The steady rhythm of sneakers squeaking against the gym floor and the sharp smack of volleyballs being passed back and forth echoed throughout the practice hall. Riku stood near the net, adjusting his knee pads as he prepared for another spike drill. His eyes flickered to Noah, who was setting up the play, his hands poised and ready for the ball. Noah was always so fluid on the court, each movement precise. It was one of the many reasons he made such a great setter.
Riku, on the other hand, was focused but distracted in a way that was unfamiliar to him. His thoughts kept circling back to the library, to Grace's subtle words and how easily she'd talked about Noah like they shared some deep, unshakable bond. It irritated him, made his chest tighten in a way he didn’t want to acknowledge.
"Riku! You ready?" Noah’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He was smiling, as he always was during practice, energized by the intensity of the game. Noah had this infectious excitement that made it hard not to feel a bit lighter when he was around.
"Yeah," Riku called back, shaking off the lingering thoughts. He needed to focus. On the court, things were much simpler. There were no messy emotions to sort through, just the game and its rhythm.
The ball was tossed into the air, and Noah’s hands shot up, setting it perfectly in line for Riku to spike. Without hesitation, Riku jumped, his body surging forward as his hand slammed down on the ball, sending it crashing to the other side of the net with a satisfying thud.
“That was awesome!” Noah shouted, jogging over to bump fists with him.
Riku nodded, though his heart wasn’t really in it. He couldn’t stop his mind from wandering back to the library, to Grace's words echoing in his head. 'He talks about you all the time. You’re super important to him.' Was that even true? Or was it just something she said to keep him from feeling like a third wheel? Or to just get on his nerves? If it was the latter, it worked.
"Hey, after practice, you want to hang out?" Riku said, hoping to carve out some time for just the two of them. Usually he wasn't one to initiate their hang outs, but something in him told him it was a good idea to ask. Maybe he could get a better read on where things stood between him and Noah without Grace looming in the background.
Noah tilted his head, a small frown forming. "Wait... you didn’t forget, did you?"
Riku blinked. "Forget what?"
Noah sighed, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he tossed the ball lightly between his hands. "We made plans, dude. With Grace? After practice. She’s waiting for us."
Riku felt his stomach twist at the mention of her name. He had completely blocked that part of the day out. He’d been looking forward to spending time with Noah alone, not sharing him with Grace. Again.
"Oh... yeah, right." Riku tried to keep his tone casual, but the disappointment slipped through. He was annoyed at himself for forgetting, and even more annoyed that he couldn't just enjoy a simple hangout without Grace being there. "I guess I just got caught up in practice and it slipped my mind."
Noah didn’t seem to notice the shift in Riku’s mood. "No biggie! We can still hang after, just with Grace there too. We’re grabbing some food, and she’s been wanting to talk more about the volleyball games she’s been watching lately. I told her you could give her the rundown on spiking." Noah grinned. "You know, since you’re the expert and all."
Riku forced a small laugh. "Yeah, sure. Sounds good."
But the truth was, it didn’t sound good at all. Riku could feel the frustration bubbling beneath the surface. Grace was everywhere lately. In every conversation, in every plan. And now she was even showing an interest in volleyball - his and Noah's thing. It wasn’t enough that she had Noah’s attention outside of school; now she was inserting herself into their practice too. How long before she was showing up here as well, watching them from the sidelines?
