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Back at their seats, the men handed out the food and drinks. It wasn’t too complicated of an order since the only food available were hamburgers, hotdogs, small bags of chips and bottles of soda or water.
Aria took the chips and drink she’d requested when Gareth held them out to her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said with a smile.
“Are you enjoying yourself, Aria?” Janessa asked as she opened her chips. “Not too noisy for you?”
“It’s great,” she said. “I’ve never been to something like this before. Are there other school sports or just basketball?”
“There are other sports,” Janessa said. “Gareth played football, along with Jackson and Wade. I played some soccer.”
“I’ve never been into sports,” Aria said. “But this is fun.”
“You’ve definitely had a wild introduction to life in Serenity Point,” Charli said.
“It’s been great. The most excitement I’ve had in a long time.”
Janessa grinned. “We’re all about excitement around here.”
Cheers drowned their conversation out as the teams returned to the court. The visiting team must have received a super pep talk from their coach during half-time because they were on fire for the first few minutes of the second half.
“Are they going to win?” Aria asked.
Gareth glanced over to find her frowning as she watched the play on the court. “I can’t say they’regoingto win, since this team is a fierce rival of ours. The score always goes back and forth in the games they’ve played against each other.”
“I hope our team wins.”
“Well, you’re in good company,” he told her with a laugh.
When she looked over at him, her eyes were sparkling. “I suppose I am.”
A play on the court drew their attention, and Gareth called out encouragement to Cole as he jumped into the air to intercept a shot. This was an exceptionally good game from Cole, and it proved why he’d landed some college scholarships. Gareth couldn’t wait to see what the years ahead would hold for his youngest brother.
As the minutes ticked down on the clock, neither team was pulling ahead by much. With a minute left, the teams were tied.
“I’m not sure my heart can handle this,” Aria said, pressing a hand to her chest. “I didn’t realize it would be so suspenseful.”
Everyone was on their feet now, fans of both the home team and the visiting one. As their team got the ball, the cheers rose to a deafening level. With the last seconds ticking down, the player with the ball faked out the guys guarding him, and bounce-passed the ball to Cole. As soon as the ball was in Cole’s hands, he went straight up into the air and shot at the basket.
The crowd seemed to collectively hold its breath, and the noise level dropped as everyone waited to see what was going to happen. The ball swished through the net, and a second later, the buzzer sounded.
Cheers erupted in the gym as their team’s players spilled out onto the court to hug and high-five their teammates. Jay was out there too, his arm around Cole’s shoulders.
Gareth felt a sweep of pride as he looked at his brothers. Though he’d never carried the same passion for sports—especially basketball—that they did, he could recognize the level of talent both Jay and Cole had for the game. Jay went on to have success in his college years, leading his team to several state and national titles in his time there. Gareth hoped that Cole experienced the same, since the teen really wanted to justify the scholarships he'd received.
Next to him, Aria was also on her feet, clapping enthusiastically. For someone who hadn’t known much about the game, she’d caught on quickly, and unless she was good at faking her excitement, she’d enjoyed herself.
“How often do they play games like this?” she asked, once again leaning close since the noise level was still pretty intense.
“There’s usually a game every weekend, though they’re not always at home, and sometimes they’re not this exciting.”
“This team is one of their fiercest rivals,” Janessa said. “So whenever they play, it’s always a good game.”
“That was just amazing,” Aria said. “Thanks so much for including me.”
Janessa put an arm around her shoulders. “Thanks for coming with us. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“And I hope you’re planning to join us for supper at the big house,” Gareth’s mom said as she leaned forward, looping her arm around his shoulders.
