Page 116 of As You Walk On

Aleah pouts. “Sounds fake.”

“Oh, it’s very real,” I counter, inflating my chest. “It’s anautomatic L if none of the dare committee is there to bear witness. Them’s the rules.”

I proudly accept Aleah’s middle-fingered response as her admitting defeat.

“Fine,” she grumbles. “What’s the new dare?”

I tap my chin, thinking. There are a dozen different options. But every single one leads back to a dare that pushes her into being my friend again. That’s not what I want. No more forcing things. No more situational relationships.

No more selfish dares.

My eyes fall on her left foot resting on the basketball.

“I dare you to stick it out with the Ballers,” I say. “I dare you to chase your dreams no matter who’s standing in the way.”

Aleah puts her hands on her hips but doesn’t respond.

That’s my cue.

“And just to be sure there’s an actual witness this time,” I start, inhaling deeply before the next part, “I’ll be there. Every game. Watching and cheering and embarrassing the shit out of you. I’m gonna tag you in sixty different videos for my measly one-point-one-thousand followers to see.”

“You just had to throw that in,” stage-whispers Darren, nudging me.

Aleah looks as if she’s processing the gauntlet I’ve thrown down. I can tell she’s searching for a counterargument by the way her lips part, but there isn’t one.

“Okay,” she relents in a whisper.

“Okay?!”

Aleah nods, then gently smiles.

“So... is this the new Nameless Trio? TNT-squared?” Darren tosses his arms around our shoulders, ridiculous biceps yanking us closer.

Aleah makes a face, trying to wiggle free. I share the same sentiment.

“No more trios,” I groan, poking Darren’s ribs until he staggers back. “And no more nicknames. The Nameless Trio? Who came up with that anyway?”

“Jay,” Darren reminds me with a weak pout.

That’s right. He thought we were nobodies the first day of school. Like we had to earn our place here. Make everyone love us. I coined TNT because I knew, as a group, we were explosive. Who knew fourteen-year-old Theo was so prophetic?

“We’re not nameless,” I declare. “We’re not some collective hive-mind either. We have our own identities and goals.”

I peek over at Aleah. “We’re friends too.”

She doesn’t react other than hugging herself. I don’t know why I hoped for something more.I’m sorrydoesn’t solve everything.

“Just so I’m clear,” Darren says, “that’s a veto on a squad name?”

“A hard no,” Aleah confirms.

I nod in agreement. “I just want my friends to be friends with each other.”

“Geez, what is this? Some Pixar wet dream?” Aleah’s teasing smirk sets Darren off, his cackle echoing off the gym’s walls.

I can’t help my own chuckle. “Does this mean you accept my apology?” I ask her.

She’s back to spinning the ball on one finger, but her response isn’t as delayed: “Yes.”

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