MY COCKY BASKETBALL PLAYER

Chapter 17

I woke up sick.

My head was pounding. My mouth tasted like something had died in it. The light coming through the curtains felt like needles in my eyes.

I groaned. I tried to sit up. The room tilted.

"Easy."

I turned my head. Too fast. I winced.

Gemma was sitting on the floor. Back against my bed. She looked terrible. Dark circles under her eyes. Same clothes from last night. She hadn't slept.

"You stayed," I said. My voice sounded like gravel.

"I wasn't going to leave you."

I lay back down. I stared at the ceiling. It was spinning.

"How bad was it?"

She didn't answer.

"Gemma."

She handed me her phone.

I looked at the screen.

The video. The party. Me drinking. Me falling. Me being dragged out.

200,000 views.

500,000 views.

I watched it. All of it. I watched myself stumble. I watched Gemma catch me. I watched people laughing. I watched Maya filming.

And then I saw him.

Derek. Standing in the background. Watching. Not moving. Not stopping it. Just watching.

I handed the phone back.

"I'm sorry," Gemma said.

"Stop apologizing."

"I shouldn't have made you go. I should have stopped it. I should have—"

"Gemma." I closed my eyes. "Stop."

She was quiet.

I lay there. The video played in my head. Over and over.

***

Monday morning.

I didn't want to go. I told Gemma I was sick.

"You are sick," she said. "But you're also hiding."

"I'm not hiding."

"You are."

I didn't argue.

She walked with me to school. She didn't leave my side. Not for a second.

The stares were worse than before. People weren't even hiding it now. They were laughing. Openly. Pointing.

"Did you see the video?"

"She can't even hold her liquor."

"Lightweight."

"Pathetic."

I kept my head down.

Gemma glared at anyone who looked at me too long. She didn't say anything. She didn't need to. Her face said enough.

"Ignore them," she said.

I tried.

***

First period. I sat in the back.

A guy behind me tapped my shoulder.

"You're famous, you know. The video has a million views."

I didn't answer.

"You should do more parties. You're entertaining."

I didn't answer.

He laughed. I stared at the board.

***

Between classes, I saw Derek.

He was with his friends. Tyler was there. They were laughing about something.

I saw Derek look at me. For a second. Just a second.

Then he looked away.

Like nothing happened. Like he didn't watch. Like he didn't stand there while I was humiliated.

I kept walking.

Gemma saw him too. Her jaw tightened.

"I hate him," she said.

I didn't answer.

***

At Lunch.

I wasn't hungry. I sat with Gemma at our table. I pushed food around my plate.

Gemma kept looking at Tyler's table. Her hands were clenched.

"Don't," I said.

"Don't what?"

"I know what you're thinking."

"I'm not thinking anything."

"You're thinking something."

She didn't answer.

Then she stood up.

"Gemma."

She walked over to his table.

I followed. I tried to stop her. I couldn't.

"You're pathetic," she said.

Tyler looked up. He laughed. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing. But you're pathetic."

"She's the one who drank. No one made her."

"You set her up."

"She could have said no."

Gemma stared at him. Her hands were shaking.

"You're a bully," she said. "And one day, everyone's going to see it."

She walked back to me. Her hands were still shaking.

"That was stupid," I said.

"I know."

But she was smiling. Just a little.

***

The rest of the day was a blur.

People kept laughing. People kept whispering. People kept filming.

I kept my head down. I kept walking.

Gemma stayed with me. The whole day. She didn't leave my side.

***

I got home. I sat on my bed.

I replayed the day. Gemma walking with me. Gemma yelling at Tyler.

She was the only one who cared. The only one who was on my side.

I didn't check my phone. I didn't want to.

I lay down. I stared at the ceiling.

I didn't think about him.

I didn't.