Page 14 of Treasured Secrets
He stopped it. Whew.
It was almost painful to release my held breath and take in a new one.
"That's the second time I've saved you today. Any idea as to how you're going to start paying me back for all my heroics?" he teased, and then let out a playful laugh.
He flashed a menacing grin and jogged backwards for a moment, still staring at me. When he finally turned around and sprinted to the huddle where the other guys had congregated, I let out the next held breath. I didn't even realize I was holding it that time.
I had been stifling an embarrassed grin the entire time, biting my lip. I could see McKee swapping his disapproving glare between me and Tallis. I wasn't sure what McKee's problem was.
He'd known me for one day and thought he had rights to me? I remember wishing Taryn wasn't McKee's girlfriend, and now I was wishing she had been.
I still liked McKee as a friend, but there was something majestic about the way Tallis made me feel.
I noticed things were getting intense on the boys side of the court. Everyone else had started noticing, too, including the other girls. We stopped playing - even though I never touched the ball - and started watching.
McKee and Tallis seemed to have forgotten they were playing on teams. I'm not sure how, but it had become a game of one-on-one.
Tallis just grinned, taunting McKee, who looked incredibly frustrated. Tallis dribbled the ball between McKee's legs and scored on a lay-up.
McKee wasn't smiling like Tallis was. He was more intense, focused, like he was trying to prove something. He started dribbling past Tallis who took the ball away and sunk the ball from the three-point line effortlessly.
Tallis never quit smiling the whole time. Score after score, Tallis was embarrassing McKee even more than he had already been embarrassed.
Now I was irritated and slightly humiliated by McKee acting so possessive. I knew that was why Tallis was doing this to him. I could see some of the girls looking at me, like they were sizing me up, trying to figure out what was so special about me.
Stop looking. Nothing special.
Finally, the sound of a piercing whistle blew and the coach broke up the heated game. My shoulders rose as I lowered my head uncomfortably, still aware of all the judgmental eyes staring at me. It was so awful.
What a first day.
Tallis never looked at me again during gym class. McKee did though. Every time I looked at Tallis, McKee looked at me and smiled, doing his best to distract me.
One day in high school and already I was in some stupid, teen-age, soap opera, love triangle, drama fest. I liked the guy who didn't like me and didn't like the guy who did like me.
Great! I'm a normal American teenager.
I huffed in aggravation as I grabbed my gym bag. I didn't even change. I just ran out in my shorts and tee-shirt. I felt better in them than the clothes Ash and Aster made me wear anyway.
I let my hair down as I threw my stuff in my car. I was just ready for the day to be over, and I was certainly ready to be out of the spotlight. I didn't enjoy being the object of whispered conversations and scrutinizing eyes. Everyone would be talking about me even more after that.
Chapter 4
Mixed Signals
Precious opportunities are stolen away when one wastes too much time lost in hesitation.
I had been at school for almost two weeks now. Tallis was a little more standoffish toward me since the first day. I couldn't say I blamed him though.
McKee had become almost obsessed with my every movement. I found him to be a complete annoyance. Every time I even tried to approach Tallis, McKee was there to intercept me.
I was growing more and more frustrated with him everyday. He was relentless to stay by my side - day after day after day.
Tallis hadn't been speaking to me in economics. Of course, it was hard to speak during class, since that was prohibited... somewhat.
I caught him looking at me several times. I often fumbled around for something clever to say, but nothing ever came to my mind fast enough, and then those moments would be lost.
That class was the only time where McKee couldn't block me from him. Then finally, the break I needed presented itself.
