STRANGER - CAITLIN CLARK

CHAPTER TWELVE

「 ✦ STRANGER ✦ 」
CHAPTER TWELVE

SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2019

caitlin dribbles the ball mindlessly around the empty court, her mind not set enough on actually playing basketball. what usually is her favorite way to escape is only making the thoughts worse. the ball feels too large, her shoes feel too tight, and the basket seems too far.

she's fucked. she knew she was fucked the moment she had to fight herself to walk away from isabella last saturday night. her stomach felt in knots and her eyes blurred the road her entire ride home. it was nothing short of a miracle that she made it there safely.

all she could think about was drew and isabella. drew and isabella. drew with her isabella. the two of them are wasting no time growing closer and caitlin more than hates it. in the span of a week, drew has managed to ask her out twice. she can't even put into words just how much she hates it without seeming like a complete and utter psychopath.

caitlin chucks the ball up from a little behind the arc and hits the rim once again. she's missed all of the shots she's put up, deeming this solo session as a waste of time. just as she was grabbing her ball to head out, she hears the gym door shut loudly behind her. she turns around confused on how anyone else had managed to get in, and unfortunately she's met with drew walking over to her a smile on his face.

"cc." he calls out. "how are you?"

she thins her lips already over this whole encounter. she just can't get away from him. she chooses to ignore him, continuing to pick up her belongings.

"i know you hear me talking to you." his voice now only a few feet behind her.

"what do you want drew?" caitlin asks, turning to fully face him. she stands to her feet, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"i asked how you're doing." he repeats.

"fine." caitlin brushes past him, keeping her eyes on the door.

"i figured you'd be here, it's always been your place to go when you're upset." drew says.

she hates that drew knows things about her. she hates that she is essentially vulnerable to the one person she doesn't want to be.

"i'm not upset." she lies.

"i wanted to let you know that she's going to be mine." drew yells out to her, causing her to stop walking, the gym now filled with silence. she hears drew hum loudly in satisfaction, now knowing she's accidentally given him all the confirmation he needs.

"bella, she's special." he goes on. bella? caitlin turns back on her heels. "she's nothing i've ever seen before. beautiful, smart, independent." drew sighs. "she's everything i've ever wanted."

caitlin's glare could burn holes in the boy, the amount of hatred she feels running through her body.

"do you remember the first real thing i ever said to you?" drew asks.

"hi my name is drew." caitlin deadpans.

drew laughs. "there's that humor i remember. i told you we were like the same person, right?"

caitlin shrugs. "i don't remember."

she does remember though. at her very first day of practice, her and drew had the same pair of shoes on, and their childish brains had come to the conclusion that since they had the same pair of shoes on, they were the same and they were meant to be friends.