1 The Encounter

"Amber!!" A girl with shoulder-length hair called for her best friend who was so absorbed in her own thought, that it seems like she didn't hear her name being called out.

"Do you even hear me?" She asked her friend as she took the sit in front of her.

"I heard you just fine," Amber replied with a light sigh. "Where have you been all day? I was so lonely sitting here alone."

"Sorry, I was with Sammy just now." She pleaded while lightly tapping on Amber's hand.

"I'm not mad. I was just worried. So, why are you with her?" Amber asked with her usual soft tone.

"Do you have class this evening?" Her friend asked.

"Mmm... Nope! Why?"

"James and his friends are going to compete with the boys from the neighbourhood school and we're going to watch them. Want to join us?" She asked.

Amber was humming while she thought about it for a while. Debating with herself about the advantages and disadvantages of going and not going.

"Come on. Let's get loose and enjoy for a day." She begged with her both hands clasped together. "Bryan is playing too!" She exclaimed excitedly that Amber had to ask her to slow down her voice so no one would hear that.

"Okay, fine." Amber sighed out admitting her defeat while her friend jumped in euphoria. They got up and went to the car lot where their other friends were waiting.

"There you are, Violet!" Sammy stood up straight from leaning on her car as she saw the shoulder-length haired girl with Amber walking towards their way. "Now, is everyone ready?" Sammy asked with her usual cheery tone.

"Yup," Violet replied as they went inside Sammy's car.

There are five of them: Amber, Violet, Sammy, Tasha and Rachel. It was a very quiet journey until Rachel-who obviously can't stand the silence-talked.

"Hey Sam, aren't you excited? James are going to play. Don't you think that he will feel pressured?" She asked out of nowhere. Sammy who was driving peacefully looked back at Rachel from the rearview mirror for a split second before focusing on the road again.

"Pressured? What for?" She asked back with her eyes glued to the road.

"Well...his girl is going to watch him...so he may feel burdened right? Boys usually didn't want to lose their ego in front of girls." Tasha interrupted with her hand quickly typing on her phone before turning it off.

Sammy just lifted her shoulders, not really showing any interest in the talk and just focus on the road. Finding the conversation boring, Rachel drop it off and turned to Amber who sat at the other end of the car.

"Hey Amber!" She called out to the girl who was out-zoned looking at the outside.

"Y-Yeah?" She was a little surprised upon hearing her name being called and quickly turned to Rachel.

"You have a crush, don't you?" Her question straight to the point got Amber dumbfounded.

She looked at her best friend Violet for a moment. Other than Violet no one knows about her crush on Bryan and seeing that Violet also shared the same expression as her, she believed her best friend didn't tell them anything. She is her best friend after all. Violet who realized the look from Amber, spoke up.

"Why does it matter to you?" She asked firmly. She did that to save Amber from that uncomfortable tension.

"I'm not asking you, Miss Purple. What are you? Her manager?" Rachel replied to Violet, sounded more annoyed than she was supposed to. Everyone knows the nasty side of Rachel. She always acted like she is the queen of the school. She loves rumours and always stirred them up.

Amber let out a heavy sighed. She didn't want those tension to exist between them mostly when they are best friends. So she gathered her courage to speak.

"Well, I do. Maybe. Why?" She replied and flashed a sincere smile towards Rachel.

"I knew it." She replied and smiled proudly to herself then looked outside the window. Violet and Amber looked at each other, confused and curious.

"Why did you ask?" Violet asked Rachel still with her firm tone.

"Just asking..." Rachel replied monotonously with her eyes still glued to the outside.

"Why do you even need to ask? Of course, she has, who doesn't have a crush?" Tasha interrupted for the second time. Tasha does look like the type to be silent when everyone else is so noisy and she only speaks when she thinks she needs to butt in.

Before Violet got to fire another question, Sammy pulled the car into the parking lot.

"We arrived!!" She cheered and they all get off the car and followed Sammy who was leading them the way to the court.

As they arrived, James was waving towards them and they went to their side of the bleachers. On the other side was the other school and among all the boys, Amber's eyes manage to only caught the glimpse of Bryan.

"Have a good view of your Bryan," Violet whispered to her.

"What!?" Amber half-shouted to Violet who just chuckled. In fact, Amber herself can't even stop smiling over the mention of the name of her crush, Bryan.

* * *

Half time of the game. James' team has scored much than the other schools.

"Nice game!!" Sammy said as she threw a bottle of water to James. James caught it and drank it off. Bryan walked up to Tasha and took her water bottle and drank it all.

"Is that necessary?" Tasha asked boringly, already getting used to it.

"What?" He asked innocently pretending to know nothing.

Amber who clearly saw and heard that just let out a small sigh. Jealous? Who doesn't? She herself didn't understand why she has to like that man of all people.

"Do you have to drink my water? There is a lot of water in the box." Tasha replied annoyingly. Bryan just shrugged as he gave her back the empty bottle and Tasha sighed out grumpily.

Amber looked down at her sneakers. It hurts to see that. Every single day.

"Hm... Hey Amber." Violet patted Amber's shoulder. Amber looked up at her friend with obvious sad eyes.

"I'm sure you want to go somewhere else. Then, can you buy me a drink, please? The vending machine is just outside of the court." Violet said.

Amber knew she just wanted to help her to get away from the painful scene. So, she just complied with Violet's request.

"Sure," She replied shortly and went out of the court.

As she walked out of the court, she saw a vending machine outside the entrance door. She put in the coins and pick a lemon tea ice. Then, she bought another one for Violet. She opened the can of her drink and before she got to drink it, it was snatched away by someone. She immediately looked up to the person who had just drunk off her drink.

"Hey!! That's mine!" She shouted at him irritatedly. He looked down at her and then realisation hit him.

"Shit, sorry! I thought you were my friend. Your jacket is the same as hers." He immediately apologized.

She sighed out as she flopped down on the bench next to the machine.

'Today just won't get any better,' she thought.

"I'll buy you a new one." He said and put the coins inside the machine.

"No need. I'm not in a mood to drink actually." She replied as she stared blankly into the sky.

Empty. That's all she had in her mind. He took the can and opened it up. He shoved it in front of her face. Amber looked at the can and took it anyway without any consideration. Perhaps, didn't want him to feel bad.

"Why? Your school team is winning though," He asked. Amber gulped down the lemon tea before looking up at him.

"Do you like your friend? The one who has the same jacket as me." She asked back instead of answering his question.

He lifted both his eyebrows in surprise before turning away hiding his blushing face. Amber smiled looking at his reaction. That's predictable.

"How did you know?" He cleared his throat as he asked her. She let out a soft chuckle.

"From observation of course. I also have a guy friend who likes one of my friends and one thing I noticed, he likes to annoyed her, for example taking her drinks away from her. Pretty obvious." Amber replied and finished the drink.

"And plot twist, you like that guy friend." He stated. She choked on her drink over the statement. She coughed and looked up at him once again. He smirked.

"Want me to revenge?" He asked while Amber only looked up at him confusedly. He flashed her a smile.

"Get your tissue ready. Your school team is going to lose." He said and waved Amber a goodbye before entering the court. Amber was left there and still confused.

But the least that she knew, he wasn't bluffing. They really are winning on the second part of the game. They keep scoring points.

Amber's eyes locked on Bryan all the time but there are some moments where she didn't realize that she kept looking at the guy from before. He really ain't playing easy. She learnt that he is the shooter of their team and he did a very good job in bringing their team score back again. She remembered their talks about the friend he has a crush on and Amber tried to spot her in the group of people sitting on the opposite bleachers...

...and she saw her. They really do have the similar jacket. That girl was putting her head on someone else's shoulder. Probably her boyfriend.

'Damn. That hurts.' She understands him like she really feels the pain he felt. Then, that girl went out of the court with the other guy, hand in hand together. They look so happy.

Amber's eyes went back to the guy shooting another goal into the goal post and they had won. He did really got the revenge.

For a few seconds, their eyes locked and he winked at her as he celebrated his victory.

They definitely is winning, but he lost the moment he saw their side of bleachers. It was filled with people but Amber knew he saw it empty without that girl.