Bitter Heart √

Twenty Nine

Skylar's POV

I needed some time away from all of this mess--my parents, the locker which I still knew nothing about, and my Physics grades (which were still flunking, to be honest).

There was a grand test next week, thanks to our beloved Physics teacher, and of course, I needed to get an A on this test. I was a hundred per cent sure I'd fail the entire subject if I didn't get an A this time.

That's how I was imagining my life to end--because of a goddamn subject. Mom would be so pissed.

Why did I even care? She was hiding big stuff from me. Dad too. I wouldn't let them blame me if I failed Physics.

That all, however, wasn't the thing worrying me right this second.

Instead, it was my best friend Alex, who'd asked me to come over to his football match tonight. And I would've gone there too, even when it wasn't really my cup of tea. The only thing that stopped me from doing so was not really a thing, but a person. Caden.

You stay away from me and my business.

Caden was in the team too, and as much as I'd like to hope the opposite, he will be there. I had sworn to stay away from him, especially when he wanted the same. It was going to take a lot of me to forget his cruel words and I wasn't looking forward to giving him any more chances.

Since everything was a game to him anyway.

As I roamed across the gift shop I had ended up in, I promptly realised that I didn't even know whose gift I was supposed to be picking from here. Was I even supposed to be here?

The abrupt ringing of my phone made me place back the glass snow globe back on its shelf. Once I took out my phone, I answered the call--Alex's call.

"Hi."

"Hey, where are you? I thought you were coming here to see the match." Alex asked from the other end.

I would if I wasn't in a gift shop right now.

I picked up a silver charm bracelet. It had small seashells hanging on to its chain, tinkling against each other. "Caden's there."

"Are you asking or telling?"

"You tell me."

"He's in the team, Sky. Why wouldn't he be here?"

I shrugged, even though he couldn't see me. "Well, I'm not coming then. You won't find me anywhere near Caden."

Alex sighed out loud, his voice getting muffled with the numerous voices in the background. "What kind of friend are you if you can't even be here and cheer for your best friend?"

I suddenly felt really guilty, but a little frustrated too because Alex always said that line every single time. And it always worked. Those football matches made no sense to me, yet he always wanted me to show up at them.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I'll maybe see you after the match?" I suggested.

"Don't bother, Sky." I think he sounded upset, and that made me feel even worse. "I'll be tired by then."

I suppose he was right to be upset. Those football matches had always been our thing. I always cheered for him no matter what. And this one was a big one for Alex. I remember him telling me something about some scouts attending this specific match. Alex wanted me there. What kind of a friend was I?