Play The Game

by Casey Crisp

  “Heidi...”

  “Thanks again, Rose! You’re the best!” Heidi proclaimed before locking herself inside.

  “Why does it have to be Ryder?” I questioned despite knowing that Heidi wasn’t actually listening. However, verbalizing one’s frustrations is certainly a better alternative when compared to the idea of physically confronting the subject carefully testing your limits.

  ***

  At precisely 10:00 pm, a tentative rapping at our hotel door forced me to release an exaggerated sigh as I walked over to greet our visitor. Ryder’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw me standing on the other side. “Don’t look so shocked,” I told him. “Heidi is in the bathroom. You can wait for her inside.”

  I was silent when I retreated back to my bed because I trusted that Ryder could close the door behind him. I reached for my cellphone on the nightstand with every intention of discouraging a potential conversation. A strategy that proved ineffective once he sat down on the edge of the bed that was facing mine. “You’re rooming with Heidi?”

  “Is that a surprise?” I asked, keeping my eyes locked on my phone screen. “I’m also very tired, so say your goodnights or whatever and leave.”

  Ryder chuckled at my request, but I was actually surprised by the bitterness behind my words. “I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you, Rose. I don’t plan on staying for long.”

  His tone was strangely flirtatious, and I felt my shoulders drop as I took in his appearance. His focus was firmly set on the gaping hole at the bottom of his t-shirt, and his hair fell into a curtain around his handsome face. I blushed when I realized that Ryder was looking at me through his bangs, eyes trailing across my bare legs. I suddenly became very self-conscious of the length of my sleeping attire and fought the urge to tug down at the worn fabric. However, our tense silence was interrupted when the bathroom door finally reopened, spilling more light into the room as Heidi stole our attention. “Ryder,” Heidi greeted him cheerfully, letting out an obviously rehearsed giggle.

  Thankfully, an incoming notification distracted me from the irritating pair of students. I cleared my throat, studying Brynn’s name displayed across my phone screen. My sister rarely reached out to anyone this late at night unless she was feeling particularly anxious, and I only managed to read her words twice before immediately jumping into action.

  Brynn: I’m stuck on the elevator! Please tell the front desk!

  Nicole

  I leaned against the railing outside my hotel room because I could no longer tolerate Hadley’s intimate conversation with her boyfriend, even if it was supposedly a quick phone conversation. It only reminded me of my sadly lacking romantic affairs, and this certainly explained why I initially tried convincing Brynn to switch roommates with me since she had already been paired with Skyla. However, Brynn refused to accomodate my request, and I realized that my sister knew about Hadley’s mysterious boyfriend who she apparently called every night before she went to bed.

  Thankfully, the weather was mild tonight, a soft breeze fluttering my hair and forcing my soft curls to bounce softly against the side of my face. My chin fell into my hands while I observed the passing traffic on the highway. It wasn’t necessarily boredom, but maybe I could remedy my unexpected situation by visiting Skyla and Bynn? Since I was definitely opposed to overhearing Hadley’s romantic endeavours.

  However, he managed to change my mind, approaching me from the adjoining stairwell with a smile. “Nicole,” came his gentle greeting.

  I didn’t even need to turn my head around because I knew that Beckett Arlington was wandering outside of the boundaries that our coaches had vainly tried to establish. “What are you doing over here?” I asked him casually. “This is the girls building.”

  “I’m aware,” he said lazily, standing next to me against the balcony. I felt honored to have the attention of those playful eyes, even as I continued to look straight ahead. “You know,” he said, leaning down to speak into my ear, “I’m looking forward to seeing you play tomorrow.”

  “Oh?” I grinned while reveling in his obvious flirtations. I knew that I should be more careful around Beckett because his distinguished charms had undoubtedly scored him many women who fell victim to his infectious personality. I mean, how could anyone resist him?

  Especially when his fingers caressed my cheek, guiding my chin to meet his gaze directly, and I saw an underlying hint of mischief. “When are you going to let me take you out?”

  “I don’t know,” I said, teasing him right back. “How can I trust that you won’t run away?”

  “I won’t run from you,” he assured me, thumb stroking the sensitive skin below my bottom lip. “Not if you don’t want me too.”

  “Well, it’s not like I don’t want you.” I giggled, watching him with a hooded gaze. “But I know your reputation, Beckett. Do you use these same lines on all the other girls or just for me?”

  I saw something shift in his expression, and I felt a surge of triumph at having temporarily broken through his facade. Beckett dropped his hand and chuckled, ducking his head to enjoy the view of the city. “You’re just as tricky as I am, Nicole.”

  “But I have better intentions,” I told him. “Aria herself warned me not to fall for you.”

  Beckett shook his head. “What else has Aria told you about me?”

  “There’s not much,” I said hating that his eyes were no longer gracing me with their playful glow. “Just that you don’t prefer relationships.”

  “And that throws you off?” he asked.

  “No,” I told him truthfully. “But I’m more cautious when it comes to letting you have your way with me.”

  Beckett fought back a grin. “And how do you know that I want you in my bed, Nicole?”

  “You keep coming back, Beckett,” I told him, laughing at the outrage on his face. “That tells me all I need to know.”

  Beckett sighed, turning around to glare at the moldy hotel wall. “You might not be rich like those other girls at Arlington, but you’re just as spoiled. A spoiled princess because you think that you have everyone figured out, don’t you?”

  “Do you doubt me?” I asked him, grabbing one of my curls and winding it around my finger. “I think that I know guys like you.”

  “Guys like me,” he repeated, a strange smile darkening his features. “And guys like me?”

  “They don’t play nice with girls like me,” I finished, but I was definitely concerned when I noticed the clouded look in his eyes. “You would move on to someone else.”

  Beckett was silent for a moment, and I saw a flurry of different emotions cross his expression. It was like he was having some sort of internal conflict with himself, unable to dispel my argument. It was all that I needed to confirm my suspicions that he was just as dangerous as I had initially suspected.

  “You might be very wrong, princess.”

  “What do you-” I broke off as my phone vibrated in my pocket. I sighed because I noticed that the notification was from Brynn and that was never a good thing. However, after reading over the message, I couldn’t help but laugh. “It seems like my sister has a problem.”

  Unfortunately, for the time being, that meant the end of our conversation.

  ***

  Brynn was absolutely livid when the elevator doors opened, revealing herself and Jonathan standing side by side. She stormed out of the elevator shaft with a scarlet-red countenance, which meant that Brynn was obviously bothered by something that went beyond customer dissatisfaction. You see, Brynn would usually lament her bad luck before she tried to forget the occasion. However, Brynn was flushed for a different reason, and I figured that it involved a rather smug-looking Jonathan.

  As such, Rose and I walked with Brynn to her room in complete silence. Rose was as concerned as ever for Brynn, and I was trying not to laugh at a situation that was decidedly ridiculous. Rose could be uptight sometimes, but Brynn hadn't been in some sort of mortal danger. Furthermore, it was obvious that something else happen
ed on that elevator and I was dying to solve this unexpected mystery.

  Brynn groaned as she fell back against the door to her hotel room, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why is it always me? I don’t think I deserve bad karma.”

  “Really? It’s always trouble that finds Brynn and not the other way around?”

  “Someone in the universe has it out for me,” Brynn decided with a firm nod. “I mean, what are the chances of someone actually getting stuck in the elevator? It’s usually just an irrational fear.”

  “Or, is it because of something else?” I teased, playfully hitting her arm. “Let’s forget the universe for a second and talk about what happened on the elevator. Or did you and Jonathan just sit and stare at each other the whole time?”

  Brynn’s face exploded in red and I squealed in delight. Meanwhile, Rose was still studying our sister with concern. “Did something happen to you?”

  “Why are you so nosy?” Brynn snapped at me, but I ignored her attempts to deter my desire for answers.

  “Did Jonathan hit on you?” I asked, even after presuming the answer. “I knew that he liked you! Skyla already mentioned something about it in practice.”

  Based on the way my sister’s eyes quickly averted themselves to the ground, I decided that my suspicions were proven correct. Likewise, even Rose was able to connect the dots, reaching out to push against Brynn’s shoulder. “Did he?”

  “Yes, okay!” Brynn shouted. “Can you please let me go to sleep? I hate this night, and I want to forget that it ever happened.”

  “Why?” I pouted at my sister’s stubbornness because Jonathan Reed was interesting and Brynn obviously liked his attention. “You should talk to Jonathan!”

  “What a fantastic idea,” she said sarcastically before scanning her room key card against the sensor, and the door slammed against its hinges with finality to end our discussion.

  “I guess she’s not interested,” Rose said to break the accompanying silence. “But you’re too much, Nicole.”

  “What do you mean? I’m a perfect angel!”

  Ignoring my sister’s returning look of incredulity, I tried to maintain an indifferent expression. However, we both knew that I was still interested in the idea of Jonathan pursuing Brynn. You see, my stubborn sister could use a good push in the right direction, even if it required my intervention.

  Brynn

  Pre-season tournament games never impacted our team record, but our performances could still account for the difference between a starting position on the court and a spot on the bench. Thankfully, ever since Miranda had trusted me to handle the ball as point guard, I fell into a comfortable rhythm. I wasn’t the team’s best shooter, nor was I big and tall enough for the forward position, but I was quick and efficient when it came to leading our team on the court. I fit perfectly into my position, being responsible for setting up our plays and ensuring their flawless execution. The point guard was never expected to score the most points, retrieve the most rebounds, or block out the bigger players, but I was satisfied with making good passes and accumulating assists to my teammates. I excelled at those skills, and my defense had always a source of pride. I was the best defender on the team, and I usually had my hands full with the opposing team’s MVP.

  I had also recorded some of my best performances, and Miranda was happy with the outcome of our first game, leaving us to lounge around in the hallway after its conclusion. She had sternly instructed us to rest and drink plenty of water before she tried to find some extra towels. This left us to our own autonomy, and I sat next to Aria as we ate a few orange slices from the cooler. “Nice job out there,” I praised her, but it wasn’t out of obligation. Aria had genuinely impressed me with her well-rounded fundamentals. There was no doubt in my mind that Aria Nicolai was one of the best shooters I had ever encountered. Especially after Aria managed to score an astounding 32 points in our last game, a record usually reserved for older and more experienced college players.

  “Thanks, Brynn,” Aria said. “You seem comfortable with the point guard position. You’re always so focused.”

  “I like it,” I told her honestly. “It’s a position that I haven’t really played since I was younger.”

  Aria found an interesting segue after my comment, talking about how she used to take shooting lessons when she was only in Kindergarten. I tried to listen because it was an entertaining topic, but Sydney Black was a concerning distraction, sitting dejectedly next to Hadley Carpathia. You see, it was difficult to dispute the fact that Aria had successfully taken Sydney’s starting position. In our first game, Sydney was one of the five names introduced over the loudspeaker as the senior captain took her position on the court. However, as the game continued to progress, I noticed that Miranda substituted Aria into the game to replace Sydney. It was certainly obvious that Sydney was not pleased with the unanticipated switch.

  “Do you know what I’m saying?” Aria asked and I nodded vacantly while Sydney glared in our direction, whispering to Hadley with an unpleasant scowl. It was uncomfortable to acknowledge the anger in Sydney’s eyes because it seemed to suggest something akin to hostility, and I was afraid for anyone on the receiving end of such blatant jealousy.

  The taste of the nasty emotion was repulsive, especially when you tried your best and still couldn’t succeed. It was frustrating because doubt and insecurity blinded your vision to the point where a teammate became an enemy. Over time, I had matured enough to recognize that jealousy was often misguided and the ones who ignored those vengeful urges deserved nothing short of recognition for their efforts. However, something told me that Sydney Black didn’t share my opinion on the subject, and I would discover for myself the consequences of holding such a grudge.

  In the meantime, our team waited around in the locker room before our final tournament game. Aria was shuffling through her bag when Sydney paused next to where she sat on the bench, eyes narrowed with thinly veiled contempt. I froze from where I was standing, watching the two of them carefully. “Do you need something?” I asked Sydney who continued to ignore me.

  My question caught Aria’s attention and she turned around to confront our team captain. “Is there a problem?”

  Her tone was hesitant while Sydney’s smile was sardonic. “Who are you trying to impress, Nicolai? Why don’t you try passing it to someone else next time?”

  The conversations around us stopped as a suffocating tension settled around the two girls squaring up to one another. Aria’s smile was gone, and I knew that she had refused to give Sydney the reaction she wanted. “I’m sorry,” she said instead. “It won’t happen again.”

  Sydney snorted with obvious derision. “You’re always apologizing to everyone. Do you not have a backbone, Nicolai? Why are you always trying to be so nice? It’s rather pathetic if you ask me.”

  Aria frowned. “I’m not asking for a fight.”

  “I know that,” Sydney snarled, a vicious anger sharpening her features, reminding me very much of a predator measuring up their prey. “I’m just wondering who the hell you think you are coming onto this team and stealing an upperclassman’s position?”

  “Maybe if you were a better player,” I interrupted, unable to stop myself from coming to Aria’s defense.

  “Nobody asked you, Starr,” Sydney said. “I’ve heard enough about the Starr sisters for one lifetime. Coach always talked about her new sister recruits like you were the greatest basketball players to ever grace Arlington’s court.” I rolled my eyes as Sydney let out a breath, refocusing her anger on Aria. “But nobody was expecting Aria. Where did you come from anyway? Oh, wait, let me answer that question since I know that you were recruited from some kind of public school, and it makes perfect sense because that’s where you belong. But I can’t understand why you’re here since private academies aren’t allowed to recruit from public schools. I guess that explains why you need Venir Rensselaer. He probably pulled some strings for you to get in here. You must have something over him since ther
e’s no other reason for why he would be with y-” Sydney suddenly broke off after Aria shoved at her shoulders with tears collecting in the corners of her eyes.

  “That’s enough!” Aria’s voice was just above a whisper, shaking with her undeniable rage. The harsh tone didn’t belong to someone like Aria, but if you kept testing a person long enough, searching for the right buttons to push, eventually you would get some kind of response. But the person being pushed isn’t going to respond well when they’re forced to act against a threat.

  “Did you just push me, Nicolai?” Sydney’s tone was one of incredulity, pushing back against Aria who crashed against the locker behind her. “Do it again! Stand up for yourself for once.”

  “Aria-” I started, pausing mid-sentence when Aria took the bait, shoving Sydney even harder with enough force to send her stumbling backwards.

  “Stop fighting!” Rose finally shouted, and my level-headed sister stood toe-to-toe with Sydney Black. “You always take it too far.”

  “This isn’t your fight,” Sydney returned with equal vehemence.

  “I’m captain of this team just as much as you are,” Rose said and the reminder seemed to deflate Sydney’s ego as she took a step back. “I don’t think you want to do anything stupid. Because Venir will never let you forget.”

  The words were a fatal warning, and Sydney slowly lowered her head in shame.

  ***

  “You’re avoiding me, Brynn.”

  I hated the way my heart fluttered in my chest when he said my name. I turned around to face Jonathan, leaning back against my locker. “And?”

  “It hurts,” Jonathan said, looking me up and down. “Did you not believe me when I said that I liked you?”

  My entire face was burning as I recalled that night on the elevator. It had been several days since our teams returned from our eventful tournament, and I was doing my best to avoid Jonathan at school. “So?”

  “All these questions.” Jonathan sighed. “And I still haven’t gotten the chance to take you out for dinner.”