Stepping Out of Me

6

KIERA

Soon they were back on the road. Halle changed into a red and white jersey that matched the school's colours. She informed Kiera that the friends they'd be meeting were Josie and Luca who surprisingly wasn't dressed in school colours. On the way to the school, Halle stopped at both their houses and picked them up. It was kind of dumb since she had to go back to get Luca and pass her house again to get Josey. So Kiera passed the time by doing her favorite thing. She zoned out.

When they got to school the parking lot was quite full but Halle managed to find a space. Unfortunately, it wasn't the closest to the building so they had a long walk. That walk consisted of Halle chatting with the others while Kiera followed slowly behind them. Luca was just as talkative as they were. She tried to avoid the occasional pity glance from Halle by examining the gravel on the ground.

Inside the hallways were deserted as sounds splayed from the gymnasium. Halle slowed down to match Kiera's pace as the other two walked ahead.

"This is so exciting!" Halle started. "I mean, yes I'm mostly excited because Lance is on the team, but this game determines if we go to the finals." Halle smiled brightly. "And this is just really good exposure for our school. I sound crazy, right? Why am I this happy about school?"

Kiera's eyebrows furrowed. "No, it doesn't sound crazy at all." she paused unsure if she should add anything else.

"Thanks, Kiera," Halle replied.

They entered the gym and it was a lot more people than expected. The seats were full but there were enough people to bring life to the game. Since it hadn't started yet, most students were sitting and chatting with each other. There were some adults seated also patiently waiting.

Halle decided to sit in the fourth row from the front. She felt it was the best view without feeling like you'd get hit in the face by a ball. That almost made Kiera chuckle. As Kiera's eyes traveled around the court she noticed some guys warming up on the opposite side. Including Lance. It was the first time he wasn't smiling. 

Soon a man's voice boomed through the mic, quieting everyone down. "Good evening students, parents, staff, and others," his husky voice said. "I'm Principal Ledger, as you all know, and I am happy and grateful that our team has reached the semi-finals!" the crowd erupted into cheers and horns. As he held his hand up they quieted down once more. "I know they'll do their best tonight like they always do. So let's get this started."

Soon the whole team stood on the court. This time fully in their jerseys which were more appealing than the knockoff Halle wore. Maybe that was only sold to students who weren't on the team.

Within seconds the game began. Kiera's eyes were trained on Lance as he maneuvered the court. His teammate passed the ball and he skillfully weaved his way through the opposite team members and scored the first basket. Halle and Josie cheered and clapped energetically along with other spectators. Kiera's gaze drifted to her hands in her lap despite the commotion.

She felt uneasy for a while and when she looked around Luca was the one staring at her. "You okay?" He mouthed to her.

She nodded then her attention was stolen by the vibration in her pocket. She shoved her hand inside and pulled out her phone. There was a text from her dad who wanted to know where she was. Kiera rolled her eyes at the message. She already told him she was going out so why was he bothering her now? She knew the he might be worried but there was nothing to worry about. Before Kiera could reply, a call from her dad popped up on the screen. Kiera groaned but quickly shuffled past and exited the gym.

When away from the noise she slid her thumb up and answered the call. "Kiera. I've been worried. Where are you?" he asked frantically.

"I'm at school. There's a basketball game going on."