Ring by Spring| ✓

four.

"'WHAT HAPPENED?' GRAHAM SHOT A THREE AND IT SOMEHOW MANAGED TO AIRBALL OFF TOWARD THE BASELINE."

It is said once you are ready to die you will see a light offering you a way to pass on to the other side. God, please let me pass! It truly is a hard knock life for me because I'm currently sprawled out on a basketball court with a bright light being held to my eyes. From what I can tell through my squinted eyes, several people are standing above me.

"Annie, Annie open your eyes." I find it hard to open my eyes - not because the basketball hit me that hard but because of the bright light shining in my eyes.

"Can you move the light before I go blind?" I croak out over dramatically. Might as well play with them for a bit.

The light is moved from my eyes and I am able to open them fully. I notice that there are still a huge number of people in the stands I guess the game hasn't ended yet. My mind is soon changed when I realize my head is laying on something soft, but firm. I'm on someone's lap. The person leans down allowing me to see their face and oh Lord am I grateful that they do.

I start pulling on the thought I didn't want to linger on earlier. Graham. The guy who was sitting in a velvet chair, held a soda can as he stared at me with a cold expression, and most humorously he got stood up by a girl. It takes me a couple seconds to put all this information together that the school's star basketball player has my head in his lap and is looking at me with the sweetest expression compared to the one he was giving me a day before.

"We meet again, door girl." Graham chuckles nervously as he hesitantly smooths my hair back with the back of his hand. His hand touches my forehead briefly which sends a spark throughout my body, waking up the limbs of mine that had fallen asleep.

"Yes, we do. The game; it's still going?" I squint my eyes again trying to take a mental picture of him and this moment. I feel my camera's weight against my chest, hopefully, the ball didn't damage it on its way down from my face.

"No. The game ended almost fifteen minutes ago." Graham's words shock me. If the game has already ended why are there so many people here?

As if he can read my mind he answers,"They stayed for you."

I look into his green eyes and in turn, he gazes into my dark brown ones that might as well be classified as black. "I stayed for you," he breathes as if a weight has been lifted off of his chest.

I open and close my mouth like a fish, not knowing how to respond. "I was the one who hit you with the basketball."

"What? What happened?" I lift my head from his lap all too fast and my head is met with a headache.

"'What happened?' Graham shot a three and it somehow managed to airball off toward the baseline." Thorne Matthews stares at me with a glint of humor swimming in his eyes.

Graham rolls his eyes, running a hand through his hair as he studies - I assume - my reaction.

"All fair, I guess. I was never good at playing catch." I scrunch my curls as I share a smile with Thorne.

Graham stares at me with stun. I push off the ground and stand up on my feet. He does the same. A clap sounds from the audience and it quickly turns into cheers. Jenny, another photographer with the school press, calls me and Graham over for a picture. A basketball is handed to him and I am told to hold my camera.

"Well, Graham have a merry Christmas."

He nods at me, a small smile outlining his lips. "You too, Annie."