Whispers Of The Heart

Chapter 9

Emery Rose

This was serious business now.

The determination coursing through my veins felt almost palpable as I leaned forward, my gaze locked on Dylan. He raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips "You're not going to give up, huh?" he quipped, his tone tinged with amusement as he prepared to toss yet another grape my way.

But before he could release the grape, a voice cut through the air, dripping with disdain

"You two need to grow up"

Beside him, Leslie sat with an air of detached indifference, her attention still glued to her phone.

But her admonishment fell on deaf ears as Dylan and I remained focused on our grape catching game.

This game had become somewhat of a ritual for us whenever the school cafeteria provided grapes. Dylan was undeniably skilled at it, effortlessly snagging the grapes mid-air with his mouth no matter how they were thrown. On the other hand, my attempts were met with considerably less success. No matter how carefully he aimed or how delicately he tossed the grape, it always seemed to veer off course, inevitably ending up smacking me in the face.

It's not happening again. Watch.

Dylan sent the grape hurtling through the air towards me.

This time, I was ready.

With lightning-fast reflexes, I snatched the grape out of the air with my hand and threw it into my mouth, a triumphant smile spreading across my face as I celebrated my victory.

Dylan's jaw dropped "What— you can't do that" he protested.

I paused, raising an eyebrow "Do what?"

His eyes narrowed "You caught the grape with your hand instead of your mouth" he pointed out

"So?" I asked nonchalantly, chewing the grape. It's really good actually.

"That's cheating!" Dylan insisted, his frustration mounting.

I shook my head "No, it isn't," I countered. "You're just sore because I beat you fair and square."

"You caught it with your hand! That's not the point of the game!"

"Just accept that I won" I declared, unable to resist needling him further.

Dylan's annoyance only seemed to grow "Fine" Dylan huffed, rolling his eyes. "I'm telling Justin you're not playing fair."

"Oh, yeah, tell mommy on me" I taunted.

Before Dylan could respond, I heard Justin's voice "Are you two fighting over that stupid game again?" he asked, settling down beside me with his lunch tray in hand.

As Justin leaned in and planted a kiss on my cheek, a smile spread across my face.

Reflecting on Justin's behavior earlier in the day, I couldn't help but notice a subtle shift. He had been unusually affectionate, showering me with kisses and gentle touches. It felt different, but in a good way.

I had missed this side of him. Physical affection had always been my love language, and feeling Justin's touch brought a sense of comfort that I cherished.

Before I could respond, my attention was drawn to Leslie, who was shooting daggers in our direction before quickly returning her focus to her phone.

It struck me as odd—yesterday, she had been her usual cheerful self at cheerleading practice and even offered me a ride home. But today, there was a palpable tension in the air, and Leslie's sudden change in behavior did not go unnoticed.