MY COCKY BASKETBALL PLAYER

Chapter 16

Gemma came to me on Wednesday with a flyer.

She slapped it down on the lunch table. "We're going."

I looked at it. Tyler's house. Saturday night. Party.

"No."

"Nora."

"No."

"You need to get out. You've been hiding for weeks."

"I'm not hiding."

"You are. You go to school. You come home. You go to tutoring. You come home. That's it."

"That's my life."

"It shouldn't be." She leaned forward. "Please. Just one night. If you hate it, we leave. I promise."

I looked at the flyer. Tyler. Derek's best friend. Derek would be there.

"No."

She kept pushing. All week. Every day. By Friday, I was exhausted.

"I'll go alone if I have to," she said.

I couldn't let her go alone. Tyler's parties were legendary. And not in a good way. I'd heard stories.

"Fine," I said. "One hour. Then we leave."

She squealed.

***

Gemma's mom dropped us off at the end of Tyler's street.

I could hear the party before I saw it. Music. Laughter. People shouting.

Tyler's house was huge. Lights flashed from every window. Cars lined both sides of the street.

I stopped walking.

"Nora."

"I can't do this."

"You can."

"Gemma—"

She grabbed my hand. "I'm right here. One hour. Then we leave."

I looked at the house.

"One hour," I said.

We walked up the driveway.

***

The moment I stepped inside, I felt it.

People looked at me. One by one. A girl near the door stopped talking. Her friend followed her gaze. Then another.

Within a minute, half the room knew I was there.

The whispers started.

"That's her."

"The tutor."

"She actually showed up."

I kept my head down. Gemma's grip on my hand tightened.

"Kitchen," she said.

She pulled me through the crowd. Past the living room. Past girls who watched me like I was something in a zoo.

I didn't look at any of them.

***

The kitchen was quieter.

Gemma found us a spot by the counter.

"See? It's fine."

It wasn't fine.

People were still watching. Still whispering. Still filming. A phone angled at me from across the room. A girl giggling behind her hand.

"I don't want to be here," I said.

"I know."

"Let's leave."

"Ten more minutes."

I crossed my arms. My hands felt useless. I didn't want a drink. I didn't want anything.

I just wanted to disappear.

***

Thirty minutes passed.

I stayed by the counter. Gemma stayed with me. She talked about school. About a movie she wanted to see. About nothing.

I saw Derek across the room.

He was in the living room. With his friends. He had a cup in his hand. He was laughing at something. He didn't look at me.

I saw Maya too.

She was standing near the stairs. Watching me. Smiling. Her phone was pointed in my direction.

I looked away.

Tyler was working the room. Moving from group to group. Laughing. Talking. Being the host.

He hadn't come near me yet.

I started to think maybe nothing would happen.

I was wrong.

***

Tyler walked over.

He was smiling. Not a nice smile.

"Nora, right?"

I didn't answer.

"Glad you could make it. I wasn't sure you'd come."

I still didn't answer.

He looked me up and down. Slow.

"I've heard a lot about you."

"From who?"

"Everyone." He laughed. "You're kind of a hot topic these days."

I didn't laugh.

He glanced at Derek. Derek was watching now. Not moving. Just watching.

"So," Tyler said. "You and Derek. What's the deal?"

"There's no deal."

"That's not what I heard."

"I don't care what you heard."

He grinned. "She's feisty. I like it."

He looked at someone behind me. Nodded.

A guy walked over. Handed him a cup.

Tyler held it out to me.

"Here. You look like you need this."

I looked at the cup. Red plastic. Something clear inside.

"I don't drink."

"Come on. It's a party."

"I don't drink."

He didn't lower the cup.

"Okay," he said. "How about this."

He raised his voice. People turned. People listened.

"We've all heard the rumors. About you and Derek. Together."

The room went quiet.

"So here's the deal. You drink this. All of it. And we'll believe you when you say there's nothing going on."

I stared at him.

"That's stupid."

"Maybe. But those are the rules."

I looked at Derek. He didn't say anything. He didn't stop it.

I looked at Maya. She was smiling. She was filming.

I looked at Gemma. She shook her head. Just a little.

I looked back at Tyler.

Everyone was watching. Waiting.

I took the cup.

***

I'd never drank before.

Not once. Not ever.

I brought the cup to my lips.

It burned. My throat. My chest. I coughed. People laughed.

"Keep going," Tyler said.

I kept going.

I drank until the cup was empty.

My throat was on fire. My head was spinning. The room tilted.

I swayed.

Gemma grabbed my arm. "Nora. Sit down."

I didn't sit down.

Tyler laughed. "See? Nothing going on. She's just a lightweight."

More laughter. More filming.

I felt sick. I felt dizzy. I felt humiliated.

I looked at Derek. He was still watching. Still not saying anything.

I hated him.

I tried to walk. I stumbled.

Gemma caught me. "We're leaving."

She dragged me toward the door.

People were laughing. People were filming. People were calling me names.

I didn't look back.

***

Gemma got me home.

She helped me into bed. She put a glass of water on my nightstand.

"Are you okay?"

I didn't answer.

"Nora."

"I'm fine."

She stayed until I fell asleep.

I didn't fall asleep.

I lay there. Staring at the ceiling. The room spinning.

I checked my phone.

No texts.

I closed my eyes.

***

They set me up.

They humiliated me. They filmed it. And he just stood there.

He didn't stop it. He didn't say anything. He just watched.

I hate him.

But I can't stop thinking about the way he looked at me.

Before I drank. Before I fell.

For just a second.

Before he looked away.