💞 Players of love 💞

Chapter 3

    "Hit it harder. You will lose if you don't hit it high.", Jack said.
    "I'm trying, I'm trying.", was everything I could say in that moment. My whole strength disappeared with my last hit. Baseball is great sport but hard on the other side. Our trainings were still exhausting and Cat was in even worse condition than me.
     Every muscle in my body was in pain. The bat was slipping out of my hands. I crouched to rest my legs while Jack was looking at me.
    "I give up. Enough for today.", I said standing up and dropping bat on the ground.
    "Fine.", Jack said laughing. He found amusing to see me limping so I gave him dark glare.
     I walked out of area with net and I went to sit. I pulled my books out of my bag. I was going to stay there for a while and my physics homework couldn't wait. I already had enough homework for the weekend. Physics is the worst subject ever and even worse combination was when you need to do it and your legs are killing you. I sighed and started with writing.
     I was trying to concentrate when Frankie came from nowhere.
     "Studying? Really?", he said making face.
     "Unfortunately. Physics doesn't choose days.", I sighed.
     "Let me see it.", he said coming closer to me and taking my book.
"Yeah. I remember this from last year. Listen, frequency isn't so hard. You just need to..."
     He started to explain me how frequency works. I didn't expect him to know this. It was strange situation at first but I didn't know why. But then his company became comfortable to me. I enjoyed listening to him. I was smiling. His eyes were pinned on the book when suddenly he turned look at me. Our looks connected and he stopped talking.
    "Why are you smiling?", he smiled as well.
     "Nothing, nothing.", I looked away, "I wanted to ask you why I have to connect these two signs?"
     "I... I...", he looked back on book, "I don't know."
I laughed. He laughed with me too.
    "So what are your plans... for tonight?", he asked me, biting his bottom lip.
    "You are looking at my plans."
    "Physics on Friday night?!"
    "Yes. And I don't know what else to do.", I said playing with my pencil. I hated that I didn't have proper company to hang out with.
     "You can go with me... I mean, with us on tonight's party.", he hesitated.
     "Really? I didn't plan to go out tonight."
     "Yeah, you should. Party will be great.", Austin said coming with Jack and Cat.
     "Yeah. We need a change, Ivy. I've already accepted it.", Cat said holding her bat on her shoulder.
     "Fine then.", I said pulling out my notebook from my bag.
     "Don't tell me you will write now.", Cat said sitting on the chair.
     "So what? I have something on my mind.", I shrugged.
    "You write? I draw.", Jack said. He went in a corner and pulled the notebook out as well. He gave it to me.
I opened it and stood in shock. His talent couldn't be described with words. Every page was perfectly drawn.
    "This is perfect.", I said.
    "That is why we call him Picasso.", Austin said laughing.
   "I'm writer but Cat is drawer too. Maybe you can find same language in this.", I said looking up. Cat stood there in confusion again. She really can stay speechless in simple situations.
     "That is my hobby. For now. But I would like to see your drawings too.", Jack said looking at Cat.
     "Yes, I guess I can show you some but I'm not good at it.", she said rubbing back of her neck.
     "You liar.", I said. She looked at me the way she was going to bite me.
     "Frankie, we are surplus.", Austin said. We all started to laugh.
     After long and painful walk I finally came home.
    "Hi, mum."
    "Hey, darling. How are you?", she said. She was in living room with Oscar. She was helping him with his homework.
    "Tired. Baseball is killing me.", I said sitting on the sofa, "I wanted to ask you can I go to the party tonight?"
     "Really? Where that come from? Who would you go with?"
     "Cat. With whom else?", I said trying to avoid fact there would be other people.
     "And with your new friends, probably?", she said looking up. I knew she would say that. But I couldn't afford myself to lie if I was planning to go on party.
     "Yeah, I think they will be there too. Can I go... please?", I said making puppy eyes.
     "Alright, you can, but you know when you need to be home. Otherwise you are in trouble, young lady.", she said standing up and tapping my shoulder.
     "Thank you. You are the best.", I jumped and hugged her. It was accomplishment for me because I was still in pain.
       Couple hours later, I was in my room, walking around. I really didn't know what to wear. At the end, 20 minutes before I needed to go, to be precise, I decided to wear red T-shirt with one sleeve down off my shoulder and black ripped jeans. I managed to put my hair in high pony tail and I put some make up.
     "Bye, mum. See you.", I yelled as I went out from house.
     "Have a great time.", I heard she said.
      Cat and her mum were in the car in front of my house. She was going to drive us. Cat was planning to take driving lessons soon so she can take us wherever we want.
      "Hello. Good evening, Mrs. Zigman.", I said as I got into car. I sat in the backseat while Cat was on front seat, next to her mum.
     "Hello, Via.", she said with smile. Cat's mum always gave me silly nicknames, even my name is either way short, but I liked it. She is always happy and her positive energy is amazing. Our whole drive she made jokes and soon we were at party.
     "I will pick you up later. Have fun."
     "Fine. Bye, mum.", Cat said.
      We didn't need to knock on the door because door were already opened. We walked in and house was really crowded. Smoke was everywhere and I couldn't stand it. I started to cough when suddenly I felt someone grabbed my arm. He pulled me out of the crowd.
     "Hey. Are you alright?", Frankie said, "It looks like smoke suffocates you." I barely could hear him. Music was to loud so I whispered on his ear.
     "Yeah. No one's smoker in my family so I'm not use to cigarette smoke.", I said and continue to cough.
     "Let's go to our room. Hey, Cat.", he yelled waving to Cat. She saw us and waved back and Frankie showed her to follow us.
      Frankie was first and he was pushing us through the crowd. I followed him and Cat followed me. He brought us in some other room which hadn't lot of people.
     "Guys, look who is here.", he said pointing on us.
      When we walked in, we saw Austin and some blond girl playing cart game on X-box and Jack was sitting on the backrest of sofa. He turned when we came.
      "Hey. Glad you came.", Jack said getting up, "Meet Emily, my girlfriend."He pointed on blond girl . She stood up and came to us.
      "Hello. I'm sorry for this. I was teaching Austin how to drive a car.", she said looking at Austin. Austin just shook his head.
      "Jack told me about you."
Really? He didn't mention her to us.
     "Nice to meet you too.", I said. Girl seemed fine.
     "Wanna play cart game with us?", she asked.
     "I'm not interested. Thank you anyway.", I said. I didn't want to spend the night playing games.
     "So Cat, let's play. You and I against Austin and Jack. We will beat their asses.", Emily said laughing.
     "We will see. Take your positions.", Jack said jumping on sofa again. Cat nodded and she and Emily joined Austin and Jack in playing.
     "Do you want drink maybe?", Frankie asked me. He looked so nice. His outfit was great and I felt shivers every time he came closer to me.
     "Sure.", I said biting my bottom lip. I couldn't afford myself to become nervous. Not now.
     "Follow me.", he said and I came with him. We went to crowded room again.
     "Here it is. It's not alcohol, I promise.", he said smiling and giving me plastic cup.
      "Can we go outside?", I said taking cup from him.
     "Of course."
     Somehow we managed to get to the yard.
    "Starts are beautiful tonight.", I said looking at the sky. I really meant it. Not just that I wanted to talk to him.
     "Yes, indeed. I really can say you are artistic soul.", he said laughing. He hid his look from me. Maybe it was better that way or I would get shivers again.
     "Hey, Frankie.", some girl came to us.
     "Hey, Kelsey. How are you?", Frankie stood up right.
     "Good. You?", she smiled at him. She was shorter than him but she looked at him with admiration.
     "Good. Kelsey, this is my friend Ivy. Ivy, Kelsey."
     "Nice to meet you.", her smile faded when she saw me. I waved at her and gave her a weak smile. Girl wasn't happy to see me at all.
    "I won't disturb you. I just wanted to say hi.", she said and quickly disappeared in the crowd.
     "Let's sit on the bench.", Frankie suggested. I nodded.
      We talked for a long time. We were looking at the sky and chatting random things. But unfortunately unwanted company came.
     "Hi, Ivy.", I heard Cassy's voice. Oh my God. I couldn't avoid her in any situation of my life.
     "Hey, Cas.", I gave her fake smile. She was with her 'friends' Trisha and Angie.
     "What are you guys doing?", Angie asked.
      Frankie wanted to answer but I cut him.
     "Talking.", I said trying to do my best 'happy ' smile.
     "Can we join you?", Cassy asked.
     "Actually...", I said through my teeth when Austin came.
     "Hello, ladies. Wanna play boogie-boogie with me?", he said shaking his body like crazy.
     "Eww noo.", they all said and quickly run away.
    "Don't worry. Just call me if someone disturbs you.", Austin said fixing his hair like 'bad guy' and then he left.
     Frankie and I started laughing. I would pay just to hear his laugh every day.
     "I'm really glad that you are here tonight.", he said coming closer to me and putting his arm on the bench behind my back, "This party would be boring without you." He was smiling.
I could feel my heart. It was beating faster and faster. I was trying to breath normally. He looked straight to my eyes. I couldn't turn look away. I smiled as well.
     "Why? Am I that interesting?", I said smirking. I needed to resist those eyes but it was stronger than me.
      "Yes.", he said playfully.
We were really close. His face was coming closer to mine and I thought that's it.
      "Ivy! Ivy!", I heard voice, "We have to go."
I moved away from Frankie and turned around. It was Cat. She was calling me from the crowd. She was showing me that I have to be at home in 15 minutes. That wasn't enough time.
      "Frankie, I'm so sorry. I have to go. See you soon."
     "But wait...", I didn't let him to finish sentence. I had to go and I couldn't turn around to see him.
These things could only happen to me. To no one else, just me . Cinderella story- here I come. If you say kiss? Time will say NO!