The Final Test

Confrontation

After hearing about this, I had to investigate... but how? I couldn't just approach Hannah and reveal that I know about her and Teresa's love story. But I must find answers. I don't know why, but there is a strange confidence in talking to Teresa deep within my spirit. Without knowing it, everything in me forced me to walk towards the gymnasium. I couldn't explain why... it just happened. To my surprise, there she was... dribbling the orange sphere in the geometrically painted side of the floor aiming for a clean crisp "swoosh". I sat on the stacked benches and studied her movements. It was like it was just me and her... well it was just the two of us. Although we were alone, I could hear her mumbling as she dribbled the sphere harder and faster... going to the hoop more violently. Her hair barely keeping up with her speed thrashed in the moment... every move was precise and well planned. She's been practicing long and hard. She lifts her left leg and raises her right hand... eyes on the net... Time slows down... She is powerful... a work of art... a little sweaty... but it's just more details on the painting... the ball bounces off the rim of the ring... huh? I drag my eyes off of the ball to see Teresa staring at me...
"Oh my... I'm sorry... I'll-I'll just go..."
"No! I'm sorry... uh.... you just looked familiar..."
Does she remember me from the bathroom?
"Yea...you too..."
I want to see her response. Of course I recognize her. I saw her approximately twenty minutes ago!
A tear rolls down her face. What's happening? Was she embarrassed? Did I say something?
"Never mind... you can't be who I'm thinking about..."
I guess she doesn't remember.
"I was in the bathroom..."
She quickly gets herself together.
"Oh that? T-That wasn't serious... don't worry about me... Me and Hannah were just playing..."
"Playing? Are you sure? You play like that when other people aren't around?"
"You were around..."
"But you didn't know that until it was too late..."
Teresa bites her lip... and blushes... she knows that I was on to something...
"Hey, um.... could you not mention this to anybody?"
I approached Teresa and held her hand... it just felt like the right thing to do. What happened next was even more bizarre...
I grabbed her hand and out of my mouth flew these words...
"It's okay to cry sometimes. When you let out the tears, you break the chains..."
I honestly had no idea what came over me... but the way Teresa looked at me... like she heard it before... she actually looked frightened. "Are you okay?"
"Yea, I'm fine... it just sounds like something my old bestie would have said."
A few tears ran down her face... I feel awful... I hug her... I hear her sob faintly in my arms...
"...Raven... I miss her so much..."