They didn’t understand and I didn’t expect them to. Instead, I focused on the game, making sure to cheer when we scored, especially when it was Mason. And he was good. Ridiculously good. The guy moved down the court like he’d been born with a basketball in his hands. Sometimes, he dribbled so fast, the ball was nothing but a blur.
And his jump shots were beautiful. They reminded me of the way ballet dancers leapt into the air. My fingers itched to capture it in acrylic on a fresh canvas. Now, I could understand why the Greek artists were so obsessed with athletes. The human body was never more impressive than during a sporting event.
But Mason was still an enigma to me. I would’ve thought that his passion for basketball would’ve made him ridiculously happy, but as the game went on, he only seemed to grow more serious. Our team was winning by a landslide, but Mason looked like a grizzly bear on the court who’d just had his nap interrupted.
I leaned over to elbow Mandy softly. “Guys, is it always like this?”
“Like what?” she asked in between giant handfuls of popcorn stuffed into her mouth, her eyes glued to the court.
“Like a Roman gladiator battle?” I winced as a guy on the opposite team slammed into Mason’s shoulder and made him fall to the ground. “I’m not so sure I like this basketball thing.”
“This is kid’s play,” Audrey said from my other side. “Remember when Collin got knocked out in that football game? That’s rough. This is just...aggressive fun.”
I wasn’t sure if we were watching the same thing. Just as Mason attempted to make a layup, he was jumped by the same kid as before and nearly plastered into the wall beyond the hoop. My breath left my body and didn’t return until Mason picked himself back up off the floor, signaling to his coach that he was fine.
“This isn’t good,” I muttered to myself as I began to chew on my thumbnail. “Not good at all.”
If the way that Mason felt seen was by battling someone across a gym floor for a rubber ball, I couldn’t understand it. Not for one instant. It was no wonder the guy was so grumpy. I would be too, if I had to do this every day.
The game soon ended with a score of 46-18 and the tension began to leave my shoulders. Finally, I could breathe again. My heart rate return to normal. As the crowd thinned around me, I watched Mason walk wearily back to the bench and wipe a Gatorade towel over his sweaty forehead. He didn’t seem any happier that the game was over. In fact, his expression was as unreadable now as it had been during those fouls.
“Aren’t you gonna go over and say hi to your boyfriend?” Mandy asked as she stuffed the last handful of popcorn in her mouth. “Or are you just going to stare at him all night?”
I sighed. “Not a boyfriend, remember? Just a friend who happens to be a boy.”
“Right,” Audrey and Mandy said in unison. They exchanged expressions with devious grins on their face.
“But yes, I’m going to say hi.” I slid off the bleachers and looked up at them with my hands planted on my hips. It was about as sassy as I could muster. “That’s what friends do.”
They giggled at me as I walked away and I shook my head. My besties were constantly trying to set me up, as if there was nothing more important in life than for me to have a date on a Friday night. But I had other goals. More important goals. And figuring out Mason Finnick was one of them.
“Trina Frye!”
I was halfway across the court when I heard my name being called. Instantly, I winced. As much as I tried, I couldn’t get over my dread of hearing my name come out of Savannah Keys’ mouth. She was class president, captain of the cheerleaders, and Audrey’s cousin.
They used to fight like cast members of The Real Housewives. It was brutal. But recently things seemed to be better between the two of them. They’d patched up some old wounds. Still, Savannah was Savannah, and she got what she wanted — no matter who stood in her way.
“Trina, we have to talk.”
I turned to see Savannah marching toward me in her cheerleading uniform, her long red nails digging into her hips as they swayed dangerously. She matched me for height and had the most beautiful brunette hair that always looked like she’d just left the salon chair. Her makeup was flawless, leaving only the tiniest hint of the freckles that kissed her cheeks and nose. From her high maintenance look, no one would’ve guessed that she and my laid-back friend, Audrey, were cousins. I hardly believed it myself sometimes.
Behind her were her usual escorts — members of the varsity cheerleading squad. Sarah Henry, Polly Thompson, and Marina Edwards. They had almost identical Brazilian blow outs and long, fake nails. All were juniors and seemed intent on getting the position of squad captain for next year.
“Hi, Savannah!” I blinked at her innocently, hoping to get out of this conversation as safely as possible. “Love the new hair color.”
Savannah had a way of striking for the throat when I least expected it. Her words were venomous and her smiles dripped with cruelty. I wished I could understand why she felt the need to be so offensive. Deep down, I was sure that she was just as unsure as the rest of us girls. Maybe even sweet. Someone just needed to strip away that shellac and fake tanner.
“I stopped by Mrs. Drew’s class to get an update on the class sculpture,” she said, planting her high heeled boots in front of me. Her narrowed blue eyes looked me up and down. “But all I saw was just a pile of junk. Tell me you’re further along than that. Do we need to find someone else to get this done by the end of the year?”
Adrenaline spiked my heart rate as I stared dumbly back at her. Of course, she was checking up on me. She was the class president and in charge of the senior present. It made sense. But Savannah wouldn’t understand why my parents had made me change classes or why I’d hardly made a dent in the sculpture yet. She wouldn’t blink at pulling the plug, either.
I had to come up with something — and fast. Already, displeasure lined her mouth at my lack of reply. But I’d never been any good at lying, so strangled noises were the only thing to come out of my mouth.
“I...uh...well, you see...” My cheeks burned as I squirmed under her gaze. This was it. Savannah was going to take my project and my senior year would be ruined.
“Trina, I need to be sure that you’re committed to this.” She stepped closer and the heavy scent of her perfume burned my nostrils. Danger glittered in her eyes. “If you can’t put together that sculpture on time, I’ll find someone who can. You weren’t the only person begging for the job. I’ve got ten other people lined up. Tell me you’ve got this.”
“Don’t worry,” a deep voice sounded beside me. “She’s committed.”
I looked over to see Mason, his arms shiny with sweat and his jersey sticking to his chest. He was glaring at Savannah in a way I’d never seen before, as if he didn’t have one ounce of fear for the Queen of Rock Valley High. Her suspicious gaze darted toward him and I was afraid for a second that she was going to lash out with her talons. Mason probably didn’t know how fast she could turn.
“Hello, Mason.” Savannah tilted her head to one side. “Nice to see you again. I thought you dropped off the planet when Polly dumped you.”
So this was the ex-girlfriend Audrey had mentioned? My gaze shot to Polly standing quietly behind Savannah. She was tall like me, with long legs and a belly button ring that peeked out beneath her cheerleading uniform. Her blonde hair was pulled up into an Ariana-style high pony and fell down into ringlets on her shoulder. Tiny silver sparkles decorated the apples of her cheeks and flashed in the gym lighting.
Still, despite Savannah’s insults, Mason didn’t seem riled up. He raised his chin slightly in greeting. “Hi, Savannah. Can’t say I missed you.” Bending slightly to one side, his expression softened just the slightest. “Hi, Polly.”
Polly smiled slightly at him, her cheeks pink. “Hi, Mason.”
I couldn’t help but chew on my lower lip in thought as I watched Mason and Polly greet each other. She was beautiful, but I knew for a fact that there was a
lot more to her than met the eye. Not only was Polly one of the best cheerleaders on the squad, but she had a red belt in taekwondo and volunteered for the Special Olympics.
It made sense that Mason and she had been together. The point guard and the cheerleader. It was like a high school fairytale. It was no wonder Mason was so severe all the time. He was still nursing a broken heart.
“Well, this reunion is fun and all, but I need an update on the class project,” Savannah sniped, crossing her arms tightly over her chest and tucking her nails in. “I didn’t see much progress in that art room.”
“If you knew anything about welding, you’d know that most of the work is in the planning,” Mason shot back, matching her position by crossing his arms and making his biceps bulge. It was an impressive stance that made even me feel a little bit intimidated. “She’s starting that soon. Don’t rush her. She’s got it under control.”
If it were even possible, Savannah’s eyes narrowed with more suspicion. Doubt pooled in my gut. There was no way she would buy that, not after she’d seen that heap of metal on the art closet floor. But after what seemed like an eternity, she dropped her hands to her sides and the tension left her face.
“Fine, but I’ll be wanting an update. Soon. Got that?”
Turning on her heel, she sped away, her long hair swaying behind her. Her entourage followed, with Polly lingering behind just long enough to wave a quick goodbye. The farther away they got, the more the invisible grip around my throat loosened, until finally I could breathe again. With a hand pressed to my trembling abdomen, I turned to Mason with a thankful smile.
“Oh my gosh, thank you for that. I’m pretty sure I had a mini stroke. I forgot how to form any words.”
“Don’t tell me she scares you.” He scowled at the back of Savannah’s head, his nose wrinkling. “Girls like that may seem evil, but my mom always says that they’re just bullies hiding their own deep insecurities.”
My eyes widened and I gripped his arm. “That’s what I always say! And deep down, there’s a lot more to Savannah than we know.”
He groaned and threw his chin up. “Don’t tell me — she’s got potential.”
I bit back a grin. “Of course, she does. I think most people do.”
“And here I was, thinking I was so special because Trina Frye told me I had potential.” He turned his gaze toward me, his eyes darkening with a teasing glint.
I couldn’t look away from him. My eyes were glued to his face — his steel-blue eyes, his perfectly proportioned lips, his strong jawline. Butterflies burst to life in my stomach and suddenly I realized that the place where my hands still touched his arms was starting to burn. With a gulp, I released him and took a step back.
“How do you know so much about welding, anyway?” I asked, the thumping in my chest so loud I was sure everyone in the gym could hear it. The man had just met face-to-face with his ex-girlfriend and here I was, going all goo-goo eyed over him. It wasn’t cool.
Mason made a face. “I don’t know the first thing about welding. I made it all up.”
“What? Seriously?” My jaw nearly dropped to the floor. “You were so believable.”
“It’s called lying through your teeth, Trina.” He smirked just the tiniest bit, which made my gut twinge with inexplicable longing. And as he leaned closer, as if to share a secret, I got another series of twinges. “You know, most teenagers could do it in their sleep. You’re just too pure to manage it, I guess.”
I’d been accused of a lot of things, but being too pure wasn’t one of them. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. And when Mason saw me pouting at his suggestion, he began to chuckle, sending a thrill down my spine that was altogether confusing.
“Maybe being pure’s not such a bad thing,” I said, crossing my arms.
So what if I couldn’t lie? There were a lot of other things I could do that most teens couldn’t.
He shook his head. “Never said it was.”
The brief defense I’d thrown up crumbled and my shoulders drooped. Mason was so good at making me feel like I’d just gotten off the tilt-o-whirl. It was hard to tell what was up or down around him.
“Well, I just came over to tell you good game.” I didn’t like how unsure my voice sounded.
“Uh...thanks.” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “See you later, then?”
“Yeah, later.”
He threw me one last frown and then turned toward the locker rooms. I watched him leave, my feet planted to the waxed gymnasium floor. It wasn’t until I felt two arms drape across my back did I realize I hadn’t moved in nearly a minute.
“Yep, totally just a friend that’s a boy,” Mandy said in a teasing tone as she appeared on my right.
“Definitely. Nothing to worry about here,” Audrey said from my left. “It wasn’t like he was totally eating you up with his eyes or anything.”
Mandy snorted. “Not at all. And it’s not like you can’t keep your eyes off of him.”
I laughed and rolled my eyes, draping my arms around their shoulders. My best friends could tease all they wanted, but Mason was still just a puzzle to be solved. I would get to the bottom of his problems, just like I did with any new friend I met. I had my ways.
And none of that involved dating the boy.
Chapter Seven
“Why can’t we be like normal families?” Beth complained, leaning over her algebra homework and growling at the figures she’d just scrawled in barely legible handwriting. “Why can’t we sleep in on a Saturday and eat pancakes drizzled with maple syrup and watch cartoons all day long?”
I looked up from my own math and laughed. It wasn’t uncommon for us Frye kids to take our homework to the hospital on a weekend and sit in the lobby. When we were littler, it had been easier to keep an eye on us if we were nearby, and the nurses would help. Now, I was pretty sure my mom insisted on it because she wanted us to feel at home in our future careers.
This morning Mom had been pulled in on an emergency appendectomy and Dad insisted he had some research to catch up on, so here we were at eleven a.m. on another Saturday.
“I don’t think any families sit around watching cartoons all day,” I said, chewing on the eraser end of my pencil. “I’m pretty sure Audrey’s mom makes her dust and vacuum the apartment and Mandy helps with yard work. Would you rather do that?”
“Anything but this.” She dragged her fingers down her cheeks. “Seriously, my guys are grinding quests right now and if I don’t get out of here soon, the campaign will be over.”
I stared at her, trying to comprehend the words coming out of my little sister’s mouth. No luck. It was like trying to translate an alien language. She slammed her book shut in anger and pulled a pair of air pods out of her backpack to simmer with a game on her cell phone.
Sometimes, I seriously questioned whether Beth had been switched at birth. She was so snarky, so quick to express her emotions. There was no questioning what Beth felt about anything. As for the rest of us Fryes, we were much better about buttoning up our complaints.
Even when it meant our whole future was being planned without us.
It was best to let Beth cool down after one of her moods, so I left her to her game and went to get a drink from the water fountain. As I took a cool sip, I looked up to see Mason appear around a corner and walk in my direction. Shock jolted through me. He was here? Again? Did he live at the hospital?
The surprise caught me so off guard that I jerked and water sprayed me in the face. I rushed to clean it off as Mason neared, hoping he hadn’t seen it.
“Hi, Trina,” he said in a low voice. “Forget to take a shower at home this morning?”
My cheeks heated. Yep, he definitely saw that.
“There’s nothing like freezing water in your face to wake you up,” I said with a confidence that I did not feel. “What are you doing here? Does your mom make you do homework at the hospital on Saturday mornings, too?”
He shifted uncomfortably, as if thrown off b
y my question, and glanced around at the people walking past us. “Sometimes, I guess. But not much anymore. I’m heading home, actually. My mom just started her shift in the oncology ward.”
That’s where I was headed soon with Charley. The nurses in oncology were the best and the most caring. You had to be, working around that kind of thing all the time.
My gaze shifted to the rolled up sleeve of his shirt, where a Band-aid held a white cotton ball in the crook of his elbow. “Wait, did you just give blood? That’s awesome.”
“Um...yeah.” He looked down at the Band-aid and then rubbed the back of his head. “It’s all right, I guess.”
That was another thing to add to the list of Mason’s secret do-gooder events. He wasn’t as above it all as he liked to act. Giving blood was a totally selfless thing to do. And the fact that he was trying to hide it was pretty cute. Not many high school guys I knew would give blood on a random Saturday morning. And the ones who did would’ve tried to shout from the rooftops how awesome they were.
Mason was different.
“You know, I’m totally jealous,” I said with a grin. “The last time I tried to give blood, I ended up passing out on the chair. Needles and me do not mix.”
He cocked his head to the side and grimaced. “Your parents want you to be a doctor, but you’re afraid of needles?”
I laughed nervously. “Yep. Makes sense, right?”
“Totally.” His gaze trailed down the hall to where my sister sat slumped in her black hoodie, her expression stormy. She yelled at her phone screen, scaring a couple of old ladies passing by. “Does that belong to you?”
“Yes, but I take no responsibility for the snarky and anti-social behavior of my little sister,” I said, with a wink.
He nodded solemnly. “Noted.”
I realized that now might be the perfect time to delve into Mason’s background. Learn more about him. No laptops to hide behind. No teachers to interrupt. The deeper I dug on someone, the easier it was to find out what made them tick.
Mason was edging toward the door, as if he thought he could just slip away. There was about fifty feet between us and the hospital entrance. That left just enough time for me to unearth some gems as I walked him toward the door.
Dare You to Date the Point Guard (Rock Valley High Book 2) Page 5
