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“Yeah. It’s understood, Coach.”
Coach keeps those eyes on him. “You’re seconds away from being kicked off my team, McSteffan. You leave Hastings alone or you can kiss your basketball career goodbye. Is that clear?”
He throws his hands up. “It’s just not fair that Topher’s gone, man.”
Coach steps closer to him. “Topher deserved that for acting with his fists and not his brain. Give me your word that you’ll behave or get out of my face.”
Gibson glances at me, then back at Coach. “Yeah, I’ll behave. For the team.”
Coach nods. “Good. We’re a family here. We support one another, uplift one another. If anyone has a problem with that, get out of my gym.”
No one moves.
“Good,” Coach says. “Now let’s start practice. Hastings, sit this one out.”
Xavier gently claps me on the back as he and the others get into position and I lower myself on the bleachers.
For the first few minutes, Gibson glares at me, but he eventually either gets bored or figures he’s wasting too much energy on me and ignores me completely.
I was so determined to fit in with my teammates and have them accept me, but that’s not important anymore. I don’t need to be friends with them. We’re teammates and that’s it. I have many people in my life who care about me. That’s what matters.
Chapter Thirteen
Chloe
Noah parks in the student lot Thursday morning and we enter the school building, where my friends are gathered at my locker. After my brother and I wish each other a good day, I make my way over to them.
“Are we gathered atmylocker this morning for a specific reason?” I joke as I join them.
“Open it!” Lily starts to chat. “Open it!”
“The odds of Chloe receiving another love letter are low,” Willow points out. “The secret admirer just wrote her one two days ago.”
Ava frowns at her. “Such a buzzkill.”
She shrugs. “Just being logical.”
“Where are the guys?” I ask as I step closer and place my fingers on my combination lock.
“Liam and Xavier are at a meeting with the team and Aidan isn’t here yet,” Ava tells me.
My heart pounds in my ears as I do my combination. Willow’s right, but I can’t help wondering—and hoping!—that maybe…
My locker pops open and Lily, Ava, Willow, and I lean forward. But nothing tumbles out of my locker.
“Rats,” Ava says.
“Bummer,” Lily agrees. “I so thought he would write you again.”
“Any closer to discovering who he is?” Willow asks me.
I study the area, focusing on any guy who might be looking in my direction. But like usual, no one is paying attention to me.
I lift my shoulders. “He’s good at hiding in the shadows.”
Lily rubs my back. “Don’t worry. One day he’ll gather the courage and reveal himself to you. And then you’ll fall madly in love and live happily ever after!”
“I wish,” I mutter.
