Thought Of You (A Madison Alamia love story)

Chapter 8

EDITED.

NICOLE BERNHARD

It was a sweltering day in Manapalan. Deciding to escape the boredom of watching Friends with Mack, Brittany and Melinda, I got changed into a bikini with my soccer team's colors and logo and went to hop in the pool.

I slipped off my shoes and dived into the water, instantly gratified by the cool temperature.

I floated on my back, treading water, and kept my eyes shut to avoid looking directly at the sun.

"Oomph!" I let out as something hit me directly in the stomach. I opened my eyes to see a basketball floating on the deep end of the pool. I swam to grab it as I heard the door to the fence open.

"Hey!" I heard a deep voice and turned around to see a gorgeous, sweaty and shirtless boy standing at the opposite side of the pool "could I have my ball back?"

"You mean the one that will leave a nice circular bruise on my stomach? You'll have to play me for it" I said and climbed up the ladder on the deep end with the ball in one of my hands.

"Did it hit you? I'm so sorry! Me and the guys were playing a game and it got a little out of hand" he laughed awkwardly before saying, "play you for it?"

I forgot that he was one of Madison's friends, Nick I believe. I couldn't help but take more notice to him shirtless, but could you blame me? I was a hormonal teen after all.

I noticed him checking me out. While most girls would have hurried to cover themselves up, I wasn't most girls. I laced up my Jordans and looked up at him.

"Yeah, one on one, ballet boy. Winner gets to keep the ball" I said as I grabbed the ball and walked to the hoop in the Alamia's driveway. All the other boys stepped out of the way as Nick and I got ready to play.

"First one to ten wins" Thomas said.

--

"You totally cheated" Nick said, out breath as I sunk a three-pointer, giving me a total of twelve points.

"How could I have possibly done that? It was one on one, you were watching me the whole time."

"Yeah, way more than he was watching the freaking ball" Madison said and Nick punched him on the arm as the rest of the guys laughed.

"Where did you learn to play like that?" Nick asked and I smiled.

"My dad taught me when I was a little girl and I guess it stuck" I thought about my dad. He died two years ago. He was the greatest man alive and the only one I would ever let into my life.

"It certainly did" he laughed lightly, "and you won the ball, fair and square"

"Tell you what, you can have it" I began, dribbling the ball a few times before holding it out to him, "in exchange for your number" I smirked.

I heard the rest of the boys 'oh' and chant 'do it' at Nick.

"Yeah, sure" he smiled before pulling out his phone so I could put my number in it.

He stopped me from walking back to Mack's house by grabbing my wrist. He whispered, just so I could hear, "just so you know, I was planning on asking you for your number first"

"Keep thinking that ballet boy" I said as he released his grip, "I believe I beat you at yet another thing"

"You know, not everything is a competition" he looked me in the eye and I just scoffed and began to walk away.

"And stop calling me ballet boy!" He yelled. I just smiled and felt my heart beat quicken as I collapsed onto my temporary bed, wondering what the hell I just got myself into.