Before going home, I make my way down to the gym for a quick workout. The soccer team has optional conditioning sessions most days after school.
Walking down the hall, I find myself clapping my hands together, repeating the signs. “School.” Two fingers trailing through the air. “Tour.”
Someone turns the corner and walks by, so I reach up to grip my backpack straps, acting like I wasn’t just talking to myself. It could begood to learn—to help folks like Ellie, and probably for college applications and all.
Since, well, I’ve got her number now, it’s probably best to figure out more of this ASL thing.
I climb the narrow set of stairs to the weight room, which is on a second-floor balcony that overlooks the basketball courts. There’s a volleyball practice going on down there. Of course, Liam is leering over the edge of the rail, watching the girls play. Some of the other soccer guys are in the corner, spending more time on their phones than exercising.
While I do a few quick stretches, my cousin breaks off from the group to join me at a bench. “Good to see you here,” Darius says while loading the other side of the bar for a warm-up set. “You’re officially allowed to join us for offseason training now?”
“Pretty sure. Coach only mentioned skipping the summer, so I don’t see why not.” I lie on the bench and reach for the bar. Still adjusting my grip, I admit, “You’re all doing club soccer in the offseason, yet I’m stuck sitting out because registration was due before my legs seemed better. I don’t know what to do with all this free time.”
“Right, soccer is life.”
I lift the bar, hold for a moment, and bring it down to my chest.One.I push the weight up and, ten reps later, rerack the bar. I shake out my arms, feeling really in my element. Maybe I’ll keep up with the others despite missing the team’s summer workouts.
“You’re in a good mood, though,” Darius comments.
“Happy to be back,” I say, though my cousin’s look is clearly pressing for more. I sit up on the bench, adding, “And, um, well, Ellie just gave me her number.”
“Hernumber? Ooooh, dude.” He claps his hands together, then stops. “Wait, who is Ellie, though? Do I know her?”
I stand, trying to act casual. Has it really been forever since I went out with someone? “The new girl who—”
“Oh.” He leans back, dipping his chin down. “The crazy one.”
“I wouldn’t saycrazy.” I hold up a finger and start to ramble. “Also, I don’t think we’re supposed to say the wordcrazyanymore—”
“You know,” Darius cuts me off again, “she’s kinda cute if you can deal with all that. And you haven’t gone out since, what, freshman homecoming with Rachel—if that even counts?”
“Nah, that was junior-year homecoming. Stop acting like I haven’t dated.”
“Mm-hmm…” He stares me down. The gold chain he always wears rests over his sleeveless top. Sure, my cousin’s relationship status changes more often than I can keep track of, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t dated enough. Darius just has the sort of energy and aloofness that seems to effortlessly draw in girls—whereaseffortlesshas probably never been an attribute of mine.
“Give me a break. I’ve been busy. If I’d known you were gonna roast me, maybe I would’ve skipped and done homework instead,” I joke.
Darius scoffs. “You always get good grades. You could do a little of my homework if you want. Do you know how many pages I’m going to have to read for Advanced Lit every week?”
“It’s not my fault you signed up for it. Have fun with that while I do a three-sentence poem for my creative writing class.”
“What a joke. I should switch into that.” He adjusts his hair tie and sits on the bench.
“Gotta balance my AP Chem workload somehow.”
“All right, all right.” Darius knocks out his ten reps easily, then jumps up to head over to the weight plates. “What’s on there already? Fifteens?”
“Yeah, plus the bar. Next let’s add a pair of twenty-fives,” I call out. “And keep building to a one-rep max.”
Arms at his sides, Darius carries the plates over, swinging one up for me to grab to load onto the other side of the bar. I grip the top with my right hand, but it slips from my grasp when he lets go.
I save it easily with my other hand as if I’d intended to do so. But my toes were in danger of being crushed for a second there. Instinctively I search the room to see if anyone else noticed. I stretch out my palm, wondering why it betrayed me. The guys are all on their phones, of course, and Liam is still creeping on the volleyball team.
Almostdropping something. That could happen to anyone. I caught it. All good; nothing to see here.
I can’t let myself get bothered about every little thing. It was my legs that were the problem, and now they’re completely fine. Like, I could go out and run ten miles right now. Ishouldgo for a run. I’ve got to get out of my head.
“Wanna do a couple laps after this?” I ask Darius while clipping the weight into place.
