Page 32 of Sporty Girls Don't Fall For Loners

I don’t say anything as I watch her.

She tucks some hair behind her ear. “So I just wanted to say thanks. For what you did, I mean.”

“Embarrassing you?”

“You didn’t embarrass me. I mean, maybe you shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions, but I guess from an outsider’s point of view, it could have looked like he was hurting me. But he and the other guys never would. We’re a family.”

I nod. “I get it.”

She inches closer to me. “It was kind of you to, um, look after me like that.” She averts her gaze. “No one other than my family, friends, and the guys do that. So thanks again.”

I incline my head. “Will he be all right? I kind of pushed him hard.”

She laughs lightly. “Isaiah’s tough. He’ll be fine.”

I take a sip of water. She still stands there and I wonder why she’s not leaving. She came to thank me, and she did that. So why…?

She shifts in place. “Right, so I’m going up to my room. To study math. You know, because of my test tomorrow.”

I lift both brows. “Aren’t you done with that? Your brain might explode.”

She laughs sheepishly. “There’s no such thing.”

“Sure there is. If I study too hard, I feel my brain oozing out of my skull.”

“You study?”

I shrug. “Your aunt’s pretty much forcing me to. Something about me not wanting to stay in high school forever?”

She blinks. “You’re joking, right? I mean, you want to graduate and go to college, right?”

I shrug again. “Don’t really have any plans for the future. But yeah, I want to graduate.”

She nods and I nod and then we just stand here in silence. I take another sip of water while she glances around the kitchen like she’s suddenly fascinated by it.

After a bit, she turns to go, then faces me. “Did you eat anything? My aunt and uncle will be out for hours and told me to order something.”

I don’t know what it is, but this odd feeling enters my stomach. She cares if I eat? She could have gotten something for herself, not caring about me at all.

“Uh, yeah. That’d be great, thanks,” I tell her. “I’m pretty hungry.”

“Cool. Okay. Chinese?”

I hold up my hands. “I’m fine with whatever.”

After she orders the food, we go to the living room to push the furniture back in place.

“Thanks,” she says after we’re done. She plops down on the couch while I lower myself next to her.

We sit in silence.

She looks at me and I look at her. Then we glance away from each other.

“How was your day?” she breaks the silence.

I shrug. “Fine. Went for a walk around the park. The weather was nice.”

She nods slowly. “Yeah, good weather is good.”

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