"I'm telling you, Max is driving me crazy." Gabe said, backhanding the tennis ball as hard as he could. He, Chase and T.K were at practice, putting a ball machine through its paces.
"And not the good way. I mean, its like she's obsessed."
"Oh, come on, Gabe." T.K said, stepping front of the ball path as Gabe went behind Chase.
"Did you guys at least pick a topic?" Chase asked.
"Yeah." Gabe answered as T.K smashed the ball. "We're doing a model of the solar system. It's gonna be on a swinging mobile behind a magnificent starry background."
He said the final sentence in Max's tone of voice.
"Well, at least you're spending time with her." Chase said, fore handing an incoming ball.
"Well, from what I hear," Gabe said with a sly smile. "Our little T.K is getting mighty close to the talk about the birds and the bees."
"What?" T.K said, missing the ball.
"Uh, you and Lara. Riley told me." Gabe said, mock ignorantly.
"Did she now?" T.K said, making a mental note to make Gabe an only child.
"She won't think of me like that." T.K said. "She's like the hottest girl on campus and I'm the captain of the dork brigade."
"Well." Chase said in a geek-like tone. "You know what they say, Theodore. Opposites attract."
"Ha, ha." T.K sarcastically laughed, winding up and smashing the ball again.
"Well, at least your game is back on track." Gabe said.
"Yeah, I guess the talk with Lara lifted my confidence."
"Aww." Chase said, grinning wildly.
"Shut up, Chase." T.K and Gabe said together.
"Alright, that's it for today!" Skinner shouted to the group of students.
"Gabriel!"
"Oh, damn it!" Gabe said, running over to the bench. He grabbed his racquet cover and ran back to the locker room.
A moment later, Max had walked over to T.K and Chase.
"Where'd Gabe go?" she asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"Don't know." The boys answered. Gabe had asked them not to reveal where he was if Max should ask.
"Well, if you see him, tell him that he's being a real jerk and I can't do this alone."
She stomped away.
"You know, I don't really feel that well about this whole "lying to Max" thing." Chase said as they walked over to their own tennis cases. They were about to walk into the locker room when T.K nearly ran into Lara.
"Oh, God. Sorry." T.K said.
"That's okay." She said, smiling.
"That smile looks good on you." T.K said, grinning as well. "You should keep it."
Chase looked at him in disbelief.
"Who are you?" he muttered. "And what have you done with T.K?"
"This is Chase." T.K said, ignoring his friend's earlier comment.
"Lara." Lara said, offering her hand.
"Yeah." Chase said, obviously amazed who was talking to him. "I'm Chase."
"Yeah." Lara said, looking uncertainly at T.K.
"Uh, Chase." T.K said. "You mind, you know, leaving please?"
This snapped Chase out of his daze.
"Yeah, sure."
He looked once more at Lara and walked toward the locker room.
"Interesting, person your friend." She said.
"Yeah, he's okay at times." T.K answered.
"Um, I was wondering if I could take you up on your offer. To teach me how to play?"
"Yeah. Sure." T.K said.
"Is tonight okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm free. Let's say 8:00 at the back court."
"Until then." She said.