Chapter Seven

Gameday. Lisa was so surprised to see Merida entering the big gymnasium. Candice who saw Merida pinched Lisa's arm.

"Merida!" Lisa called with a plastic smile.

"Oh hi!"

"Uhh... I'm sorry, I was misinformed by someone. I didn't have your number so I couldn't tell you. I'm really sorry," Lisa with her acting skills.

"Oh, it's alright! I'm just glad I made it. Do you want to go inside now?" Merida asked Lisa.

"Oh no! You go ahead. I'll catch up."

As soon as Merida was gone, Candice marched her way to Lisa.

"What the hell was that?!" She madly asked Lisa.

"I don't freaking know how she knew! Maybe someone told her!"

"Someone?"

"As if the time wasn't posted on the damn bulletin board!" Lisa yelled.

"That goldfish never reads anything posted on that damn wall!"

They were yelling at each other when Leo came. He smiled at how the tables had turned. Sometimes, planned things never happen.

•••

"Love!"

Everybody who heard that looked at the person who yelled it. It was Jacob with the biggest smile they have ever seen on his face. He was running out the court and to Merida who was also shocked that he called her Love.

"I'm so glad you came!" Jacob didn't care what others would say, he hugged her.

Merida, on the other hand, felt very happy but at the same time ashamed of herself. Feeling the dirty stares leaves her so uncomfortable.

"Well, I want to see you play."

Jacob pulled Merida down to sit on the front row where the other player's girlfriends were sitting. Other royalties, as what they call it.

"Sit here while we warm up, okay? I'll be back in every break." Jacob said and hurried back in the court.

Merida knew everyone was staring at her. She was afraid to raise her head and see her seatmate disgusted with her face. She tried so hard not to embarrass herself and feel like they're all watching her.

Leo is one of the basketball players in their school but he refused to practice with the others, that's why he becomes an outcast. So whenever there's a game, all he does is watch. But this time it was different. It wasn't the game he's watching, it was miss ugly.

It was in the middle of the first quarter when Leo wasn't liking what he's seeing. Miss ugly was going to have an anxiety attack from all these people soon yet Jacob didn't notice it!

"Ah dang it!" He cusses under his breath. Why was he so drawn to this girl all a sudden?

Leo didn't have much of a choice, he's got a pretty good heart. So he stands up and walks down to where Merida was. Sitting in between Merida and a cheerleader.

"Egg rolls, how do you make them?"

Merida immediately raised her head and saw Leo. Somehow she felt relieved and calm now.

"You-You j-just—"

"Calm down. Nobody's staring at you." That was a lie Leo told her. "It's all in your head."

"You really want to know how?" Merida asked once she was breathing fine.

"Nah, I bet I can cook better," Leo said and chuckled.

Merida smiled. "Thank you for sitting beside me. Even though you don't look at me when you talk."

After Merida said that, Leo surprisingly looks at her closely. Their face was inches away. Her eyes went round and for reason that she doesn't know, this stare was calming.

"I can, but I won't because I know you're not comfortable being stared at."

They continued to stare at each other for another moment until they heard a whistle from the referee. Their stares shifted at the court. The referee had called a foul for Jacob. Their coach had Brandon as Jacob's substitute so he rests on the bench for players.

While Jacob's coach was telling him the supposed to be next moves, he was busy glancing at Merida and Leo. His feature clouded up with jealousy. What on earth is that shit doing with Merida? He knew it! That Leo has motives.

Once their coach was done talking, he strode his way to where Merida was. As always, she smiles at him.

"I'm sure you guys know each other—"

"Stay away from her," Jacob hissed cutting Merida off.

"J-ja—"

"I was just helping her. If I didn't come here she would've had an anxiety attack. But Oh! You wouldn't know about that because you're always just thinking about yourself and never on what's around you." Leo whispered to Jacob. He moves away and they glared at each other.

Merida thought it wasn't her that they were fighting about. There was something between these two guys in front of her. She had to stop them from making a scene.

"Alright. You two should stop glaring at each other. He was just trying to help me, Jacob."

Jacob looked at Merida with a look of defeat.

She thought he was going to get mad but instead, Jacob hugged her. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Leo rolled his eyes at the disgusting scene he just witnessed while everyone was chattering indistinctly in the background.

"It's alright. Y-you should win the game." The moment Jacob hugged her, all the whispers in her head disappeared and it was like she wasn't worried anymore of what people might think.

Jacob let go and kissed her forehead. Then he returned to the players' bench with a few words from his teammates.

"You have a bad taste in guys," Leo uttered to Merida. But she wasn't listening anymore, she was focused on watching Jacob back on the game. Leo just shakes his head.

Lisa who watched that scene Jacob created hurled. She was probably glaring at Merida for the longest time with some bad plans in her head. "You watch, you ugly trash," she gritted her teeth as she was filled with anger and jealousy.