The Artist and the Sports Star
Author
Anya Waine
Reads
253K
Chapters
26
Tayla Green feels like she exists on the sidelines of her own life. Surrounded by a family obsessed with sports, she is the quiet, book-loving outlier who prefers sketchbooks over stadiums and silence over cheers. When a lost bet forces her into one of her brother’s big games, she meets him—the star athlete from a rival world, loud, confident, and impossible to ignore. Their first clash is anything but gentle, yet something about him keeps pulling her back into his orbit. As their worlds keep colliding, Tayla starts to question everything she thought defined her. Maybe stepping out of her comfort zone is not the mistake she always believed it would be.
Chapter 1
My name is Tayla Green, and I find it difficult to fit in at my school. At seventeen, I’m quite socially awkward and very shy. The reason I struggle to fit in is that my school primarily emphasizes sports and the outgoing crowd.
I’m not talented in any particular sport, and I generally prefer staying indoors or at home, which is unusual since the rest of my family is athletic.
My mum is a gymnastics coach and teacher; she was once among the top gymnasts. My dad is a football coach, as the British refer to it, and my brother is a national competitive swimmer.
Then there’s me, a bookish and somewhat nerdy individual. My family cannot understand how I turned out this way, which occasionally leads to disagreements between us. This is partly due to their constant attempts to make me attend various sports events, which I typically try to evade, except for one occasion.
My brother often challenges me to bets, and I often don’t win. This time, I lost a bet I really didn’t want to lose, and now I must go to one of these sports games. However, this wasn’t an ordinary game. It’s the place where I first met him.
He is my complete opposite, part of the team that rivals my dad’s, and is recognized as an outstanding player who occasionally struggles with focus.
This is a tale of how he assisted me in breaking free from my shell, transformed my perspective on life, and taught me how to find joy in living. Naturally, there will be disagreements, arguments, and conflicts along the way.
I was minding my own business in the kitchen when my brother’s arm hooked around my neck. The crook of his elbow pressed into my scalp, a headlock, just like always.
“Let go of me, Kyle.”
He laughed and scrubbed my hair. “Sorry, Tayla, but you are too easy to attack.”
If I could see his face, I would, but I couldn’t. “Kyle, please let go of me.”
His arm slackened. “Tayla, how about we make a bet?”
I only wished I was strong enough to get out of this. I sighed. “Why do you always want to make a bet with me?”
“Because it is easy, and you always lose.”
I wished I could glare at him, but I couldn’t. “I don’t always lose.” Okay, he was right, but he never had one that was more of an advantage for me. Then he said something that changed my mind.
“I have a math test coming up soon, and if I score over eighty percent, you have to come to one of Dad’s soccer games.”
My eyes widened. Kyle was so bad at math, and he barely scored over sixty percent, so relief fizzed through me. “Okay, deal.”
He let go. We clasped hands, a quick, smug shake.
“I need to go study.” He padded down the hall. I was cheering in my head. No way he would win this.
A FEW DAYS LATER
My dad’s team had their very first soccer match a week after the math results came out, which was today, and let me tell you that I had completely forgotten all about the bet Kyle and I had made.
It was Monday, the day of the results. I was in the kitchen eating breakfast when Kyle breezed in, a little smugger than normal. He kissed Mum’s cheek. “Hey Mum, where is Dad?”
“He left early because his team has an early morning soccer practice.”
Kyle pivoted to me, teeth flashing. “So, are you ready?”
Confusion prickled. “Ready for what?”
He laughed and braced his elbows on the counter, facing me. “The test results come out today.”
I still wasn’t tracking, but I played along. “Oh yeah, I can’t wait to see what you scored.”
He tipped his head, then turned away. “You forgot.”
I stared at his back, still lost, while Mum just watched us, shaking her head.
“Forgot what?”
He only laughed, tossed a smirk over his shoulder, and called, “You’ll see.”
The front door clicked. I went back to my cereal. “He walked off with your keys.”
Mum glanced at the empty hook, then shouted, “KYLE, you give me those keys now!” She bolted after him.
While they were busy, I slipped out for school, trying to puzzle out what he meant. When I arrived, I spotted Becca and Sarah.
I hugged them both. “Morning.”
Sarah’s eyebrow arched. “So, are you ready?”
“Ready for what?”
Becca tapped my arm. “The bet with your brother.”
It all crashed back, and I groaned. “I totally forgot about that.”
Sarah laughed. “That’s why we decided to remind you.”
Hope puffed back into me. “My brother won’t win anyway.”
They traded a quick glance, then their focus slid past my shoulder.
“What?”
I pivoted. Dad stood with the soccer team, jaw tight.
I faced my friends again. Sarah angled away and whispered, “I wonder what that was about.”
“Not easy seeing my dad mad like that,” I whispered back.
Becca drew breath to reply, but the bell cut her off, so we headed to first period.
The morning dragged. By lunchtime, I was more than ready to eat.
I stepped into the cafeteria when an arm hooked my shoulder, and a sheet of paper smacked my nose. I caught it. Eighty-one percent. My head snapped toward Kyle.
“You didn’t tamper with this, right?”
He widened his eyes and pressed a hand to his chest. “Of course, I didn’t do that. I studied hard to win this bet.”
I scanned the test again, still not believing it. “How did you manage this?”
He only tipped his chin past me.
I followed the gesture: Becca and Sarah. They were already retreating.
“Your friends were more than helpful in aiding me to win this bet.”
They bolted.
I tucked my chin and walked away. Losing to Kyle again hurt, but this one stung worse. I didn’t want to go to a game. Now I had to.
