Dare You to Date the Point Guard (Rock Valley High Book 2) Page 16

  I could practically feel my parents beaming with pride. Meanwhile, I would’ve liked to have disappeared into the fibers of the carpet.

  “Agreed,” Mrs. Drew added, folding her hands on top of the table. “Trina has always been an exceptionally hard worker, and this presentation is fantastic. She comes at issues with a different viewpoint than most. I believe her artistic eye has given her that advantage.”

  “Thank you,” I whispered. My cheeks burned like they were on fire.

  Mr. Arnold casually waved his pencil at me and squinted, his glasses sliding to the tip of his nose. “I think what most of us want to know, young lady, is what have you learned from putting on this particular experiment? What will you carry on with you as you enter the wonderful field of science? I understand you plan to be a doctor.”

  I gulped, the weight of that question hitting me squarely in the chest. My eyes darted across the room, from my eager parents and best friends, to Mason as he glowered down at his hands in his lap, and then back to my panel of judges. Something was starting to bubble up from my gut and I could do nothing to stop it. It was going to come out of my mouth and destroy everything. But I couldn’t hold in these lies any longer.

  I might not have a plan anymore and I might not have known exactly who I was, but I knew one thing: Trina Frye was not a liar. My integrity was one of the few things no one could take away from me. I had to tell the truth.

  ”To be honest, I learned a lot during this project,” I began, wiping the back of my hand over my damp forehead, “but most of all, I learned about the importance of truth and honesty in everything we do as researchers.” Mr. Arnold nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. “And because of that, I have a confession to make. I messed up. Big time.”

  Confusion swept over the room, but I ignored it.

  “One of the first rules of science is to have integrity in everything you do. Without our ethics, we are nothing. And my project is nothing. A researcher is supposed to keep a cool distance from her research subjects. A detached and safe distance. I failed that in every way.” I took a deep breath and set my shoulders as I prepared to say something that I could never take back. “I fell for my research subject.”

  Mason’s head snapped up at my announcement and he watched me with his eyes narrowed. My heart beat wildly in anticipation. There was no going back now.

  “Mason, you are an amazing person, an incredible friend, and right from the beginning I knew there was something special about you. I meant it when I said you had potential.” I continued, taking a small step in his direction. Everything else in the room melted away. It was just him and me, and the words pouring out of my mouth. “And then you said you liked me as more than a friend. And it freaked me out. I panicked. I hurt you and pushed you away. It wasn’t until it was too late that I realized I had potential, too. I didn’t realize I could fall for anyone until it was you. Only you. And the only thing I can say now is that I regret not realizing it sooner — I regret it with all of my heart.”

  Tears sprang to the corners of my eyes as he stared back at me, his face impassive. My body buzzed with mixed emotions. The weight of the confession coming off my shoulders was amazing, but the realization that I’d now have to face the consequences wasn’t easy. But that was what being an adult meant. I couldn’t hide behind my parents or my naivety anymore.

  Goodbye, perfect grades.

  Goodbye, art camp.

  Goodbye, Mason.

  “So, you see,” I turned back to face my judges, “I don’t deserve your praise. I don’t deserve a passing grade. I violated one of the most important rules of research. But I guess, in the end, I’m not sorry. And I’m done apologizing. To tell you the truth, I don’t even know that I want to be a doctor anymore. I’m not sure what I want to do with my life. But that’s okay. For once, I’m okay with not having a plan. I’m giving up on plans. And I accept whatever grade you feel is best.”

  My hands were shaking so hard, I had to wrap my arms around my torso to keep them still. With a teary-eyed thank you, I swiftly headed toward the exit. Mason sat glued to his chair and watched me go. The moment I got into the hallway, I kicked off my heels, snatched them up, and began to run, not stopping until my half-finished sculpture stood in front of me.

  It was there that I sank to the floor, wrapped my arms around my knees, and finally allowed all of the emotions of the past few days to sink in.

  I might have just ruined everything, but at least it was on my terms.

  Now, I could finally start asking myself what I really wanted.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “She’s been working on our senior class project for weeks. I figured she’d be here.”

  It was fifteen minutes after my big blowup when I heard Audrey’s voice behind me in the shop class, followed by the mumbled thanks of my parents. My tears had dried up and now all that remained was a fiery desire to finish what I’d started in that presentation. To figure out what I wanted for a change. And the first thing I could think of was this sculpture.

  “Bug, can we talk?” Dad’s soft voice made me turn around.

  He and Mom edged toward me, their faces guarded. I grimaced at them, not quite ready to look them in the eyes. It must’ve been incredibly disappointing to find out their oldest daughter wasn’t who they thought she was. I was preparing myself for the lecture of a lifetime.

  “Sure, let’s talk.” I picked myself off the ground and took a seat on a metal stool at one of the wooden workbenches.

  My parents sat across from me, their gazes sweeping over the massive room. As the silence grew between us, I wondered when the hammer was going to drop. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how I was going to handle it. I’d never really been in trouble my whole life. I’d spent so many years going after what they told me to, I hadn’t had time to rebel. Would they ground me for life? Lock me up and throw away the key? How did normal kids get punished these days?

  “Is that your class project?” Mom gestured toward the half-welded monstrosity standing behind me. “It’s impressive.”

  I blinked at her in surprise. That wasn’t how I’d pictured this conversation starting. “Yeah, the senior class voted for my sculpture idea for the senior gift. They want to unveil it in a few weeks, but I’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

  Dad scratched his chin. “Why didn’t you tell us about it?”

  “I tried to, but then it didn’t really seem to fit in with the plan.”

  “The plan?” he asked with a tilt of his head.

  I chewed on the inside of my cheek and frowned. “You know, the plan? For me to start Pre-Med in the fall, get into med school, and become a doctor? You guys have been repeating it since I was in middle school. It’s the plan.”

  They looked at each other, understanding passing between them. They’d always had that sort of ability to secretly communicate. Beth and I used to joke that they were psychic. Mom reached out and grabbed my hand, her thumb caressing along the top of my knuckles.

  “Sweetheart, we only wanted that because we thought it was what you wanted. We wanted to support your dreams as much as we could.”

  “And we apologize if that means we railroaded over you.” Dad nodded, his brow furrowing. “I guess we both got so excited about you following in our footsteps that we kind of took it and ran with it. You are allowed to change your mind. You don’t have to go to med school, if there’s something you want more.”

  My mouth fell open and my lungs tried to inflate, but it was like someone had sucked the oxygen out of the air. Were these my real parents sitting in front of me? Or had I hit my head on the way out of the library?

  “Is it...is it really okay to not know what I want?” I asked quietly. “I mean, I love art, but I’m not sure if that’s my future, either. Do I still have time to figure it all out?”

  “Of course.” Mom squeezed my hand. “You’ve got plenty of time. Even some adults are still trying to figure out what they want.”

&n
bsp; Dad chuckled. “Heck, there are some days even I feel like giving up on research and starting a patisserie on Main Street. We change as we grow older, Katrina. You’re not stuck to a choice you made years ago. This is your life. There’s no plan. You’ve got to figure it out for yourself.”

  I could’ve started crying again with relief right there, but as I reached for Dad’s hand and held tight to Mom’s, we all just started laughing. We giggled as we threw out silly names for Dad’s patisserie shops. Scientific Sweets. Failed ExperiMINTs. The Nutty Researcher.

  That spiraled into listing off the most ridiculous career plans we could think of for my future — including backup dancer for Miley Cyrus and the circus. We laughed and laughed until we cried. And when we were finally done, both of my parents wrapped me up in a hug so tight I could’ve died of happiness.

  “So now that that’s done.” Mom brushed my curls off my shoulder and kissed my cheek. “What’s this thing about a boy? Because I was equally shocked to hear my daughter has a thing for a boy and neglected to tell me.”

  The lump in my throat was back. Mason. The last few minutes of joy had managed to dull the ache in my heart, but now it was throbbing again.

  I made a face and waved it off. “It doesn’t matter anymore. He’s getting back together with another girl. A better girl. But I couldn’t go on without letting him know how I feel.”

  “A better girl? That’s nonsense.” Dad scowled so harshly it almost looked comical. “There’s no one better than my daughters. There must be something wrong with him.”

  There was nothing wrong with him. Absolutely nothing wrong with Mason Finnick.

  “He can’t help it. It’s fate,” I said, trying to shrug it off. “They met at a special summer camp for kids who dealt with cancer. They were long distance for years and then his mom got a job at the hospital here and they could finally be at the same school together. Fate.”

  Mom’s lips pursed. “But then they broke up?”

  “Yeah, for a bit.”

  “Doesn’t sound like fate to me. Sometimes, you don’t realize you’re not meant to be with someone until you’re faced with them every day. That’s why I broke up with my ex-fiance after residencies. Turned out, when we weren’t running around chasing after our dreams, we weren’t good together.”

  I chewed on my tongue as Mom gave me a peek inside her past. She didn’t talk about it much. She preferred to focus on the future. But I had to admit it was nice to know that even my confident and assured mother could make mistakes and change them for the better.

  “And soon after that, she met me,” Dad said with a grin. “And she couldn’t imagine her life with anyone else.”

  Mom scrunched her nose at him and kissed him softly, before turning back to me. “It’s true. So just remember, life doesn’t always follow fate or a plan. Sometimes, we just have to make our own path.”

  “Whether that’s Pre-Med or pre-circus,” Dad added, jabbing me lightly with his elbow. “I happen to think you’d make a beautiful clown, bug. If that’s what you want.”

  I laughed and shoved him playfully. “The only thing I want to do right now is work on my sculpture and cheer on my school at the big basketball game against Silver Lake tonight. Is that okay with you?”

  “That’s good enough for now, bug.” He tried to ruffle my curls, but I ducked him. “We’ll see you at home after work. Love you.”

  “Love you, both!”

  My heart sang as my parents left. Who could’ve known that they’d been on my side this whole time? I only wished that I’d been honest with them ages ago. All of this pressure I’d been feeling was finally lifted. I felt free to be whatever I wanted. And free to have time to figure that out. Artist? Surgeon? Or both? The possibilities were endless.

  And as I turned back to my sculpture, I was hit with a sudden rush of inspiration. That old familiar itch in my fingertips was back. All of my work this afternoon to cleanse myself of everything that was weighing me down seemed to have relit the artistic fire in my soul. With the help of an extra pair of work boots from the supply closet and a heated torch, I was ready to get back to work. And as I tackled the twisted metal with a renewed energy, there was only one lingering regret in the back of my head.

  If only Mason could see me finding my own happiness.

  I knew he’d approve.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The cheers from the gymnasium were deafening. I held my mom’s power suit jacket over my arm, the residual heat from the welding torch fading on my skin, and peered inside the doorway. After hours spent tucked away working on my statue and avoiding the rest of the world, I’d finally poked my head out to find I’d almost missed the entire day. I carried a little bit of guilt about missing my classes, but that didn’t compare to how I felt about nearly missing the big game!

  The score was incredibly close. Silver Lake led by three points, with a minute left on the clock. Our side of the bleachers looked more like an angry mob than a group of sports fans. They booed and jeered as Silver Lake took possession of the ball and cheered like mad when Mason stole it back.

  My heart lurched inside my chest when I first spotted him. Gone were the fancy clothes from earlier today. Mason seemed to be much more at home in his white sleeveless jersey and matching shorts with the number twenty-three sewn on his back. As he dribbled the ball down the court, his forehead shone with sweat. The hard muscles of his arms gleamed beneath the glow of the florescent gym lighting. He wore a dark, focused expression like the fiercest of warriors.

  And as he crossed half court, he yelled out a play to his teammates. They moved in quick succession, almost like a dance, and sank a two point shot — leaving us trailing Silver Lake by only one point as they called a time out.

  I leaned my head against the door frame, feeling the weight of the emotions I’d stuffed down and managed to ignore for most of this afternoon. There was no point in denying it. Mason was as beautiful as ever. He owned the court, just like he owned my heart. I stared at him in awe for a good ten seconds before the cheerleaders doing a routine on the other side caught my eye.

  There was Audrey, in her raccoon suit that I’d altered for her into the perfect high school mascot outfit. Audrey had decided tonight was special enough that Rascal the Raccoon needed to make an appearance. The new costume was a million times cuter than the old stuffy raccoon head Savannah had forced her to wear. It smelled better, too.

  Just beyond her stood Polly, with her pompoms waving and her perfect Ariana high pony. Most gals would’ve hated the girl who was dating the man they loved, but I couldn’t. I’d known Polly since we were children. She was a sweetheart. I couldn’t hate her, no matter how much I tried. Besides, it was my fault they were back together.

  I’d made peace with that fact. It was time I moved on. It was time my heart said a final goodbye to Mason. And that’s what I was attempting to do as I watched the last few seconds of the game. I wished Mason nothing but happiness — and that included winning the biggest game of his high school career.

  The timeout ended and Silver Lake took possession of the ball, throwing it into play. I held my breath as they dribbled it down the court to the opposite side of the gym. Their point guard was a short guy with quick hands and sharp elbows. Mason kept his vision trained on him the whole time, his muscles coiled and ready for attack. I recognized that expression in Mason’s eyes. This game wasn’t over yet. If anyone could make this win happen, it was him.

  It wasn’t until the clock trailed down to five seconds left that Mason made his move. He struck faster than a python, the tips of his fingers knocking the ball loose from Silver Lake’s possession. It bounced a few feet, before Mason snatched it up and made a full court sprint toward the goal on my side of the gym.

  I held my breath and tried not to squeal with worry. The muscles in Mason’s legs worked hard as he was flanked on both sides by Silver Lake team members. They did their best to knock the ball loose, to shove him around, but Mason kept firm control o
f the situation.

  He was indescribable. He looked like an action movie hero. If I could’ve captured that moment in time in the shape of a marble sculpture, I would’ve stared at it for the rest of my life. As Mason’s feet left the ground in a layup, the ball flew from his fingers and hit the rim, bouncing back and forth. The entire gym inhaled in anticipation. Never had a second in time lasted so long. And as the scoreboard timer gave off a final, deafening buzz, the ball dropped into the basket.

  “Rock Valley High wins the game!” the announcer screamed into the microphone.

  A loud cheer left my mouth as I clapped my hands as hard as I could. My heart couldn’t have been happier for Mason. It swelled with pride as the Rock Valley High fans emptied the bleachers and swarmed the court.

  This was the win that Mason had needed. Not only for his team, but to show the rest of school that he wasn’t some sickly person at death’s door. They’d been reminded of his strength. And no matter the outcome of his recent scans, I hoped people remembered that Mason wasn’t a victim. He was a fighter and he had so much left to give to this world.

  As the crowds celebrated, a sudden weariness overcame me and I backed out of the doorway. It was time to go home. Today had been a difficult one, but I’d made incredible progress on my sculpture for one day and that was all I could ask for.

  Mason had his win and I had mine. That counted for something.

  I was halfway down the hallway when I heard my name being called. I froze, not sure I wanted to turn around. The exit wasn’t far away. If I really wanted to, I could sprint and make it there in time. But the sound of heels clicking in my direction forced me to face my fear. Mrs. Drew came up on me quickly, a warm smile on her face.

  “Trina, I’ve been looking for you all afternoon,” she said, squeezing my shoulders. “We’ve got to talk about your presentation.”