Last Game

Second

Meanwhile, the cheerleaders all shared concerned glances as they conversed but their cheer captain kept to the sidelines, the strawberry blonde petite who had been the subject of the basketball players' conversation being uncharacteristically gloomy, lacking the cheer energy that often sparked their own.

"Birdie!" a ginger cute appearing girl called out, she had a camera in hand and a glossed smile on her face; Kodak, head of the school's newspaper department hadn't been blind to her friend's recent misery either and opted to help her the best way she knew how. "Smile! I want your picture to be on the cover of this week's paper! Right next to the title headlining our school's victory!"

A soft chuckle was elicited by Rosa at the words but the smile had been weak, forced and it didn't last long enough for a single click or flash.

"Kody, you should take Millie or Vee's pictures instead, don't they look adorable today?" she managed, but a usually singsong voice leaked of sadness that none of her friends were deaf to and while the photographer couldn't argue that their other friends looked cute in their cheer uniforms and red and black, their team colors, painting their face in the form of minimalist shapes, she still wished to lighten up Rosa's grim mood specifically.

"But you're the captain!" she argued, an adorable pout replacing her sunny smile and summoning guilt within Rosa's heart to turn down her friend's request but right now, her heart had run out of energy to even pretend she was alright.

"-We're losing" she stated, as if that fact could spare her having her photo taken while she was in such a down state but Kodak just grinned wide, dismissing it all when the whistle blew signifying the beginning of the third quarter and telling her friend not to worry about the cover image as she'll figure it out the way she always did.

They stood on the sidelines and cheered, personalized chants specifically composed for their school team the 'Pirates', yet a pair of indigo had been focused merely on one player, even as she refused to call his name, the way she normally would, even though he broke her heart after being the only man she ever handed it to, even when every glance and look in his direction was pouring salt by the pounds on a freshly inflicted wound — still her gaze could not drift from him.

"Your boyfriend's a loser" a voice, throaty and teasing by her side spoke; her red haired best friend Valerie whose usual remarks were no new territory for the petite still seemed to draw a stern expression upon her soft countenance.

"He's not my boyfriend" she stated in a matter of fact tone, voice firm and composed despite the slight ripple in her words, and it had been that remark which drew further concern upon her friends' features as opposed to her usual and rather quick rise to his defence, ignoring the claim he was her boyfriend and deeming him the best player their school has got.

As the minutes passed, the difference in score only grew more, the ace player struggling to regain control of the tides but instead was being washed away, dragged by the waves with little to no control over the outcome.

He felt helpless, frustrated but most of all, lost.

His teammates yelled to snap his attention, they plead for him to focus on the ball in his hands but still his silvery optics were begging to tear away from the court and into her own mesmerizing pair — oh how he missed the love in them as she stared back into his own, oh how he despised himself for bringing about a despair within them he's never seen before.

He missed a shot soon after their eyes met.

"Maybe you should have slapped him harder, Cam." the girl with fiery hair and a fiery spirit to match spoke with evident venom leaking. She couldn't quite pinpoint if she despised him for almost costing them the match or for shattering the heart of the only girl she treasured more than her own. Although all evidence pointed that it was the latter. "— Maybe it would have made him a better player"

"I wish" the tealette addressed by Cam agreed, her tone a mixture of concern and the same rage her friend had displayed. "— or maybe knocked enough sense into him to apologize to Rosy."

"I'm right here..." Rosa spoke to both her best friends, her voice so weak and brittle that if heard, one would be surprised she wasn't already broken on the wooden floor with tears filling the stadium for the players to slip on.

She couldn't breathe. She needed air. She had to get away, from him, from them, from this — and she did, without a word, stormed out the nearest exist.

He missed another as he watched her walk away from the court.

Seconds ticking as the freckled male balanced his fate on each hand, the game that he was already losing which could have been the start of his career or the love of his life that was already out the door, and he feared soon to be entirely out of his life.

He thought it would be more difficult of a choice but surprisingly, even to him, it didn't take a second thought before hands passed the ball to the nearest team-mate and feet scurried off the court.

"Rosy!" her best friend called after her, paced steps to be made and follow in her stead but the teal haired girl's movement was stopped by her other best friend, ebony eyes taking notice of the ace player and nodding in his direction to alert violet eyes to his presence.

"Let them be" Valerie spoke and as Camilla watched Ace leave the game midway and run after Rosa, any movement to rush to the petite's comfort was halted, her features softening with relief. "Let's hope the idiot doesn't mess up this time" the redhead added, muttering under her breath to which Camilla laughed.