Skylar's POV

I needed some time away from all of this mess--my parents, the locker which I still knew nothing about, and my Physics grades (which were still flunking, to be honest).

There was a grand test next week, thanks to our beloved Physics teacher, and of course, I needed to get an A on this test. I was a hundred per cent sure I'd fail the entire subject if I didn't get an A this time.

That's how I was imagining my life to end--because of a goddamn subject. Mom would be so pissed.

Why did I even care? She was hiding big stuff from me. Dad too. I wouldn't let them blame me if I failed Physics.

That all, however, wasn't the thing worrying me right this second.

Instead, it was my best friend Alex, who'd asked me to come over to his football match tonight. And I would've gone there too, even when it wasn't really my cup of tea. The only thing that stopped me from doing so was not really a thing, but a person. Caden.

You stay away from me and my business.

Caden was in the team too, and as much as I'd like to hope the opposite, he will be there. I had sworn to stay away from him, especially when he wanted the same. It was going to take a lot of me to forget his cruel words and I wasn't looking forward to giving him any more chances.

Since everything was a game to him anyway.

As I roamed across the gift shop I had ended up in, I promptly realised that I didn't even know whose gift I was supposed to be picking from here. Was I even supposed to be here?

The abrupt ringing of my phone made me place back the glass snow globe back on its shelf. Once I took out my phone, I answered the call--Alex's call.

"Hi."

"Hey, where are you? I thought you were coming here to see the match." Alex asked from the other end.

I would if I wasn't in a gift shop right now.

I picked up a silver charm bracelet. It had small seashells hanging on to its chain, tinkling against each other. "Caden's there."

"Are you asking or telling?"

"You tell me."

"He's in the team, Sky. Why wouldn't he be here?"

I shrugged, even though he couldn't see me. "Well, I'm not coming then. You won't find me anywhere near Caden."

Alex sighed out loud, his voice getting muffled with the numerous voices in the background. "What kind of friend are you if you can't even be here and cheer for your best friend?"

I suddenly felt really guilty, but a little frustrated too because Alex always said that line every single time. And it always worked. Those football matches made no sense to me, yet he always wanted me to show up at them.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I'll maybe see you after the match?" I suggested.

"Don't bother, Sky." I think he sounded upset, and that made me feel even worse. "I'll be tired by then."

I suppose he was right to be upset. Those football matches had always been our thing. I always cheered for him no matter what. And this one was a big one for Alex. I remember him telling me something about some scouts attending this specific match. Alex wanted me there. What kind of a friend was I?

A shitty one, obviously.

"Well, I have to go." He broke the silence. "I'll talk later then." And he didn't even wait for my reply before hanging up. I frowned unhappily and looked down at the screen.

I've made him really upset, I thought.

"Having friendship problems?" The questioning voice came from right behind me.

It was the sudden familiarity of it that made me turn around in an instant, only to see Blake smiling at me--the same smile that would've been cute if it weren't for his creepy self.

"No. I'm sure he'll be fine." I frowned at him, slid my phone back into my pocket, and tried to avoid his gaze at the same time.

Blake hummed in response before picking up a photo frame from right beside me. I had to take a small step back, just to make sure he wouldn't exactly touch me. "I would've been angry too if I were in his place."

He was almost as tall as Caden; a few good inches over me.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Blake narrowed his eyes at me and it was slightly unnerving. "Priorities, Sky." He said. "Caden comes first. Best friend the second one. You've got them largely misplaced."

I was left surprised. Why was he even here?

"Caden's not my first priority." I glared at him, before deciding to walk away. Anywhere than here.

"Then go to that match." He called out from behind me. "Or are you scared of that stupid little deal?"

I stopped dead in my tracks before turning around and marching back towards him, another glare set on my face.

"What are you talking about?" I spoke through gritted teeth.

"Oh, that deal where you don't kiss and tell." He smirked. "Or something like that."

I kept glaring at him.

How did Blake know about that? Besides Caden and I, I don't think anyone knew. I may or may not have told Alex during our Biology class, but I'm sure he wasn't even listening to me rant it out. He was knocked unconscious over his desk.

"How the fuck do you know about that?" I asked him.

"Geez, Sky. Who even swears so loudly in a gift shop?" He asked, feigning surprise.

"I don't care about that brother of yours and neither do I give a shit about you." This time when I turned around and started walking away, I swore to myself not to turn around until I was back inside my house.

"It's not fair you're taking your anger out on me."

He was following me. Again.

"Not fair?" I felt furious. I think I raised my voice a bit too much since I got a few stares from some other people in the shop. I lowered my voice into a hiss when I spoke next. "Was it fair that you sent a person from your gang to break into my house?"

To my surprise, I saw his smirking faltering away into confusion. "What?"

"Don't you dare lie to me, Blake."

"I wasn't lying." His brows furrowed. "What are you even talking about?"

"You sent a guy to break into my house just days ago."

He seemed genuinely confused. "And why would I do that?"

My frown faltered.

"To kill me for good? I don't know!" I exclaimed. Or maybe it was just that locker. But I wasn't going to say that out loud.

"Well," He started. "I could've killed you by pushing you off the top of that abandoned building if I had wanted to. So really, it couldn't be because of that now."

He was right. It wasn't. That guy breaking into my house was definitely more because of that locker. I might've gotten hurt not because they wanted to kill me, but because I was in the way.

In the way of something I had no idea of.

"You know what? Forget it." I muttered before turning away once again. I wasn't going to waste any more time thinking about this.

Without buying anything, I left the shop. It was almost eight by now, making me realize that Alex's match must be starting soon. I wished I could've told him that I did want to be there, and I would never ditch him for anyone or anything. But that would just be a lie. I was ditching his match because of Caden.

"Go to the match."

I turned around, not really surprised this time to see Blake standing just a few feet away from me. He had followed me out of the shop too.

Why the hell was he even following me?

"Well, since you know the deal." I couldn't help but glare at him again. "I'm not planning to make any mistakes with Caden."

Blake chuckled and took his car keys out, jingling them at me.

"Come with me then. He'd know you don't mean to interfere in his business the moment he'll see you with me."

I looked at him unbelievably. "No way. I'm going home."

I wasn't going with Blake. No way in hell. Even if that would be a nice surprise for Alex. Which he'd love so much.

Ugh.

Blake gave me a knowing glance, then shrugged. "Your choice."

God, why? Why did I always get trapped in such situations?

•••••

I went along with Blake. I was truly the most pathetic person in this entire universe.

"Don't blame yourself." Blake passed me a grin as he parked his car in the already bustling parking lot. "You're just going there to cheer for your friend."

I didn't know why he was being so nice to me. Why couldn't Caden be a little like him? Why couldn't he be a bit like Caden?

We ended up sitting at the row at the very top, which was more than fine by me since I was not a fan of sitting in the middle and getting attacked by all those enthusiastic cheers.

"I can't believe I'm spending my night watching a football match," Blake muttered to himself as he sat down on my right. To my left was some other guy from my school who I didn't quite recognize.

"That happens when you try helping strangers." I retorted.

"I don't think you consider someone as a stranger who has let you into her house?"

I gave him a really bad look at that.

"Or someone who could kill you with a butter knife." He faked a look of horror.

I blinked at him before slumping back with a small groan. "Do you know how bad it'll hurt when I smack you across that handsome face?"

He surprisingly laughed at that. "I don't think you could slap me." Then he leaned closer towards my ear. "Since you just called me handsome."

I felt my neck heating up and I leaned away from him. He continued laughing as if it was so fucking hilarious. His eyes were a bright shade of blue under the flashing lights as they raked across the court. And when his eyes directed back towards me, I had to furrow my brows at the mischievous glint in them.

"What?"

He leaned closer once again and something itched inside me to stand up and run away.

"I was thinking, Sky," He started and the slow smirk on his lips was bad news. "You owe me something, don't you?"

"'Course I don't." I scrunched up my nose.

"'Course you do." He replied. "Remember the night at that rooftop? I answered your questions. And you owed me something too."

It suddenly felt a whole lot cold up here. What had I even been thinking, choosing to come here with him out of every possible choice?

"I'll scream really loud if you try anything, Blake," I warned him. Though I was shit scared too.

Blake grinned. "Hey, now. I was just going to ask for a kiss."

I blinked. Twice. Then frowned.

"On the cheek." He rolled his eyes.

I shook my head a little too frantically, backing away and almost into the poor guy beside me.

"You don't have a choice."

"Why the fuck not?" I seethed at him.

Blake raised his brows and I could almost hear him say, 'you owe me'.

"Don't you dare--" I got cut off when he yanked me by my arm and made me bump my nose on his shoulder. "Ouch, Blake!"

I heard him laugh, like the maniac he was, pushing me away just a little before leaning down and pressing a slow, long kiss on my cheek.

Highly embarrassed (and angry), I shoved him away. "You bastard!" Blake only managed to dodge my fist before breaking into fits of laughter.

The guy on my left looked at us again, more so in concern, and I had to hide my probably red face from everyone's view.

"See how good I am?" Blake asked. "You didn't even notice Caden staring at you."

"What?"

"Or giving me a sweet, murderous look." He added.

I looked around us. "Down there, darling." He nudged my head lower. I looked around the football field and surely, there he was. Caden.

And he looked so good in that blue jersey.

But he looked pissed off too. The kind of pissed off right before he'd punched the guy who'd broken into my house just days ago. His gaze was directed at no one in particular as some other guy whispered something hurriedly in his ear.

"It's so fun pissing him off." Blake leaned back in his seat, looking rather content. "And knowing that I'm the reason behind it, that's even more amazing."

I sank lower in my seat.

"Oh." I forced myself to look away from Caden, but I just couldn't. "That's fine. I'm not interfering in his business."

I heard Blake snicker.

"Shut the fuck up, Blake."

"You swear way too much."

"Never thought I'd hear this from a gang leader who likes killing people." I retorted, forgetting to lower my voice and nearly biting my tongue in the process.

"You make me sound like a serial killer," Blake whispered in my ear.

"Which you might just be."

He looked at me and smirked. "You know way too much about me."

Somehow in the middle of our bickering, the game started. I saw Alex at some point. I even cheered for him as loud as I could've.

"That's not necessary," Blake complained. "You're shouting in my ears."

"He looked our way. Alex!" I shouted once again, delighted to know that Blake hated it. Alex did look in my direction then and I didn't fail to see the frown on his face as his gaze trailed from me to Blake. "Is he surprised?"

"He's probably just embarrassed," Blake added. But soon enough, Alex's frown changed into a happy smile, and that made me smile too.

"He's happy!"

"I'm so relieved." Blake muttered with an eye roll.

Time passed by much quicker this time, compared to all the other boring matches I'd last went to. And when the game ended, the crowd around me rose up with loud cheers.

"Who won?" Blake asked, as confused as me.

"I have no idea." I whispered nervously. I hoped it was Alex's team.

"Well, somebody did win. We need to cheer." He pulled me up by my hand cheering out loud.

I didn't know what could be more pathetic than this. But I guess, it was great when you had two pathetic people together.

______

Xoxo,

Crystal 🌿