[TAC] THREE'S A CROWD

Chapter 28

{Tay}

His mom isn't there to question why he's home early and not at practice, so he's at least grateful for that. Once he's jogged up the steps and into his bedroom, he strips himself of his jacket and leaves his t-shirt on underneath, before grabbing the basketball that's laid up against the wall over the mini hoop in his room. Whether he's with other people or not, the one thing that can always calm him a little, provide him with a sense of familiarity and comfort---besides New, is basketball.

Obviously, now basketball and New have become interconnected parts in contributing to his happiness, because if New isn't at one of his games he completely loses the ability to play decently. That's something he'll have to work on, because New won't be around anymore, and his team is leaning on him now more than ever as they prepare to go into the tournaments.

He spends the evening on the basketball court in his backyard, trying to keep his mind on basketball so that he won't think too much. The weather isn't making things any easier for him, because the skies are filled with dark gray clouds that are clearly taking pride in mocking his sadness. He tries to ignore it as he dribbles, sweat beads forming on his forehead as he proceeds to shoot basket after basket from varied distances to the hoop for two hours.

It's when the abrupt sound of thunder shocks him that he's pulled from his state of focus, and forced to think about what he's tried so hard not to think about.

He blinks his eyes multiple times as he dribbles the ball between his legs, pretending to cross-over as though an opponent was in front of him, but nothing helps. All he can think about is how Off is probably snuggled up with New right now, getting to enjoy what Tay had so idiotically taken for granted.

It's no use to think about ways he could've prevented this, because there's no turning back. That's the thing about life; everyone only gets one shot at everything, and if this weren't true, everyone would have exactly they wanted.

But Tay wants New.

His basketball bounces off the rim for the fourth time when Tay attempts to make a shot from the three point line. He swallows before jogging over to retrieve the ball again, determined to make at least one more shot before he gives up and goes inside.

It's pretty funny that, before now, Tay had thought he'd experienced real heartbreak. Nothing compares to now, when he's dribbling a basketball alone as little droplets start to fall upon his face, making the single tear on his cheek seem as though it's a part of the drizzle, and he knows he's lost the love of his life to someone better. This is what heartbreak feels like.

He misses a shot again when he completely air balls it, and he just watches as the ball bounces on the ground and starts to roll away. He doesn't even move his feet to get it. He doesn't care anymore, and nothing is making him happy.

How long will it take for this dark cloud to leave from over his head, because he's already starting to grow sick of it. He wants to know, precisely, how much time will pass before he doesn't feel this pain anymore.

He hears the faint sound of feet crunching against the grass in his backyard, but he continues to stand there, thinking that if some kidnapper wants to come and steal him, he really doesn't care.

He turns his head to see who it is, and when his eyes fall upon New, about ten feet away from him as Tay's ball rolls to a stop by his feet, he's pretty sure he's hallucinating. He's wearing a rain jacket, the sleeves just long enough to leave only the tips of his fingers showing, and he has little droplets of rain in his hair, causing it to flop down a bit. How ethereal he manages to look in the rain only further proves Tay's assumption that he is hallucinating.