Just an Echo in the Darkness

~Chapter Three~

After school, she rushed off with all the rest of the group, besides Julia to watch Carson's and Bryce's football practice.

Bryce hadn't been lying that Julia was sick or wasn't her today which was strange. I bet if she was here she would eb cheering the loudest for Bryce.

Brielle had asked if Ambria had wanted to leave but she had said no and decided to watch, along with the rest of her friends.

After ten minutes of their boring warm ups, she had wished she had told Brielle that she wanted to go home. She didn't want to sit here and watch the boring football players tackle each other for an hour.

She was about to turn to Brielle and ask to go home, but she had a large smile following Carson. Ambria didn't want to burst Brielle's bubble of watching Carson play.

Fifty minutes later, practice had ended and Brielle had started to rush Ambria down the bleachers and into the car.

They saw Bryce in the corner of their eye not following the rest of the team back inside the school, and Brielle knew he was coming our way. Brielle had a hand on Ambria's back in a protective way, though she was slightly shoving Ambria into the car.

Right as they were opening the car doors, Bryce almost catched up to them.

"Ambriadextrious, wait!" he said running so fast trying to catch up.

Ambria got out of the car, hoping he would leave her alone.

"What?" Ambria asked, leaning on the car door. Ambria was grumpy and just wanted to go home and crawl into a blanket and have hot chocolate.

"Come with me." He grabbed her hand and started dragging her towards the bleachers.

"Ambria! Bryce!" Brielle shouted but they were all the way towards the bleachers before Brielle could get out of the car to follow them.

"No."

Ambria stopped in her tracks not going any farther.

He stopped and stared at her for a second or two, then dragged her a bit more until they were under the bleachers.

"Tell me," Bryce demanded. He seemed close to tears, but he clenched his jaw.

"Tell you what?" Ambria asked, growling and scowling at the same time.

"Why are you so mad at me? I mean yesterday you were all cheerful and blushing whenever I looked at you, and what can I say I did look hot yesterday," He said, lifting his hands up as though it was a sin. "Today, you can't even manage to look at me for over a second before looking away with watery eyes."

Ambria glared at him, wanting to prove him wrong. Even as much as she wanted to hate him, she still liked him. She counted every second all the way for a minute.

"See, I did it," Ambria said, looking back down at her feet.

"You only did it after I told you too," he said, proving his point. "Why are you mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you," Ambria said, getting furious.

"You definitely are."

"No, I'm not!" Ambria said, as her voice cracked.

Bryce ruffled his sweaty hair from practice then leaned towards her and grabbed her hands.

"Ambria, please tell me what's wrong."

"No," Ambria said, starting back towards the parking lot. Bryce quickly grabbed her wrist and turned her back around to face him. For a second Ambria wanted it to be a movie and he would kiss her, but then she thought better than it.

"Ambria, I won't let you go until you tell me what's wrong."

"Okay, you caught me." Ambria said, turning back around and raising her hands. "I'm not mad at you. I..."

"Stop trying to lie to me." Bryce said strictly, growing inpatient. "I really want to know."

Ambria stalled, wanting Brielle to pop out of nowhere and save her from this conversation. Ambria looked around but there wasn't Brielle anywhere to be seen.

"Where's Brielle?" Ambria asked, searching. Ambria fully expected Brielle to be hiding right behind her.

"Don't get off topic." Bryce warned.

"No, where is Brielle? I would have expected her to be here by now." Ambria asked, getting worried. It wasn't like her best friend to not want to know the gossip or get her out of awkward conversations.

"She's fine. I'll go get her once you tell me what is wrong."

"Fine. I read a super sad book."

"Nope. Not it."

"I..."

"Nope."

"Umm... It's my-"

"Nu-uh."

"My brother." Ambria said, quickly coming up with a reason that Bryce may actually believe.

"Jaxson?"

"Jax."

"Okay, Go on."

"They... declared him and my father both dead last night."

"They had already declared them dead multiple years ago. So nope, not the correct answer. But good try."

"Fine!" Ambria said, yelling in deafeat. "I saw you and Julia last night!"

Ambria spilled everything from waiting at the movies for him right up until Julia kissed him.

After Ambria shared the story, they sat in silence waiting for someone to say the first words.

"You-" Bryce cleared his throat. "You know I never planned on Julia being there."

"Yeah, I bet so." Ambria said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, I also ummm... I told her I liked someone else."

For some reason Ambria looked back up from her feet. She looked right into his eyes and Ambria could tell he wasn't lying.

"Who?" she asked, wanting to know but also not at the same time.

Bryce reached and grabbed her hand, squeezing it tight. He stared at her like he was stuck in a thought.

One. Two. Three...

All the way up 204, and Ambria turned away and started to walk back to the car where Brielle was waiting.

Though Ambria was surprised she hadn't come over to spy on them and being the over-protective friend she is.

Before she could walk away, Bryce tightened his grip on her hand. She turned aroun to face the brown eyed boy. He looked almost scared or nervous, his eyes darting around.

"Y-"

Ambria saw something black flash in the behind him and then he was interrupted by hands clamping over their mouths.