OUTCAST: A Stepbrother Romance Read Online Free PDF Page B

bold , and neither was I that brave.

    T he fact that I was new in the squad and I was struggling with my efforts to fit in didn’t help any.

    I walked out of the lockers into the gym, my body slouched as a feeling of helplessness consumed me. The girls were all there... elated and excited and giggling. I wished I could be as happy as them.

    T hen the basketball team entered the court. At the tail end of the line, behind his taller teammates, was Finn. He was masterfully dribbling a ball, a crossover here, a feint to his right there, a behind the back move afterwards... he was so skillful with his chosen sport. It was his life. It was his calling.

    H e saw me and waved , and much of my anxiety disappeared in a flash. I waved back and blew him a kiss. He clutched his chest, acting as if an arrow struck his heart. I laughed.

    I performed better at cheerleading practice that afternoon. I was finally able to remember the beats and to follow the corresponding steps. I nailed two routines, though I faltered a bit with the third one.

    “ E xcellent progress , Andrea,” Jaynie commended me. “See? You’ve got what it takes to be one of us!” she excitedly added.

    S ome of the girls smiled . Kyla, on the other hand, gave me a scornful look. I didn’t pay much attention to her. She won’t be able to steal my man away from me, no matter how hard she’d try.

    O nce practice was done , the girls went back to the locker room. I was left there, on the court, all alone on our side of the gymnasium. The basketball team was still playing a five-on-five full court practice game. I sat and observed them. Finn was moving well without the ball, passing through screens his teammates set up so that he’d be free for a clear view of the ring. He made most of the shots he took. I clapped vigorously with every successful attempt.

    T hey kept running from one side of the court to the other, playing offense and defense, running their plays to seeming perfection, unmindful of everything and everyone outside of their game... just as how they were trained to do.

    L oneliness started to sink in .

    T he gym was virtually empty and barely lit. The rafters were swallowed by the shadows.

    I looked up , towards the corner of the uppermost row in the stands.

    H e wasn’t there .

    A terrible feeling suddenly engulfed my soul... a feeling I wasn’t used to... a feeling I knew I shouldn’t be experiencing...

    I t was a feeling of emptiness . Of sadness. Of longing.

    I was missing him .

    A nd I hated myself for it.

5
    The Writing On The Wall
    B asketball practice was extended , so I decided to leave early. I approached Finn and told him that I had to go home, least my dad would get worried sick about me. He understood, as he always did, and asked me to take care on my short walk towards our house.

    O ur residence was just five blocks away from school, which... considering how small my steps were... would be around a ten minute stroll.

    I spent those ten minutes thinking about things...

    A bout Finn and how much I love him...

    A bout Kyla and her infuriating riddles...

    A bout Nash and what almost happened between us...

    A bout Nash and why I can’t get him out of my head...

    O n the fifth bend along Sunbeam Drive, I turned right. That was our street... the only street I have come to know in my eighteen years of existence. Placerville has always been our home. We never relocated. The house that my dad bought for my mom the day after they got married was the same old house I came home to every single afternoon. When mom passed away, dad contemplated on moving north to Redding or south to Bakersville. Anywhere but here , he said, let’s have a fresh start to everything . I talked him out of it. I told him that regardless where we lived, memories of mom will always be with us. It was just a matter of honoring her, remembering her, and celebrating the wonderful moments we shared as a family. He listened, and we stayed.

    W hen I was a