Chapter 6

School got out by three but basketball practice ran till 5. Uncle David wasn't coaching the team today, he had to fly out of the state for work, and seeing as Tyler was my ride home I was stuck here, on the bleachers till 5.

I leaned against the backrest of the chairs on the bleachers and watched as the guys ran drills, they passed the ball, shot hoops, and did some complicated formations that went right over my head. They were really good.

I wasn't the only one in the bleachers, turns out the guys had some serious fans, and with the way, they were sighing now and then I'd say they weren't here for the sport, more like for the guys.

Dark eyes from across the field were staring at me like they were looking right through me like he was searching for my secrets

'huh' I thought

I guard those with my life.

Ace Reed liked me. Or at least he was interested in me that much I could tell from the long stares and the short conversations we've had if you'd call that 2-second ramble between us a conversation.

Not to sound presumptuous or full of myself but I've always been able to tell when a guy is interested.

It's almost always in the way he looks at you, his eyes stay on you during a conversation, they search for you in a crowd

his eyes are fixated on you like he's afraid to blink in fear of missing something, like at the parking lot this morning when he thought I wasn't looking.

He probably doesn't know it yet, he probably doesn't understand what he's feeling yet.

But I do

And I don't want it.

I break the staring game we had going on and shove all my books into my bag and take my leave.

I'll wait for Ty by the car.

Tyler meets me in the passenger seat of his car doing my homework

"we're going to Ace's house," he says getting into the driver's side and turning the ignition

”Why?," I ask

"We always hang out there after practice" he drives out of school and follows a fleet of cars

"and this would be a great opportunity for you to make friends, and meet new people" he smiles at me.

”This is Ace's house?"

"Yh, well technically it belonged to his Grandfather but he willed it to Ace when he died"

Tyler and the fleet of cars we were following were driving on a long winding driveway into a gated property surrounded by tall trees.

Entering through an enormous door we step into an impressive foyer

The foyer had a massive rug made from rich textiles and the wooden floors were polished to perfection.

The stunning massive glass chandelier In the middle of the room illuminated the whole room giving off an elegant look.

The main colors were brown and cream.

Two wooden staircases on both sides lead to the first floor and open up to other parts of the house while the double doors in front of me lead to an exquisite parlor where everyone was going.

The parlor also bore the same colors as the foyer with seats, two big windows, and a large flat-screen TV with game consoles underneath it.

As everyone crowded around the Tv, probably to play video games, an aged woman in a maids outfit came in and dropped some refreshments on the table.

Sky took the furthest seat she could find away from everyone. It was a single chair with a coffee table in front of it and another chair opposite it. It was also in front of one of the big windows.

She was so engrossed in the book she was reading that she didn't notice that Ace had taken a seat in the chair opposite hers and he was gazing at her with a confused expression on his face and he remained in this position for a few minutes before she decided to break the silence

"Can I get your notes now?" this broke his concentration and made him lean back a bit

After a long pause, he said

"Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make

music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in

corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s

a sin to kill a mockingbird" Ace fluently recited a quote from the book Sky was so engrossed in

"You have read the book" she brought the book down from her face and look at him in astonishment.

Not really sure why that delighted him

"Why do you look so surprised" he leaned forward resting his elbows on his thighs.

It was so easy to get lost in her eyes, to stare at her until everything melted into oblivion cause at this point he was beginning to discover that nothing else mattered, everyone that came before her seemed to pale in comparison and he still didn't understand why

This is the most they had spoken since they met and he realized that he loved her voice as much as he was beginning to love her eyes

"Reading is a task that people tend to avoid" she closed the book and placed it on the table "Pardon me for thinking you were one of those people"

He looked at her then he got up "My notes are in my room if you still need them" he gestured with his head toward the stairs

Sky held his gaze for a bit then dropped it and followed him.

The both of them proceeded up the stair, Everyone was preoccupied with other things to notice what was going on between them. Everyone except for Ty and Ms. Mary.

Ms. Mary had a good look at the girl her boss was fixated on when she took out the refreshments. She has known Ace since he was in diapers and she has never seen her boss look so enamored with a girl. So many girls had passed through these halls all in one state of undress or the other but this one, she had a feeling this one was different.