Rumor Has It (Rumor Has It #1)(10)

BigBaller27: Oh. Are u giving me ur name finally? And I wasn’t asking you “out for a drink”. Not unless you want me to





I feel my face go red and immediately slide my phone in my pocket. Oh my God, what am I doing? Did he just ask me if I wanted him to ask me out?





Chapter 7





Carter





By the time lunch is over, I still haven't received a reply from Emerald22. I'm starting to feel a little bad. I have no idea who she is, and I was joking around … for the most part. I was hoping she would give me the general area of where she sits for lunch, and I could walk by, scanning the faces. But then I had to make that ‘going out' comment. She didn't even know me. She could think I was some weirdo or something. And why in the hell was I joking around about asking a girl out, when I don't even know what she looks like?

Matt kept giving me weird looks throughout lunch and history class, but I told him I was nervous about the game tonight. That answer came with another odd stare from him because I never get nervous about the games. I feel bad about lying to him, but even if he's my best friend, I wasn't ready to tell him I have a … what do I have?

If you’d have asked me two days ago, I’d say a wrong number. After yesterday, I thought maybe I’d made a new friend. But after my stupid text earlier, now my mind is racing. Am I interested in this girl?

I'm glad our shootaround practice before our home game is something that can take my mind off the messages. The court is one of the places I feel most comfortable. Setting my phone in my locker, I take one last look at it. I feel like I have to clear the air at least. It's been nearly two hours since my text, and I haven't heard anything.

BigBall27: Hey, sorry about that last message. I was just screwing around :/





I look at the phone, hoping a reply would show up fast, but it doesn't. Locking my locker, I head out to the court and miss nearly half my shots during the shootaround.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Jeremy jogs over to me.

“Nothing.” I scowl at him, before seeing Matt glance at me. Whatever he’s thinking, he keeps it to himself.

“You’re shooting like shit. I know Oceanview sucks, but we ain’t bringing home any championships either.”

“I know, Jer.”

"And we've gotten off to a good start this season. We might make the playoffs this year if we stay focused."

“I said I know.”

Lucas runs over to us and eyes me suspiciously but doesn’t say anything. He looks at Matt, silently asking him what gives, and Matt shrugs his shoulders. Jeremy and I exchange stares for a moment longer, then Coach Hallinan yells at us.

“I don’t know if you guys know this, but you actually have to play basketball. That means running, shooting, guarding. Not standing around on the court, like a bunch of asses!”

I look over at coach and wave my hand as an apology, catching up with the rest of the team. Blocking all distractions, I focus on the ball. On the net. On the defender I'm up against. Soon enough, I leave my cell phone, and my stupid text messages in the background and the game is front and center.

After the shootaround, we head back to the lockers. I’m so annoyed with how I shot, that I quickly change and don’t even look at my phone. Jeremy makes a stupid comment about keeping our focus, making sure it’s loud enough that I hear. I’m the captain of the team, but he likes to act like he’s the leader of all of us, on and off the court. It can be annoying, but I know I run things when it’s game time. Ignoring him, I walk out to the parking lot, anxious to get home and relax before the game tonight.

“Yo, hold up,” Matt calls after me.

Opening the door, I fling my bag inside, and then scratch at the chipped paint on the roof my used Honda. It was Mom's before she surprised me by handing over the keys to me when I got my license. She'd secretly been saving up to buy herself a new car, nothing fancy, but a new one nonetheless so that I could have the Honda. Besides a few spots where the paint was chipping, it was in decent shape. And it had an AC, which is vital in Southern California.

"What's up, man?" Matt opens the passenger side door to his car, a Lexus, that's parked next to mine.

“Nothing.”

"Come on." He gives me a look that I've seen before. A look that tells me he knows I'm lying. "You started acting weird at lunch, almost like you were nervous. And you were definitely not okay in there." He points back to the gym.

Staring down at the pavement, I debate with myself on whether or not to tell him. I don’t think he’ll laugh, or say anything stupid, but I still didn't know what's going on. I'll let him know if things start to get interesting. If I start to like this girl. I can't like her right now, can I? I didn't even know her name.

“Dude, it’s all good. Other than Jeremy acting a dick on the court, per usual.”

Matt lets out a laugh, but he still gives me a suspicious look. "Yeah, I can't believe he's still not over you being named the captain and not him."

"It's like whatever." I shrug it off. "Anyways, I'll see you back here in a couple of hours."

I give him a fist bump as he gives me one last wary look, before hitting my fist. “Yeah, sure.”