Friends Don't Kiss, Do They?

Chapter 1

A/N: This story was previously titled Love, Secrets and Heartbreaks. I have been working on the story for 4 years, and just wasn't getting anywhere with it. Either because I had no idea what to write or I just wasn't motivated. I think what annoyed me the most in the story was that I had 5 POVs and in the end I grew tired of it, so I decided to pick just one. Through a recent experience, I decided to write this story in Hailey's POV. (All characters from the previous story are still in it, with just some slight changes to the story.)

The focus is on Tayvon Parker as he dribbles the basketball down the court. The Myrtle Titans were winning by five points, sitting on a score of ten. Tayvon makes it to the other side of the court, dodging out of the way of the other team. He leaps when he wasn't able to get to the basket, scoring from the side. The ball goes through the hoop.

Everyone breaks out in a loud cheer, except for the supporters of the other team, who only boos our school. My cheerleading team breaks out into a cheer, but I don't react to my team mates.

I watch as Tayvon's team mates high-five him. But he wasn't who I'm concentrating on. I search for the jersey number eleven, which belongs to my friend Matt Evans. My brown eyes catch him when he pulls away from his team, glancing my way as he looks out in the bleachers. His body was covered in sweat from running around, even his bleached hair was soak. As soon as my eyes connect with him, my heart beat rapidly in my chest.

I have been crushing on Matt for months. I'm too shy to speak to him. And when I do get the opportunity, I stuff up and say something stupid. My friends are trying to help me to get over my fear of speaking to him.

Matt jogs to the centre, standing opposite to Tayvon, who stands in the centre with the captain of the other team. On the referee's signal, the two team captains leap in the air. Tayvon's hand touches the ball first, wracking it towards Matt. He catches it, starts dribbling, but only to have the ball stolen from the other team's players.

The Titan's player Bobby Blue goes to steal the ball, but only trips over his own feet, hitting the floor hard. He goes to sit up, but only to try out in pain as his rest his hands on his right ankle. Tayvon signals to the referee to call time out. The referee obeys him and blows his whistles.

All attention was on Bobby who was crying out in pain. His team surrounds him. Coach Parker hurries over to him to make sure he was alright.

Tayvon and Matt help Bobby off the floor, walking him move to the bench. My team mates squeal as the two best looking players of the basketball team wanders over to us, not caring about the injured player. I twirl a finger around my ponytail, biting my lip, unsure what to do as Matt approaches. What do I do? Do I say something to him? Or should I keep quiet?

I turn to my friends Abby Smith, Bailey and Emma Green, who was sitting in the front row of the bleachers behind the team. I'm not meant to talk to them during the game, but right now I needed to speak to them to keep my mind off Matt.

"Oh gosh," I say, putting one of my pom poms in the other hand as I run the free one through my hair. "Matt is coming over here. What should I do? Should I say something to him?"

Emma, who has been one of my closes friends for a few years now, looks up at me. "Relax, Hailey. Just be yourself and tell him that he is playing really well out there."

I nod, biting down on my lip. It was easy to say to relax, but being it was a total different story. Whenever I'm around Matt, my entire body freezes, but I decided to take my friend's advice. That's all I could really do right? Even if I end up making myself a complete fool, which always happens.

I inhale a deep breath and then exhale as I turn, just as Matt and Tayvon arrives with Bobby, placing him down on the bench. Coach Parker hurries over to examine the twisted ankle, saying it's a sprain. He orders Bobby to sit out for the rest of the game.