Page 30 of Forged Forever

“A spoiled rich boy with a temper who can’t handle someone being better than him. Got it.”

Alex laughs. “In this case, yes, you are correct. Remember, not all rich people are bad, Summer.”

“I know.” I bump his shoulder again as I return my focus to the game. The buzzer sounds at the end of the third quarter, as everyone grabs some water and a quick rest. Peeking at Jake, I see him animatedly talking to Will about something, but I can’t make out all the words with the noise in the gymnasium. It doesn’t matter; he’s having a good time.

In the fourth quarter, our team remains in control. The other team tries to switch back to man-to-man defense, but E breaks through the double team this time, scoring, and BJ yells out to the universe in frustration. He’s a bubbling pot of stew about to spill over the edges, making a mess.

BJ misses a 3 point shot as E grabs the rebound, passing to Seb. He and Jonathan rush towards the other end of the court, BJ in hot pursuit. Seb passes to Jonathan, almost tripping BJ up as he passes quickly back to Seb for a layup.

As if in slow motion, I see the hit coming. As Seb’s feet leave the ground, BJ jumps too, but instead of aiming to block the shot, he shoves Seb mid-air as hard as he can. Seb goes flying towards the crowd standing near the main doors, crashing into several spectators. Seb and two men fall on top of each other as the whistle blows.

“Someone needs to teach the kid humility,” I grumble as E runs over to check on Seb. He’s already standing, though, helping the spectators get back on their feet. Giving his limbs a shake, he looks over towards our group with a smile, walking back to the bench without assistance.

A technical foul is called as the referees gather with the coaches. “He may be ejected,” Alex comments.

“That kid will ruin his career before it starts if he doesn’t learn to control himself,” Jake adds, a frown on his face. Squeezing his hand, I give him an overview of the rich around here. “Seriously?” Jake replies, eyes wide with shock.

“Yup. It’s a different world down here in some respects.” Jake blinks a few times before returning his gaze to the court. The ref announces a technical foul with a warning, and that Seb will take two shots. Guess he’s staying in the game.

Seb makes both free throws, and then the game continues. BJ plays the remainder of the game but is subdued. As the final buzzer sounds, the crowd erupts. We win by 11 points. Another league championship!

The team from the bench swarms the players on the court, coaching staff in the mix as we cheer and holler for Seb and E. They break away from the masses and jog our way. I get picked up in a sweaty hug and twirled around by Seb as congratulations flow from our group. Seb sets me down as Troy steps up to hug him. He fist bumps Jake too, before they’re called back to the bench.

Officials, medals, and the third-place team join the others at center court. We clap as each team gets their medals and trophies, and Seb receives the MVP award again this year. I’m so proud of Hurry.

As the crowd clears out, we keep our seats to wait for the guys. I notice that the USC and Charleston scouts are remaining seated as well.

“Glad you came, handsome?” I ask Jake, turning in my seat to face him.

“Yeah Sum. Seb and E are really good. Great game. Are we waiting for them now?”

“Yup, and for the scouts. Seb should get offers today.”

“They’re back,” Troy announces as I swing my head towards the locker rooms. Sure enough, Seb and E are walking out, holding hands and smiling. Both scouts get up and walk towards them, so Troy jumps up and jogs over to join the discussion.

The rest of our group gets up to stretch and mingle as I sit with Jake’s hand in mine, knee bouncing as I watch their interactions. Seb is smiling, which is a good sign, but Troy is standing with legs spread and arms crossed over his chest, looking serious.

The conversation isn’t long. Seb, E, and Troy shake hands with the scouts before they walk to the main doors. Seb pumps his fist in the air without making a sound, Troy and E smiling at him.

When the main doors close, Seb runs over to us. “Full ride, baby!” he yells, hugging Alex first, bouncing in a circle. Alex is laughing as he congratulates Seb. He hugs Bay, me, Gabby, Dad, and then Jake.

“I’m so happy for you, Hurry!” Seb is so ecstatic, he’s like the sun after an eclipse. We gather our belongings as we make our way to the parking lot. Seb insists on pushing Jake’s wheelchair as he shares the details of his scholarships.

Both are offering full rides to cover tuition, room, and board, and he'll receive acceptance letters from the schools on Monday morning with the details. Charleston University tried to entice E again, but he declined.

“What about Jonathan?”

“Not sure. I’ll check with him on Monday, but they were definitely interested in him too,” Seb answers.

Will helps Jake into the vehicle, and I kiss his cheek, promising to visit later today, and Dad invites everyone to our house for dinner to celebrate. I follow Dad to the grocery store, where we buy ground beef, hot dogs, buns, and drinks to barbecue later on.

While Dad preps the burgers, I make a garden salad and potato salad. Once everything is ready, I leave to visit Jake.

“Hello,” I call as I unlock the condo door, but I don’t get an answer. Strange. I don’t see Ray anywhere, so I walk into Jake’s room. I say hi to Will as I notice Jake has his headphones on, eyes closed as he rests back in bed.

Touching his hand, Jake’s eyes pop open, a dusty pink color touching his cheekbones. He hits a button on his tablet, pulling his headphones down to rest on his neck. “Hi Sum.”

“What’cha listening to? You’re blushing.”