The Immigrant Who Played Basketball

Chapter 4- What am I supposed to do now Ella?

The whole day I manage to avoid Maria and Chloe successfully. I start talking to some of my friendly classmates so that I don't show them I'm lonely. A new lesson I've learnt today is that Logan shares one of his sister's personality traits: resilience. At lunch, he is ahead of me in the line with his friends and he whispers:

"Can't wait for tomorrow after school," and he winks as he says this.

"Do I have to talk in another language? I'm not doing it."

"Well I do understand Italian so I guess you could talk in it if you prefer" he says with a cheeky smirk covering his face.

The boy is infuriating. However, I'm just waiting for tomorrow when I could have my sweet revenge by not coming to the game.

When school is finished, I obviously don't go in Maria's car and I luckily make it on time to get the school bus home. Unfortunately, my mum watches me arrive home.

"Perche non sei andato con Maria a casa(Why didn't you go with Maria home)?"

"Perche non volevo(Because I didn't want to)."

"Luna!"

"Non e colpa mia se lei e quel suo fatisdioso fratello non possono farsi gli affari propri(It's not my fault she and that annoying brother of hers can't mind their own business)." I finish with a grunt.

"What happened?"

"She has the courage to make up with me this morning. Then as I went to my locker, Logan challenged me to a basketball game, me verses him for tomorrow lunch. He said that he heard that I'm a good player and I asked him where he heard it from. He told me Maria, so I confronted her. She 'had no clue that Logan was planning it' but admitted telling him about convincing me to join the basketball club."

"Oh, Luna. I think you may have overreacted a bit."

"Overreacted? Mamma, you're supposed to be on my side."

"Luna of course I am on your side, but they are trying to help you. You haven't played since..."

Before she could finish the sentence, I jumped in with, "Ma they are not helping me. If they want to help me, they would support me by not forcing me to play".

Mom has that face were she is getting fed up of my answering back, so I make sure to stop talking and listen to what she has to say. She looks me in the eye and sighs, stroking my cheek with guilt in her eyes.

"Luna, lo so che è difficile, ma penso che tesoro, Ella vorrebbe vederti vivere così. Rinunciare al tuo sogno come se non significasse nulla per entrambi. No, non lo vorrebbe. Non ti sto forzando Luna, ma butto via questa opportunità per rendere felici te e Ella." (Luna, I know it is hard, but think my sweetheart, would Ella want to see you living like this. Giving up your dream as if it meant nothing to both of you. No, she wouldn't want that. I'm not forcing you Luna, but throw away this opportunity to make you and Ella happy.)

With that, she walks off into the kitchen to finish with dinner, while I'm left to let her meaningful words become submerged into my system. I go upstairs, into my room and throw my bag on the floor, where it lands with a big thump. I fall into my bed and let my tiredness take over my body, but before I shut my eyes completely, I tilt my head towards my chest of drawer. Looking at the picture Ella and I took on the beach, I stare into her dazzling eyes and whisper to myself before drowning into a deep sleep, "Cosa dovrei fare ora Ella?" (What am I supposed to do now Ella?"

The next morning, I wake up jittery. Why? Because I'm supposed to play with Logan. Something is telling me to go, but my hands don't want to feel the rough texture of the ball in my hand again.

Maria comes to get me and we ride in silence, with the radio in the background playing at a medium volume. Before she even turns the engine off in the school car park, I'm out of the car thinking that she will leave me be, but I guess today is not my day. As I walk to my locker, Logan is standing there but not alone. He is with the other guys who are similar height to him and should be on the basketball team. I take a deep breath and walk to my locker with a straight face. Logan of course has to open his mouth and already has a smirk on his face, with his two minions watching every move I make.

"Guessing I'm seeing you after school then, considering you are wearing basketball shorts and Jordans," Logan says eyeing me up and down. That already disgusts me so I turn round and give him what I've been trying to contain. I walk up to him and look him straight in the eye with a hard face and say,

"Logan, I don't know what to say anymore. I told you I'm not playing and that means I'm not changing my mind. So why don't you go and play damn ball without involving me in anything there is no way you will see me in the gym."

I slam my locker thinking that this situation is over, but right before I'm about to leave, he grips my wrist and pulls me to his chest. He leans down by my ear and whispers something that leaves me with nothing but confusion.

"I don't think you should say that Luna, because believe me, when I say I will see you in the gym I will see you in that gym." And just like that my friends, Logan walks away as the bell rings signalling first period is starting. All I can do it carry the weight of his words on my back, scaring me of what his plan was.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hey Readers,

What things would you like to see happen in this book. Comment down below your suggestions and I'll see what I can do.

Xxx