The Switch Hitter (GxG)

Chapter 11

I walked through the school's empty hallways, dressed for lifting and carrying my gear and clothes for open gym with me. I had showed up a little early, like I usually did, so I could get a good spot for my bags in the locker room. I reached the gym and pulled the door open, smiling slightly as I remembered that day when I had nearly broken my nose. The memory of the pain had all but faded, but the feeling of Ari's arm around me felt as recent as ever.

It had been a week since our encounter in the hallway before first period. However fleeting it may have been, it joined the slideshow of moments with Ari that was constantly playing in my head, tormenting me all hours of the day. But another thing that I kept thinking about was what had happened immediately after all of that, between Ari and Alyssa. While maybe not close, they had always seemed friendly before. Their conversations were usually amicable, at least. 

The exchange they had in the hallway was anything but.

I couldn't stop asking myself why. Why had they acted like that? I figured Alyssa just was mad at Ari because she was worried about me getting my heart broken. Yet it had seemed like something more...

I tossed my bag into the corner by the third row of blue lockers and looked up at the clock. It was only 4:15, so I figured I would walk around the school for a little bit before heading to the weight room. I exited the locker room and began to wander the deserted building. Most of the lights were off, except in the gym hallway. The rest of the school had a bluish tinge to it from the late afternoon light that filtered through the windows. 

As I explored, my mind traveled back to that Monday morning. Ari and Alyssa had started acting like mortal enemies all of the sudden. In the last week of open gyms, they had said practically nothing to one another. They wouldn't even look each other in the eye, but occasionally I would catch one of them glaring daggers at the other. I wanted desperately to know what it meant, but I was sure that if they told me it wouldn't be the answer I wanted. 

Hell, I wasn't even entirely sure what I did want to hear from them.

Did I want Ari to tell me she liked me? I still wasn't even sure if I felt anything more than lust for her, but I knew she was different at the very least. Or did I want Alyssa to be protecting me? Even though I could take care of myself, it sort of felt nice to believe that there was somebody out there who had my back besides me. But was that all I wanted from her?

I was extremely conflicted. 

Women, I thought to myself. All of this overthinking was giving me a headache. I moved towards a nearby water fountain, taking a long drink to help clear my brain. I figured it was probably about time for lifting to start, so I headed back towards the locker room to grab my water bottle. As I neared the gym, I heard chatter, so I assumed the rest of the girls were still in there. As I moved to open the door, something stopped me. I wasn't sure if it was PTSD or just instinct, but I backed up a pace, and immediately afterwards the door swung open sharply and Madi walked out.

She sneered, looking between me and the door. "It's a shame you had better reflexes this time." 

"I'll bet it is."

She ignored me and kept going. As she passed me she shoved her shoulder into mine, causing me to spin around slightly. "Oops," she said sarcastically, not turning around. As she passed the corner I heard her let out a short bark of laughter. 

I just turned and walked back into the locker room, sighing to myself. It wasn't like I let her immature and repetitive insults get to me, because they didn't. I just wanted to know why she insisted on coming after me, of all people. Is it because I was the only one with the balls to talk back to her at that first open field? God, that felt like forever ago. But I didn't care. I was just tired of her.