Page 121 of Salto

"I did not—" I looked away. "Okay, maybe."

"Oh my gosh," Mia laughed, though she looked a little rattled. "You highlighted more rule books?"

"It was important information!"

Laney pointed at me. "You're delusional if you think you two aren't going to end up crossing some line."

"I don't cross lines," I said firmly, folding my arms over my chest.

Laney's eyebrow rose.

"Oh really? Because I know you cross lines, Scarlet Hale. Rarely. But you do."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I glared at her, unsure what she was talking about.

"Back in our first year of NCAA, you went on that no-sugary-drinks kick for like four months."

I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, not this."

"And then we went to that little café on Coronado Island. They had that piña colada with the little pineapple wedge and the adorable paper flower toothpick."

I could still picture the stupid drink in my head.

It had been heavenly.

Divine.

I still thought about it to this day.

"He's a piña colada with a pineapple wedge," Laney said.

"He is not," I said, shaking my head.

Laney nodded, and now Mia was nodding with her.

“You may not be able to see it yet. But after playing friends for so long, one day he's going to start looking like that sugary drink you've been denying yourself.” She leaned forward. “And you won't be able to resist.”

"It’s not going to happen." I found a stray cinnamon bear between the couch cushions and threw it at her. "We’re just friends, and it’s going to stay that way.”

She caught the bear and threw it back.

"We’ll revisit this conversation in six months and see then."

I rolled my eyes, and thankfully, the conversation shifted to lighter topics. They told me about the team and how things were going. Laney talked about her latest boyfriend drama, and it started to feel like a normal night with my best friends.

I tried not to think too hard about how they were leaving again soon.

We talked as long as we could justify. When it was almost midnight, I yawned for the twentieth time, and they both noticed.

"You gotta get to bed," Mia said, already moving off the couch. "You have to rest before the weekend."

When we got to the door, they hugged me once more, and I tried not to be a giant baby and cry, but tears still stung the corners of my eyes.

"I’m going to miss you two."

"We’ll get together again soon. After you crush the U.S Classic and qualify for Nationals," Laney said, and I chuckled, reaching up to rub at my watery eyes.