Milo buttons his blazer, moving toward me. “Are you still nervous about this morning?”
“Yeah, a bit,” I say, lifting my arms to hug Milo.
He made a bogus excuse about meeting up with a teacher so he could hitch a ride to school with me and Kai. Kai took little notice, chalking it up to another of Milo’s nerdy antics.
Behind Milo, Kai hurries down the stairs, causing me to step back and sacrifice the hug.
“Are you ready to go?” Kai asks, fixing the straps of his backpack.
“Mhmm.”
He tilts his head, getting a good look at my less than enthused expression. “What’s up, James?”
I huff, picking up my bag from the couch. “My teammates are gonna give me hell for not being at the game.”
“Pfft. You’ve got nothing to worry about,” Kai says, resting an elbow on my shoulder. “Your coach still wants you on the team, and your teammates are jealous of your skills.”
“Jealousy or not, I still don’t like the looks they give me.”
Kai gives me a strange look. “What does it matter what they do? It’s never affected your game, has it?”
I sink under his weight. “No, I guess not.”
Kai gives a proud nod. “Right. If they’re grumpy about losing the game, just remind them they have practice twice a week for a reason.”
“Right.” I stand tall, taking in Kai’s words. “If anything, they should practice as much throughout the week as they can.”
Kai pats my back. “Just like you do, superstar.”
I snigger. “So cheesy.”
Kai jingles his keys, moving toward the garage door. “It got the job done.”
“I appreciate you saying that,” I say, reaching for Kai and halting him. “Especially after what happened at your game.”
Kai gives me a small smile. “It’s cool. I got too in my head.”
I wince. “Because Tabitha was there.”
He nods. “I was trying to impress her. Epic fail, huh.”
I frown as Kai turns away and disappears into the garage. My heart hurts for him. I still maintain Tabitha is a bad luck charm. That doesn't mean I want my best friend to fail.
Before joining Kai, I sneak a glance at Milo. His small smile conveys all the reassurance I need. I brush my hand by his and hook his pinky finger with mine. His pinky squeezes mine and a soft laugh puffs out of us both.
“Hey, what’s the hold up?” Kai calls from the car.
I drop Milo’s finger and rush toward the garage. “Nothing!”
On the drive to school, I avoid checking over my shoulder. The blush from my intimate moment with Milo still lingering on my skin. When we reach the west side parking lot, I open the car door and ask Kai if he’s coming.
He shakes his head, saying, “It’s early. I’m going to Tabby’s house. She might want to get a smoothie or something before school.”
Dang. That sounds so adorable. “Oh.”
Kai blinks at me. “Did you want me to get you one? For after practice?”
“No, it’s cool. Thanks for the ride.”
