During my massive and unnecessary update span, I read a book that everyone's been raving about lately and thought that they were all just pitiful low-lives looking for something to obsess over. My friend, who hates reading, read this long-ass book and told me how awesome it was. I finally went to Borders and bought it.

Almost 500 pages and I finished it in about 3 days. What is this mystery book you say? Hint...

I now call myself Rachel Cullen.

I FREAKIN' LOVE TWILIGHT!!!

I just saw the movie on Friday and, although it was different from the book, it was super intense! Holy crap, that was awesome! I ordered New Moon (the second book) from Amazon and I can't wait to get it! But I'm pissed that I won't get it until December 15, but oh well! Target was sold out and Borders didn't have it.

So since that book inspired me so much, I'm trying to improve my writing skills to try to be a lot more detailed like the book was. Also, if you've read it, I'm probably going to base a few romantic scenes off of Bella and Edward. So be prepared! And if you haven't read it yet, get off your ass and get it! You won't regret it!

Chapter 9 – Love Can Be Convincing

It was Thursday; four days into the new school year, when Troy and Brandon found themselves in the gym after school helping Jack clean up. The freshmen had just had their 9th period practice and due to lost track of time, they threw their claimed basketballs every which way and ran to the locker rooms. That only meant that Jack had to clean it up. Boy would they get a piece of his mind tomorrow...

"Next time I'm gonna make those idiots scrub the whole gym and clean the balls..." Jack grumbled to himself as he finished picking up the last three balls.

Brandon laughed "And I'm gonna be the one watching and yelling 'Those aren't the only balls you'll have to tend to after coach gets done with you!'." Jack laughed and slapped his and Brandon's hand into a high five.

Troy smiled at his dad. Jack had been transferred to head captain of the East High Wildcats after Wolf had died and when he did, all that remained of the loyal team were so happy that they ditched practice to run around the school screaming "WOLF'S DEAD!!! WOLF'S DEAD!!!" Since he was also the male population's gym teacher, every single guy in the building threw their arms in the air and screamed "OH JESUS, THANK YOU!!!" Wolf was also known as the school pedophile, as he loved to flirt with his female students. As soon as the semi-tragic information entered the girls' ears, they ditched their frequently worn sweatshirts and hoodies, threw them aside, and ran around in their tight camis', shrieking "WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET RAPED!!!"

The news also pleased many basketball fans who wanted onto the team, but were all too terrified of Wolf to even consider trying out. The moment Jack was proposed the job, about 50 boys ran up to him in an eager herd, bombarding him with excided questions about when the next tryout was going to be. Jack just smiled and laughed at their enthusiasm. He understood what it must have been like for them to not be able to stand up to Wolf and try out for a place on the team. He held a tryout for a fresh team at the end of that week.

Chad, Zeke, and Jason rejoined the team on account that they wouldn't get mangled to exhaustion anymore in practice. Even though the past 5 years had been pretty hard on everybody, they had a strong passion for basketball that they couldn't ignore. They just had to get involved again.

But, to everyone's disappointment, Troy did not return to the team. He was happy for all the brave souls that were now taking part in the activity, but he still stayed away from it completely. He dropped by the tryouts, watching each teenage hopeful carefully to evaluate their performance and see if they were cut out to be a Wildcat, but that was about as close as he got. Even though he was considered the best player in the whole state, the memories of getting beaten and abused by Wolf would forever be as fresh as the moment they individually happened over the past few years. He didn't want to bring them back up too soon.

Jack finished loading the balls onto the rolling cart and dusted his hands as though he'd been dealing with something grimy. He sighed "Okay, I think that's the last of them. Brandon, help me wheel these into the storage closet." Brandon wordlessly nodded and strolled up to his second father to help him with the steel cart.

"I'll wait here." Troy called after Brandon, who just sent him the simple gesture of widening his eyes for a split second and nodding his head once.

As the silver cart rolled out of the large doors, it bumped against the wall and rocked the semi-heavy load occupying it. The ball on the very end of the last shelf received the most force and was departed from the cart, almost silently dropping onto the floor behind Brandon's feet.

"Hey Bran-" Too late. They were already out the door. Troy just sighed.

He was about to make the simple decision to walk over and pick up the rubber ball to take it back to his father, but for some reason, he couldn't move his feet. He just froze on the spot, staring at the small, worn sphere lying on the ground like it was a child who just fell onto the rough pavement and cut his knee. He knew he should go over and take it back to where it was supposed to be, but he just stood there like a deer caught in headlights. What was wrong with him?

Suddenly, his thoughts drastically changed courses in the matter of a second. The ball's invisible face glared and grinned evilly at him, mocking the teen of his past. Troy soon realized that it was dangerous for his sanity to be standing here and staring at the thing for so long, just waiting to be pushed over the edge. He knew that he never looked at a basketball the same since Wolf invaded his life, never even worn a jersey and bragged about how awesome it was anymore. He remembered how he and Brandon used to love basketball with a passion until that fateful day five, long years ago. Sure, there were moments when Wolf wasn't around that Troy loved basketball worry-free, but those were scarce. Then it hit him.

Wolf didn't just take part of Troy's passion when he died. He took most of his dignity along with him.

Troy bowed his head to the floor in shame. He couldn't even look at a simple, dingy little clump of rubber for more than a hot second without his stomach churning and his chest tightening in regret. Wolf destroyed Troy's strength. That part of him was gone. Shattered even. And he had an overwhelming feeling that it would never heal.

He never knew how he got from his spot in the middle of the room to the other side of the gym, right beside the ball. He bent down and slowly took it in his hands, feeling the course texture for the first time in months. He couldn't bear to touch them earlier when he was helping his dad clean up the gym. He just kicked them to the cart hastily to be gathered by the other two males. Brandon and Jack sensed this, so they just let it slide without any explanation from the suffering teen.

Troy threw it around in his hands for a few seconds before his eyes slid to the basket overhead. His blurred thoughts swirled in his head as he contemplated the thought "Should I?"

Before he knew what he was doing, Troy found himself at the half court line, aiming the ball for the basket. He held his breath as he propelled the ball from his hands, watching it soar through the air and fly toward the rim. He closed his eyes as he saw it get closer and the next thing he knew...

Swish.

He sighed and half ran for the ball on the end of the court. He took his place in front of the basket again, only this time a little further back, and tossed it once more. History repeated itself to a T as the ball met with the white webbing that was the basket. Troy groaned sadly.

He tried again five more times, succeeding each time before he heard the back doors open and footsteps enter the large room, echoing off of the walls. Troy looked up and back down again at the ball when he saw who it was.

"Never thought you'd be back here again, huh?" Brandon started, a small, nervous smile crossing his face.

Troy shrugged, taking the ball back in his hands again, shooting it to the basket. "Everyone's gotta face their fears sometime. Why not start now?"

"You don't have to do it alone, you know," Brandon offered "I think I still have a few skills left from seventh grade." They grimly laughed at the joke a little before Troy declined "Nah, I have to do this on my own."

Brandon gave an understanding nod. "How long?"

Troy shot the ball a little angrily, making it his eighth basket. "Wolf may have been an insane serial killer, but he was right about one thing. If you shoot ten baskets in a row without practicing for at least a month, you're a natural player," He shot it again. "Damn it..." he grumbled, glaring as it fell cleanly through the net.

Brandon pitied his best friend. He always thought of him as one of the strongest people he ever knew, but here he was. Facing his fear of basketball trying to prove to himself that he had it all cleaned out of his system. Here he was, failing to get rid of his past.

Shaking his head free of those disloyal thoughts, he asked "How many do you have left?"

Troy took four giant steps back so that he was now shooting a full court shot. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes tightly, making a desperate attempt to miss this shot. He dropped one hand down to his side and, giving the ball a powerful head start, launched it. He kept them closed as he heard the dreaded sound retaliate off of the net and fall onto the wooden court. He looked up at Brandon with broken eyes, whispering dryly "None..."

"Wow," Brandon sadly commented, watching the ball roll around on the ground mercilessly. "You still have skills."

"I know," Troy nodded, gulping back the growing lump in his throat. "That's what sucks so bad."

Brandon glared at the ball as it rolled over to him, his hands curling into fists inside his hoodie pocket. He kept it in place with his foot, adding excess pressure as if wanting to crush it to death. "I'll go take this back."

Troy gave him a ghost of a smile, thanking him silently. "I'll wait in the car."

He watched Brandon walk out with the ball gripped tightly in his angry hands and sighed shakily. So weak, he thought to himself bleakly. How could he allow it to get this far? How could someone he hated so much have such a titanic effect on him when they were dead? He hung his head as he came up with a reason.

"Too weak..." he whispered to himself, the sound of Wolf's hideous laugh haunting him the whole way to his car.

--

Brandon smiled widely as he picked up his ringing phone and checking the caller ID. He slid it open and quickly pressed the green talk button, answering "Hello beautiful girlfriend."

There was a soft giggle on the other line "Hello gorgeous boyfriend. How are you doing on this glorious day?"

Brandon chuckled "Much, much better now that I've got your voice lodged in my head."

Isabelle's humorous tone suddenly changed to curiosity "What's going on?"

Brandon sighed, still attached to Troy's depressed attitude earlier "Your cousin, that's what's going on. He was shooting hoops after school today."

Isabelle gasped, as she was well aware of Troy's sudden rebellion against the sport, so she was just as shocked as Brandon. "Why in his right mind would he do that?"

Brandon carefully explained "He told me that he was checking to see if he was a natural player. If he shot ten in a row without practicing for a month, he was a born pro."

There was a short pause between the couple "I'm not following." Isabelle finally replied.

"Wolf told him before he died."

"Not that little bastard again," Isabelle groaned in an angry voice "Please don't tell me that Troy listened to him."

Brandon shrugged "That's what I thought when he first told me, but...I don't know babe. It kind of makes sense if you think about it long enough."

Isabelle huffed "Well then I guess I've got to think it through for a while longer because I'm still mad."

Brandon grinned at her defensive exterior "Down girl. Troy's gonna be fine."

"He better..."

"Don't worry," Brandon reassured teasingly "If you're really that upset over it, you can try to talk to him when you fly down here for the dance tomorrow." Sparks of electricity flew up and down his spine as he imagined the thought of having Isabelle in his arms for the first time in three weeks.

Isabelle stayed silent on the other line for a minute before she sighed "Brandon, I don't know if I can go."

Brandon suddenly jerked up from his horizontal position on his bed, alarmed at her sudden decision. "What?! Why?! Did something else come up or-"

Isabelle stopped him "No, no, but-you'll probably think I'm a huge chicken for this..."

"No, never." Brandon softly retorted.

Isabelle smiled slightly at his kind words, but still worried aloud "I don't know if I can take it after what happened last year."

Brandon closed his eyes and took a calming breath through his nose, sitting down on his bed and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "God, not this again..."

Isabelle groaned "I'm sorry. But I just don't know. I still have nightmares about it."

Brandon sighed deeply and sternly told her "Izzy, listen to me. Josh is in jail. He will be until you're out of college. He doesn't know where you are or where you live. He probably doesn't even know that there's a dance tomorrow."

Isabelle sighed, signaling that she was listening "I know. I know..."

Brandon continued "And if something were to happen, with Josh or anyone else, you know that me and the gang are here for you, right?"

"Yeah, always."

"Then there's nothing to be afraid of!" Brandon exclaimed, knowing that she had gotten his point. "You're safe with us no matter what."

Isabelle said "I know that, but every time I think of the dance tomorrow, I remember what happened in the closet and I feel this sick pressure on my arms and shoulders. Then I try to imagine you saving me, but all I see is Josh..." Her voice trailed off in a high-pitched squeak and Brandon heard her gasping for breath on the other line. He knew that happened when she was trying to restrain from crying.

He quickly cut in "Hey, hey, hey, don't cry! Calm down and just breathe."

Isabelle whimpered a little over the phone, but still sniffed back the rest of her tears and nodded "I'm sorry, but I'm just scared that something like it will happen again."

Brandon gave an understanding nod that she couldn't see "Well don't worry. Those feelings should go away after tomorrow because we are going to have an AMAZING night, okay?"

Isabelle sniffed one last time before mustering up her little remaining confidence and exclaiming "Yeah! Thanks."

Brandon grinned smugly to himself "No problem. Love can be convincing."

Just as Isabelle was about to reply, Brandon heard Gabriella's loud yell from downstairs calling "Brandon! Dinner!"

Brandon suppressed a disappointed groan as he sighed "Babe, I have to go. See you tomorrow?"

Isabelle's tears had now vanished from existence as she agreed "Definitely. I love you."

Brandon's heart fluttered as he heard those three words that always set his insides to flames. "Love you more than you can imagine. Bye."

"Bye." Isabelle flipped her phone shut and flipped to her right where her wooden bedside table stood, holding her lamp, iPod, and a few pictures of random things. Her favorite was a picture of her and Brandon that was taken in the summer at Lava Springs. Isabelle was in her favorite striped bikini and Brandon was in his green checkered trunks, both of them wet from just getting out of the pool. Isabelle was perched on Brandon's back with her legs wrapped around his torso and her arms wrapped around his chest, smiling with her head lying in the crook of his neck. Brandon was holding her legs up to support her and he too was smiling his most beautiful smile, his teeth gleaming in the afternoon sun. That was Isabelle's favorite picture of the two. Their love broke through the camera lense and shone into the eyes of anyone who looked at it.

Isabelle smiled warily and took the picture in her hands, lying down on her bed with it cemented to her chest. She gazed upon Brandon's smiling face and grinned at it, closing her eyes.

"One more day," she whispered to herself "Be strong. Just one more day..."

REVIEW!!! Thnx :)

~Rachel :)

P.S: NEW POLL ON MY PROFILE!!! BE SURE TO GIVE YOUR OPINION!!!

Sneak At Next Chapter:

- The dance you've been waiting for finally arrives!

Brandon stepped out of the car and looked through the glass doors into the school where it was dark, but flashes of colored light could be seen jumping around the walls. He smirked. It was perfect.

- More fluff from both couples

(Can't give anything away, sorry)

- The next threat is set up

Troy slammed his locker shut and walked around the corner casually, only to be bombarded with a heavy weight pushing him to the ground forcefully.

"What the-" Troy groaned, holding his throbbing head with a trembling hand.

"TROY!!! HE'S GOT HER!!!" a worried, but familiar voice shouted in Troy's ear, enhancing his headache.

"What? Who has who?" Troy asked shakily, cracking his left eye open slightly.

"Brick! He's got-"