Books, Boys, and Basketball: Senior Year

PAWN

So much for surprises...

Drew and I spent the rest of that night arguing about how he felt embarrassed by what happened between Quincy and me. Like how I rested in his arms like a lovestruck idiot, shocked and relieved I wasn't dead or injured, before snapping out of whatever trance I was in.

I tried convincing him I was just in a state of shock, but he wasn't buying it. And I didn't know what it was, to be honest. But now the rumor mill is buzzing with their own theories since Jason opened his big fat mouth about it.

One rumor is that I'm seeing Q behind Drew's back. Another is that I'm pregnant with Q's baby hoping to pawn it off on Drew, and the last is that I got so tired of Drew cheating on me that I decided to get back at him by cheating with his best friend. And absolutely none of the rumors are true.

We get to clue number five by the end of that day, proud of ourselves for catching up to the Maverick team, until we find out they're now on clue number eight. We're three clues behind them and they show no signs of slowing down.

"Did you hear the ranking for the teams?" Patrice asks irritated. I look over at Chloe who isn't talking to me. She's mad at me because Quincy chose to save me from that fall. Not that she wanted me to get hurt, or did she? I can't tell. I'm thinking it bothers her that he cares about me so much. "We're fifth out of the twenty teams with the Mavericks being in first place. We seriously need to step our game up."

"Well, you would be a lot further ahead if Sid and Drew can stop arguing for five seconds about Quincy, and Chloe can stop acting like Q being in love with Sid is her fault," Scott throws everyone's cards on the table. "You're not acting like a team. You're divided. So, from where I'm looking, if you want to get back in this game you need to squash all these petty beefs and start working as a team again."

Patrice smiles, proud of Scott for saying what everyone else is probably thinking, and she plants a kiss on his lips.

"I know it's not your fault, but it doesn't make it any easier to swallow. Especially when he keeps looking at you the way he does," Chloe finally speaks to me.

"There's nothing I can do about how he feels," I sulk.

"And yet you continue to feed into it," Drew chimes in.

"How?" I ask flabbergasted. "I fell and he caught me. I could have been injured and my basketball career would have been over. Forgive me for being grateful."

"I bet you were grateful." He cryptically replies. Scott shakes his head at us, but Drew isn't done getting stuff off his chest. "Is he the reason why you don't want to get married? Is he the reason you stopped hanging out with me so much?"

I've never seen Drew this thrown for a loop or insecure before and it tugs at my heart strings. I owe him an honest explanation and what better time than now. Especially since we're supposed to be squashing things.

"I stopped hanging out so much because I needed to detox from you. You've got my head all twisted up and I don't like it. It has nothing to do with Quincy, and contrary to popular belief, I'm not checking for him." I sigh, frustrated.

"Why didn't you come talk to me about it?" He asks.

"Because I didn't want you to talk me out of how I was feeling."

Drew opens his mouth to speak but doesn't. We both know that's exactly what he would have done. He nods instead. "Well, next time... I'd prefer it if you just call me on my shit. Don't start ghosting me and not tell me why."