Rules Of The Game: Book 1

29; The Third Stage of Grief... Bargaining

𝙽𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟻𝚝𝚑, 𝚃𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚍𝚊𝚢
Parkers POV

Hollywood seriously overhyped relationships.

This was supposed to be the big moment where I meet my lover in the middle of the school lobby and give them a sloppy kiss, showing off our new relationship.

People would gasp. Hannah would faint. Meanwhile, I'd be basking in the attention alongside my partner.

Unfortunately, my life isn't a movie, and this isn't Hollywood. I'll be damned if I said I walked into school the next day as if I was living on cloud nine.

In all honesty, I spend my morning slinking around in the shadows. I may or may not have memorized Miles entire schedule the first week he joined this school. At least I know what hallways to avoid and what stairwells to skip.

Acting like this makes me feel like a pile of cow shit by the time history class rolls around.

It's the only class I have with Miles. I can get through this—piece of cake.

My heart is in my throat as I walk through the doorway. There's no blood left in my hands with how hard I'm clenching my books. I keep my chin down, however, my eyes deceive me, and I glance up from under my eyelashes as I walk in.

There he is, in all his uncanny, confident glory, laughing with the redheaded boy sitting next to him. It's sickening how hard my gut twists and how high my heart leaps.

I should be the one making him laugh like that.

As much as I want to save my reputation and ignore him all day long, I feel an equally-as strong urge to choke out the redhead boy. That kid literally has a girlfriend. What business does he have making Miles laugh so hard?

"Good morning, nephew of mine."

A cold shudder runs down my spine as if my uncle physically took a bucket of freezing water and dumped it down my shirt.

Gluing on a smile, I halt my procession and turn around. "Greyson. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much." He sits back in his chair and crosses his feet at the ankle, waving his pen at me. "Come here. I want to check in with you. How are you doing?"

A muscle in my jaw twitches. I've never had the guts to disobey him, and I'm certainly not starting today.

I pause by Greyson's desk and glance down at the wood grain pattern, tracing my pinky nail along it.

You know, the usual. Last night I agreed to be another boy's boyfriend, and I'm pretty sure that he-- Hey, why are you screaming?

I swallow those words down. "I'm alright. Nothing has changed from practice last night if that's what you're getting at."

Greyson squints at me. "Mhm. Well, something better change real quick because something has been off with you recently. I don't want to see you like this going into the spring."

"The spring?" I quirk an eyebrow.

I don't even get a Hey, do you need a heart-to-heart?, nor a I can tell you need a break for a while. Let me give you a week off of practice.