Page 121 of Not Made to Last

I smile, whisper back. “We put it in your backpack before we left.”

He’s quick to unzip the side pocket of his backpack and reveal the beaded bracelet he’d spent all morning working on. Then he shoves Oscar and Dom forward and out of the way so he can squeeze past my legs and get to my sister on the other side of me. I scoot over so they can sit together. “I made you something,” he tells her, hands behind his back.

Izzy gasps. “You did?”

He holds out his hands, palm up, then slowly unfurls his fingers.

“Maxy!” Izzy squeals. “I love it!” She takes the bracelet from him and slides it onto her wrist before hugging him. “Thank you!”

To say that Izzy and Max aresmittenwith each would be an understatement, and yes, I’m incredibly jealous. Not that Izzy has found herself with a new little brother, but that I’m pretty sure Max likes her more than he likes me. Sad.

“I want one,” Mom says, pouting.

“Me too,” says Belinda.

“Me three,” Dad tells him.

“I can make more!” Max exclaims and then music blares from the gym speakers—”Till I Collapse” by Eminem and Nate Dogg—and everyone’s on their feet, cheering, and the cheers only get louder when the lights dim and the door to the lockerrooms open. One by one, the players come out, dressed in Phantom’s uniform—purple with black trim. Their names are announced, alongside their numbers, and I watch each one of them come through the doors, bouncing on my toes, and then swear, I could be standing next to a fighter jet and it wouldn’t come close to the volume of the people around me when OliviaDelgadois announced. My girl runs onto the court as if she’s done it a thousand times before. This is her first game in years, and she practically walked onto the team. Not because of her last name, but because she earned it.

After Dom dropped the idea of her and Oscar transferring to Philips, the seed was planted. Within days, Mom had made it happen, and when she gave Olivia her forms to sign, Olivia looked at her name and just…hatedit. She hated that her last name linked her to someone who’s had zero impact on her life, and so I told her she should change it. So she did.

Again, if you’d told me a year ago that I’d be sharing a bed with a Delgado, I would’vespatin your face and told you to fuck yourself twice.

A lot can change in a year, or in my case, a few months.

“Let’s go, Ollie!” Dom cheers, his hands cupped around his mouth. It’s so loud that Liv hears it over the sound of everyone else, and her cheeks bloom pink as she shakes her head, then lifts her eyes just a tad to meet mine. Swear, my cheeks hurt with the force of my smile. “I love you,” she mouths, and Oscar yells, “I love you, too, Ollie!”

The crowd settles while the opposing team comes out, and then a girl gets the microphone to sing the anthem. Before she can hand the mic back to the principal, Dom’s rushing toward them, and the stands explode with just the sight of him.

“That’s crazy,” Izzy laughs.

“He’s the James DeBron of the school!” Max tells her.

Dominic raises his hand, then slowly lowers it until the crowd goes quiet, and then it’s just him, under the spotlight. He clears his throat, holding the microphone to his mouth. “There are two things in this world I’m sure of. Love and basketball,” he says. “My sister, Ollie, introduced me to both.”

The stadium fills with halfaawsand half cheers, and I look over at Liv, expecting her to shy away from the attention, but she just stands there, her chin raised, hands by her side.

Dom adds, “Happy birthday, Ollie.” And then he drops the mic, literally, and within minutes, I can’t breathe. I thought the nerves and adrenalineplayingwere next level. It’s nothing like watching my girl play. She’s the shortest on the team, but she brings the type of fire and energy that’s completely unmatched by any player on either team.

When she told me she wanted to try out, I told her I’d help train her, and I did, butman, I had no fucking clue how good she is… I mean, both she and Dom had mentioned it in the past, but I was not prepared. The girl’s talents on the court are God-given, and I don’t even believe in God. She’d told me she stopped playing to focus on her education, because she thought it would impress hermothermore than basketball. It didn’t. Also, did I mention I hate her mother, because I do.

Olivia gets checked from the side by a girl almost twice her size, and she drops to the floor, sliding across the hardwood, and swear, you’ve never seen grown-ass men get up so fast. Me, Dom, Dre, Oscar, Dad, Curtis… we’re all on our feet, yelling and holding each other back. Olivia’s slow to get up, dust herself off, and walk away, her eyes on her opponent the entire time. “Oh shit,” Dom chuckles. “I know that look.”

Liv scores the next twelve points, and after each one, shewinksat her opponent.

“I think I’m in love,” one of Dom’s teammates says, holding a hand to his heart.

Dom laughs. “You’ll have to get through Garrett first, then me…”

“Then me!” Max growls, thumping the guy on the back of the head.

“Fuck,” he spits.

“Swear jar!” yellseveryone.

69

Rhys

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