Page 78 of Make Me Pretty
My eyes widen, mouth falling open just before I catch myself and snap it shut. Fingers clamp my sweaty nape before delving into my sticky hair. “You noticed that?” I mutter. No point in denying it now.
“Pretty sure everyone has, son. Who’s caught your eye?”
I find Abel in a flash. He’s staring at me with a frown contorting his face, more so than usual. “You okay?” I think he mouths, but sweat is still stinging my eyes, and he’s halfway across the gym, so I’m probably wrong.
With a flushed grimace, I look away, only to find Coach ping-ponging between us.
“Fucking great,” I mutter, yanking on my hair. Johnson glares.
“Don’t fucking cuss. I didn’t know?—”
“I’m not,” I snap, taking a step back. The whistles are gonna blow any minute, and Icannotbe having this fucking conversation right now.
“I was going to say I didn’t know you were one to break the rules.”
“I—what?” I blink.
“He’s your foster brother, no?”
The whistles blare, echoing in the gym. Cheers go up as both teams walk onto the floor. “I can’t have this conversation right now,” I spit through gritted teeth, and then, I turn my back, eyes narrowed with tunnel vision.
Vexation licks through my veins, and when the ball finds its way between my fingers, the rest falls away—the crowds and Coach’s nosy questions, Abel and his penetrative gaze.
There’s only me and the ball and my team at my side. The squeak of my shoes on the floor and the feel of my heart inside my chest. Because those are the only things that matter.
The only things that can ever bring me any good.
The buzzer chimesthroughout the gymnasium, two seconds after Gabe shoots the most perfect three-pointer, ball swishing straight through the net, not even grazing the rim.
Up by six, we beat Southview Prep.
“Holy shit!” Gabe runs up to me, face split into a beaming grin. His brown skin is glistening with sweat, dripping down and soaking into his jersey. He throws his arms around me just as the rest of the team follows suit.
The cheers of the crowd are deafening with their screams and chants and stomping feet. The cheerleaders add to the noise, pom-poms shaking in the air in my peripheral. Through the masses, I find Abel. He’s grinning, eyes squinted through his smile. He shoots me a wink before turning and dropping his props to the floor to join the rest of the squad.
The Southview team is huddled together at their spot by the bleachers, but Jordan’s not paying attention. He’s glaring at me, face flushed a bright red as his hands hang on his hips. His blue and gold Jersey clings to his torso, the number 12 a bright, white contrast.
I flip him a wide grin, eyes flashing. His feet jerk forward, but he’s caught by one of his teammates. He spins to face them, arms flailing. I turn away, not sparing him a second glance as Coach jogs across the floor, a grin splitting his face.
“We beat them first game of the fucking season,” Corbin heaves between breaths.
“It’s gonna be smooth sailing from here,” Thomas concurs with his own relieved smile.
For the first time today, everything has aligned, and I don’t feel like I’m crawling out of my skin.
After Coach’s ritual post-game speech, we’re all released for the night, and I heave a breath of relief that Coach didn’t try corner me and badger me about Abel.
I can’t handle that shit tonight. Or ever.
I watch most of the team disperse through the crowds to find their people while I wait for Ma to come find me.
“Peris!” she calls as she breaks through a mass of bodies. I push up, brushing my hair back just as she yanks me into one of her breath-stealing hugs. “I’msoproud of you!” She pulls back, keeping her fingers wrapped tightly around my upper biceps, unbothered by the sweat now staining her clothes and slicking her hands. “You kicked ass!”
I flush at her praise. Despite hearing it every game, I’m still not used to it. Her being so…proud of me.
“Thanks, Ma.” I shrug. “We didn’t, really. We were?—”
She slaps my arm with a scoff. “Whatever. You did.” Her eyes linger on the scratches, but before she can comment, she’s distracted. “And Gabriel, my favorite,” she croons as she pulls Gabe in for a hug.
