CHAPTER 9: WHEN DENIAL’S WALLS COLLAPSE

4:21 pm @ the Waylands’ Basketball Court

After Shane got back out from Mark’s house, she still wore the same outfit as she did going inside in spite of carrying a basketball with her. She was just dribbling around the 3-point line – crossing over, spinning – before driving to the hoop for a reverse lay-up. Being biologically a girl, it took too much strength for her to hang in the air but she sure can deliver if she needed to suspend herself for a longer time going up before she could dish the ball to an open player or reversing and kissing the ball off the glass for a lay-in.

She noticed Carmen sitting on one of the benches around at the corner of her eye. It wasn’t as if she was avoiding her completely because of the lack of hellos and greetings but she just didn’t want to experience the discomfort of having nothing else to say after a quick ‘hi’. Shane continued shooting free throws, thinking of a better topic to talk about than what happened (or did not happen) between them inside one of the bathrooms in her house.

Carmen placed her elbows on top of her lap, then cupping her face with both her hands so she could watch Shane. But she wasn’t exactly paying too much attention whether Shane was making or missing her free throws. Carmen was looking through and through, reflecting on what words she’d use.

“What if she asks about the note she placed inside the CD cover? What if there was something important in there? Dumb move in tearing it to pieces…  I was just considering if I were in love with Cherie or what… And then she comes along. Did I throw her note away to stop myself from being emotionally closer to her? Did I use Cherie so I won’t think too much about her? Great, Shane. Just great. Does it look like it’s working now?” As she released the ball from her hands, she muttered, “Oh, fuck.” She knew the moment the ball left her hands that it wasn’t money. It hit the rim all right, but bounced off of it instead of going in.