Chapter 31: Those pink sneakers

Klaus’s pov

Call me a freak but I think I might have fallen for her pink sneakers.

It was during PE and we were playing a cruel game of Dodgeball.

She stood at a corner holding a ball and just staring into space while Maya took it upon herself to be her knight in shining armour.

No seriously, Maya was right in front of her the whole time just tirelessly protecting her.

I wasn't even capable of focusing because half the class were watching me like I was the game and even those that targeted me were being attacked by an angry line of cheerleaders captained by Veronica.

She was overdoing it at this point.

“Move Away from the target You slut” one of them said referring to Maya as the slut and Tessa the target.

I wanted to step in and fling a ball across his face but I noticed maya stopped tossing balls around and focused on defending like she was stalling.

Tessa sneakily took off one of her sneakers and handed it to maya who proceeded to fire an absolute clean on the rude dude and I swear I saw a tooth flying out of his mouth as he went down.

I let out a chuckle and saw her actually smile. They gave each other a High five and went to retrieve the shoe, acting like nothing happened.

“That's cheating” he winced in pain and everyone stopped tossing balls.

“What happened, because you're hit doesn't mean everyone else has to stop” the teacher was furious

“Those bitches cheated, she threw a pink shoe at me” he cried and everyone looked around fazed.

“Is that true” the teacher said walking up to maya who had on this innocent face

“I'm not wearing pink shoes, she is and she hasn't moved from here”

“He called called Maya a slut and she threw a ball at him” tessa finally spoke adjusting her legs in the shoe “he should be finished for using that kind of word in school”

I couldn't stop smiling. So she speaks.

“They're lying she used her sneakers,look I lost a tooth”

“Dodgeball has been proven to be slightly dangerous, losing a tooth should be normal” tessa added and glanced at her sneakers “and these are my favourite sneakers what makes you think I'd take it off just to graze your ugly face”

“That's a lot of nerve coming from someone who could eat the entire school in 10 minutes” Veronica said and the entire class burst into laughter.

Just then I felt tessa shrink. Though she didn't wear her hoodie, I saw her arms folding around her shirt as though she wished she had it on.

“That's enough…. Did anybody see the shoe being thrown” the teacher asked.

I saw it, I doubt anyone else did.

But the crazy thing was I didn't want to raise my hand. The Jerk deserved to lose a tooth If you Ask me.

“No one?.... alright back to the game” the teacher looked at the weeping boy “ you're out”

Everyone went back to playing dodgeball but Veronica decided I could protect myself and now went on the offensive.

“Girls” she assembled menancily “I think it's time we attack the biggest target in three room”

Oh shit. She meant Tessa.

Maya noticed their change in direction, she smirked and shared a look with Tessa.

Just as I thought the trojan war was about to start, Maya took a ball and hit Tessa who dramatically fell.

“Oh no I've been hit” she slowly fell on the ground in pretend defeat.

The teacher blew the whistle “you're out”

Maya had to be the most skilled single team dodgeball player– well aside from me of course. Because she single handedly took ten of Veronica's girls and wasn't hit once, well that was until she tried to adjust her headband and got hit.

They played dirty.

I admired their friendship, it was something I'd never experienced in my life before.

That was the first time I saw Tessa in action– the speed at which she took off the sneakers and just how sneakily she made everyone think it was a ball toss and not a sneaker toss was amazing.

I might have stalked them a bit and overheard their locker conversation.

“It was the sneakers I swear” maya said frantically looking for something in her locker “and my amazing throw and speed”

“those were the sneakers I used to win one of my running competitions”tessa said leaning on the locker “remember my days of looking for a good sport but I was good at everything”

“yeah stella made you try like a thousand sports” maya finally pulls out a book from the locker “we were so little I wonder how the shoe still fit”

“my mom bought it oversized so I have to pad it before running, one of them flew off my legs half way through the race and hit the guy in front of me that's how I won”

“I remember” Maya said as they both burst into laughter “I guess it's your lucky sneakers because it helped us today”

“you're right, I'll bring them out for just special occasions” tessa slammed her locker shut “besides they're my only pair of sneakers that fit”

The more I got to know Tessa , the more intrigued I was. She had this magnetic pull I couldn't resist and it killed me that I had to act all cool and nonchalant everywhere else I'd lose this power I had.

By sophomore year I basically ran the theatre. I was getting lead roles a senior should have and having romantic scenes with girls graduating in a week.

I was like a god in the entire school.

Aside from the fact that I loved being on stage and expressing myself, I secretly wished to find Tessa reading lines again when she thought nobody was watching.

Then I'd finally talk to her but she never came.

So I thought maybe in our next dodgeball she'd bring those cute sneakers again and finally compliment it and tell her it was built for her.

But she never came for dodgeball again.

She became more and more invisible and not in the way that she didn't stand out enough to to want to be seen but invisible in a way that she felt someone who had seen her and proceeded to wear a cloak of invisibility

Hiding completely.

I tried to give up on her, I really dId but damn.

Would I give anything to see her on that dodgeball court again wearing those pink sneakers.