17| Promise

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"You made a promise

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"You made a promise." I mumbled quietly to myself, throwing the basketball at the hoop. It  missed and flew back at me. I caught the basketball, before continuing my repetitive scolding. "And you somehow managed to break the promise. After all the years of keeping it, a silly girl is the one who caused you to break it?" Not a model worthy girl, or some kind of 'I love everybody' girl, or even some kind of brainiac, but a silly, clumsy, over worried girl.

I shook my head and sighed, repeating the process, I had been going through for at least an hour now: remind myself of the promise, shoot the basketball that always missed, and then continue the scolding. Then I would start it all over again.

A rustle in the crisp autumn leaves caught my attention, and I turned my head to see two figures dive behind a bench, the shorter one squeaking in alarm and dropping it's phone. I smirked to myself and began the process again, deciding to ignore them for now. But now I would need to mentally scold, and not to say it out loud .

I continued my lambasting, until the rustling began again, to which this time, I decide to call them out, holding the basketball tightly against my waist. "Claire, Brook, stop hiding."

No, continue hiding. I can't face you right now, Brook, was what I said , just so I could be honest. But honesty isn't my policy.

The girls stood up and walked over to me, their heads hung with either embarrassment or shame. I focused my eyes on Claire, as they finally reached me, though I kept Brook in my peripheral vision.

"Either of you care to explain?" I asked expectantly, the cricket's chirping filling in the long silence, after my question. Brooklyn looked up and began rambling gibberish as her hands flailed around to make gestures like they she always do when she talks.

Claire sighed and shook her head, placing a hand on Brook's shoulder to silence her. It was, oddly enough, effective. Claire looked at me and took it upon herself to translate. "Brook and I were taking a walk in the park when we heard somebody playing basketball. Why are you playing basketball so late in the dark?" I hesitated. I can't tell either of them the truth, of course.

"I... Just clearing my mind, preparing for the upcoming winter exams." I lied.

"Winter exams aren't for another month and a half, genius." Claire replied calmly, a hand placed on her hip. Brook stood still and staying silent as a rock, her eyes fixated on her shoes as if they were the most fascinating thing in the world. I bit the inside of my lip and returned my attention to Claire.

"What can i say? I'm the type of person who stresses over things early." Another lie. I'm totally prepared for the winter exams. But they don't know that.

"If you were, you would be stuck up in your room, studying." Brook countered, finally speaking, but never looking up. Her voice was so small and innocent, reminding me that she too has hidden family problems. I sighed and crossed my arms.

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