Falling Away #Watty 2023

•Chapter 35•

I glanced at the school map on my phone for a second time. If I was correct, I should be standing in front of the university basketball court. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and walked in, ignoring the stares that followed me from the group of girls warming up for practice.

"Miss Hughes, I'm delighted to see you here. You're welcome to join the team," a woman with wavy white shirt locks greeted me. She was wearing a blue blazer over an off-shoulder white dress shirt. My first impression of her was that she was gorgeous, like a perfectly put-together doll. Her face was flawless. "I'm delighted to see you in person. You're the best I can vouch for."

I smiled as she turned to address the rest of the team. "Everyone, please welcome Zoey Hughes, a new first-year who'll be joining our team today." She called out each team member's name until she reached the last one. I waved to them, and there was a chorus of claps. She smiled once more, turning back to me. "You may start by warming up. We have five minutes before practice begins, so let's do some stretching." The girls around us nodded.

Being new to the team felt strange, but they were all friendly. I was still nervous about getting used to everything. After a couple of stretches, we began practicing. I did my best to keep up with their pace, but it was nothing compared to my previous experience on the high school team. They were vibrant, strong, and talented. Their movements were elegant and smooth, with no wasted motion. However, I quickly found my rhythm and started to feel more comfortable. It was amazing how quickly everything fell into place. The coach and cheerleaders seemed pleased whenever I caught the ball in the middle of the court or managed to make a basket.

I think I could do this forever.

By the time Coach dismissed the team, I knew I would fit in perfectly. I grabbed my bag and walked toward the door. As I made my way out of the court, I heard someone call out to me. I looked to where the voice came from and saw one of the girls.

"Girl, wait up," she said, walking over to me. She looked a bit older than me, with brown ironed short hair pulled back into a ponytail and caramel-colored skin that glowed.

She approached me with a friendly smile. "Hey, you're such a great player. I've watched most of your matches with the Windchasers team. You guys keep whipping their asses."

I smiled shyly, rubbing my neck sheepishly. "Thanks. You guys are way tougher than I could imagine. I'm glad I had a lot of fun today."

"It's great that we're getting better, and we definitely will, now that you're here. You're a natural," she said encouragingly. I realized that maybe she wasn't just being nice after all. "I'm Sarah, Sarah Williams," she introduced herself.

I returned her smile. "Zoey Hughes."

"We should hang out more often," Sarah suggested. I nodded in response, and she smiled warmly. "Okay, I've got something to catch up with. Later."

As I watched Sarah walk over to the other side of the courtyard, I continued toward the college dormitories. Pulling my headphones from my bag, I prepared to lose myself in some music, but instead, I found myself caught up in something else.

I spotted Dylan walking toward me as I exited the building. Instead of rejecting the idea of conversation with him, I accepted it and waited for him to approach.

His hair danced in the wind as he made his way toward me, his eyes lighting up with delight. He wore a pair of black jeans, a blue long-sleeve t-shirt, and a navy-grey cardigan. Despite his apparent confidence, his fingers rubbed together nervously, as if he were cold. "Hey, Zoey," he greeted softly. "I didn't know you played basketball."

I gulped. "It's something I did a lot in high school," I answered proudly, trying to stay focused. We began walking down the parking lot toward the car parked in the corner. His gaze lingered around my chest, almost like he was searching for something. "How did a girl like you end up playing basketball? You have the stature of a drama queen."

"I love playing, and people say I'm good at it," I shrugged.

He opened the car door for me, and I climbed into the passenger seat. After shutting the door quietly, he walked around the car and settled into the driver's seat. "I'm not into sports and all. I'm not really good at doing two things at a time. I'm glad you can," he remarked. His eyes glanced at me and briefly met mine before returning to focus on the road. I thought his expression was a tad too smug for his personality, however.

I reached for the radio knob and flipped it on. The first song to pop up was 'Too Much Love by Demi Lovato'

I heard Dylan scoff quietly and he shook his head slightly. I sang along to the song, unable to resist the urge to immerse myself in its melody. "This one's kinda lame, but it's a classic."

Dylan laughed, a genuine sound that filled the car. His head turned to me. "You can never feel too much love for a person."

"Love is an understatement, it's more like infatuation," I said with a frown.

"Infatuation does have a powerful effect on our emotions," Dylan agreed. "But infatuation isn't love."

I sighed, his words echoing in my mind as I tried to comprehend why he would agree with me. The silence hung thick between us until Dylan spoke again. "What's wrong? Who broke your heart?"

"There's really no reason." I looked out the window, watching as the sun set slowly in the sky, casting a surreal glow over everything. "Just... sometimes people lie about their feelings for you, and then when you're completely wrapped up, they vanish."

"Oh," Dylan said quietly, tapping his hands on the steering wheel. "It doesn't happen that way, Zoey. If something is worth loving, it's worth fighting for. Love isn't about lying."

"Why do people lie, then?" I asked bitterly. "Is it because they want to take advantage of someone's emotions, or because they want to hurt others?" I slammed my fist on my lap, feeling the sting of tears threatening to spill.

Wait, I was supposed to be emotionally strong. That was part of my resolution, right?

No crying. "I just don't understand how anyone can do that. How anyone can hurt someone, even in passing." Tears started welling up, blurring my vision. I sniffled and wiped my nose on my sleeve. "It doesn't seem fair."

Dylan shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his expression darkening. He leaned back in the seat and exhaled loudly. "Zoey... you're allowed to feel. I know we both have different definitions of what constitutes love, but we both experience it. We don't have to use it to justify hurting others."

I paused, surprised by the depth of our conversation. How did it even start?

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