Sub Rosa Ties ( A High School Dark Romance)

Zera

"Zera... Zera..." a loud voice broke through my concentration, prompting a groan to escape my lips.

I glanced up from my meal to find Sarah looming over me, a mischievous grin spread across her face.

I shifted my gaze to the right. "What is it now, Sarah?"

"Did you hear about the match tonight? Everyone's buzzing about it," she said, plopping down across from me and taking a bite of her lunch, which she'd abandoned earlier to gossip.

"Yeah i did"

"God, I can't wait to see our boys play. I'm sure we'll get to see some abs tonight, and oh... Austin's on the team too," she cooed, and my eyes shot up to her.

"Austin?"

"Yeah, right? I also had no idea he was on the basketball team. Anyway, I'll be there, so what time should I swing by your place? Let's hit the road by 6 PM," she leaned in eagerly, and I let out a chuckle.

"You must be joking. Are you planning to join their warm-up?" I joked, glancing around before spotting a familiar head of blonde hair.

Austin leaned casually against a wall, his gaze fixed on me despite being engrossed in a conversation with a group of guys.

His eyes held a hint of seriousness before a small smile spread across his lips, and I returned it.

"So what are you saying?" Sarah groaned, eager for my response.

"Let's leave around 8," I replied.

"No"

"Why?"

"Because..." she trailed off, and I raised an eyebrow. "Because I want Austin to give me his jacket. I want to wear it and let all the girls know that he's taken."

I gaped at her in disbelief for as long as I could before half-gritting my teeth and asking, "What?!" in the most shocking and irritating way possible.

She just kept staring at me.

She leaned back and formed a pout.

"You know... what if we miss the match, or what if he needs support from someone like me, and..." She trailed off, knowing that she was sputtering nonsense. "I just want to come early, that's all," she said in a quiet whisper.

I released a sigh. "I'm not sure if I'll make it. You know I have to be at the club."

"You can skip tonight, you know, right?" she folded her arms.

"Sarah, it's not that easy. If I don't go, I will lose money. It is a loss for me," I groaned.

"It's just one night. Aren't you tired of acting diligent and working every day? You need to take a rest and have fun, Zera," Sarah urged.

"I will, but it can't be today," I pointed out, and she narrowed her eyes at me.

"You know you can't win an argument with me," she muttered, raising an eyebrow, and I gave up.

♡♡♡

Hours later, I stood at the entrance to the spacious basketball court with Sarah by my side, holding my right arm tight. She claimed she did it so I wouldn't run away, but even if she hadn't come to my house, I would still be here.

For Gerard.

The court quickly filled up as students began to pour in and out, packing the space in a couple of minutes. Sarah demanded that we seat in the front, but we both managed to find a spot to sit in the higher section.

My gaze searched the court for a specific brown curly hair, but it found a blonde instead. Since I was too far away, Austin was unable to see me. I watched him speak to an elderly man, giving the conversation his entire attention.