Seventeen

                                    

                                          
I pushed my earphones into my ears, turning the key in the lock, officially finishing closing up the bakery for the night. An extra 2 hours closed wasn't going to kill me. I'd put a note on the front door, saying if anyone wanted anything urgently to give me a call. I doubt I would but I was literally all caught up on everything and I'd still spent an hour doom scrolling online and now I was bored. A little bit of basketball with Griffin sounds like exactly the thing I could enjoy doing right now. 
Griffin's obsession with basketball started young. It was his dad's favourite sport so he got into it no problem and I was, obviously, pulled along for the ride. Before he passed, his dad would take me and Fin down to the park every Friday after school. Other kids would end up joining in and we'd be having a full game by the time 5.30 rolled around. He'd started calling it a team not long before he passed. When the same kids were showing up for it every week. I guess Fin carried on with basketball then because he was worried about letting his dad down. He used to put so much pressure on himself. That he wasn't quick enough, couldn't throw high enough, was missing the basket too much. 
I remember sitting with an angry 13 year old Fin on the court in the park and telling him he needed a break. Pretty much the same conversation he had with me last night. Except he did it. He took the break and 2 weeks later he was back to normal and now look at him. Most known British player in the game. 
I walked over to the park, hoping he wasn't expecting me to show up. I don't think he'd know about my games with Gus on a morning. Quick 30 minutes before we both headed off to work. This whole family had basketball built into us just like Fin did, the only difference is Fin had taken it to the extreme whilst I was still intentionally throwing the ball at August's head to laugh at him. I always wore workout clothes in a morning. Came down here after dropping my car at the bakery. We'd play and then I'd go to work, change quickly in the back room, wash my hands and get to work all before 8am. Honestly, I don't even think Moira knew about our games. They weren't intentionally private, we just liked it being the 2 of us so never told anyone. 
My one on one time with Zoe was easy. With Gus people always made a joke something was going on. To which we would both simultaneously gag. That idea could not be more disgusting if we tried. It always confused me because Gus and I were less hands on than I'd ever been with Fin and no one had ever made comments about us. Sure, Fin was 2 years older than me but that doesn't make a difference. I'm 4 years older than Gus. I felt sick just thinking about it. 
I pulled an earphone out, smiling as Griffin missed his second shot, covering his face with both hands and slowly dragging them down his face as the ball bounced on the floor. 
"Pretty rubbish for a big time basketball player." He snapped his head around, eyes growing wide at me. I chuckled, dropping my bag down beside his. 
"I didn't think you'd come." 
"Shop was empty and I was bored." 
"You're all dressed for it. You sure you weren't planning on coming?" 
"Oh this?" I spun around, hands in the pockets of my open jacket. "I had it laying around." 
"At the bakery?" 
"Do you know how messy it gets in there? I have had smoothie explosions twice in the past month alone. Always handy to have a spare change of clothes." 
"Sports bra and work out leggings?" 
"Hey! I work out. I just don't broadcast it to the world." 
"When do you have time to work out miss barely has time to exist." I pulled the ball from under his arm, not even moving my eyes from his and throwing the ball, sending it straight through the hoop. 
"I don't get out of bed and go straight to work Chewy." He snapped his head back and then back at me, my face plastered in a smile. "Are we going to play then? I'm dying to add another loss of yours to my check list." 
"You're so cocky. You really want to play a competitive game, against a professional?" 
"What, like it's hard?" He rolled his eyes.
"That's like me competing with you over who can bake better." 
"Yeah, I'd win that like I'm going to win this." 
"Oh, you are on Shortcake." He turned around and grabbed the ball, moving into the middle of the half we were stood in. "First to 5 baskets?" 
"Usual rules Taylor. No cheating either." 
"I won't cheat if you don't pout when you lose." 
"That means I have to lose, and that's not happening." He rolled his eyes, sly smile on his face as he took the spare earphone from my hand and putting it into his ear. 
"This isn't the playlist you gave me." 
"It isn't. This is my own." 
"It's different?" 
"Mine's not only Taylor." He nodded. "This is Carly Rae Jepson. You know the Call Me Maybe girl?" 
"Oh yeah." The ball bounced between his hand and the ground and he brought his eyes to meet mine. "Prepared to lose?" 
"Sorry, I don't have a mirror so you can't ask yourself." He bit his tongue and I giggled, catching him off guard so I could push the ball away from his hands, instantly getting myself a point. 
"WHAT THE HELL?! YOU CHEATED." 
"I did not." I bounced the ball, throwing it at him hard. 
"How are you still getting baskets when you've not played in like 10 years?"
"Oh. Did I not tell you?" 
"Tell me what?" 
"My work outs? They're games with Gus every morning before we go to work. I didn't have this outfit laying around, I wore it this morning when I whopped his ass like I'm gonna do with you." 
"Oh, you are on Aurora." I laughed loudly as he came a little closer, dribbling the ball as he tried to get closer to the net. I barely moved, knocking it into my own control and turning my back to him. "HOW ARE YOU MAKING THIS SO HARD YOU'RE HALF MY SIZE." 
"Maybe you're just rubbish." I giggled, moving as he tried to get the ball off me, shooting and missing. 
"HA! Who's rubbish now?" 
"Still you babe. You're a point down as it is." 
"Not for long."