Chapter 07 - It's Just a Basketball Game

The enemy team player throws the ball towards Marcus, who runs at high speed towards the enemy basket.

Mike pushes the boy who was marking him and runs with Marcus to the other side. Almost at the basket, Marcus throws the basketball to Mike, who stops practically in front of Ethan and jumps with the ball in his hands, trying to reach the basket.

Without thinking too much, Ethan jumps in with Mike, hands up.

The ball scrapes Ethan's fingertips, but it's enough to send the ball off the basket.

Tyler picks up the ball that landed on the other side and runs towards the other side of the court. Ethan accompanies him, much faster than before and dodging all the rival players who were trying to block him. Tyler looks to the side and throws the ball to Ethan, the only one who managed to keep up with him. Ethan dodges rival players and when Tyler is finally on the side of the basket, Ethan passes the ball back, making Tyler throw it perfectly into the basket.

One point for their team.

- Am I more agile in the dark? I need to see what I can do when I get home - Ethan thought, looking down at his hands.

Mike starts walking toward Ethan, breathing hard.

"Man, I thought you didn't know how to play. You were testing me, right?" he said. "But I'm still ahead of you. So you don't think too much", Mike added.

The floodlight is turned on again, leaving the court fully lit. The teacher comes back mumbling confused, while saying:

"I don't know why every time this light stops working. I already told them to fix it, but they just ignore me".

"Here, let's go some more," Tyler yelled at the two of them.

- With that light on? I'm going to take another spanking. I don't think so, Ethan thought.

"I'll pass this one, I'm going to drink some water. You can go play", he said as he moved his body to the water cooler.

While drinking water, Ethan looked out onto the court and realized what was about to happen: Bella's interaction with Mike.

Bella accidentally threw the volleyball towards Mike's head, who turned around grunting in pain from the ball.

"Watch where…", Mike interrupts his speech, when he sees who hit him.

"Sorry! I told them not to let me play," Bella said shyly.

"No no. It is good too! You're Isabella Swan, aren't you? The new student". He said gently, completely changing the tone of his voice.

"Oh, just Bella," she replied, rubbing her hands together and keeping her arms very close to her body.

"Hmm, interesting. I'm Mike Newton," he said, sticking out his chest towards Bella, and looking up, as if he was going to howl.

- What the fuck is he doing? - Ethan thought, leaning against the wall next to the water cooler.

"But then, where did you come from? You don't mind if I ask you a few questions, do you?" Mike said, as he looked seriously at her with widest eyes and trying to avoid blinking.

"I… I don't think so. I come from Arizona," Bella replied confused. She didn't seem to be very comfortable with the situation.

Ethan started laughing at the bizarre way Mike acted around Bella, but which still managed to be surprisingly similar to how Edward acted in the movie. Even far away, he could still hear the conversation.

Jessica started to walk over to Ethan to fill her water bottle.

"Hi Ethan", she said confused, as she saw him laughing. "What it was? What are you laughing at?", she added.

"If you care, look at Mike", he pulled her by the arm, leaving Jessica a little closer to his body and pointing to Mike. "I told him that Bella liked vampire movies, look how he's acting", he added.

Jessica started to stare at the two, a little flushed from being so close to Ethan, she couldn't stop laughing.

"I thought Arizona girls were all tan. You're pretty pale, aren't you? She even looks like a vampire", Mike said, deepening his voice and speaking a little lower than usual.

"What? It's… Yes, I think that's why they kicked me out of there", Bella replies without grace, while looking around trying to get out of there.

Jessica starts laughing along with Ethan.

"Hahaha you're really funny!", Mike said with a forced laugh. "So you prefer a colder and more mysterious place…", he completed, closing his eyelashes and staring deeply into the girl's eyes.

"That's right," Bella replied taking a step back and turning around, walking away.

Ethan let out a slightly loud laugh and immediately covered his mouth with his hand. It was the most embarrassing exchange he'd watched, but he could replay that scene over and over again.

Mike looked to the side and saw the two friends laughing at the situation. He walked quickly towards them, irritated with both of them.

"What's up, man? I did what you said", Mike said irritably.

"That's not exactly what I said, but now we're even," Ethan replied, crossing his arms still laughing, while Jessica laughed at Mike.

Time passed and the bell rang, indicating lunch time.

Ethan left the locker room with Mike and walked into the cafeteria.

- I've already found Bella, gym class has already happened, so probably now is the time for the Cullens to enter the picture? - He thought. - Technically, I tweaked some things that wouldn't happen in the movie. Can this change anything? - Ethan completed, while looking for the table where his friends were gathered.

He spotted his group of friends and soon saw Bella sitting next to Angela, while being disturbed by Eric, who was still insisting on the subject of the newspaper.

He walked over to the table and sat down next to Jessica, who was looking at her with a small smile on her face.

"Hi Bella, I'm Ethan. I saw you in gym class with my friend Mike", Ethan said, looking at his friend who had already given up on his mysterious character.

She greeted Ethan and gave an awkward little smile, shifting her gaze to another corner of the cafeteria.

At the same moment, a group of very fair-skinned teenagers began to pass separately through the cafeteria window. The group at the table immediately starts looking at them, and Ethan notices that almost everyone in the cafeteria is looking, too.

"Who are they?" Bella asks chews on a small muffin.

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