Author: A. N. Senerella
Category: Young Adult
Go to read content：https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/a-n-senerella/page,13,76697-mine.html
Maybe I never would be.
But the papers sitting in my room would give me a chance to do something good with my life. Whether it was or wasn’t for Anika anymore, I was a better man, and I liked who I was now. I didn’t make out with every girl who asked, or throw parties every weekend, or drink, or sneak out at night. Even if Anika wasn’t part of my future, at least I had one now.
***
Three Months Ago
Sierra’s high-pitched voice was starting to get on my nerves; I was trying to study. I only really kept her around because she reminded me of Anika. It was painful sometimes to go too long without the slightest reminder of her; I could see Foster was suffering too when I saw him. It always made me angry to see him like that. He was the one who would never deserve her. Yet here he was, acting like he was the one that dated her.
Like he was the one who meant something to her.
Like he was the one who had fallen in love with her.
I loved Anika. He didn’t. My pencil snapped in my hand and I looked down at it, mildly surprised.
“You thinking about Anika again?” Sierra asked gently, her bright eyes glittering with concern.
I gritted my teeth.
“She did care about you, Brady.”
“She hasn’t talked to me once.” My voice shook with emotion. Sometimes I got upset again over Anika, while other times I felt absolutely nothing toward the subject matter. I was starting to heal, I think. That’s what it was when the pain lessened, right? “She left, and she hasn’t spoken to me since.” Pain seared through my chest and I tried my best to force it away, but I tried to remind myself of how much it had hurt before I’d gotten this close to being over her. If she had loved me, she would have stayed. Then again, I loved her, and I was the one who told her to leave. I’d given up on her, not the other way around. I should’ve been happy that she listened to me and left like that. But I wasn’t. “Does… she ever mention me to you?”
Sierra hesitated. “I bring you up.”
“And?”
“And… she changes the topic.” Sierra’s eyes caught mine and softened sadly. “I’m sorry, Brady. I know you two loved each other, but… she…” She sighed a little bit as she mentioned her best friend. “She’s a complicated person, Brady. I can’t tell what she’s doing or what she’s thinking, almost ever, and I’m the person who knows her better than anyone else, so I think that says something.”
I nodded, clenching my jaw, and looked back down at my homework. “Let’s just focus.”
“Yeah,” she murmured.
***
Three Days Ago
I looked at the yearbook from last year slowly, flipping through all of the pages until I came to her picture. My finger trailed over the page as I tried to will myself to turn it, but I couldn’t. My eyes studied her face. I’d watched her face every time I saw her; in school, at night when we were together… and I’d never appreciated seeing it like I should have. I took it for granted that I could go to school every day and see her whenever I wanted.
A knock at my bedroom door caught my attention but I kept my eyes on Anika’s picture. “What, Mom?”
The door opened. “Not quite.”
I lifted my head at Sierra’s voice and looked at her without much interest. “Why are you here?”
“I… well, I have something kind of weird to ask you.”
“Spit it out, I’m busy.”
She hesitated for a moment then threw something at me.
I caught it, and looked down at the paper in my hands, blinking slowly, trying to comprehend the words on the page. “You’re invited to Anika Mason’s graduation party,” I read aloud in a flat voice. I noticed Sierra’s name on the card and I raised my eyes to hers. “Why are you showing this to me? It’s not for me.”
“Well… My mom doesn’t want me to travel alone.” She fidgeted a little. “And Mitchell already left to go there.”
“Spit it out, Sierra.”
“I want you to come with me. You know, since in a few months you’ll be—”
***
4:09 in the morning
I looked at the door hesitantly.
“C’mon, just knock already!” Sierra hissed behind me.
“It’s four in the morning, Sierra, what are the chances she’ll answer?”
“Trust me, she’ll answer.”
I took a deep, slightly shaky breath, and knocked on the door. After a moment, I knocked again. Then, excitement urged me to knock for a third time and the door opened slowly. A familiar face appeared. My eyes were well adjusted to the dark at this point and I could see the uncertain expression crossing her beautiful face that I had missed so intensely. My heart pounded wildly as I saw her and I lurched forward suddenly before I realized what I was doing and hugged her.
She screamed and I buried my face in her hair, hugging her slim body to mine. I’d missed this. I could do without the screaming part, though.
The lights came on and I heard multiple sets of footsteps rush into the room.
“Brady.”
The way my name rolled off of her tongue gave me chills. I’d wanted this—needed this—for so long now. To just feel her with me again, her warmth against mine, her smooth hair in my face. It was so much shorter now. Her arms went around my waist suddenly and I closed my eyes, stroking her back slowly. I needed this so badly. “Hi to you too,” I murmured. I needed to touch her; I needed to be sure she was really there. I’d been so close to being over her, but now that I had her in my arms again, leaving was the last thing I wanted to do. I wanted to touch her and hold her and kiss her again like I had before.
“Why in the world are you here? I didn’t invite you. How the hell did you even get my address? Why are you here at four in the morning?”
I chuckled at the shocked tone of her voice and smiled, “Well—”
Suddenly Anika was torn from my arms by a squealing Sierra. Evidently she couldn’t wait any longer than I could to hug her best friend. I watched her and Sierra as they talked. Their voices didn’t even register in my mind above the joy I felt. Finally I tore my gaze from her to the other people in the room. My eyes landed on a tall muscular figure with black hair and my eyes narrowed. “Foster’s here.”
He was here. She had invited him, and she hadn’t invited me.
Him.
Again.
***
Present
“What are you doing?”
I looked up the stairs toward Mitchell’s voice and jogged to where he was standing in a doorway. Mitchell looked at me and nodded.
“What’s going on?” I asked cautiously.
“Foster apparently didn’t tell me that Anika said he could go into her room to fix her vent. I came to give him his screwdriver, but somehow he got it off on his own.” Mitchell tilted his head and tossed the screwdriver into the room. I looked at the camera in his hand.
“Are you making a home improvement movie or something?”
He laughed. “No. I document everything that happens. I was just about to set this up in my room. I think someone was going through my things.” Mitchell’s eyes traveled back to the room. “I really don’t like it when people mess with my stuff; I have very expensive cameras with me and if they were tampered with or moved, I’d be pretty upset about it. Anyway,” he said, walking toward me, “I was just about to go get some coffee for everyone. Do you want anything?”
I shook my head. “Nah, man, coffee is for girls.”
“What does that say about me?”
I smirked a little. “Do you want a real answer to that?”
Mitchell laughed good-naturedly and rolled his eyes. “I’m leaving. See you later.” He moved past me and I walked to Anika’s room, looking in at Foster. “You’re fixing the vent?”
Foster was staring at the wall just beside the door and his arms were tense.
“The hell is wrong with you?” I asked.
His jaw
was clenched. “Nothing,” he growled slowly.
There really was no changing people who were creepy by nature. I shook my head and walked back down the stairs, into the kitchen and looked at Anika. “Is she dead? Should I poke her with something?”
“You will not be poking my daughter with anything.”
I felt my face heat up though cold fear shot through my body at his voice; I hadn’t realized her dad was in the room. “Not quite what I meant, sir.”
We all sat in comfortable silence for about twenty minutes before something started to bother me. I’d been watching Anika happily as she laid her head on the table, looking half alive. I missed watching her wake up and be like this in the morning. “What’s wrong with your vent? I thought your dad was a mechanic or something. Can’t you have him fix it?” I looked at Anika questioningly.
She raised her head and looked at me with a confused, tired expression. “My vent? What do you—”
“Coffee!” Mitchell announced, pushing open the kitchen door suddenly and grinning. He set down a cup in front of Anika and she made a noise of approval before standing up and walking toward the fridge. When Mitchell finished setting down everyone’s coffees, he sat down in the seat next to where Anika had been sitting and made eye contact with me. Something about the look in his eyes was unsettling; intimidating, almost.
What was that about?
Chapter 24
Foster
Four days until the graduation party. I looked up at the ceiling of the room without much interest and contemplated this as I lay in bed. I would have to leave soon. So soon. Time needed to stop. It was only eight in the morning, and no one was likely to be awake yet, but every second longer that I spent in this room alone was a second I should’ve been with Anika. I closed my eyes. Rolling over yet again in an unsuccessful attempt to get comfortable enough to sleep for a little longer, I wished Anika was lying with me. I would sleep so easily with her in my arms.
I heard quiet talking outside of my room and stood up. I approached the door slowly and opened it.
Brady was standing with Anika, and she was looking down.
“Look Brady… I’m glad you’re here, I really am, I just…” She kept looking at the ground.
“Is it Foster?”
“What?”
“Is he the reason you can’t be happy that I’m here?”
Mitchell strode into the hallway, interrupting them. “Anika, your boxing class starts soon. Do you still want a ride or no?”
“Um… yeah, sure.”
“Would you mind if I tagged along?” I asked, keeping my eyes locked on Anika.
“Oh, um, good morning,” she said awkwardly. “You been awake very long?”
“No. Mitchell’s voice woke me up.”
He half glared at me but kept a relatively happy face for Anika. “I don’t have much room in my car.”
“I can help you make room.”
Mitchell hesitated, trying to figure out how to get around letting me go with her.
“Sure, you can come,” Anika piped up. “You just need to get dressed first.”
“Of course.”
Mitchell and I exchanged warning glances, and I didn’t even notice Brady staring at me until I ducked back into my room.
***
Anika panted heavily as she finished her pyramids of ten on the kicking bag. She was strong, but she needed to work a little more on her stamina.
“Alright, everyone partner up for sparring!” the instructor announced.
I looked at Anika with a tilt to my head. “Be my partner?”
She laughed. “Yeah, right. I’m not sparring someone who could bench press me. Nice try, though. Besides, we switch partners every five minutes, so we’ll be paired up eventually. I spar with Glen first, normally.” Anika pointed to a small brunet guy who was grinning at her.
Irritated, I narrowed my eyes at the guy. Alright. I’d remember him.
I got paired with six people before I got to Glen. The second the instructor announced that we could begin, I slammed my instep into his ribs, sending him stumbling to the side. He scrambled to his feet and managed to get a kick to my shoulder, but I kicked him in the side again more forcefully in an attempt to get him to stay down. Finally, I did a turning kick into his side one more time and he didn’t try to stand up; rather he sat on the ground, panting and looking up at me in mild surprise.
“Switch!”
I looked at Anika as she approached me and got a warm feeling in my body. My turn.
She raised an eyebrow at me and took her mouth piece out for a moment. “Are we going full out or are you gonna throw the match?”
“Would you like me to throw the match?”
“Hell no. I want to beat you fair and square.” She grinned, slipping the mouthpiece in again, and getting her hands into position.
“Start!”
Anika and I started walking in circles, watching each other. I saw her arms twitch a little as she looked at where she wanted to punch, but I would immediately maneuver so that that area was protected. There was no chance in Hell of me hitting her, but I wouldn’t just let her win, either. Her foot flashed out and slammed against my side, and I winced a little bit. She was strong. But, knowing her stamina, she’d run out of fuel after seven matches.
We continued circling each other for a little longer before she attacked again.
Her instep slapped against my arm and I grabbed it, twisting it over and pushing her away from me. She didn’t fall—I’d made sure I didn’t push hard enough for that—but she stumbled far enough that she hesitated before trying to kick me again.
After a while, she decided to try a punch. I caught her wrist, grabbing her other one as well, and hooked my leg behind one of hers, taking us both to the ground. I’d made sure to make most of my weight land on my forearms and elbows, which I’d put behind her back and head so she didn’t hit the ground too hard. She panted hard and looked up at me.
Our faces were inches apart, and I had her pinned.
I grinned.
She rolled her eyes, still panting. “Shut up, I knew you’d win.” Anika looked at me thoughtfully then leaned in her face a little.
I felt heat tinge my face as her lips almost brushed mine, then she shoved me to the side and pinned my arms and legs, grinning victoriously.
“Ha!” she declared, grinning, “I win!”
I rolled my eyes at her, smiling. I could break free any time I felt like it, but Anika pinning me down was not necessarily something I wanted to get out of. Lifting my head up, I hovered my lips just millimeters from her ear. “Good match,” I murmured huskily. When I pulled back, she was bright red and I laughed. “You’re cute when you blush.”
“I’m not blushing,” she protested, her voice shaking.
“Do I make you nervous?” I wondered aloud at the shaky tone.
“Shut up, Foster.” She pushed off of me, stood up, then offered me her hand. I took it and stood up, looking down at her affectionately. “Good match,” she said finally. “I’m not forgetting the fact that I won, either; I’m gonna hold that over your head forever, probably. So be prepared for a lifetime of ‘remember that time I beat you?’ coming your way.”
I chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind that.” A lifetime of her saying that was a lifetime of being close enough to her for her to say it.
She rolled her eyes and punched me in the arm gently.
I smiled again.
“Class is over. I hope you all have a good day! Anika, you looked amazing today,” the instructor yelled.
“Does he ever not yell? I’m contemplating cutting out his tongue,” I muttered irritably.
“Do you ever not say something creepy?” she muttered, rolling her eyes.
I smirked. “Once in a while, maybe.”
“Weirdo.”
Mitchell honked his horn at us impatiently once we got through the doors and I looked at him thoughtfully, then at
Anika.
“Anika, you said that Mitchell taught you to play chess, correct?”
“Yeah, for basically the past few years, why?”
I remembered her telling me that she still lost to him on purpose because she didn’t want him to stop being her friend, and it brought a small smile to my lips. “I was thinking that the three of us could play against each other and we’d see how it plays out.”
“Foster, did you just make a pun?”
“What?”
“Nothing, never mind.”
Mitchell rolled down his window. “Um, guys? I still exist, here. Do you want to walk or something?”
Pressing my lips to turn upward, I smirked slightly at him. “Actually, Mitchell, we were discussing chess matters. I’ve heard you’re rather decent at it, and I’d like for the three of us to play against one another.” Of course, I had an alternative motive for wanting to play against him, but it wasn’t like he could tell the difference, so what would be the point of bringing it up?
His eyes narrowed slightly with annoyance. “Normally, that’s something that only Anika and I do together.”
“If you think I’ll beat you, then that’s your choice, Mitchell.”
“Fine.”
Anika looked at him, then me, and I noticed her eyes widen innocently before she turned them on Mitchell. “Please, Mitchell? Come on, it’ll be fun. He’ll only play with us once then I’ll play against you as long as you want me to when college rolls around.”
He was clearly battling with himself over the options I’d presented him with, his head tilting slightly. “Anika…”
“Just one match!” she insisted.
A sharp sigh escaped his lips. “Fine, Anika, I’ll play chess with both of you.”