"I want to give you all the love you deserve."
___
Hadley Carter has struggled with her sexuality ever since childhood. She keeps her feelings hidden out of fear of judgement and not being accepted by oth...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
After what happened with Delaney at lunch, I'm more than grateful to find out that Bianca will be absent from gym today because she has a doctor's appointment. I'm not especially interested in answering the questions I know Bianca will have for me about what is going on between me and Delaney, so not having to see her is a relief.
However, Bianca's lack of presence leaves me relatively alone during my last class. On top of this, Devon and I have the same gym period. I'm not exactly looking forward to seeing her. I haven't spoken to Devon since I ran out of her house Saturday morning. I managed to ignore all of her texts and calls until they finally stopped coming. I'm assuming Devon no longer wants anything to do with me, and maybe things are better off that way.
By the time I've changed and entered the gymnasium, I have yet to see Devon. My anxiety fades, thinking maybe Devon won't be in class today. I take a seat on the bleachers as I await further instruction from my gym coach. He starts class by announcing he's going to split us into groups to begin our indoor volleyball sessions. He pairs us off by numbers, leaving me with two girls I don't know.
My small group wanders over to one of the unused volleyball nets that Devon and I set up together a few weeks prior. The blonde across from me has the ball, so I take my position behind the net, unsure of how to get a game started with only three people.
Just as Coach blows his whistle and tells us to start our games, I notice Devon running into the gym. Her dark hair sways over her shoulders in its ponytail as she moves, her figure clad in a simple T-shirt and sweatpants. I can't tear my gaze from her as she approaches our coach, smiling as she hands him a slip of paper.
Despite everything that has conspired between the two of us, my heart still races at the sight of Devon. Something about her presence never fails to make me giddy.
I study her as she and Coach Evans speak briefly, watching as our coach takes her slip of paper and nods. Devon surveys the gym, her dark eyes meeting mine. She says something to Coach before heading my way, gaze focused solely on me.
I swallow hard as Devon approaches, quickly turning away from her. My cheeks flush as my insides turn into mush. My mind and body fight an internal battle, unsure of whether to be excited at the sight of Devon or to dread her sudden appearance.
All too soon, she is standing next to me.
Across the net, the blonde girl holding the volleyball exclaims, "Great! Now we have an even number of players. Is it okay if you two play on one side?"
I feel Devon's eyes boring into me, awaiting my response. She has yet to say a word, though just her presence beside me speaks volumes.
Unsure of what to make of the situation I've been put in, I manage to nod. "Uh, sure. I don't mind."
I turn to find Devon studying me critically. "You sure?" she questions. Her dark eyes gleam with a mysterious light, a mix of wariness and amusement.
I shrug. "You're already here, right?" I retort. I return my attention to the net and the girls across from me. However, I can still feel Devon's eyes appraising me, studying my every move.
