You Know Why (on hold till april 24)

Chapter 37: Devil redemption

The day was here. The day that decides nearly everything. The day I could live or die.

I paced nervously around the locker room, waiting for Coach to call us outside for the game. The rest of the team was just as nervous as I was, while Stacy tried offering some encouragement. Once we finally went outside, my mind completely blocked out the deafening cheers and hollering, trying to stay focused. I looked out to my friends in the crowd, seeing my dad sitting next to Megan and Ezra. He waved enthusiastically and I smiled.

"Hey." I was snapped out of my thoughts as Tyler ran up to me. The boys team weren't going to be playing today, so he going to watch from the bench. "You good?"

"Yeah. Just, nervous as usual."

"As usual, you'll do great." He emphasized on those first two words, grinning at me and giving me a casual hug before walking back to sit with the rest of the boys team.

Tracy took the jump ball and the game started, with our team in possession. I ran back, receiving the ball from Olivia and shooting it in.

The crowd erupted and I exhaled, glad that I didn't miss. The game continued, and we crushed the opposing team effortlessly. I don't know how it happened, but it felt like my mind and my body finally connected on that court. I actually started smiling like an idiot.

The game ended with a huge score gap, and I felt elevated. For a moment, I finally felt like myself again. I had even managed to score some three-pointers. I don't know how, but I did it.

Ezra, Tyler, Megan and I went back to her place to celebrate since there was no one at her house, all of us feeling exhilarated. Our school was officially in the finals, where the scouts would be. Holy shit.

Megan took out some beers she had hidden in one of the kitchen cabinets, handing us each one. While normally actual liquor was what would get you real drunk, beer was enough for today for me. Tyler and Ezra headed straight to her gaming system again, yelling like idiots as they fought each other with remote controls. I rolled my eyes.

"So, how's it going with Ezra?" I asked Megan, taking a sip of my beer. "Oh, it's awesome." She replied. "I think he's pretty much the first guy I've dated that I've felt fully comfortable with."

"Well, yeah. You guys are literally like Ross and Rachel. From friends to more than friends."

She smiled, shaking her head at the Friends reference. "You know I've dated a ton of guys. They're usually all so stupid. Like Asher with you, for example."

"Ugh. Why bring him up?"

"Sorry. He was super-hot though."

I scoffed. "Still doesn't justify his craziness. We weren't really together that long anyway."

"I guess. Was he good in bed at least?"

I froze at the question, unsure of how to answer. Megan looked at me in confusion, her eyes widening when she finally realized why I was taking so long to reply. "Holy shit, you guys never slept together?"

"Um... we were kind of taking it slow, I guess."

"Well shit. Eh, it's fine. I mean, you have hooked up with other guys before at like parties, right? It's not like you're a virgin."

I didn't say anything again.

"Oh my god, you're a fucking virgin, aren't you?"

I shushed her, turning around to see if Tyler and Ezra heard. Luckily, they hadn't. "Keep your damn voice down."

She burst out laughing, hugging her stomach and nearly dropping the beer she was holding. "Ha! This literally explains so much! I can't believe I never noticed this. This is hilarious."