The Player novel Chapter 22

Brielle

6:55 AM

"Are you excited for the showcase Saturday?" I asked Christopher as he parked the car in the overfilled parking lot.

"Yup," he said popping the P. "We've got this in the bag."

I was happy that Christopher had this much faith in us, but I wasn't as certain. Christopher and I had been practicing every day, and goofing off while doing so, but I still couldn't shake my anxiety. If I didn't impress the Joffrey School of Ballet scouts in the audience, then I could kiss my dream of attending their ballet school in New York goodbye.

He must have sensed my nervousness because he reached for my hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "Don't be worried, we've been practicing like crazy and you're going to do amazing. There's no way that you don't get into Joffrey."

I gave him a forced smile, appreciating his words of encouragement. But the truth is, there was no way to know for sure, and it is highly competitive. I tucked my hair behind my ear and let out a deep sigh, wanting to release the thoughts from my head.

We headed into school, and while the stares and whispering from yesterday had mostly died down, it was still there. I don't think that I will ever get used to the attention.

By the time we reached my locker, I was surprised to find that Sam wasn't there waiting for me. She was always early to school, while Christopher always had a habit of cutting it way too close to the bell.

When she finally appeared, my jaw nearly dropped. She was dressed in gray sweats and a stained gray sweatshirt, which was very unlike her usual, put-together outfits. Her hair was tied up in a haphazard bun, her eyes were dark with bags, and she wore a deep scowl on her face.

By the time she was at my locker, I didn't know whether to give her a hug or give her some distance.

"What happened to you?" I sputtered out, unable to hide my shock.

"I don't know, maybe you should ask your boyfriend?" she snapped, sending a death glare towards Christopher.

I turned towards him, gauging his reaction. His eyes briefly grew wide before his face contorted into a weird mix of confusion and anxiousness.

This is so bizarre.

"Sam, what are you talking about?" I prodded worriedly. "You're starting to freak me out."

Her eyes darted to mine, and her expression instantly softened. She seemed to begin to say something before hesitating and growing quiet.

"You know me, I just forgot my coffee," she finally said, letting out a nervous laugh. "I just need some caffeine, that's all."

My eyes squinted at her. Something was definitely wrong. While I wanted to question her further, I decided against it and let it go. "Come on, let's go to first period before we're late."

I turned and planted a quick kiss on Christopher's lips. However, he quickly deepened the kiss, resting his hands on my waist as he pressed his lips to mine. I intertwined my fingers into the nape of his hair, pulling him impossibly closer to me.

By the time that we pulled away, we were both out of breath.

"I'm going to miss you," he mumbled, his lips almost pressed to mine.

I smiled. "We'll see each other in two hours."

"It's the longest two hours of my life."

I rolled my eyes, playfully pushing him away from me. "Okay, now I know you're lying."

He kissed me on my forehead before pulling away from me. His eyes stared into mine, suddenly serious.

"I'd never lie to you."

I flashed him a smile. "You better not."

As I turned around to walk with Sam to our class, I felt giddy, still shocked that Christopher could have that much of an effect on me. However, as I caught a glimpse of Sam throwing another deathly glare Christopher's way, I felt my happiness begin to wear off.

What in the world is going on?

*****

Sam POV

I should kill him.

That was the only thought going through my mind from the time that I overheard his conversation to Scott, to when I saw him this morning, hugging and kissing Brielle, and pretending that everything was all right.

Brielle has been my best friend since we were kids, and if he thinks that I'm just going to sit around and let him break her heart, he has another thing coming.

When I overheard him in the hallway, I couldn't believe it. I knew that for some secret reason him and Scott were fighting, but I never knew that it was serious enough that he would date Brielle purely to get under Scott's skin.

And now that Melanie knows...

I slumped in my desk, covering my face with my hands. It was only a matter of time before she would tell Brielle, and if she did...

I shook off the idea, not even wanting to imagine it. Brielle would be absolutely heartbroken.

Last night, I stayed up tossing and turning just knowing how much this would hurt her. Ever since Brielle's first relationship with her ex-boyfriend Derrick, and how badly it went, she was crushed. I was convinced that she would be scarred forever. She doesn't even talk about it.

She put up walls where she acted like she didn't care about anything or anyone, but I knew it wasn't true. But then she met Christopher, and she finally opened herself up again. She was even going to parties! I was so happy for her, but then this happened.

I wanted to tell her so badly this morning, but I knew that the news would hurt the most if it didn't come from Christopher himself. But when I saw him with her today, I wanted nothing more than to just tell her the truth.