8 TAKING BALLS

The guy, in front, presumably Nathaniel, reaches us and looks at me, amused, breaking my wayward thoughts about Zach. I need to stop thinking about him.

Alanna quit with the staring. At least after he has caught you in the act.

I’m aware of a deep blush as I look up to see the gorgeous face closely. His hair fell messily onto his forehead and…

Holy Saint Francis, kill me already. Ocean blue eyes. I look into them, and they carry warmth, amusement, yet a whole lot of honesty.

They have to be one of the most beautiful eyes. Their shade turns deeper, the longer I look into them and they flicker like a burning candle, radiating life itself.

“This is my son, Nathaniel Alderidge. And Nathaniel, this is Adalanna Callister. Her father is currently in London, he was such a helpful member back in the day.”

“Pleasure, Adalanna.” He says, fighting the laugh threatening to escape while extending his hand for a shake. He’s laughing at me.

Of course. Who wouldn’t?

You go on to do a full body check out on him, stare at his perfect face nevertheless, with an annoying tomato red-face and continue to be flustered even after he knows it all.

I look at Eva and take his hand with a clipped smile. The warm touch ignites an electrifying shock that travels through the entire length of my body, but I try to hide it.

“Just Alanna. And… it’s all mine.” I nod with a smile, retracting my hand but he just grips it tighter. I look at him and he looks like he would crack up any moment now.

The only thing more beautiful than him could have been his smile. His lips curve upwards and an adorable dimple erupts on his perfect, sculpted cheek as his chiselled jawline flexes gorgeously.

“Excellent. It’s so good you both met before term even started. You all are surely going to have so much fun at college. With Lily and Zach and everyone else.”

He loosens the grip slowly and I slip my hand out before tucking my hair behind my ear that has turned hot and red now. Fun. I laugh sardonically inwards. Surely.

That’s when it hits me like a freight train.

“College?” I look at Eva questioningly.

“Yeah, of course, darling. You have a scholarship to St. Stephen’s right? That’s where the boys go too.”

“Uh, boys?”

Don’t answer it Eva. Please, don’t answer it.

“Yes, Nathaniel and Zach. Best of friends, I tell you.” All colour drains from my face as Eva laughs lightly with a casual shrug.

Both of these boys. Okay.

College just got… well, eventful.

It’s gonna be a hell long of a term.

*

I take one last look at myself in the mirror and decide that this will have to do. I don’t want to be late on my first day of term.

I wish I would’ve woken up sooner. Something I’ve only ever been just wishing, all my life, without actually being able to do it.

I pin my hair into a high bun so it doesn’t trouble me throughout the day, but a few traitor tendrils fall off, all along my forehead and the sides of my head, to reach my neck. I sigh, giving up on them, deciding that they’re better this way, and my favourite white shirt beautifully highlights my figure. Or so I hope.

I leave the collar button undone which allows a window for my locket to the outside world.

I still remember the day Mom had gifted me the piece. I was nine and she had had to give in to my stubborn demand of getting the same locket for myself as Celia’s. It was a small metallic ‘A’ with a stone studded in the middle. It wasn’t much expensive for one but it had quality. And since mom had gifted me it, it had my heart too. I had been wearing it ever since.

I grab my backpack and go over to the kitchen to grab some water before I leave. And a chocolate bar. Just in case.

After all, the one and only Zach Hayden is going to be there. Not to forget the blue eyed Nathaniel too. Where do they get such sexy names from? Right, expensive parents.

Which reminds me how I’ve been thinking most of the night about how to avoid Zach today and came up with the easiest idea to imagine that he’s simply invisible.

The same ideology I suggested to Lily yesterday. Ignore him and imagine the wall behind him. It’s not my best thinking, I agree. And it’s not much thoughtful or inventive, but I do hope it comes out effective.

I hope against hope that he lets it remain the ‘easiest idea’.

“Ready? This is gonna be so fun. Too excited for the first day, right?” Lily chirps as she takes the car keys. I let out a deep sigh before following her out.

“Oh, you have no idea!” I mutter dryly.

It turns out that the brochure did no justice to the campus building in real time as the construction leaves me awed.

A huge smile adorns my face and I momentarily forget all about Zach being inside probably, thinking about which unfortunately reminds me of Zach, again!

I mentally face palm.

Amazing. I’m reminded of Zach, just by remembering how I almost forgot him. What is it with me?

“Hell, this is so amazing!” Lily is a child all over again as she fights to contain her glee. Her energy is infectious and I think she’s way more excited than I am, even though she had completed high school here itself.

I guess she never visited this part of the building.

We make our way inside towards the administration wing as I silently repeat my mantra in my head.

Go to the wing.

Take the schedule.

Take the locker code.

Go to the locker.

Arrange everything.

Go to class.

Study.

Have food.

Return.

Don’t spot Zach.

Don’t attract trouble.

Perfect.

Go to the wing.

Take the schedule.

Take the locker co -

My mantra stops midway; I am momentarily disoriented and shocked as hell, and a frightened shriek escapes my lips.

A warm pang of pain shoots up against my cheek due to a hard collision. I hear a loud bang followed by the sound of a ball hitting the floor, soon after.

“HOLY FUDGE!!!” I take a minute to fight through the pain before regaining my senses to realise that I’ve just been hit by a freaking basketball. IN MY FACE!

“Dello, God! Who the fuck was that?” She calls out while looking all around. “Are you okay?”

Honestly, I don’t know, Lily.

I rub my cheek painfully, moving my jaw to test the pain and look around to see a group of boys making their way towards us and among them is the invisible dark knight.

My mantra goes to waste. If it is Zach, it is trouble. But I didn’t care. My cheek hurt so bad right now and I think I must have bitten my tongue.

“Shit, are you hurt? We just didn’t see that coming, we are so terribly sorry.”

Nathaniel Alderidge jogs up to us, his expression, looking genuinely apologetic, though breathless, red and sweaty.

“He is.” I don’t even need to turn my gaze to know who was that, but I do anyway.

He stands in a plain black t-shirt and his face has gone all red and sweaty too due to the heat and the playing. The denims are dark as his usual preference, matching his character and the attitude.

His hair is messy in the hottest way possible, ruffled, with some of it falling over his forehead.

Damn, is he good.

I blush. Deep. Not, the time.

“No, I most definitely am not okay.” I tell Nathaniel, taking Zach to be the invisible man I had intended to let myself believe.

“I am so sorry, once again. We were playing and Zach just happened to miss the ball.”

Of course he did. Why wouldn’t he? Why am I not surprised? I can bet on my chocolate bar that he did it intentionally.

So we’ve actually come down to this, now? Physical assault?

“Oh, come on Nathaniel, she’s not a blossoming flower in the rosy sunshine. She can take some balls.” His smirk gets bigger and I glare at him with rage on realising his pun.

Leave it to Zach for hitting a girl with a basketball and then have the indecency to make a gross double meaning joke about it.

“Can take them down too, for sure.” I reply vehemently.

“Oh my God! I am so scared.” He says with a straight face.

“You shouldn’t be actually, considering you don’t have a pair.”

The guys standing with him fight back a laugh while Nathaniel lets out a chuckle. Lily lets out an amused “burrrrn!!!” before giggling.

Zach remains unfazed and takes a dangerous step closer to me.

“See, I’m not sure if that’s completely true now, but I won’t mind you finding that out the hard way.” He says the words in a hushed whisper and his voice cracks seductively at the end.

God, that voice. I silently gulp in the invisible pool of water in my mouth and maintain the hateful look that I have on.

“I’m sure you wouldn’t, but I definitely have more productive purposes to fulfil.”

“Well the re-productive purposes can be far more fun, I assure you.” He smiles slowly with a shine in his brown orbs.

“And clearly your fun is all you care about.” He smiles devilishly, his dimples appearing on his carved cheek.

And the first thought that comes to my head is that as much as I hate to admit, I bloody missed them.

“I thought you had purposes to fulfil, productive ones, with or without the ‘re’ for all I care.”

“I still do.”

“Come on guys, let’s just let it pass, yeah? We are so sorry. Zach, let it go mate.”

Nathaniel finally says with a sigh urging us to end this, presumably the more sensible friend. But as far as I knew Zach, he is in no mood to submit. He never is.

“Really, but I see you still standing and feasting your eyes on me.” Zach seems to have merrily ignored Nathaniel. Poor handsome guy, how can he befriend such a devil. Or worse yet, tolerate his rude arse.

“Just waiting for the apology that never came.” I cross my arms against my chest as I state him the fact.

Honestly I never heard him apologize. Does he thinks that he can get away with any damn thing? Maybe he did, but not anymore. Not with me.

“It’s absolutely okay to lose track when you’re checking out a sickeningly hot guy like me, but just so you know, it did come, sweetheart.” He is so over his head, God help me. How can someone be so self obsessed?

As if Nathaniel’s apology counts. He didn’t even cause the trouble, yet apologized for it. And this human bloody caused all the trouble and is now shoving attitude down my throat.

“Not from the one who actually caused the trouble.”

Lily seems to approve as she follows my stance while Nathaniel just looks over at Zach. Silence seems to have descended before he speaks up.

“Come on Callister, we both know you’re not getting it out of me. For all I can say, it was quite a shot actually.”

Zach looks like I’ve asked him to clean the washroom but I continue to be stoic. I’m not leaving without him apologizing to me. And what does he mean by a freaking good shot?!

“I’m so sure you did it intentionally.” I say out angrily, through gritted teeth.

“Not this time sweetheart, but I’ll remember to, next time.”

“I’m so not moving an inch before I hear the words Hayden.”

“Suit yourself.” He scoffs and bends down to grab the ball just when my anger takes the better of me and I lift the ball before he can take it.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I hear Zach growling and this was exactly the reaction I’d wanted to extract.

His anger gives me a weird satisfaction, to know that he can feel the level of frustration and annoyance that he causes me. At least something close to it.

“Why, you thought I could take balls, yeah?” I cock up my eyebrow at him and he seems to be seething in anger.

Author's note:

Blue eyes are such a deal breaker.

If it’s Zach, it so is trouble.

Basketball hits are nasty, though.

** awkward smile in remembrance **

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