Page 115 of As You Walk On

She really does. Always has. Who wouldn’t want a friend like her?

“I heard about the Jay thing,” she says out of nowhere.

Of course she did. Nothing happens around this school without it either being a hashtag, a meme, or the hottest distraction from an assignment.

“I’m glad you ditched him,” she notes. “Sorry, not sorry.”

A small grin tickles my mouth. “I don’t hate him,” I quietly admit. It’s another hard truth I’m learning to live with.

“I get that.” She scrunches her nose. “I don’t hate Lexi. Or my mom.” Her hands are less coordinated as she bounces the ball. “I don’t hate you either, Theo.”

We stare at each other. Her eyes aren’t as loaded with venom as before. They’re soft. Something like twelve-year-old Aleah. Eventually, we smile in a way that feels like we’re okay.

Not fixed. But okay.

“Anyway.” She nails another flawless three-pointer. No backboard, all swish. When she recovers the ball, she says, “I know you’re here for my dare. River warned me.”

Sold out by my mutual anime buddy. Figures.

“And?” I ask.

She makes another shot, this one swirling around the rim before dropping in.

“It’s already done.” She says it so casual. But there’s something in her stuttered footsteps as she lines up for a shot she never takes. A beat before her face is lit brighter than those fireworks in Prospect.

“I’m in.” I’m not sure if it’s her voice or a sneaker against the hardwood that squeaks. “I’m going to be a freaking Rolling Tone!”

Definitely voice.

“Really?” I can barely contain my own excitement.

I want to hug her. Swing her around. Scream victoriously. But I manage to find my chill—and my desire to avoid bodily harm—to say, “That’s huge. Right?”

Aleah shrugs. “It’s aight.”

She’s such a liar. I’m not gonna call her out. Amanda Cox will do enough of that for both of us.

“Well, then.” I pace around her, hands behind my back. “Guess that means I need to give you a new dare.”

“Uh, that’s not how it works,” she argues.

Another pair of sneakers squeal on the hardwoods. Darren’s hustling over to us, grinning. It’s a good thing I didn’t let River in on my backup plan in case this all went to hell.

Darren snatches the ball from Aleah, goes for a layup, and... misses badly, crashing bodily into the wall.

With age clearly doesn’t come better friend choices.

After recovering, Darren asks, “Was that awful? On a scale from one to ten?”

“Negative five,” I reply. Aleah’s too busy doubled over with laughter to answer.

Darren brushes himself off, cheeks a burnt red, before turning to Aleah. “Theo’s right. A new dare must be instituted.”

“Because...?” Aleah says.

“In order for it to count, you have to have at least one witness from the crew,” Darren explains diplomatically. “Cardinal rule of the dare system, duh.”

I elbow him with a smile. Good old Darren Jacobs to the rescue.

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