AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We’re doing totally awesome. You just missed seeing Cory making a three-pointer right before Todd did.” She grinned at me, pride glittering in her eyes. “He can sink ’em like they’re layups.”
I nodded, mentally reminding myself to research and discover what a layup was.
“So Todd says you’re hanging out with us tonight after the game.”
Glancing up, I stared hopefully at my new best friend. “Are you going too?” I asked. If she said yes, I figured maybe I could get through the rest of the night after all. She grinned and nodded.
Whew. My relief bloomed.
Until she added, “But it’s not all that exciting. We usually just head over to Ryder’s house and hang out.”
“Ryder?” I echoed, my voice small as my chances of making it through the evening plummeted.
“Yeah, he’s number, umm…” Mindy trailed off, squinting as she scanned the floor for him. I almost muttered forty-two for her, but managed to hold my tongue another three seconds until she pointed and said, “He’s number forty-two. He’s dating Kiera, that cheerleader over there.”
Yes, that part I remembered.
But I acted clueless as Mindy rolled her eyes my way and explained, “He’s one of those rich kids whose parents couldn’t have more than one child, so they spoil him rotten. I swear his bedroom is bigger than my whole house. There are two different levels with a couch and entertainment center and fancy surround-sound speaker system with, like, fifty million game systems, private bath, and his closet… Oh, my God, Grace. His closet is bigger than my bedroom.”
As she spoke, I sought Ryder with my gaze. He looked intent on watching the game. It kind of hurt to stare at him. He looked just as he had that first night in Hillsburg, decked out in his purple and white number forty-two jersey. But so much had changed since then.
For a moment, I wished I could go back in time so I could relive that moment and feel the charged thrill of a stranger—a very handsome stranger—acting interested in me. Who knew learning so much about him would ruin my magical memory?
Mindy prattled on beside me, trying to bring me up to speed on everyone, but she really only confused me more, throwing forth so many different names I tuned her out as I watched the game.
Ryder didn’t play much, only a handful of minutes here and there. But he didn’t seem to mind. When he was in the game, he participated one hundred and ten percent. His friend, Todd, on the other hand, was an excellent player, without even trying. Mindy mentioned something about how Todd wanted to get a basketball scholarship to some college, but I really didn’t listen to that either.
I copped a few peeks at Ryder’s cheerleader, wondering what he saw in her—well, besides her pretty face, her peppy attitude, her awesome ability to do a back flip, and—okay, okay, so I know what he saw in her. It was just depressing to admit the truth, so I amused myself by finding faults.
She played with her blond hair too much, always checking to make sure the ponytail was tight and smooth.
She plucked her eyebrows too thin.
She paid no attention to the game, only cheered when the other girls around her did.
Once the final buzzer went off, I jumped and ripped my gaze away from her. For the first time since I’d entered high school, I was able to clap for my team over a victory. It felt super strange sitting on the winning side for once. I sympathized with our opponents, knowing too well how crushing defeat could be.
But Mindy quickly sucked me into her enthusiasm as she led me outside to wait with her and a couple other girls for their boyfriends. Kiera showed up a few minutes later, surrounded by two of her cheerleader friends.
“Hi, again.” The one to her right waved at me. Her face, like Mindy’s, was familiar, but I had no idea what her name was, so I smiled and waved a friendly hi back.
When an outside door, opening straight from the guys’ locker room, emitted a somewhat familiar face, Mindy brightened and popped to her feet. She rushed to her boyfriend and threw her arms around him, kissing him and telling him what a good job he’d done.
I hung back, wishing she’d return to my side and emotionally hold my hand some more. But the door opened again, and this time Ryder exited, once more dressed in the nice clothes he’d worn to school.
He was so utterly beautiful.
I could tell he’d just gotten out of the showers because his hair was wet, the damp moisture making his locks darker so they finally matched the hue of his eyebrows. When he glanced over and saw me, he slowed to a stop, making his halt look really obvious because it caused his duffle bag hanging over his shoulder to bump against his hip and shuffle him a step off balance.
Our gazes held, but he wasn’t granted a long stare because Kiera appeared in front of him, hugging and kissing him and ripping his attention away from me.
Embarrassing as it is to admit, I was so busy watching them kiss I didn’t notice Todd until he stepped in my line of vision, beaming.
“Hey, you did make it.”
I managed a tight smile, not sure why I felt so uncomfortable around him. Since the moment I’d met him, Todd had been nothing but nice, polite, and welcoming.
“Good game,” I said.
