Through The Dark

by Jae

  “Yeah, I did.” I chuckle.

  I can’t keep my eyes off of Liam the entire game. The way he moves up and down the court is flawless. Every shot he puts up sinks into the hoop with complete ease. By the end of the game, I realize that I’ve somewhat known who Liam is like Zoie. My dad is a huge college basketball fan and talks about Liam all the time. It wasn’t until now that I’ve managed to put the pieces together.

  “Liam wants us to wait for him.” I tell the girls when the game is over; remembering the text he had sent me this morning.

  “Let’s go mess around on the court while we wait.” Zoie suggests after we all stand up and walk away from our seats.

  We play line tag like a bunch of little kids while the arena clears out. Eventually Zoie gets her hands on a couple of basketballs and we start shooting around.

  “Let’s see if you still got it.” Zoie says, giving me a knowing look.

  I nod my head as I move to stand behind the three-point line and then wait for her to pass me the ball. Zoie repeatedly feeds me the basketball while I move my way from one end of the three-point line to the other, making every shot.

  “Damn!” I hear someone shout while someone else lets out a low whistle after my last shot sinks into the hoop.

  I turn around to see Liam with three other guys standing at the half court line, staring at me.

  “You just made, like, ten three-point shots in a row.” One of the guys says in disbelief.

  “It was fifteen three-point shots, actually.” Taylor corrects him, a flirty smile spreading across her face.

  “That’s really impressive.” Another one of the guys says.

  “I’ll have you know, Daisy here was the best ‘girl’ basketball player in our school. Well, besides me of course.” Ella tells them as she drapes her arm around my shoulders.

  “Best ‘girl’ basketball player in our high school?” Zoie chuckles and rolls her eyes before tossing a basketball to me. “I may have only been a cheerleader, but even I know that she was the best ‘girl’ basketball player out of all the high schools you guys played against and she was the best basketball player in our high school, period. The majority of our boys’ basketball team looked like crap compared to her.”

  I watch the guys raise their eyebrows in surprise. I just shrug my shoulders before passing the basketball to Liam. He catches it, causing his gym bag to fall to the ground with a noticeable thud.

  “How about we play a little game of four on four – girls vs. boys?” I suggest and everyone instantly agrees, the guys tossing their stuff to the side of the court.

  “Daze, you probably shouldn’t.” Ella comments, a worried look growing on her face.

  “We’ll just play half court.” I tell her while I brush the bottoms of my shoes off with my hands.

  “She’ll be fine.” Zoie says when she walks past us. “It’s just a little pick-up game. It’s not that big of a deal.”

  I give Ella a reassuring smile, letting her know I will be fine. It’s been so long since I’ve played basketball, even just a little pickup game like this. There’s no way I’m going to let Ella be a party-pooper and rain on my parade.

  “Alright, fine.” Ella reluctantly huffs.

  We learn that the other guy’s names are Tony, Jack, and Connor. They’re all roughly a few inches taller than Liam, making me feel like a midget.

  “Girls ball first.” I announce before taking the ball out of Liam’s hands.

  “What are we playing to?” Connor questions after he walks over to guard Zoie.

  “First to ten – make it, take it.” Ella says, giving me a hard look before sizing up Tony who’s now standing next to her.

  I nod my head and look over to see Taylor practically drooling over Jack.

  “Are you really as good as they’re saying?” Liam asks me while brushing a hand through his slightly damp curls, sweeping them perfectly across his forehead.

  I shrug my shoulders and let a small smirk grow on my face after I check the ball with him. I dribble the ball between my legs a couple times just to mess with Liam and then fake a pass to Ella. Like I knew he would, Liam quickly moves to the space between Ella and me to block the pass. Taking this opportunity of distraction, I square up to the hoop, shoot, and watch as the ball falls through the net - making my favorite swooshing sound.

  “That’s my girl!” Ella yells and we high five. “Just like old times.”

  “She just played you, man!” Tony says and everyone, except for Liam, starts laughing.

  Liam shakes his head a little and Taylor throws the basketball to me.

  “Three to zero.” I say after we check the ball again and Liam smirks.

  The rest of the game goes by a lot like this; Liam and I constantly trying to one up each other and everyone else laughing. In the end, we girls lose by three points. I don’t even care though, I’m just happy I got to play the game I love so much again.

  “Good game ladies!” Jack says while we all high five each other.

  I sit down on the edge of court to catch my breath and watch everyone else play a game of knock-out.

  “You’re an amazing basketball player.” I tell Liam when he sits down next to me.

  “Thanks. So are you.” He responds with a small smile playing on his lips. “I was not expecting that at all.”

  “Thanks.” I chuckle. “Not a lot of people do since I’m so little.”

  “Zoie and Ella made it sound like you don’t play anymore, though.” Liam comments after turning his head to look at me.

  “That’s because I don’t.” I confirm, glancing over to see his face slightly scrunched up in confusion.

  “Why not?” He asks, now turning his body to give me his full attention.

  “I got hurt.” I respond, mimicking his actions.

  “What happened?”

  “Do you want the long or short version?”

  “I definitely want the long version.”

  “Okay, so, throughout all my years in high school, we always made it to state, but we would lose right before the championship game. Since this past school year was mine and Ella’s senior year, we were determined to get to the championship game; we wanted it so badly.” I begin while glancing over at Ella for a second. “So our team worked our asses off and it all seemed to be worth it because we finally made it to the championship game. We were all so excited, especially because we were going to be playing against our rivals.

  “There was less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter and we were up by three points. No one was guarding me so Ella threw the ball in from out of bounds to me at half court. I dribbled as fast as I could and then when I was up in the air for a layup, this girl came out of nowhere and took me out. I don’t really remember what happened after that because I smacked my head on the floor and blacked out. But when I woke up they told me I had a concussion and a severely twisted knee.”

  “Wait - that was you?” Liam questions, his eyes growing wide. “I was at that game.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really! During that entire game all I could think about was what an amazing basketball player you were and that I wouldn’t be surprised if you were the first girl to make it to the NBA or something crazy like that.”

  “That would’ve been really awesome.” I smile.

  “When you hit the ground and didn’t move after a few seconds, the entire gym went completely silent. Once they got you off the court and the game started back up, your team played even harder than they already were – which I didn’t think was even possible; it was the craziest and most amazing thing I’d ever seen in my life.”

  “Well, then you know we won and got our championship.” I say with a laugh.

  “What happened with your knee after that?”

  “It never healed enough for me to be able to play the same way again.” I tell him, stretching out my right leg and tapping my knee. “I had full ride basketball scholarships and starting position offers from over five differe
nt colleges for this coming basketball season and I lost every single one of them.”

  “That’s a damn shame.” Liam shakes his head.

  I nod my head in agreement. “This is literally the first time I’ve played since then.”

  Liam raises his eyebrows in surprise. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

  “Me too.” I agree.

  Our conversation eventually turns into one about our love for basketball. I learn that Liam has been playing ever since he was big enough to dribble a basketball. He tells me that it’s always been his dream to play for a pro basketball team and that it doesn’t matter which one because he would be happy to go anywhere. This then turns into a conversation about how I’ve just graduated high school and how Liam isn’t surprised to find out Zoie and Taylor were both cheerleaders and will continue to be during college. Liam asks me what my parents do for a living and I tell him that they’re both lawyers and law school was how they met. This then turns into a conversation about mine and Ella’s parents being on a cruise for the next couple weeks.

  After a little while longer all of us grab our stuff and make our way out of the arena. Once we’re outside, the other boys say goodbye and walk off to their cars.

  “Thanks for the tickets, Liam.” Zoie says as she and the other girls start to walk to her car. “You played a great game.”

  “Thanks and it was no problem.” Liam responds, a pleased smile on his face. Once they are out of earshot, he puts his attention back on me. “Thank you for coming. It really means a lot.”

  “You’re welcome.” I smile. “I had a good time. I’ll have to come watch some more games.”

  “I would really like that.” He says before pulling me into a tight hug and placing a kiss to the top of my head.

  I breathe in his cologne and sigh; damn, he smells good.

  “I’ll talk to you later, Little Miss Daisy.” Liam says after he pulls away and starts walking towards his car.

  “Liam, wait!” I call before he gets too far away.

  “Yeah?” He questions when he turns around.

  “Would you want to hang out tomorrow?

  “Definitely.” He responds with that heart stopping smile before turning back around.

  For the rest of the night, all I can think about is Liam and how he’s somehow starting to grow on me. I don’t have any idea on what I’m about to be getting myself into, but I’m sort of excited to find out.

  Chapter Six

  I dreamed about sparkling bright green eyes, perfectly bow shaped lips that slide into a beautifully dimpled smile, and tattooed covered muscles last night. Now, lying on a lawn chair by my pool with the sun beating down on me, that’s all I can think about. The dream plays behind my closed eyelids just as vividly as it did when I was asleep hours ago. I let out a heavy sigh when I hear my phone begin to ring, causing the dream to slip away from me.

  “Hello?” I answer, keeping my eyes shut in the hopes that I can bring the dream back.

  “Little Miss Daisy,” I hear Liam’s voice say through the phone. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m lying out by my pool. What are you doing?”

  “I just got out of basketball practice. Do you still want to hang out today?”

  “Yeah, totally! Come over to my house and bring your swimsuit.”

  “Okay.” He laughs. “I’ll be over in a little bit.”

  We say our goodbyes and then I end the call. Giving up on the dream, I get up and walk through the patio doors to the kitchen. I rummage around the drawers in search of a takeout menu to the first pizza place I can find. Once I find one, I call in and place an order for a medium Hawaiian pizza and a medium hamburger pizza. Then I plop down on the couch in the living room and turn on the TV to kill some time. I stop flipping through the channels and smile when I see there’s a Friends marathon on. I get through an episode and a half before I hear someone ring the doorbell. I quickly shut off the TV and grab my money off of the coffee table in front of me. When I open the door, I’m surprised to see Liam standing there with two pizza boxes in his hands.

  “You’re not the pizza guy?” I say, slightly confused.

  I watch as his eyes trail up and down my body, causing me to become completely aware that I’m still in just my black strapless bikini.

  “No, I’m not.” He chuckles and I open the door wider for him to walk in. “Me and the pizza guy, who’s actually a girl named Jill, pulled up at the same time, so I told her I would save her the trip and bring them in myself.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.” I tell him while we walk into my kitchen and I shove my money into one of my mom’s ‘wish’ jars.

  “It’s fine.” He chuckles again. “I was going to ask you if you wanted to go get something to eat anyways; I’m starving.”

  “I figured you would be.” I smirk while I grab us plates and he opens the boxes after setting them on the table. “That’s why I ordered them. I hope you like Hawaiian or hamburger?”

  “I do.” Liam confirms as he grabs a piece of each. “But even if I didn’t, I would eat them anyway.”

  “Good to know.” I respond before taking a bite of my Hawaiian piece. “How was practice?”

  “It went really good. Coach was happy we won yesterday, so he didn’t run us too hard today.” Liam answers while I pour us some lemonade to drink. “Tony, Jack, and Connor were talking about you and the girls to the rest of the team.”

  “Really?” I let out a small laugh and shake my head.

  “They really like you.”

  “Well, that’s good. I’m glad. I really like them too.”

  Something dark passes through Liam’s eyes and his shoulders somewhat stiffen as he nods his head. When I’m about to ask him what’s wrong, I realize his body is already relaxed – as if what I thought I’d just seen had never happened. I decide to brush it off and not worry about it. I’m sure it was nothing anyways.

  Once we’re done eating, Liam runs out to his car to get his stuff while I clean up our mess and put the left over pizza in the fridge. When Liam comes back inside, I direct him to the nearest bathroom before walking outside and sitting on the edge of the pool facing the patio doors. I look up from my legs dangling in the water when I hear Liam open and close the patio doors. It takes everything in me not to start drooling at the sight of his bare torso. His chest, abs, and that V-cut thing all girls swoon over are perfectly defined; you know – where it’s not over the top but still gets the point across. I let my eyes travel down his faint happy trail before forcing myself back into reality when my mind begins to drift into a place my parents wouldn’t approve of. When I look up, I realize Liam is watching me check him out with a smirk on his face and a cocked eyebrow. Feeling an instant blush creep up my neck and into my cheeks, I cover my face with my hands and slide into the pool, hoping the water would just swallow me whole now. Once I resurface, I look around confused when I don’t see Liam anywhere and then let out a small scream when I feel two hands grab me from behind before tossing me in the air.

  We swim around, splashing each other, and having races from one end of the pool to the other until the pool lights sense it’s getting dark outside and turn on. I look up at the slowly darkening sky before I climb out of the pool and sit on the edge, motioning for Liam to do the same. Once he’s sitting next to me, I point to the horizon in front of us. Since the sun is beginning to set, the sky is turning beautiful colors of orange, yellow, pink, and even a little purple.

  “Wow.” Liam breathes while he leans back on his hands and stares ahead, a small smile playing on his lips.

  “Don’t move.” I tell Liam before I get up and run inside to grab my camera. When I come back, I move to the far corner of the pool and crouch down.

  “What are you doing?” Liam questions, but never moves, just like I asked, and keeps his eyes on the setting sun.

  “Nothing.” I respond, bringing the camera up to my eye and twisting the lens to focus it. “Just don’t move.”


  After I snap the picture, I pull the camera away from my face to examine it. The way the lights from the sky and the pool reflect off the water onto Liam’s lightly tanned face and body is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. The picture is absolutely breathtaking and I can hardly believe that I just took it.

  “Look.” I say to Liam after I sit back down next to him and hand over my camera. I smile when a dimpled smile spreads across his face.

  “This is amazing.” Liam finally says, looking up at me.

  “Thanks.” I reply, slightly ducking my head, suddenly feeling somewhat shy as he hands my camera back to me. “I’m going to college to study art and photography since the basketball thing didn’t work out.”

  “Really? What made you decide that?”

  “I’ve always really loved drawing and taking pictures, but I always saw it as more of a hobby since I was so focused on basketball. Then after I got hurt and lost my scholarships, Ella sent out a bunch of my drawings and photographs to different colleges and art institutes without telling me.”

  “You’re kidding!” Liam exclaims with a chuckle.

  “I’m totally serious; I had absolutely no idea. Even though I was so dedicated to basketball, my parents still made sure that I focused just as much on my school work because, you know, anything can happen when it comes to sports – so they wanted to make sure I had something to fall back on just in case; which turned out to be a great thing since the one thing I thought would never happen, happened. Anyways, I had great grades in school, so I got some scholarships to different colleges because of that. I figured I would just go along with it and study business or something along those lines. Then out of nowhere I started getting these acceptance letters and phone calls from places I never applied to. I was so confused at first, so I called Ella and asked if the same thing was happening to her and then she told me about what she’d done. I was pretty shocked at first, but I eventually realized it actually wasn’t a bad idea.”

  “That’s pretty funny she did that. And really shows how much she must care about you to do it.” Liam comments while looking at me with soft eyes. “I’m glad you’ve found something else to make you happy.”