Me, Myself, and I

bounce

Alex still had two more days in Floridian paradise. I had to gather the troops, and that left me with only one option.

"I can't believe you dragged me out to a high school basketball game. And they're charging now, too?" Brooke hadn't tanned like she planned. All that sunlight had been soaked up by her hair. "Too bad Val isn't around. She'd kill to see this."

"See what?" I said, pulling out two fives to pay security out front.

"DUH. Ben's playing basketball. Against the best team in our conference. Who wouldn't want to watch that go down?"

"You, apparently."

The woman inspected my bills, stamped both my and Brooke's hands, and we let ourselves into the refurnished gymnasium. Place had a shine about it, could see myself on the floor and off the walls. The hoops and a new glisten about them too. I shook my head. I needed to watch the crowds. My text's recipient would be unexpecting. That's when I'd pounce.

We stomped up the bleachers, finding a small gap in the center of some home team parents. They were already chattering about the opponents.

Wildwood High, our biggest rival. I remembered the rallies: people would streak through their turf before the homecoming game, steal mascots, paint walls. Not that it had really mattered. Delcoph high was infamous for athletes below five-five. And we had all been convinced Wildwood athletes were on steroids, way they towered over ours.

The teams were huddled by their respective benches. I scanned the student body next. Vaguely familiar faces that all looked so much younger to me now.

That's when I spotted not Kyle, but the clan. Dad's clan of therapy kids. My old clan. That ridiculous smile returned to my mouth. Kim, now the oldest one, wore her usual long thick eyelashes and turtleneck, gently pushing a freshman on a wheelchair to the front. She kissed a boy beside her, Willie, then jumped in the air, screaming into the crowd.

The group had to be double what we had last year. Didn't recognize any of them. They all held up large scribbled-on posters, waving small wolf flags. Ben's face even made an appearance on a few of them.

Kathy Starr, the boys' basketball coach, was marching about the sideline, chewing on one of her kinky hair strands in between shouts. She wore her shoulders back, clamping a kid on the back, her son Liam, best point guard Delcoph high has had since Starr was young enough to be playing. I glanced through my cell during warmups, thinking up which recipe I'd experiment with this time. A whistle shot through the air, I snapped my neck up, felt my bangs bounds off my forehead. Kathy was leaned over the huddle of sweaty high school boys. The ref held the basketball in the hair; I eyed the other five players, running onto the court one at a time, Liam was easily the smallest, already preparing to jump a hurdle of fouls.

Kyle. That's right. Where was he?

"AND NOW THE STARTING LINEUP FOR YOUR DELCOPH WOLVES!!!"

Lightning storm through the crowd. All standing, jumping, I stood on the seat of the bleacher, my toes pressed hard against it. "LIAM STARR," the announcer thundered, followed by too many adjectives, "JO-JO PARKER." But. "AADI AND AARAV JAIN." And. "BEN WOOD!!!!!"

He ran out quickly, eyes towards the ground, clamping hands with Liam after his entrance. His hair had grown out a bit, still too short on him after that stupid surgery. He gave a shy wave towards the crowd before facing the court.

"HE'S A STARTER?" Brooke snapped. "ALEX WASN'T A STARTER."

I shook my head. My heart was racing for him. Last time I'd watched a basketball game between these two schools Joey had wound up with a black eye, Alex a broken arm... They'd literally knocked us out of the tournament.

Ball in the air, whizzed to the other team's court. A pass to Liam, three pointer. He was good at those. Our side. Ben beat them to the other side. Our basketball team, infamously short. Of course. But how'd they find him? Why'd they find him? Ben made an awkward pass to Liam again. Aadi and Aarav were wrestling against two others. Ben and Liam clamped hands again. Liam chucked the ball, Ben snatched it, off to the next. He'd run, get to a spot where no one had reached him yet, catch, throw. I don't think he shot a basket, or even tried for that matter. Just outran everyone else and tossed Liam the ball.

"I'm gonna kill Paige, by the way. Thought you should know." Brooke cut off my thoughts.

"Again?"

She picked at her nail. "Girl won't shut up about me being single."

"Isn't she single?"

"That's the thing. I don't know what's going on with her anymore. Like, she doesn't talk to any of us. Not like she ever did, anyway. But she's getting worse." She frowned at the court. "I thought she was gonna be here..."

On cue we hit halftime. Cheerleaders pranced out to do their routine. It ended with a lot of red paint. Somehow it hadn't gotten on the court.

"Oh," Brooke mumbled.

"How do you forget your own sister's a cheerleader?"

"Shut up, White. I'm still mad at you."

They pranced off. I had to admit Paige had a glow about her.

Clock flashed again. They tossed the ball in.

I remembered Alex telling me that Starr would kill, quite literally, for an athlete above six foot. But, an athlete, right? I shook my head. Yes, that was Ben, playing basketball, outrunning, catching, throwing. I'd come here expecting it. But seeing it was like being trapped inside a fever dream. Putting eggs in a freezer instead of the fridge.

Brooke snapped a picture of the court. "For Val. She won't believe me without evidence."

Tied thirty thirty. Huddle. Liam whispered something to Ben, who nodded, eyes somewhere else entirely. Whistle, Liam on the sideline, chuck an off shot, Ben snagged, leaped.

The scoreboard flashed 32-30, Liam shouted, Ben smiled, they clamped him, he shrugged as if he'd done that in his sleep. Closest Delcoph would ever get to a slam dunk.

I clapped with the others, on my feet now. Fighting a smile. Starr must've seen him run. I don't know how, or why. Okay, maybe a grin. Ben was playing basketball. Pencil-dropping, book worm Ben had just scored a game winning basket. I smiled wider, whooped like Kim and the others. Those signs were waving higher in the student body section. B-E-N. Giddy and stupid, I heard myself laugh. My head was lighter.

The girlfriends of players were painted red below and had reunited with their lovers. Ben was closest to the center of the court. Kathy Starr had just finished talking to him. He looked up, I waved, but his eyes weren't on mine. He sighed, turned around, started walking back to the bench to pick up folding chairs.

Then I remembered. My objective. He hadn't shown up.

"Brooke, we should..."

She scowled. "What's that little brat doing now?"

I heard a screech in the crowd. Watched red-painted blonde hair fly behind Paige Eada's tiny little figure as she jumped up on Ben and kissed him at half court.