You, Me, and All The Spaces In-between

CHAPTER 10

My concentration was shot. As was quickly becoming the new normal, I spent the rest of the day adrift in a myriad of conflicting thoughts. Through each of my classes, I kept turning over that impossible thing in my head, considering, then dismissing, then considering again.

Could it possibly be true?

...Was Cash the owner of 'This Burning Heart?' Had he submitted it to Mr. Reiner?

It seemed simply unfathomable. Cash Smith, football extraordinaire, douchebag ringleader and sometimes boyfriend of Casey Truman couldn't possibly be the person I'd been yearning to meet these past few weeks. Surely you couldn't act like, well, him, and be a lover of profound literature?

That afternoon, after the bell rang, I did something I hadn't done since freshman year: I swung by the field to watch the football team practice.

Back when I first came to Grammarville, I used to slink off to the field every chance I got to watch Cash practice. That was back when I still had grandiose delusions about the nature of my chances with him-I hadn't yet realised the magnitude of the distance between us...Or the disdain with which people like him regarded people like me.

But now, as students filed from the school in bursts and streams, I cut through the ebb of the crowd and made my way to the field, settling onto the bleaches just as the team jogged onto the grass.

As a general rule, the Grammarville Geckoes were comprised of moderately tall, moderately muscled guys, ranging from greasy and in desperate need of a shower, to god-like. Take a guess where Cash fell on that scale.

As practice began, he glided effortlessly across the field, golden hair flowing majestically in the breeze, skin gleaming with sweat. His uniform hung perfectly from his broad frame; somehow, despite its bright purple colour and green lizard imagery, he made it look good.

Throughout the afternoon, Cash was his usual self-Arrogant, smooth, and impossibly devil-may-care. He exchanged banter with his teammates, engaged in two or more fist-bumps with Bryce, and by the time practice, I was almost completely convinced that he could not possibly be the owner of 'This Burning Heart'.

As Coach Westley blew his whistle, I quickly gathered my things and trudged from the bleaches, eager to leave before Cash spotted me.

I was almost clear of the field when someone called, "Hey, Miller!"

My stomach clenching with dread, I turned to find Tyson grinning wickedly in my direction. He winked slyly, and I hated myself for the fear that overcame me in that moment. To make matters worse, Cash had heard the sound of Tyson's voice, and was now openly staring at me. It was too much.

Flushed and shaking, I hurried away before Tyson could say anything else. Cash wasn't the book's owner, and tomorrow, when we texted our anonymous partners in English, I'd know it for sure.

- - -

I spent the night in a restless state, tossing and turning, becoming too hot beneath the covers and then too cold without them. My mind kept turning to the day at hand, the English class I had to attend and the theory I had to prove wrong.

When my alarm finally went off, I slipped gratefully from my bed and padded downstairs, rubbing at my tired eyes.

"Morning, Alyx," Elena said, glancing up from her paper. She was nibbling on a piece of toast and sipping from an old mug that read 'Best Sister Ever!' in bold lettering.

"Hey," I grumbled, pouring a cup of black coffee.

"You look tired." Elena set down her reading material to scan me up and down. She mustn't have liked what she'd seen, because her brow became furrowed. "Are you getting much sleep?"

"Not a lot," I admitted, sitting beside her. "Not recently, anyway."

"Well," my sister began, "make sure you don't study too hard. I remember how stressful junior year was, and it isn't good for your mental health. Besides, it's unnecessary." She gestured to her outfit, which consisted of a pantsuit and several gold earrings. "I didn't get the best grades, and look at me now: I'm the best lawyer ever."

"With the best co-workers ever," I teased, nudging her elbow with mine. "By the way, how is Edward?"

"Still effortlessly hot," Elena sighed, gazing dreamily into the distance. "And still effortlessly unobtainable."

"Just talk to him," I suggested, offering some horrendously hypocritical advice. "Who knows, maybe he likes you too."

"Mmm." She shook her head dismissively. "Oh well. No point dreaming."

"Yeah." I sure knew that feeling.

Elena stood and poured the last of her coffee down the sink. "C'mon, kiddo. I'll drive you to school."

"Okay."

I passed the hall mirror on my way upstairs and gazed bleakly at my pallid reflection. The worst of my bruises were starting to fade, but bags hung under my eyes, and my hair stuck upward in dark tufts. Sighing, I patted it down as best I could and trudged to my room.

Afterall, school was in forty minutes...and I was ready to get some answers.

A/N: Thanks for reading! If you're enjoying so far, please leave a vote and/or a comment :)