“Yeah,” I grin sheepishly. “You can say that. Baseball was something I picked up because of my dad. I got older and wanted to bedifferent, so I joined lacrosse when I got here. I’ll always love baseball, though. It’s taught me discipline, teamwork, and the beauty of chasing a dream.”
Serena stifles a snicker. “I didn’t expect you to go all Shakespeare on me.”
“I’m full of surprises, sunshine.”
We both step outside as we cross the indoor pavilion on campus to make it to the athletic center. “What about you? What’s your story?” I open the door for her, letting her step inside first. We pause our steps, standing in a narrow hall with two doors leading to the men and women locker rooms. The bell rings, the universe’s way of telling us our time together for today is ending. Practice for her, off-season training for me.
“For me to know, you to find out.” Serena smirks, backing up towards the women’s locker room. “Bye, Tyler.”
I watch Serena head into the locker room, and I’m left speechless. Standing there in the hallway, I can’t help but stare at where she disappeared. Serena’s just... something else, you know? She’s got this mysterious vibe that leaves me totally awestruck.
Damn it, I can’t let myself get caught up with another girl.
But Serena…
I’m screwed.
Chapter 12
Serena
I swear Allison Castillo owes me big time.
How I let this girl talk me into joining cheer after I swore it off… we’ll never know.
I toss my bag in my assigned gym locker and shut the door. I suck in a deep breath for three seconds, just like I practiced in therapy. I got to practice early because of the student athlete privileges we get, so I was able to leave the tutoring center early, with Tyler walking me to the gym.
I can’t help but wonder if there was something more to him other than him being my classmate and someone I’m tutoring. Maybe we could be friends? Yeah, friends–just friends. I could use a friend like him. It’s a part of my bucket list anyway.
But that’s as far as I’m willing to go. A simple friendship. I’m not ready for anything beyond that. I’ve tried dating someone once and it failed miserably. Don’t even get me started on my abandonment issues. I need to build up my defensive walls,protect my heart, and make sure it’s locked up tight, the key thrown far away.
“Get out of your head. You’ll be fine.” Alli points out, standing beside me while fixing her ponytail. She places both hands on my shoulders, leading me out to the main gym. “Come onnnn.”
By force, she walks me inside, where some teammates are already lingering before practice starts. We walk over to the cheer mat where Grant is in the middle of stretching his arms.
“Sup, chicas.” Grant greets the both of us, smiling proudly. “You ready, Serena?”
I make use of the time and lower myself down to begin stretching my legs out. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
As I’m stretching, I use the moment to survey my surroundings. Some teammates are sitting on the bleachers talking amongst themselves. Others are stretching on the cheer mat, gearing up for practice.
“Did you have a hard time finding the gym? I know it’s a little confusing with all the construction going on.”
I don’t mention Tyler walking me here, so I keep my response simple. “I was fine. It’s a bit confusing that the school has multiple gyms. Like, what is that?” I nudge my chin upwards, indicating the open top floor above us.
“Oh, that? That’s the weight room.” Grant follows my eyes and snaps his fingers to the top floor. “We used to have mini-gyms around the campus for different teams like us, but they’re doing renovations on ours, which is why we’re in the main gym until further notice. Most of the entrances are blocked, so the only route to the weight room is through the main gym, up the bleachers, and through those doors.” He points towards the corner of the bleachers, where you can see dark navy blue doors with our school’s mascot, Viking, stamped on them.
“It’s a cool spot, the upper level with the fence railing. Coach likes to watch the routine from above, and even during basketball games, students watch from up there.”
I offer a subtle nod, taking a look around me. The rest of the team is pouring in now from the main doors, with Coach Miller following behind with her binder and whistle looped around her neck.
I love my godmother. Like my Aunt Lina, she’s been there through it all for me.
I used to find it hard to open up to Aunt Lina and my father when he was still alive, which is why I’m so close with my godmother. I’m not sure why. It must be the stigma behind being first generation born in an Asian household that adds another weird layer to our family relationship. In our family, love is often shown through actions and gestures rather than words.
My dad fell into that bandwagon. He never said I love you to me. He expressed it by giving me a plate of fruit or popping into my room with a bowl of ice cream on my desk after a fight.
Back then, I didn’t really think much about it. I just appreciated the gesture. But now, as I’m getting older, I realize how much those little things really meant to me.
