Jealousy Best Served Devious (Clash Of Cliches Book 1)

Chapter 34- Game Time

Chapter Thirty-Four- Game Time

Two things proved impossible after Celeste shared her completely unexpected secret with me.

Firstly, getting in touch with Tyler proved to be downright impossible. He really was off the grid at this basketball camp which was taking place who knew where. Shelley, Janessa, Brandon and I pooled our limited investigative resources (out of pure desperation, I wanted to ask Aunt Vivienne because I knew she would have the hook up with her nosy self, but I didn't want to have to explain anything to her, so that was a hell no) to find the phone numbers of a few other guys on the All-Star team, and, at the risk of looking like a deranged stalker, I called them all to no avail. None of the punks answered my calls.

At least I know Tyler isn't ignoring me.

The other impossible thing was telling the guys what Celeste had revealed to me. I had promised her (a pinky promise, and those are unbreakable!) and I wasn't about to be the person that outed her, even though I knew that Shelley, Janessa and Brandon would keep the juicy story to themselves.

But it's the principle!

So when they asked me what had brought about my sudden 180 degree turn about, all I could say was that Celeste told me that Tyler liked me, and hearing it from an unbiased source drummed it into my head.

Sometimes I think on my feet. Some very rare times. Rare as hell.

They bought it because, as Brandon said, "Well, obviously, you can tell from the way he looks at you that he's infatuated."

Say what?

The only way forward was to try and make up with Tyler after the All-Star game, which was on Friday. For the next few days, I went through the motions, practising what I was going to say to Tyler in the shower, during daydreams in my boring classes, and during conversations with Vince and Shelley.

And before you call me rude, I'll have you know that having to listen to the lovesick duo talk about their prom outfit color scheme is yawn inducing.

Friday rolled around as sunny as could be, and I was jittery as I sat through my classes, bored to tears as I counted down the hours until the school day was over. Janessa was feeling herself because she was in control of the 'twin car', and she eagerly gave me a ride home. I wasn't as excited as I should have been because although she was one of my best friends, she was an intentionally terrible driver. I'm talking slow around corners, pausing for weirdly long intervals at newly green traffic stops and taking the widest turns imaginable.

I don't want to be a bitch, but no wonder Jermaine always wants to drive.

When I finally got home safely (Hallelujah), dad was just pulling into the driveway with his muck splattered Ford truck. He climbed out of the truck, spotted me in Janessa's parked car and waved, and my eyes narrowed as he quickly shut the garage door with his remote control.

Interesting.

Dad never got home before I did. He was usually at the greenery until around 6pm, ordering fertilizer and whatever else he did (yeah, I'm not going into the family business). And I was assuming mom was home, but her car wasn't in the driveway and she never parked in the garage.

Before I could think much more about why things weren't adding up, Janessa asked, "You're coming to the game tonight, right?"

"I said I was," I answered, my voice disgruntled as I reached for my bag in the backseat.

The entire day, Shelley, Brandon, Janessa and even Celeste (!) had been popping up like random jack-in-the-boxes to 'remind' me that the All-Star game was tonight and that I had to be there. Like I wasn't going to show up, or something? Why did they have so little confidence in me?