Getting off the bed and getting ready for school after that weekend was hard. I didn't want to face certain people, particularly Chloe and Garo. I wanted to avoid Chloe because I hadn't come up with an excuse for ditching her, and being around Garo would've just reminded me of how we almost kissed, and not in a pretend boyfriend-girlfriend sort of way. We actually almost kissed. And I couldn't get that out of my head. I thought I'd wake up a new person after the alcohol wore off but I guess, I was wrong.
I knew no matter how much I tried, my day wasn't going to sail smoothly and so I was ready for whatever was going to be thrown at me. I was discovered by Chloe the moment I stepped inside the school premises. She startled me by practically hauling me inside an empty classroom I was walking past. "Chloe?!"
"You've been avoiding me." She gave me a stern look, crossing her arms across her chest. I eyed her up and down. She looked strangely overdressed for school. It wasn't anything that didn't fit the dress code, just a pair of flare pants and a tank top, but none of it screamed "Chloe" to me. She didn't usually care what she had on for school, so that was definitely strange.
"I'm not avoiding you." I gulped, adjusting my shirt.
"Yes, you are." She responded with a blank look on her face. "You've never lied to me before. If you don't want to be friends anymore-"
"No-"
"Just don't make me look like an idiot." She was angry but most of all, she was hurt. That was exactly what I had feared initially. I wanted her to be a tad jealous maybe, but hurting her wasn't on my list.
"I don't know where you're getting all of that from." I cleared my throat. "Of course, I still want you in my life. You've been my only friend since day one and you'll always matter." I wasn't sure if saying all of that to her was going to sabotage our plan but it had to be said. I couldn't pretend I didn't care. She was important to me.
"Then why Garo?" She took a step closer.
"Chloe, I-"
"Don't say anything if you're going to lie to me." She said, cutting me off. "Garo is a stuck-up bitch and she doesn't give a fuck about you and you'll figure that out very soon."
"You're unbelievable." I hurried out of the classroom, not sparing her a single glance. I liked reminding myself of Chloe's importance in my life but now it just felt like I was losing sight of who she truly was. I kept clinging onto a version of Chloe that didn't exist anymore. And even if it did, it clearly wasn't reserved for me. Why was I in her life at all?
As soon as I made my way to the lockers, my eyes landed on Garo talking to a guy whose back was facing me. He looked familiar. It didn't take me long to figure out that it was Levi. Just his built gave me flashbacks from the night of his party when I saw him with Chloe. I couldn't hear what they were talking about, but seeing Garo laugh sent a weird pang through my chest. Were they a thing now? Was she never going to speak to me again?
"Hey, loser!" My thoughts were interrupted by a very enthusiastic Garo now standing in front of me. "You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah." I nodded, looking down at her. She had her braids wrapped up in a cute bun which made her face look very lively. Her oversized nirvana t-shirt and the little pleated skirt she paired it with screamed vandal but in a cool way. "So, what was that about?" I pointed at Levi's retreating figure.
"Oh, yeah so, long story short, you need to try out for the soccer team."
"What?" I was taken aback. For a moment I thought I misheard her.
"You heard me." She smiled.
"Why?"
"I...told Levi that you're very good at it...you know to make him jealous-"
"Garo, you can't be serious." I could feel my will to live slowly vanishing into thin air. Soccer was my worst nightmare and she was yet to figure that out.
"Hey, look at it this way..." She entwined her arm with mine and began walking. "This'll be good for when you start applying to colleges. Also, I don't think you're in any extracurriculars, so yeah."
"You don't get it. I can't."
"Why not?" Because I might fall to my knees and start screaming, crying and throwing up if I get rejected one more time. That's why.
"I just don't feel good today." I faked a cough. "I think I need to go to the nurse's office."
"Sair," She grabbed my shirt by the collar, making me look at her. "I think you owe me this after coming to my recital uninvited and blackmailing me into being your fake girlfriend."
"Soccer trials aren't for me." I pleaded my case.
"And being your girlfriend isn't for me." She retaliated before grabbing my face and kissing me, right there, in the middle of the hallway. "...but," She stopped, catching her breath. "...it can be fun. See you at the trials after school." She pecked my cheek one last time before scurrying away.
What the hell?
Needless to say, I was at the damn trial, zoning out on the bleachers as my brain kept playing that kiss Garo basically stole from me, on a loop. What was that even about?
"AMHAZ!" I flinched at the sound of coach Randall's voice. I jogged towards the line and stood at one end, hoping and praying to god he didn't have anything to say about me. "Trying again this year, huh?" I wanted to kill myself right there but instead I just nodded while everyone else gave me funny looks. Levi, especially, seemed to be enjoying every second of it. I hadn't even talked to the guy and I knew I despised him more than anyone there. It made me feel kind of pathetic. "5 laps around the field and then we'll get to the main course. Go!"
As I began running with the other guys, a distant cheering made its way to my ears. At first, I couldn't care less, since the cheerleaders usually practiced during that time as well. But the moment I got closer to the bleachers I saw Chloe in the cheerleading uniform with those stupid little pom-poms in hand. I almost stopped in my tracks, puzzled out of my mind. What was that about? She was slowly turning into everything she told me she hated.
Regardless, I kept running. But then a very familiar voice called for me. "Sair!" Annoyed, I mmediately turned my head to look at the bleachers that were now far behind me and saw Garo in the cheerleading uniform as well. I was like a deer caught in headlights for a maximum of thirty seconds before I met my end—on the ground with a scraped knee.
"You okay, man?" I lifted my gaze to look up at Levi who had a smug look on his face. He helped me off the ground and seconds later I saw Garo rushing towards us. "They shouldn't let them practice here, no one's gonna make the team this way." He snickered.
"Hey, you okay?" Garo glanced down at my knee, concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just slipped."
"Lover boy was busy ogling you, I think." Levi chuckled, looking at Garo who was now staring me down with a weird grin on her face.
"Was he?"
"I'm sorry, did I ask anyone to stop?!" Coach Randall's whistle had us all up running again almost instantly. However, Garo had joined me in my quest.
"What are you doing?"
"Running with you."
"Why?" I glanced down at her skirt and then up at her face again.
Focus, Sair, focus.
"So you don't break yourself before the game and ruin this for me."
"The game? I'm not even sure I'll make the team." I looked at her in disbelief. She had a lot of blind faith in me and even though it was kind of endearing, it really wasn't helping. Delusion wasn't good for me. Not when it came to soccer. "So you're in the cheerleading thing now?"
"Yeah, Jas got me into it. That's another reason I wanted you to join the team. I figured if I'm going to cheer, I'll cheer for my fake boyfriend." She pursed her lips, panting a little.
"I'm pretty positive I'm not gonna make it though."
"You will."
"You're out of breath." I grinned.
"Yeah, I am." She stopped midway with her hands on her knees as I waved her goodbye.
When we finally got around to the test match, I was too exhausted to even give an average performance. At one point, I thought I might score, but thinking wasn't going to be enough. Everyone started speculating who'd make the team the moment we stepped inside the locker room. I couldn't give a flying fuck. I knew my fate was sealed and so, I was ready to pack up and leave. I didn't want to think about soccer anymore. Not like I was actually paying attention to the game with Garo on my mind.
"Results, tomorrow!"