Blackout

Chapter 12

 finished my 10 laps around the court, my legs feeling like jell-o. My match had ended before everyone else's, due to the fact that I had been beaten quickly 4-0, and my coach had instructed me to run laps until the end of practice. My shoes weren't built for running, and neither were the courts, and the people who had been playing stared at me as I ran, as though they had nothing better to do.  

I mentally cursed myself for being so off my game today. I had too much on my mind. We had a match coming up tomorrow, and I'll be damned if I let myself lose that one. I sat down on the spectator bench beside the fence, and unscrewed my water bottle. It was a hot day, uncustomary of late November, and I lifted my curly hair to pour a little on the back of my neck.  

The coach blew her whistle sharply three times, signifying the end of practice, and I gathered up my stuff and filed off the courts with the rest of the team. In the parking lot, I spotted a large black escalade with a familiar listen e plate. Had the boys really come to pick me up again? 

I motioned to Samantha not to wait for me, which I don't think she was going to do anyway, and I bounded up to the car. The door popped open to let me in, and I crawled onto the supple leather seat. 

"Why are you moving like a grandmother?" Was the first thing that Niall asked me. 

"I just ran ten laps around that court." I said, still slightly out of breath. 

"Please, I could run twenty." Scoffed Harry. 

I turned to him, my eyebrow raised. "Could you, could you really? On a day like this? Without stopping? Wearing tennis shoes? After playing a vigorous match? With no hydration?" I took another long gulp from my water bottle. 

"I guess not." Said Harry, having been beaten. 

"I guess." I said very slowly, lowering my voice to imitate him. 

"Twat! I do no sound like that!" He said, his voice a couple pitches higher than usual, shoving my shoulder. 

"No, no, of course you don't." I said in the same voice. 

"Wanker!"  

Harry dove over the seat, intending to tackle me, but Liam scolded "Not while I'm driving, will you!?" 

I smirked at Harry and he mouthed "I'll get you later." I spread out my arms in a "Come at me, bro" gesture. 

"So how was your day at school?" Asked Louis from the front seat. 

"It was good. I made a new friend!" I said, proud of myself. 

"Really?" said Louis as though he were talking to a four year old, "and what was their name." 

"Morgan." I said. 

Silence. 

"Morgan... Ryans?" Asked Zayn. 

"Shut up Zayn!" warned Liam. 

"Yeah, actually." I said. I frowned at them. "What's going on?" 

The boys exchanged looks. They had this kind of guy telepathy that both confused and frightened me. 

"How do you know Morgan?" I asked, although I didn't expect an answer. 

"We don't. She's no one. How was practice?" Louis dismissed the subject one and for all. I glanced over at Niall, who was oddly quiet. He met my gaze, and then looked out the window quickly. 

"It was hard." I said, willing to forget about their weirdness for now, but this was definitely not the last they would hear of it. 

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