Love Unrequited

Chapter One

Aurora

Practice is brutal today. When the whistle finally blows, I collapse to the ground in an exhausted heap. The court is hard but cool, and it feels so good to lie down. I throw my arm over my eyes and try to catch my breath.

"Thatcher!"

I groan. Is two minutes of rest too much to ask? When I drag myself to my feet and slowly head toward my coach, she eyes me with concern. "You feeling okay?"

I nod. "I'm good," I promise. "Just tired, and I have a headache. Maybe I didn't hydrate well enough today."

"You know better than that."

I nod because I do. Volleyball may be an indoor sport, but this is still Arizona. The summer heat will dry anyone out if you don't drink enough water.

She eyes me critically and then dismisses me. "Go get cooled off and get some electrolytes in you."

"Yes, Coach."

"And make sure you get plenty of water in you tomorrow. We can't have you dragging during the game like you were in practice today."

"I will. Sorry, Coach."

Coach Allen is tough, but she's a great coach. She pushes us while keeping us motivated. Her practices are grueling, but fun. She loves the sport, not just winning. Though, the winning is nice too. Desert Mountain Christian Academy is the top-rated high school in our division for girls' volleyball. We won state last year and have a good chance at taking the title again this year. If I have a good season, I might be looking at a scholarship or two.

I hurry to catch up with the rest of my team.

"Aurora! There you are."

My favorite setter and one of my best friends, Hope, is already changed when I enter the locker room. Maybe I laid on the court longer than I thought. She's looking at me with the same concern that Coach was. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Just tired and a bit of a headache. Not enough water today."

She winces. We've all been there. It's not fun. "Coach get on your case?" she asks.

I shake my head. "Not too bad."

She shoulders her bag and glances at some of the other girls. "You up for some Dutch Bros? We heard a few of the football players talking about going after practice. Addi and I are going to go stalk Jayden."

I laugh. Jayden Cox is one of the most popular guys in school. He's a wide receiver on the football team. He's extremely gorgeous, but what clenches his future homecoming king title is the fact that he's also really nice. His popularity hasn't gone to his head like a lot of the guys in our school. I'd wager 80% of the girls in our senior class are in love with him—Hope and Addi included.

"I would, but Miles asked if we could hang out after practice today. It seemed important to him."

Hope cocks an eyebrow. "Hang out, as in, like a date?"

"I wish."

I am not one of the Jayden-obsessed 80% in our school. My heart beats for my best friend Miles James, and Miles only. Miles and I were partnered in biology our freshman year, and we've been inseparable ever since.

Hope's smile falls. "You've got to move on this year. You can't keep pining over him."

"I know, but—"

"You're missing out on so much. You're a senior now. It's time to start hanging out with guys who might actually want to date you."

I flinch at the harsh truth no matter how gently she put it. It only took me a few weeks to fall for Miles, but I've been friend-zoned since day one. I know this. I live with it. It's torture, but having him in my life as a friend is better than not having him in my life at all.