Ezra moves like he’s made of pure determination, stealing, passing, finding every opening like the court is a second language he’s fluent in.
Ezra jumps to shoot the ball from beyond the arc on the ground. He scores a three-pointer, but when he lands, his ankle bends at an unnatural angle, and Ezra cries out in pain, falling to the ground.
The whistle blows. Everyone huddles around Ezra.
No. This can’t be happening. Not at his big game.
The coach bends down to talk to Ezra, and for a few minutes, I can’t breathe. All I can think about is that if he’s seriously hurt, it’s going to feel like a knife to my heart.
The coach helps Ezra up, and everyone claps as Ezra chooses to keep playing despite the clear limp in his step at first. Then,after a few more steps, the limp improves, but I can see him trying to hide the discomfort by the way his jaw is clenched.
The game resumes, and Ezra does well enough, but not like he was before. I notice him letting his other teammates take the lead for a while, and when there are thirty seconds left and the scoreboard still the same, Coach Dresden calls a timeout.
The gym falls into a hush, like everyone’s holding their breath all at once. Ezra is in the huddle, bent forward, listening, nodding. For a second, his gaze drifts up, skimming the stands, like he can feel me watching, and then our eyes lock again. I just smile at him, hoping he can read the words I’m too far away to speak. Words that say I believe in him. Because I do.
When the whistle blows, and they jog back on the court. The clock ticks down with only twenty seconds left. The Fallbrook Falcons run the play, passing fast, and the ball finds its way to Ezra’s hands with five seconds left. With the Falcons down by two, Ezra will need to score another three-pointer to win this game.
He doesn’t hesitate. He pushes past the defender in position on the rival team and shoots. The ball arcs through the air like slow motion. It sinks through the net, and the gym erupts.
Yes! They did it! The Falcons won the game!
I’m on my feet without realizing it, screaming with everyone else. The team swarms Ezra, pulling him into a tangle of navy jerseys and flying arms.
But then the ref yells, “Foul!”
Chaos erupts. There’s yelling, booing, and so much commotion I can barely follow along. The Falcons’ winning points get deducted from the scoreboard.
“Are you kidding me?” someone yells. “It wasbarelya foul!”
Still, the other team is granted possession of the ball because Ezra pushed past the defender when he made the shot.
With one second left on the clock, it’s no use. The time expires before anyone can do anything, and the other team is in the lead when the game ends.
I can only imagine how Ezra must be feeling right now. He’s probably devastated.I’mdevastated.
Eventually, the booing dies down, and the team breaks apart. Players head toward the locker room, and the rival team passes around high fives and congratulations to each other. Coach Dresden disappears toward the hallway, and Ezra scans the crowd.
The second his eyes find mine, he starts moving in my direction. I swallow, suddenly aware of the weight of his jersey on my body, of the fact that I still haven’t told him how I feel about him. I’m way too scared to admit it.
As he reaches the base of the bleachers, one thought hits me harder than the noise did.
I don’t know what happens next.
With him, with the scout, or with the future of Little Birdie now that I’ve been outed. Opening night for the musical is tomorrow, and we were supposed to stage a breakup. I can’t let that happen. I need to be bold for once and tell him how I feel.
Ezra reaches the bottom of the bleachers and looks up at me like I’m the first person he wants to see after the most intense game of his life.
And for the first time, it feels like maybe, just maybe, that kind of bravery is possible.
Chapter 25
Ezra
I’m not good enough.
It’s all I could think out there on the court just moments ago. It’s what echoed in my head when I twisted my ankle. It’s what I’m thinking right now as Rue descends the bleachers to get to me.
I’m not good enough. I’m just a kid with rich parents who paved my way in life.
