Expectations (Book Two)

Chapter 22

Shawn

It's Thursday, the day I've been dreading all week since I realized I have to volunteer at track practice tonight. I tried to talk with coach multiple times this week to get reassigned to any other team, but wouldn't budge. I haven't seen Lyla since our run in Saturday night in front of my house.

I walk into the Athletic building and head towards the indoor track area. I prepare myself for the unavoidable sting that hits me when I see Lyla. She is running her warm up laps and I move to the storage room quickly as to avoid her noticing me.

I help drag out the high jump mats and the hurdles, passing them to other volunteers who look just as happy to be here as me. I carry the mat down to the inside of the track with two other volunteers. We get it to where it needs to be and finally drop it.

When I look back to the track I catch Lyla watching me. She's sitting and stretching on the outside edge and she looks down when I catch her eye. I sigh and pray for a miracle that I won't be assigned to help the runners today.

I get assigned to long jump and head over to the pit, ready to get this over with. I see Tyler jogging down to meet the volunteers, a smug smile on his face when he notices I'm here. I have avoided him like the plague since our collision at practice last week and he seems to be wiser then I originally thought because he has avoided me too. Coach had given me a tongue lashing about my display at practice last week when I took Tyler out.

The next hour and a half drags along before I'm finally relieved of my duties. I help bring supplies back up to the storage room and start to make my way out of the gym when I catch a glimpse of Lyla walking down the track slightly ahead of me. I turn to look away but notice someone is running up behind her.

Tyler is trailing behind her, neither of them see me as I'm off to their side and behind them a bit. I can tell by Lyla's body language that she is tense as she keeps walking and her mouth moves telling something to Tyler.

I can tell she's pissed from here. She doesn't turn back and he keeps following her. He reaches out for her arm and I watch her pull it away as she picks up the speed of her walk. And this bastard continues to follow her. I run towards them, no plan in mind but knowing I can't stand back and watch this unfold in front of me anymore.

"Hey!" I call out as I reach them.

Tyler's head snaps to look over at me and he actually looks frightened. Lyla also stops and looks over at me, I can see her eyes are watering and I wonder what the fuck this asshole said to her to upset her this much. I instinctively move in between them and face Tyler, blocking his view of Lyla and hers of him.

"What the hell is your problem Kelley?" I fire out.

"I was just trying to talk to her Nolton. We have a matter we need to discuss."

The smirk he shoots my way at the end of his sentence has me clenching my fists at my side. My nose is still healing from my fight last weekend along with a few cuts along my knuckles. Coach has already warned me my fighting of late has him concerned and one more indiscretion and he is going to bench me. I take a deep breath as I remember his warning and try to calm myself.

"It doesn't look like she wants to discuss anything to me."

"I don't think you really have a say in who she talks to anymore, aren't you guys broken up?" Tyler taunts me with the question, trying to bait me into getting into it with him and I can feel it working.

"Whether we are together or not, you can't harass her because you feel like it dickhead," I spit back.

"Listen, we both know what this is about. You're pissed because she kissed me." His smug smile has me taking a threatening step towards him.