Sneakers over heels #Wattys2021

Chapter ten

"So tell me. Why is it that I'm seated with my best friend's brother and not her at our usual coffee shop?" I ask a pair of green eyes that were staring into a cup of latte. He looks up as if realizing only then that a human was present before him.

"Oh." He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and then gives me his fullest attention. "Ava had to accompany Mom with shopping and she begged on her knees for me to come meet you in her stead."

Is she retarded? She's definitely retarded.

"She couldn't have just called to cancel? What the hell is she doing begging you?" I was mostly speaking to myself but then since I said it out loud, brother gorgeous heard it and gives me a shrug. Sighing I sip on my juice and then stare out the window, gazing at the boring street which had nothing fun going on to entertain me. Travis clears his throat but I just ignore him.

I've never, I repeat NEVER sat at a table with a guy, ALONE for more than one millisecond. Look at what Ava made me do! I'm drinking coffee with a dude.

I would have left the minute he sat down in front of me but then again, he's Ava's brother and I had to show respect. Plus, he seemed nice with the way he never judged me and congratulated me. And so, I'm sucking it up.

Darn it. I could have been practicing.

After the game with the Blakers, we had three more with the Hawkettes gaining victory. Just like Ava had said, I'd been put to play more often on the court. Even Nora had gotten a chance and proved how worthy she was to the team. With every match that passed, I got greedy for more. I wanted to play more. Prove myself more. I wanted the world to see just how capable Judith Drakeyer was.

"So when is the next match?" Travis asks and I break my gaze from the window and turn to look at him. We're seated but he still manages to make me look up at him.

"In two days," I say cutting it short. But the dude somehow manages to keep the conversation going.

"Against?"

"Richard high school basketball team, Jet Rockets." Travis chokes almost spitting into his coffee as soon as I'm done speaking. He doesn't even apologize as he starts laughing.

"Jet rockets? Who in the world names their team Jet rockets?" He asks between his laughs. I grin so wide he stops laughing to stare at me.

"Dude, I've been laughing ever since I heard the name. Not a fucking person thought it was funny! And here you are laughing." I say with so much happiness that there's a single human who shares my knack for jokes. Travis chuckles as he rests his chin on his hand and looks at me with amusement.

And so Travis and I converse more about basketball. It's more like I keep going on and on chattering about my sport and he listens attentively with a smile nodding now and then, and asking me questions.

Is this what it feels like to talk to a guy about your interests? It had never been so fun talking to dad or the dudes at the gym. But somehow Travis makes it all the more enjoyable.

"So tell me about yourself," I ask. It's about time I stop making his ears bleed.

"What would you like to know?" He asks not minding me being personal.

"How about what it feels like to be next in line to take over your parents' profession?" I ask breezily and just like the other day at the gym, his face darkens. I'm not like other girls. I don't coo and apologize with hand touching and gag stuff to make the guy know I'm sorry.

No, I'm different.

I roll my eyes at him and scoff. He's taken aback as he stares confused.

"Dude, stop being such a whiny bitch every time someone asks you about college." I snap and he retaliates with a scowl like a kid.