Ghost Lover

“You know I have training also tomorrow” he said to Nala, as he hurriedly pulled him towards the stadium. Austin found it difficult to cope in the class earlier that day, with Jade hammering on his case, not in a bad way but it was still frustrating for Austin.

“Come on, you have to tell me who she is” he kept Hampering on it, even after Austin told him he mentioned that name by mistake. Jade didn’t buy it but had no option but to leave him alone after their teacher got into the class.

“So you and Jade, now best friends” Nala asked, eyeing Austin as he wore his kits.

“What makes you think so?” He arched his brow.

“Well” Nala started, “you guys smiling and discussing. It was almost as if you guys were friends for a long time”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“You guys smiling?” Austin questioned with his eyes wide open, Nala understood his message immediately.

“Well scratch that, but you get my point” she insisted.

“He was just on me about something..”

“What thing?”

Austin swallowed hard, shocked by how fast she asked. He didn’t expect her to ask and he knew he couldn’t tell her about what exactly happened without Tasha’s name coming up

“It was just him telling me, I won’t make the football team for the match on Saturday ” Austin kneeled to tie his shoe lace. He needed to hide his face while he lied to Nala, not because she would notice it but because he felt ashamed of himself.

“But you guys wouldn’t be so cheerful if that was the case” she added slowly, the expression on her face told Austin she didn’t believe what he just said.

“Well that’s what happened” he shot back, springing up and bouncing on his toes.

Nala sighed, and switched her attention to setting the cones down on the grass. It was quite difficult for them to find space on the field for them to train, because the majority of the students were on the field. School was closed for the day, while some went home, some in detention, some in the library, most of them found solace hanging out or playing on the field.

“Not like you guys are planning something against Allen?” She asked out of nowhere, she didn’t even stare at Austin as the question left her mind, her undivided attention was still glued to those cones, but she said it.

“Wait, why would you think that?” He felt surprised with how the question came, because with her setting up the cones, he felt she had left the issue. Now she’s asking about him ganging up against his brother, he did not only feel insulted, but he felt bad that Nala would even think such of him.

“Well, it’s Jade” Nala strained to let the words out of her mouth, because of how bent she was trying to set the cones. She stood upright and repeated, “it’s Jade, he tends to have that effect on People. And honestly, lately, you’ve not been the usual Austin”

He didn’t say anything but just stood there, without an expression or emotion written on his face. Nala couldn’t tell what he was feeling or how he took what she just said.

“Well don’t blame me” she added, raising her shoulders.

“In as much as you might have a point there Nala” he whispered, “I would never gang up against my brother. He’s my brother for crying out loud!” He covered his face and turned “Fuck”

“I’m sorry” she muttered slowly against his back

Austin sighed, bent his head and tried to reduce the way he was Panting, this was happening to him lately. His temperament wasn’t something to be regarded as “Hot temper,” it was getting worse.

“It’s fine” he waved his hands at her, grinning. He went for the ball and juggled it. There awkward situation was followed by a long silence only disturbed by the cheerful laughter’s and discussion of people around them. Nala had finished setting up his cones but couldn’t bring herself to call him to start training with it after what she just did. She just stood, watching him with keen eyes as he juggles the ball and she depicted that he was trying to juggle it till thirty but kept dropping it at twenty. Every failure of his was followed by him cursing and groaning.

“What about your baby boy” Austin asked as he continued juggling and panting with his eyes still on the ball

Nala’s eyes widened and she almost smiled but fought hard to keep a straight face “what baby boy?”

Austin played the ball up and caught it. He faced her, tried to talk but couldn’t because he was Panting too hard. This juggling was harder than he expected, a smile edged on Nala’s face as she watched him struggle.

“You really need me to point out the obvious?” He asked, finally finding his voice. “Justin please, hold me,” he whined as he ran his hands across his body in an attempt to mock Nala.

Nala gasped and ran towards him, but he didn’t try to run away. “I’ve never said any of those things to you!” She exclaimed, raining soft slaps at him as he went down to the ground, laughing.

“Okay okay” he screamed amidst the slaps coming at him, “Just wait.” He held her two hands, as she had no intention of stopping. The smile on her face was still there, plastered and appealing to him, the sun was out in its full form, and she laying over him felt like an umbrella shading him, but it also gave him the chance to notice how beautiful her eyes were. Dark but yet it drew him closer, wanting to run his hands across her cheeks and admire every little detail in those eyes of hers.

“What.. what is it?” Nala stuttered, her smile fading off. ” Is there something on my face?”

“No no no..” Austin held her back as she attempted to stand, “your face is just perfect”

He saw the way her body reacted to his statement and he felt good, having that impact on her. She didn’t try to struggle or take his hands off her, she just stayed there, surrending her body to him.

“Stop it” she muttered slowly, looking away. He knew she was trying to avoid his gaze.

“Why, you like me better as a Jerk?” He asked sarcastically, she eyed him, and he rolled on the grass, laughing.

“It’s not funny” she said coldly, with her hands crossed beneath her breast.

“Well if you think about it, it is,” Austin insisted. “But seriously, what about Justin?” Austin’s laughter died down, as he sat up close to her.

“Justin?” She sighed as she coughed, preparing herself to talk about him. “Well Justin has been trying to be available for me when I needed him. He’s been sweet, caring….”

Nala’s voice fading in Austin’s head as he noticed something coming towards them and fast. It felt like a fog moulded up, but was it an animal?

Austin couldn’t fathom that fact, he squinted his eyes, trying to focus his gaze and get a good look at it. He could swear it was an animal running towards them, but it just changed form. He looked and felt it’s emotion with every minute it got closer to them, it oozed anger and anger again. His attention was clearly far from what Nala was saying and shortly, Nala noticed that. She tried to call his attention, she called his name several times but he didn’t bulge, she waved her hands in front of him, but nothing from him.

“Wait” Austin raised his hands at Nala, making her stop. He looked again and that was Tasha raging and charging towards him, her eyes sparkling dangerously, her steps like soldiers marching for battle. She didn’t have that walking step of hers that was classy and she took her time as she calculated her step with every second her feet hit the ground. She was an angry bull coming to kill him.

“Oh shit” he cursed as he hurried up running away. He left his belongings with Nala without even bothering to pack any of it. He just remembered that he had promised to meet with her after school and he totally forgot about It, she could have just appeared to him or sneaked up on him, she liked that. Why was she hunting him this way, Austin’s heart raced faster than his legs were sprinting.

“What is it?” Nala screamed after him, confused. What made him run that way, she looked at where he was staring into just to check if something was there but she saw nothing. “What’s going on with him?”