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Chapter 17
Max
Millie Conway had hernose in a book, and I strode right up to her, forgetting all about the library’s noise level rules. Banging my hand on the table, she startled, her paperback springing out of her hands.
“What’s with that tennis article?” My thuggish demand made her cower, reaching for her book and clutching it to her chest like a shield. I didn’t wait for her response. “Why’d you embarrass Taylor like that? Huh? Why’d you do it?”
Millie steadied her glasses. “What? What are you talking about?” She seemed genuinely puzzled and afraid.
“Your article about the girls tennis team.” I clicked the link on my phone and I passed it to her. Sitting opposite, I rested my elbows on the table, sending her a stony look.
“Addison was proofreading it,” she said, her eyes darting across the screen. “She wasn’t going to upload it until I’d shown it to Taylor.” Her mouth moved frantically as she read her own composition, coming to a standstill as it gaped open. “What? I never wrote that,” she said, her head shaking. “I never wrote that last photograph. And I never sent Addison that photo. I’ve never seen that photo before!”
“The girls were laughing about it at the lunch table,” I said.
“I swear,” Millie said, finally looking up at me, her voice thick with desperation. “Max, I swear I didn’t write that last paragraph. I have no idea where Taylor lives.”
My glare intensified, unsure as to whether I should believe her.
“Max, I didn’t!” Millie straightened in her chair and removed her glasses. “Taylor was hesitant for an interview. She was quite shy, so I said I’d show her a copy of it before it went to press.” She gasped. “Oh my goodness, do you think she’s seen it?”
“The team is playing Hastings High this afternoon, so I can bet she knows about it now,” I said with a stab of sarcasm. It was unwarranted, Millie’s cheeks had already paled.
“Why would Addison do this?” Millie asked. “And surely Taylor doesn’t live there. It looks derelict.”
I shrugged in reply, not wanting to reveal that Taylor did in fact live there. That could put her in a more humiliating position, and all because of my family. But why would Addison be stirring trouble? Addison was a good player, and her whole family played the sport. But she was lazy, doing the bare minimum at training. It was possible she was jealous of Taylor coming in as the number one player, or it could be for no other reason thanshe could.Nastiness didn’t even need a reason, I was learning.
Millie wanted to come with me to Hastings High, but she had an appointment with her dentist. I watched on enviously as she frantically texted Taylor, close to writing an essay for the time it was taking. I quietly wished I could have access to her number, owing her an explanation of why I’d turned her down for tennis. Sending her a message would be easier, because I feared she wasn’t keen to listen to anything I had to say.
––––––––
The whole thing withthe article was bad enough, but things got worse. I arrived at Hastings High to find out Taylor had lost her singles. Not only did it shock me, but I was crushed for her. Spotting Brandon in the stands, I climbed up to join him. He confirmed that Taylor had played below her normal standard, though he was philosophical about it, declaring that anyone could have a bad day.
That meant Taylor hadn’t told him anything about being shamed and teased about living in Fox Avenue, in the house my parents needed to renovate. I churned the dilemma over in my head. Was it my place to tell Brandon? Would Taylor resent me? I had no doubt that I was already in her bad books, but I wanted to make it right. I wanted to fix things.
Finding out Bianca and Taylor were playing doubles together was another thunderbolt. Taylor and Grace had been successful in all their matches, so it seemed crazy to split a winning combination. And with Bianca and Addison’s attitude to Taylor, I envisioned fireworks might explode on court.
But whatever had plagued Taylor’s game in her first match, she certainly turned it around for the doubles. You would never have known that she and Bianca were teaming up for the first time. Taylor’s serves were spectacular, with both speed and precision. There was magnificence in the way she extended her body, elegant yet powerful, balls striking the lines. And her play was exceptional, gliding around the court. It felt like she was putting on a show...for me.
Of course, she wasn’t. She barely tolerated me, especially after I’d declined to play tennis with her. I needed to tell her it wasn’t personal, that it had nothing to do with her. Yeah, I probably had to open up, because I couldn’t live with her ignoring me any longer.
––––––––
Bianca had taken measide after the last doubles game had been won. I was reluctant to speak to her, let alone go off somewhere with her. But she was insistent.
“Max, I need to talk to you,” she hissed, tugging on my arm. “There’s something I have to tell you.”
“After the stunt you and Addison pulled, no way,” I said.
“What stunt?” She looked genuinely bewildered.
