Like a brother

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

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After successfully making it through another week of school, track was back in season. I was so happy when Coach Kai and I started training again. Clayton would occasionally show up at my practice because he trained later than me when the school team was off the track.

I was still unsure about how I felt towards him after our date. I had thought I liked him, but with Chase's mixed signals, my brain was a mess of feelings towards the both of them.

"That was barely at 13.45," Clayton said, walking up next to Kai and peering over his shoulder at my time. That pissed me off a bit. Only 13.45? That was close to a half a second slower than I was used too. I shook my head and dug my spikes into the track, not meeting his gaze.

"Line it up again Sienna," Kai mumbled, re-setting his stopwatch.

I trudged back to the 100-meter line and glanced behind me to see Chase peering over the fence, talking to some of his friends on the soccer team. Butterflies rose in my stomach and I tried to calm my nerves. He had seen me run more than enough times, so why was I getting nervous now?

"Set!" Kai yelled, more harsh than usual, taking me out of my day-dream.

I heard the gun, and I sprinted with the wind blowing against me the whole time. My lungs burned, but I crossed the finish line with a smile.

"12.91" was all Kai said with a pleased look, and he walked off towards the pole vault. I smiled and picked up my bag. I walked down the track to where Chase was standing. His friends smirked and walked away when I approached.

"You're crazy fast," Chase stumbled out. I raised an eyebrow.

"Thanks?" I said nonchalantly. He nodded, picking up my bag for me and we walked out to Matthews truck.

It was dead silent, a really awkward silence too. Not something that was usual for me and Chase. I tried asking him about soccer practice, but he seemed flustered; like he was distracted by someone or something.

"Your hair looks pretty today," Chase said, but I couldn't figure out if it was sarcasm or not.

"Thanks?" I asked, and he laughed. I rolled my eyes and walked towards the car by myself as Chase stopped behind me.

I heard talking when I opened the car door and I climbed in the back seat with Mara.

The window was rolled down and I heard Chase talking to Reyna.

That two faced...

"So I heard Elizabeth is having a party on Friday for soccer players, and I get a plus one," Chase said, "You want to join me?"

She rolled her eyes and smiled.

"You're an idiot, but yeah I'd love to," she said, kissing his cheek and walking away. Fire burned in my chest and I looked away as my heart clenched. I occupied myself, scrolling through my social media as if I hadn't seen it twice already as Chase bounded towards the car. He pulled the door open and plunked down into the seat, buckling his seatbelt. He turned towards me and scowled.

"What?" he asked. Heat rose towards my face and I shrugged, looking out the window at the passing traffic. Chase didn't seem too bothered by my short answer because when he arrived at home he blew past me towards his room like I wasn't even there.

I set my backpack on the floor beside my desk and flipped open my computer to do my homework. I found it hard to focus with the constant banging on the wall in the hallway. I silently groaned, pushing away from my desk and swinging open my door to find Chase and Beckett wrestling over what looked like a phone.

I rolled my eyes, standing there for a few moments before they realized that they were being ridiculous.

Beckett was the first to notice, and he rolled to his side, pocketing whoever's phone it was.

"Beck, give me my phone!" Chase shouted, glancing over at me with a panicked expression. I shrugged and looked towards him no pity in my gaze. Beckett darted down the hallway, leaving just me and Chase standing there.

"So a soccer party?" I asked, anger creeping into my voice. Chase paled and took a sudden interest in his socks.

"Uh, yeah. Should be fun, but not... ya know great or anything," He mumbled. I scoffed and turned back to my room, slamming the door.

"Sienna I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd want to go!" Chase yelled from outside my room. I tried to tune him out because I knew the words coming from his mouth were lies or at least, I thought they were. He sighed, and I heard his footsteps turning away from my room. A part of me was let down, but I continued on my homework until Samantha called me for dinner.

I wasn't very hungry after thinking about Chase for a while, so I pushed my food around my plate at the kitchen table. Beckett gave me a strange look, but no one else seemed to notice I wasn't eating much. When everyone was excused, I made a beeline for the guest room and straight back to my desk.

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Four days later, I had gotten over the fact that Chase went to the party when I overheard him telling one of his friends that Reyna showed up with her ex-boyfriend Zane. He showed me more affection than he had in a while, and as much as I tried to ignore it I enjoyed it.

On Sunday, I sat in my room and looked around for something to do. I checked all around the house and finally came across a bag of chalk when the idea hit me. I snatched the colorful bag and ran to the driveway, sitting down to start my masterpiece.

I didn't know what I was doing at first, but the colors blended together perfectly. When I was finishing the outer layer of my flower, Chase walked out of the garage with a soccer ball. He peered into the bag of chalk, his face covered in a look of curiosity.

"Is this a weenie?" he said, pointing to a piece of reddish-brown chalk. I rolled my eyes.

"You're a weenie," I replied at the almost first-grade level comment.

He laughed, and I could almost perfectly picture the look on his face.

"I love you Sienna," He said, still chuckling.

"I love you too Chase," I said, my words not missing a beat, but my heart missing a few. Chase went on like nothing had happened, but my heart swelled and I hid my reddened cheeks behind my hair as I kept drawing. 

(Sorry for the short chapter and not updating for so long, I've been crazy busy this summer and the writers block for this story has been unreal. I'm currently working on a fan-fiction that has taken most of my time, as well as summer reading for school.)