The gym was hot and humid.

Where was I currently? Volleyball game. JV had finished just a couple minutes ago and now it was varsity's turn. The announcer on the speaker was mumbling some gibberish that I just couldn't comprehend because I was too busy looking into the crowd. Searching for the light blue eyes that used to keep promises.

Now, he was gone. Wrapped up by Brooke Mckailey herself, and I was alone. Standing on the court, surrounded by the girls on my team who were supposed to be my family, but currently, felt like nothing more than random bags of flesh next to me. No real substance. No real connection. Nothing. It made me feel insane. How could there be so many people around you 'supporting' you, and yet still feel more isolated than ever?

As the national anthem began to play through the shitty speakers, everyone rose to stand. We all had our hands to our hearts, staring at some rundown version of the flag taped to the top of the bleachers. Everyone in the stands was standing, looking up at the flag as if it held all the power in the world. Like they were listening to it, touched by its ever so red white and blue glory. Hell, I think if the flag told them to shit in a sink they'd probably do it.

Everyone was standing except for this one group of kids, who were still seated. This was definitely an odd sight at Melbourne High, since a third of the student body and their parents were republican patriots. Not the 'yee-yee hick' type, but more so the makes 250,000+ a year so of course they love capitalism, has a boat with the American flag hanging on its rafters, and avid lovers of golf and weekend trips to 'The Lake™'.

Now if I had to guess this group of mysterious studentss' deal? Probably friends with someone here at Melbourne. Maybe went to the neighboring gifted school-- because all the people who went there were either A) striving to be come the next U.S president or B) got radicalized and are now some artsy museum kid.

I was leaning towards more option B as I saw a guy with a camcorder held in his hand and beside him, some girl with a tote bag. Yep. Definitely art-school vibes.

The music finally ended and the game begun. Despite not being one of Hannah's bitches, I was in the starting six. The captain of most volleyball teams got to decide who made it into the six and usually the people chosen were people who had the money to go to one of those recreational clubs over the summer and improve their expertise. Me? I had to practice at the rundown tennis courts with Colton, and after some time, I got pretty damn good at volleyball.

The ref blew his whistle and it was finally time to start the game.

The first ball was mine to serve. My first ever varsity volleyball game of the season, and I was serving in the starting six. This was all I worked for summer of sophomore year. I was supposed to feel happy. But I didn't.

I couldn't help but think that I was there for Colton, supporting him in one of the most important moments of his life when he asked out Brooke, but he wasn't there for me. He wasn't here. At this school. Inside this humid fucking gym.

But I didn't want to focus on that.

So, I launched the ball into the air and smacked it, sending it flying. It went over the net, and the other team didn't dig it.

Ace.

. . .

We won the game. First 3 sets and we won all of them. Hannah's spikes got us the most points, of course and I was currently outside of the gym watching her have a full-on VSCO photoshoot with all the club girls and annoying JV boys who only came to the games to see ass.

It was around 7 now and the sky was darkening. Everyone was heading home and or taking pictures with their friends and families.

I scrolled up and down through my settings and notes app, having neither to call.

Panic flooded my stomach as I remembered that Coach wouldn't be able to leave unless I had a ride home. It was some stupid rule put in by the school district and unfortunately for me, my only means of transportation was the bus or Colton picking me up 2 hours late. I didn't want to be a burden. Didn't want to be a burden to either of them-- coach or Colton.

The bus wasn't an option today, however, because I didn't have my school ID on me. Stupid, I know.

I scrolled through my contacts and my thumb hovered over Colton's name. I bit my lip. Did I seriously want to drag him into this? Did I seriously want to be reliant on him after everything?

A loud honk ripped me out of my thoughts.

"Asha?! Is that you?" As I looked up, Noah was shouting driving past in his pick-up truck on the other side of the road. He quickly made a u-turn and pulled up beside me.

"It is you," he grinned. He hopped out of his truck and shut the door loudly. As he got out, I realized he was shirtless with a "U" painted on his chest and specks of dirt littered his face.

"Yep! The one and only," I awkwardly laughed. A smile was glued to his face.

"Are you waiting for someone or...?"

"Oh, no no! I'm waiting for the bus it's supposed to be coming in," I glanced at my phone to see that the Metro app was now crashed and none of the bus routes were loading. "Shit." I cursed.

"What's wrong?"

"The app crashed and I'm not even sure if the buses are coming now," I sighed. It was freezing cold. Noah's eyes flickered down to my shivering body before he rushed into his car to grab something.

When he came back, he held some old baseball hoodie out to me. "Hand me down from my dad. You look cold." He shrugged.

I smiled and muttered out a thank you. It was quiet for a second.

"Nice shirt," I joked, gesturing to his naked abdomen.

He looked down, confused, until realization hit him like he was just remembering he had a random ass 'U' painted on his chest. "Ahhh, right. Thanks. Was supposed to be the U in 'SUCKS'."

Confused, I tilted my head, and he took that as a chance to explain further.

"I was heading to a hockey game. Saint Johns Sucks! That was the chant me and the boys were gonna use against the rival team and i was the U in sucks," he explained. "But it got cancelled so now I'm here talking to Asha-rhymes with Washa- Daniels."

"Oh, well I'm sorry to hear about the band breaking up," I said.

He grinned, then feigned sadness, "Yes. I'm absolutely heartbroken and we are all touched and saddened by the departure of the hazing chant."

I laughed and shockingly, he laughed along with me.

Okay, now reality was starting to hit me. Not to be rude or anything, but literally why the fuck was he talking to me?

"So um," he spoke finally, "Do you need a ride or something?"

"No, no it's fine I-"

"No, really it'd be no problem I'm not really doing anything tonight since the game's a no-go."

"I live kinda far out. Mapleburry."

As I mentioned the name of the street my house was on, i could see his eyebrows rise in shock and face falter slightly. Just in; Noah finds out not everyone at Melbourne High School is rich!

"Well, I got a full tank," he said, almost as if offering to take me anyway.

I stood for a minute. Thinking. Shit, why not.

With a thankful smile, I hopped into his car and he followed after me.

The majority of the car ride we just made stupid jokes about the stupid games and how awful most highschool teams are. Never in a million years did I think I'd be in the passenger seat of a pickup truck next to a cute guy on my school's lacrosse team. Literally never.

It wasn't long until we made it to the front of my house. He parked the car and looked over at me, then at my house.

"This you?"

"Yep," I unbuckled my seatbelt. "Thank you, again. For the ride. If you need anything just let me know," I smiled, getting ready to unlock the door.

"Actually, there is one thing," he chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. He pulled out his phone and handed it to me, it already opened to the camera app. "Do you mind filming me curse out the rival team?"

I paused for a second, then laughed. Really laughed. I nodded my head, grabbing his phone and tried to hold back laughter as he shouted profanities to the camera. I couldn't help but burst out laughing and as I did so, he took the phone from my hands and flipped the camera towards me.

Almost instinctively, I covered my face with my hands.

"What, you embarrassed by me?" He joked, putting the camera down.

I shook my head, a laugh escaping my lips, flushed, "N-no! I'm just not really a camera person. But thanks, again!"

"Anytime, Daniels."

Finally, I hoped out of the car and headed towards my house.

The front door was already left unlocked, and I crept inside, careful to not wake my mother sleeping on the couch. I lived with my mom and two younger brothers. The two of them shared a room and I luckily had my own. Unfortunately, though, there were only two rooms in the entirety of my house and my mom selflessly gave up her bed for the couch. Even though countless of times I told her she was welcome to sleep with me, she still opted for the couch. I couldn't tell if it was admirable or just plain out dumb.

I crept up the stairs, entering my room and turning on the lava lamp stationed near my bed. There wasn't much in my room. Just a dresser, bed, and a small photograph or two of me and Colton taped to the wall and other shitty baby/family photos.

I began to unwind and changed into my inside clothes and toppled onto my bed. Hours passed by as I just couldn't seem to fall asleep.

It was around 1am now and I still couldn't sleep. A quiet song blasted in my headphones as i scrolled aimlessly through Instagram looking through everyone having fun. On Brooke's story there was a photo of two hands sticking the middle finger at a beautiful sunset. It would've been a good picture if she didn't slap that god-forsaken orange-white VSCO filter over it.

That was enough to make me turn off my phone and finally sleep, but before I could do that, a quiet buzz rung throughout the room. An iMessage notification from Colton glowed on the luminescent screen.

Hey, saw you on Noah's story. Did you need a ride?

As I clicked on the message, confusion coursed through me. Firstly, I was going to kill Noah for posting me and secondly, why the fuck was Colton texting me at almost 2 am in the morning? Even if I did need a ride, it's not like he would've even came.

no

I kept it short. I didn't really feel like speaking to him, plus I was still worn out from the game. But I still watched the chat. I watched as typing bubbles formed, then disappeared. Formed, then disappeared. Formed, then disappeared. Until finally - a ding! rang from my phone.

Still need those logarithms? lol

Wow. What a groundbreaking question. I could tell he was trying to break the weird ice wall I was putting up.

haha

Colton wasn't dumb. Even though he wasn't really a social media guy, he could read context clues and tell when something was up.

Are you mad at me?

I wanted to say yes, but I couldn't. I was mad, but had no real reason to be. Or at least, no real reason that wouldn't ruin our friendship. I could feel things shifting in our dynamic and I wasn't sure if I wanted to let it go so soon.

See, the mature thing to do in this situation would be to express all the confusing shit I was feeling for him, but of course, I was the exact opposite of that. Plus I was too much of a pussy to really say anything. So I lied.

no ur good lol see u tomorrow

Once again, the typing bubbles formed and then disappeared. It went like that for a good minute, until-

Goodnight Asha. Hope you're ok

Fuck. Colton Whitman was going to be the death of me.