Without A Doubt

Chapter 3.

Hooking up with Mariah was a big mistake. Even though she was the one that came onto me, and she was the one who told me that I could call her whenever I wanted, I'm the bad guy. She turned the whole story around Monday and told her friends that I only ever wanted her for sex. She said that the only reason she said yes to me on Friday was because she was vulnerable even though she broke up with me. Everyone who was at the party knew she was full of it, but that didn't stop the rumors from spreading. I found out what she'd said in my third period when her friend Mila turned her desk around and started asking me questions.

"How could you do that to her?" She had to ask me twice because I had my headphones in.

"Do what to who?" I'd been having good day until this moment. I got breakfast tacos and everything.

"You totally played with Mariah's feelings." When she said that I genuinely had no idea how I'd done that. I honestly started feeling guilty to think I'd hurt her that much.

"What are you talking about?" I could feel my heart racing.

"You totally got into her pants Friday because you knew she was upset about the breakup." I felt all the nervousness leave my body when I realized what had happened.

"But she broke up with me?" I questioned.

"That doesn't mean she wasn't sad about it."

"Was she really?"

"Yes Mayson. She was. You should have treated her better."

"Well she seemed okay when she was pulling me into that room, or when she was tearing my clothes off." At this Mila was lost for words. I mean she wasn't there. She doesn't know what happened. She's only got half the story, and that's not even how it happened.

"You're still a jerk."

"If she is that upset about it she can talk to me about it and I'll apologize." Mila rolled her eyes and turned around in her seat. Girls are crazy. I don't like hurting people's feelings, I really don't. If things with Mariah had gone the way she's making them up to be I would have apologized, no questions asked. I decided to go ahead and set things straight. I pulled out my phone and pulled up Mariah's contact.

"Hey are we okay?" I asked.

"Why wouldn't we be?" She texted back almost immediately. She's one of those people that will run her mouth to everyone about a person but when it comes down to it she won't confront them.

"I don't know. Someone said you were upset about everything. I just wanted to make sure we were good." I wanted to tell her to just stop running her mouth, but I can't be a bitch. Plus, I hate ending things badly.

"Of course, we're good." I left her on open after that. No need to continue it.

The rest of the day flew by. No one else really bothered me much about the whole Mariah thing. Some of her friends gave me dirty looks but that was it. I was already in sixth period English with Emma by the time I knew it. At the end of class Ms. Scott was still talking about the next book we're supposed to read when the bell rang. I was already walking out the door when I heard her say

"Mayson would you come here for a minute?" Emma gave me a funny look. I shrugged my shoulders and watched her walk off. I then turned around and went over to Ms. Scotts desk.

"Yes Ms. Scott?"

"I wanted to talk to you about your short story." She's talking about the ones we wrote about a week ago.

"Did I not do it right?" I started to feel a twinge of nervousness. I can't fail any major assignments. It's too hard to bring my grade back up.

"No, you did. What I wanted to talk to you about was a club I'm in charge of."

"A club?"

"Yes. The creative writing club. After reading your short story I was wondering if you'd like to join it." To say I'm not intrigued would be a bold-faced lie.

"What would I have to do?"

"Just come to our meetings. They're held twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays before school at 7 in the library. We can brief you about what we do as a club whenever you come to your first one."

"So tomorrow?" I asked for clarification.

"Yes." She smiled at me. I had so many more questions but people were already shuffling into the classroom for their last period. Plus, I still have to get to the gym and change. I scurried out of the room and sped walked all the way to the gym. Walking is so tedious sometimes. If I could run places without looking like a total moron I would.

"So, what was that about?" Emma asked once I got to the locker room.

"She wants me to join her creative writing club."

"Are you going to?"

"Maybe."

"You should. You're really smart, and being a part of more clubs makes you look good on college applications."

"Yeah. You've got a point." Emma smiled as she finished putting on her running shoes. I was still trying to put on my basketball shorts. She waited for me to finish even though she's going out to the track and I'm going to the gym.

During practice Coach Hall was making us run through plays. It's the same thing we do every week. Varsity's starting five on offense running plays and JV's starting five playing defense. Coach makes us do the same plays over and over until we run it perfectly. I understand the logistics of this. We do it over and over so that the rookies on varsity learn them, and so that next year when JV players move up they already have an idea of what's going on. That doesn't make it any less repetitive for people like me who have been on varsity since freshman year. I've been on varsity for all my sports since freshman year, but it wasn't until sophomore year that I really started to work for it, or should I say the summer before sophomore year.

We were still going over plays but I wasn't there. My body was doing what it was supposed to during the plays but my mind was a hundred miles away. I kept thinking about what else Mariah might have told people. I then started thinking about this writing club. There's no reason that I shouldn't do it. It seems like something I would be good at.

I was so lost in my own thoughts that when Coach said to run one of our plays in the opposite direction I didn't hear her. I ran down to the box like I thought I was supposed to. I didn't even see Jackie coming around the screen and I ran right into her. Next thing I knew I was on the ground and the whistle was blowing. I stood up from the ground and extended my hand for Jackie to take but she just rolled her eyes and got up herself.

"Hunt! What did I just say?" I could feel my hands start to shake just a little bit. Play it off. Play it off. Play it off.

"Uhhh was it don't run into Jackie?" Coach's eyes hardened a bit. I grabbed the side of my shorts so no one would see my hands shaking.

"Very cute Mayson. I said run it to the left. You went right. Do it again. And anymore smart-ass remarks and I'll have all of you running suicides." I nodded my head and went back to where I was supposed to be and ran the play like I was supposed to. I didn't say anything the rest of practice. Coach still made us run suicides.