The Neogene Project

Chapter 11 - Tennis Courts

Chapter 11 - Tennis Courts (Unedited)

Meet me next to the tennis courts today after school. Actually come this time- I know you don’t have practice so dont use that excuse ~S

Blake found the note in his locker at lunch. He sighed. There was no escaping her, was there?

He and Sofia had been talking to each other for a while. She was still the same annoying popular girl that she had always been, but there was something different now. She was more mature, and more composed. But although he was starting to become close to her again, very slowly, he still did not consider her a best friend, of any sort, by any means. Or at least, he thought he didn’t. He may have been starting to grow fond of her, but he was still not up to having a long and heartfelt conversation about who knows what with her.

Would it be very cruel to ditch her and leave her hanging? He mulled it over at lunch as he sat and numbly chewed on his sandwich. Although that was what he truly desired, he knew he couldn’t do that to her. They had been slowly but surely going back to being sort of friends, and he didn’t want to throw all of that out the window just because of his stubborn refusal to have a heartfelt discussion with her. Besides, it couldn’t be that bad.

When the end of the day rolled around, he made his way to the tennis courts, searching for Sofia. But he couldn’t find her anywhere. He looked up and down, back and front, but she was no where to be found. He texted her and got no response. He knew he should have considered it his lucky day, but he couldn’t shake off the feeling that he had still betrayed her, even though it was her that hadn’t showed up, and not the other way around.

He sighed. It was no use; he waited for fifteen more minutes before making his way to the parking lot to drive home.

Blake noticed Sofia’s car right away; how could he miss it? It was the only cadillac in the lot. Before he could stop himself, he walked towards it, as if drawn by an invisible force. Blake peered in the window like a stalker to find Sofia in her car, sobbing.

Blake panicked. He knew he could have quickly left her alone before she noticed him, because the last thing he wanted right now was to deal with a crying teenage girl. But what kind of disgusting jerk would he be if he did that?

He tapped on her window. She appeared to not hear him. He could leave and use the excuse of her not noticing to defend himself. Instead he knocked again, louder this time. Still, she did not see him. So, being the fool Blake was, he opened her door, not surprised to find it unlocked.

This finally caused her to look up. “Blake?” she wondered aloud. “What are you doing here?”

“You were, uh,” Blake tried to respond. “You’re, well, you’re crying.” What was wrong with him? He went from a confident guy who literally sauntered into her unlocked car to a little cowering guy who stumbled over his words like a schoolboy with untied shoelaces in less than ten seconds. “Are you alright?” Blake asked lightly.

“Does it look like I am?” Sofia screamed. Blake closed his eyes for a second. He would have to kick himself over his stupidity for walking into this situation later. But for now, his only job was to comfort the poor girl.

He invited himself into her car and closed the door behind him. He put his arm around her shoulder. She shuddered and leaned into him. “What are you doing here,” she mumbled into his armpit.

“Why didn’t you come after school?” Blake responded,

“I assumed you wouldn’t come, dummy. That’s why. I got in my car to leave and I-” She stopped and looked up at him. Her face, which was usually very bold and bossy, was now small and defenseless. She choked on a sob.