I stepped out of The Dot and into the chilly Canadian evening air. I couldn't decide if I had done the right thing by telling KC off. I eventually decided that if he wanted me back in his life he was going to have to prove it and before he could do that, he would have to grow up. Summer would give him the opportunity to do just that. If he came back to school still attached to Jenna, I was going to scream.
I smiled to myself remembering the look of horror and embarrassment on Jenna's face when I called her out. She wasn't a good friend, a good girlfriend, and if she really wanted to "help" KC she wouldn't have told him to cheat. Clare-bear. How she hated that name. She had hoped she would never hear that stupid nick-name again. It brought up an aftertaste of the horrible memories she had included in that nickname.
"Don't worry Clare-bear; I won't even look at him."
Yeah sure you won't. She sat on her favorite park bench, absent mindedly glancing at the worn out basketball quart. The lines had been worn off from young teenage boy's sneakers, the poll that held the back-board and hoop was rusted almost to the point where it was completely red, and the hoop's netting was missing. She smiled to herself, remembering the time that she and KC had come here and he tried to teach her how to play…yet again.
"Oh come on Clare is that really all you've got?" KC mocked.
"Shut up! Don't make fun of me!" I laughed. Biting my lip in concentration, I focused myself and shot the basketball. It made it in with a swishing sound, like you would see in a movie. I smiled big.
"There we go! I knew you had it in you." KC cheered and he came behind me, grabbing my waist and spinning me around. We both laughed as he put me down. I adjusted my hair and looked up at 5'11 frame. He stared down at me.
"You're amazing Clare." He almost whispered and leaned down to kiss me, almost hesitantly.
When our lips met that night I felt magic running through my veins. I only hope that one day I might feel that magic again. Be it with KC or someone else. I miss him, I really do. But I can't just let him use me. I've given too much of myself to him and I need to get it back and I can't do that being involved with him in any way.
I pulled my knees up to my chin and wrapped my arms around him. Someday, everything will be back to normal just like it was before Jenna, and someday we'll go back to just love and basketball.