The Volleyball Girl and The Player?

Chapter 17:

HUNTER'S POV:

 "You okay?" Jerron asks after he finds me sitting on the curb after Raya walks away. I don't know how she plans on getting home, but she refused to even let me take her home.

    "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" I lie and Jerron sits down beside me.

"Dude, I am your best friend. You practically live at my house and we have been friends since forever, I know when you are lying. And I also know that you actually do like Raya even if it just started out because of a bet,"

    "Well, I lost the bet already, so who even cares,"

"You haven't lost yet, just give it time. You still have two weeks left,"

  It's so crazy that it's only been one week and I already feel like this about her. I mean, that's not normal.... One freaking week and she ripped my heart out when she walked away tonight. Pathetic.

     "I don't understand why I even like this girl. I am the biggest player in school and the girls love me, I don't know why I am hooked on this girl,"

   "Yeah you do," Jerron replies and I stare at him. I realize he's right. I do know why I am hooked on her.

  "Yeah... It's the way she insults me and pushes me away, but at the same time makes me feel like I have a chance. It's the way whenever she gets ice cream it's always cotton candy flavored or it's no ice cream at all. It's the way she scrunches up her nose when she doesn't agree with something. It's the way sings to herself, but when she notices someone listening she apologizes for her horrible voice when in reality she has a great voice. It's the way that she doesn't think she's pretty even when everbody repeatedly tells her. It's the way she sticks up for her friends even when she knows they are wrong. It's the way she tries to give everybody a chance even when she really doesn't like them.

  "It's the way she doesn't care what anybody thinks about her. It's the way she loves tight hugs and when I kiss her nose. It's the way she smells, like the smell after it rains. It's the way she dances even though she completely sucks at it. It's the way she's beautiful, both inside and out. It's the way she overreacts to everything, but can also admit when she was wrong in an argument. It's the way she does everything," I explain to Jerron and he stares at me in amazement.

   I hear someone sit down beside me. I look over and see Raya sitting there looking down at her hands. Her cheeks are still tear stained and her eyes are still red, but she's beautiful.

  "i'll just leave you guys alone for a few minutes," Jerron says and walks back to the party where the music is thumping and people are drinking and having fun.

  "Did you mean that?" Raya asks and I stare at her in confusion, but she refuses to meet my eyes or even look up from her hands.

"How much of that did you hear?" I ask her, afraid that she heard about the bet part.

   "I decided to come and call my mom when I heard you telling Jerron about my ice cream fetish and so I decided to listen to what you were saying... Did yyou truly mean all of that?" She asks me and I nod slowly.

  "Yeah, I meant all of it. I never thought I would like you this much. Is it crazy that it's only been a week and I like you this much?" I ask her and she shakes her head.

   "I feel the same way. I know that Bryce stole that stuff and I know he deserved  some kind of punishment but..."

 "I know, babe, I know we handled that badly. If I could take it back I would,"

    "I know"

"Are we okay?"

  "Are you hiding anything else from me?" She asks and I stare into her eyes.