𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐘𝐍 sat alone on the basketball court, the cool air surrounding him as he tried to find some peace. His Nike basketball, the one with "MelMel" scrawled on it, sat between his legs as he rested against the fence.
His mind was clouded—he wasn't okay, and no amount of basketball could fix that. The night felt endless, just like the silence between him and Chance.
It had been a month, but it still felt like everything between them was unfinished, unresolved.
It was 3:16 AM when he heard the faint sound of footsteps. Crocs scraping against the cement. He froze, looking up sharply as he realized he wasn't alone.
His heart skipped a beat. He didn't expect anyone to be out here. Not this late. But then, there she was.
Chance stepped onto the court, her silhouette barely visible in the dim light. She froze when she noticed him sitting there, and for a moment, everything went quiet.
Justyn's breath caught in his chest. She wasn't supposed to be here, was she? What was she even doing out at this hour?
He turned his head, catching her eyes for a brief second before she quickly looked away, as if she hadn't meant to see him. He had to say something. Anything.
"What you doing here?" Justyn asked, his voice low and rough, barely cutting through the quiet night.
Chance looked at him, her expression unreadable. "I always come out here," she said, her tone sharp, but there was something in her eyes that made Justyn pause. "Why it concern you?"
He didn't know what to say to that. He wasn't sure why it bothered him, but it did.
She didn't even sound surprised to see him. She had every right to be here, just like him. But it wasn't just that.
He had been wondering what she was up to, how she was holding up after everything. It felt like they hadn't even spoken in forever.
"I just didn't think I'd see you out here," he muttered, his eyes lingering on her for a moment longer than he intended.
Chance shrugged as if it didn't matter. "You don't see me now," she replied, her words sounding softer, almost too soft.
Justyn didn't know what to make of it. It had been weeks since they'd even acknowledged each other, and now here they were, standing in silence on the same court, like two strangers who shared something they couldn't quite name.
It felt like the world had shifted, and they were stuck, not knowing how to fix it.
He couldn't look at her for too long without feeling something stir inside him—something that made him want to reach out, but he couldn't.
