Page 187 of Jaded

You never know how long good things will last, so you gotta hold them and cherish them while you’ve got them.

We make the playoffs.

The Day River Dingoes make the goddamn playoffs for the first time in sixteen years. Of course, I find out in possibly the strangest way possible.

I’m just pulling the Tacoma into the parking lot of the rink when three bodies hurtle towards me from the direction of the building. I slam the brakes, tires squealing, barely avoiding hitting Everton, who instead throws himself onto the hood of the car.

“Playoffs, motherfucker!” he roars, lifting his hands as he slides off the other side with admittedly impressive grace.

“What?” I wrench open the door to find Charlie and Dev grinning at me from a much more appropriate distance, as Everton streaks across the parking lot towards Skyler’s car. I climb out onto ice-slicked pavement. “We made the playoffs?”

Charlie throws an arm around my shoulders, plants a concerningly moist kiss on my cheek. “You know it, dude. They just announced the wild card pick like an hour ago. All thanks to Jay and Vay! And Tay!”

My stomach throws itself against my ribcage as Everton throws himself at the sky, arms outstretched. “Playoffs, playoffs, playoffs!”

“Sweet tie,” Avery ambles over, looking like the very picture of cool in his backwards hat and leather jacket. Looking likeNat, honestly, except for the blond hair.

My brain’s still trying to make sense of what I’m hearing, and seeing—Everton’s grinning from ear to ear and definitely wearing a tie over his T-shirt. And no jacket, despite the bite to the Day River winter air.

“Pink hearts and hockey sticks.” Holls trots up next to Everton to pluck the tie off his chest. “Where’d you get that?”

“This tie,” says Ever proudly, “is one of a kind.”

“Hot damn.” I join the crowd, Avery at my heels. “How much did that cost?”

“A small fortune. We’re not gonna talk about it.”

“Where’d you get it?” Avery asks. “You gonna get me one?”

“Damn straight.” Ever’s face sobers, and he lifts a hand to Avery’s shoulder. The other he places on mine. And slowly turns his head to regale each of us with a somber stare. “We’re going all the way, boys. All the fucking way.”

“What is this, team bonding?” Nat joins our group, so quiet I didn’t hear him approach. He’s on the other side of Charlie, and his presence is warm, soft, like a balm to all the excitement building up inside me, around me.

“We made the playoffs.” Charlie’s arm is around him now, a smacking-wet kiss against his cheek. “Thanks to our wonder boys, Jay and Vay.”

And Number Forty-Seven, nobody says.

“What!” Nat’s gaze finds mine. The light of the soft winter sun sparkles in the depths of his eyes, turning them to vibrant jade. Not that I’m waxing poetic. “Holy shit.”

“Hop in.” Ever’s hand drops from my shoulder to tug Nat in close instead. “We’re manifesting, you know? Good vibes, boys. I feel a championship title in the very near future. And I’m sensing a win . . . soon.”

“Is that so?” I ask, a smile twitching my mouth. I fight it, though, ’cause I know Ever’s trying to be all Mr. Cool Hippie Flow right now.

But when I catch Nat looking at me, I know he saw my smile. I know he’s smiling too. I feel it in the soft radiance about him.

“Tigers are knocking at the knees.”

I almost shudder at the thought. We’re the lowest seed of the playoff bracket, which means we’ll be facing the best of the division, and we’llhave to bring our best game four times if we want to make it to the next round.

“For sure,” Charlie grins, and now he’s got an arm around me, and one around Avery. “Those bastards are scared of JayVay.”

I groan. “We’re not making that a thing.”

“We’re definitely making it a thing.”

“I support the thing,” Nat says, that little traitor. “JayVay.”

“JayVay and Forty-Seven!"

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