Rebound: A 2nd Chance

Jason was startled when he felt Karla embracing him with both arms around him. He looked down at Karla's brightly smiling face.

'Why is this girl hugging up on me like this? Maybe something happened last night after our video call and she just needs a hug?

But that doesn't really make sense either. If she was feeling down about something she wouldn't be smiling like that?'

Not knowing why Karla would suddenly hug him like this Jason decided to go with the only logical reason that he could think of.

He assumed that something must have happened after their group video call last night and now she was hugging him to make herself feel better.

That was the only possible reason that he could think of. He patted her on the back "Uh, hey Karla. Thanks, you look good too.... I guess?"

He didn't really know how to compliment Karla considering that up till now he had mostly interacted with guys or tomboyish sort of girls like Tory, Shania, and Samantha.

Karla could feel the awkwardness in Jason's voice and sighed in relief 'Good thing it's noisy out here. If anyone else had heard him my cover would have been blown.'

Deep down she felt a tinge of guilt as she knew that Jason was just responding in a polite manner but her actions would spread more rumors about him and her.

'I shouldn't have done this. He's going to find out about the rumors eventually. I just don't know what else to do.'

She looked up at Jason and pulled away "Sorry to slow you down. I know that you guys are on your way to class but I just wanted to say hi."

She then smiled as she waved him goodbye while walking back to her group of friends. Kyle was the first to say something.

"Well that was.... different?" Vince then nudged Jason in the side with his elbow "Damn bro, look at you. My dude gettin all the girls haha."

DJ laughed "Too bad he don't actually want them. Did you guys see Jaya's face when she hugged him? Mans was looking all types of uncomfy haha.

Shit bro, you might as well pass them over here since you ain't interested. We know how good you are at droppin dimes on the court but times like this is when you really need to assist."

Matt smiled as he added "Hate to break it to you DJ but I don't think it matters how good Jaya is at dropping dimes.

No amount of playmaking could make you look that good. You built like a fire hydrant my guy." Matt's joke got everyone laughing except for DJ.

He responded "Says the dude that looks like a piece of broccoli dipped in some chocolate. You need to see a new barber if he tellin you that whatever you got going on is alright.

That fro so damn big it's starting to look like a damn meteorite. What you tryin to do? Make all the girls go extinct?"

This time it was Matt's turn to be the butt of the joke as all of the guys began to laugh. Jason then rolled his eyes.

"Alright, enough clowning around guys. We actually need to go to class now. Let's pick up the pace unless you want to get marked as late."

- - -

Jason and the rest of the guys had a boring start to their day, well except for the incident with Karla back in the hallway, as they made their way through their different classes.

But for Samantha it was anything but boring. During first lunch Samantha was sitting at her usual spot with some of her friends.

News traveled fast as they already heard about what had happened with Jason and Karla back in the morning.

Samantha frowned as she began to grip the plastic spork in her hand tighter and tighter "She is such a bitch.

She's really trying to make this rumor grow. Who the hell would take advantage of someone and use them to spread a rumor that they don't even know about?"

West who was sitting beside her nodded his head "R-right? I don't know why anyone would want to do something like that."

There was a bit of nervousness and guilt in his voice because he knew that over the years that he had tried to spread rumors of him and Samantha multiple times.

The only problem was that the rumor seemed so unrealistic for all the kids at Jefferson that it never managed to pick up any traction.

Cody, who was sitting across the table from West took a bite out of his burger before asking "So Sammy, are you like gonna tell Jaya about this?

Cause if little dudette is really trying to rock the water like you said then telling Jaya would probably be the easiest way to calm the waves, you feel what I'm sayin?"

Samantha went silent as she fell deep in thought 'Knowing Jaya if I tell him about what Karla is doing and about all the rumors going on around him I'm sure that he'll be pissed.

Not because of the rumors. He doesn't really care what other people think. He'll just be super pissed off at Karla because he hates being used like a tool.

He turned down the initial offer from Nike because they just wanted to use him as an Asian mascot. Jaya will probably be even more mad this time because it came from someone that he somewhat knows.'

The more she thought about it the more she became excited to see Jaya glaring furiously at Karla and her crying after having her image destroyed when he clears up all these rumors.

She felt giddy just thinking about it. But then the smile disappeared from her face as she took a deep breathe.

"I might tell him but I won't tell him today." Her answer shocked Cody and West along with the other kids sitting at the table.

They all knew how headstrong Samantha was after knowing her for a few years now. And they all knew just how much she liked Jason.

For her to hold her tongue and not tell him about this seemed impossible to them. Cody looked at Samantha "You okay bro?

Seeing you act like this is kinda weird not gonna lie. It feels like I'm watching a surfer hit the waves without a board. It just doesn't look right."

West excitedly asked "Why don't you want to tell him? Is it because you've realized that you don't really like him like that and that you don't care what he does with Karla?"

Samantha turned her head and looked at West with a face that said 'What are you talking about?' She then shook her head.

"What? Of course not. The way I feel about Jaya hasn't changed. But I don't want to tell him about Karla and the rumors right now because he has a game today.

I know that he's good at pushing his thoughts aside and focusing on playing but I just don't want to put that on his plate knowing that he has to play today. I don't want to make things harder for him."

Cody then asked "Well what about after the game? Even if it is an away game you could always like hit him up on your phone and tell him."

Samantha shook her head "I know that they'll most likely win their game today. And I don't want to call him after just to give him some bad news."

A smile bloomed on her face as the picture of Jason and Kyle working out in his room popped up in her mind.

"Knowing just how hard he works and how much he puts into basketball he deserves to be able to enjoy every win.

Calling him just to tell him about Karla and the rumors would just spoil the mood. I can wait until Monday to tell him."

- - -

The day passed by uneventfully for Jason and the rest of the team as they all began to climb into the bus after school.

Even though it was an away game the bus ride was short as they managed to reach the school in less than thirty minutes.

Since the traffic was actually better than what they had planned for they had reached the school ten minutes earlier than they were supposed to.

Coach Swendel lead them to the away team's locker room before heading out to say hello to the referee that would be in charge of today's game as well as the opposing coach.

After they had all changed into their official game jerseys the guys began to freestyle as they still had some time to kill.

Vince was bobbing his head to the beat that Nick played on his phone.

"Aye

Aye

When it come to girls I'm smooth just like a smoothie

If I see your girl take her out to the movies

Call me designer like my name Louis "

All of the guys were hyped as they were vibing in the locker room "AYE!"

Then DJ jumped in.

"Say your name was Louis but you look more like Chanel 

Lookin like a female wanna do your hair and nails."

"YOOOO!" All of the boys went wild after hearing DJ take a jab at Vince. They then turned to Jason with hopeful looks in their eyes.

Jason chuckled as he could tell that they all wanted him to join in on the freestyle. He got up from his seat.

"They call me the Reaper cause I'll go and snatch your soul

Beat you black and blue I don't need to be swole 

We could hoop in a cemetery shit would still be the same

Cause we leavin bodies after every single game."