"What do you know, I find them less annoying than before" Brenda spoke before sipping her drink
"Winning against them did have some effects" Tasha said as she looked at Yuri's table, "but I still won't hang out with them anytime soon"
"Ditto" Brenda responded, "let's just leave the two love birds over there do their thing and let's not be with them, it's too stressful"
"Got that right" Tasha replied, though apparently holding the same handkerchief Yuri returned
"Oh hey, it's past 2 pm, let's go before Prof what's-his-name looks for us" Brenda stood and grabbed her hand bag
Tasha followed soon after and went ahead to their class. The two of them are trying their best to attend their classes as their names are already on the consideration lists of dropped-due-to-absences. One or two more absences and they get to repeat the subject next school year which will result in delay of their graduation and they really don't want that
"Hey, I gotta run" Yuri said after noticing the time, "got tennis practice"
"Let's have milktea afterwards" Kristen requested
"Yeah, sure, just send me a text to where y'all are going, bye!" and with that, Yuri went straight to the locker rooms by the court side
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Okay, so the girls' locker room is shared by not only the girls in the tennis team but also the women's basketball and volleyball them since it is a pretty big locker room. So normally, Yuri would be there just as scheduled, get change and go to the court to do warm-ups like she would always do these past weeks, although she's been getting the attention of some of the girls there, none have actually approached her...until now.
Yuri's busy doing her warm-ups by the bleachers when the captain of the volleyball team, Gretchen came. They had a decent conversation then followed, Quinn, the so-called "ace" of the basketball team joined in the conversation so Yuri ended up talking to these girls instead of doing warm-ups. The conversation went on for about 30 minutes or so, although the conversation was good, Yuri wanted to stop and get back to training but she doesn't want to be rude so she just continued talking to them until Felix came by
"Okay, Ladies!" Felix interjected, "I'm sorry for interrupting but we need our players to be training since we have a match next week, so I'll borrow Yuri for a while"
The girls looked at Felix with an irritated look then walked passed him
"You always have good timing Felix" Quinn spoke sarcastically as she walked by
"Good thing you're the captain of the tennis team" Gretchen added, "or I would have kicked you in the balls" she smirked
"Yeah well, better luck next time"
Felix and Gretchen have always been frenemies with each other since high school. When the girls finally left, Felix sat down next to the relieved Yuri
"Thanks" Yuri spoke
"You're welcome although I would have liked to be in your place" Felix smirked then noticed the bandage covering Yuri's right cheek, "what's with the bandage? Did you get in a fight or something?"
"Sort of, I got hit by a flying microphone"
"A microphone?! How did that happen?"
"Let's just say, I stood at the wrong place at the wrong time" Yuri explained plainly, she really doesn't want to mention to Tasha'sbrother that she was the culprit.
"Well, despite that injury on your face, girls are still all over you. Someone's a ladies' girl, is it the hair? Definitely the hair" he joked and playfully touched Yuri hair
"Yeah, funny Felix" Yuri said with a raised eyebrow, and smacked his hand away from her
Felix laughed then stood, "c'mon handsome girl, the ball isn't going to play itself! You have a match next week so get to training!"
Yuri smirked and stood then lightly smacked Felix on the butt with her racket before going to the court
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Meanwhile, Tasha got bored at her class and decided to leave early. She then went to the cafeteria to grab a can of soda at the vending machine. While getting change for the machine, Tasha's eyes wandered around and saw that the cafeteria was selling the chocolate muffins that Felix loves. She figured she buy him one and bring it to him on the way to her next class. With a can of soda and a chocolate muffin in hand, Tasha made her way to the tennis court
At the tennis court, players of the tennis team are busy running around and practicing
Yuri and Felix are almost done with the practice match, Yuri then smashed the tennis ball, flying fast pass Felix
"Is that your signature smash move?" Felix asked as he looked at the now immobilized ball on the floor
"Yep" Yuri answered, still panting
"Can you teach me that?" Felix asked jokingly
"Sure! Meet me in your dreams and I'll teach it to you" Yuri grinned playfully as she grabbed one of the towels near the net
Being part of a team is one thing but having signature moves individually is another, just because you're in the same team doesn't mean you need to share special moves
Felix laughed and approached Yuri, "Nice practice!' he said as he messed up Yuri's now short hair
"Hey! Easy on the hair! I'm still a girl you know!" Yuri reacted but smiled, she then took the towel and wrapped it around Felix's head
"I'm heading to the showers so cover your eyes!" she said jokingly then went ahead to the girls' locker room
Unbeknownst to Yuri and Felix, Tasha was nearby and she saw the playful exchange between the two and it sparked the possessiveness she thinks she have over Felix and well, she's not too happy about it
Tasha then marched over to Felix a few moments after Yuri left, "Felix!" she yelled as she approached him
Felix turned and saw Tasha but before he could speak, Tasha threw the muffin over to him and went straight to the girls' locker room
Meanwhile, Yuri had just finished her shower and was at her locker. Although already in her bra and panties, she's still covered in a towel. She was getting her clothes when Tasha barged in and slammed the door close on the way in
Yuri was startled and surprised when she saw Tasha walking hastily towards her
Yuri loss the chance to speak when Tasha pinned her against the lockers and narrowing the space between their bodies
Tasha stared straight into Yuri's eyes "Okay listen, I can tolerate you and your bitchy friends, I can even tolerate you being friends with one of my best friends but you flirting with Felix and even dating him? No fucking way. Unless you want a bloody cat fight, I suggest you stay away from him, got it?" she spoke in her most menacing tone
"No" Yuri answered with her most serious tone, not even flinching once and is also staring straight into the other girl's eyes "what the fuck is your problem?"
"My problem is that you keep flirting with Felix and it annoys me to death"
"I am not flirting with him and even if I am, what is it to you? It's not like it's your business or anything, he's your brother not your boyfriend, unless, if you have incestuous desires over him"
Yep, Yuri went there. Yuri is the kind of girl that wants to hear the very reason another person acts a certain way, because if she knows the reason, she can understand the other person better, but the way she brings it out is not always the nice, pretty way
Hearing that, Tasha loss her cool and pushed Yuri harder against the lockers, making the towel around Yuri fall to the floor and hurting Yuri's bare back in the process
"Do not fucking judge me! You don't know anything!" Tasha screamed at Yuri
"Then let me know!" Yuri screamed back
Tasha glared straight at Yuri, clearly trying to hold back her tears "...I don't have a father, my mom is working abroad. My uncle is busy running a business and Felix is the only close relative I have, he's the only emotional support I have when I was growing up. I did many stupid things but despite that he's always there to support me without ever judging me. Do you understand now?!"
Yuri stood silent, intently staring at the girl closely in front of her. She understands now. Felix is one of the most important people in Tasha's life, he's her brother. Her support and her protection and Yuri gets that having Felix care for another person besides Tasha, is leaving Tasha scared, scared that she would be left alone. Tasha doesn't want to share him with anyone else, at least not yet.
Yuri sighed and momentarily closed her eyes, "I'm gay"
Tasha stared in confusion, "What?"
"I'm a les-bi-an, I physically, emotionally, sexually like women which means, I don't like and will never ever like or even flirt with Felix. ever. get the gist?"
When that new information sunk into Tasha's head, the annoyance and anger disappeared completely and instantly, and she was left dumbfounded. she was acting that way for nothing?!?
"Why didn't you told me that sooner?!" Tasha reacted, holding Yuri's shoulders and shaking her in the process
Yuri just looked at her and smirked, "so you're not shallow after all"
Tasha froze and stared with a blank expression. That's right, Tasha just shared personal things to the girl she hated the most but despite that, she felt light and hearing Yuri tell her that she's not shallow, kind of brightened her mood a little bit
"Okay, so this conversation had been interesting but could you let me go now, I'm feeling kind of cold here" Yuri spoke calmly
"What?" Tasha snapped out of her trance, her hands still on Yuri's bare shoulders
"I'm in my underwear and the towel is on the floor" Yuri spoke nonchalantly
Tasha looked down and saw the towel and then looked at Yuri from her toe up to her head. With Yuri's appearance, a messy, slightly wet hair and her almost bare body and the position they were in is enough for Tasha to have inappropriate thoughts and well...
"SORRY!" Tasha yelled, with her arms up as if being caught by the cops, she then swiftly backed away from Yuri. And with Tasha's face in full blown red with embarrassment, she quickly ran out of the girls' locker room without looking back
Yuri picked up the towel and quickly got dressed. She then looked at the closed door and thought she isn't shallow, just complicated.