Page 39 of Between Love and War
Michael: Three. Come on, Miss Noodles.
Michael: Two. KATHERIIINEEEEEE
Kate (Me): FINE!
Michael: Knew you couldn't resist me.
I throw my phone aside and stare at the ceiling, heart pounding.
Am I really going out at midnight to play basketball with my neighbor?
I pace my room in a tiny circle.
We literally just saw each other earlier. Normal people don’t hang out twice in one night, right? That’s… obsessive. Clingy. Weird.
And yet here I am, attempting to tame my hair.
It’s pointless. It’s not like he didn’t already see it earlier. Still, my fingers hover at the edges of my curls, somehow trying to salvage them into looking proper.
Stop it, Kate. You’re not trying to impress him.
Except maybe I am. Or maybe I want to.
Ugh. Gross.
I creep down the stairs as quietly as possible, avoiding every creaky step I know by heart. Mom’s asleep. Haley’s probably asleep too, but even unconscious, she can sense chaos like a guard dog.
I take a few of my cookies to bring, and then quickly step out into the backyard, the door clicking softly behind me.
As I walk toward the shared gate, I feel something giddy in my chest. Not exactly because of him, but because it feels like I’m making up for lost time. Like some part of me that never got a teenage love story is finally, belatedly, living one. I know this isn’t a love story, but for some reason, it feels like it.
Cool night air hits my face. The sound of a bouncing basketball fills the space between our houses. Michael’s in the court, spinning the ball on his finger. The second he sees me, that smug grin spreads across his face.
“Katie Cruz, past bedtime?” he says in mock surprise. “Didn’t think you had it in you.”
“Relax,” I say, holding up the cookies as a peace offering. “I’m hoping these will shut you up?”
He gasps dramatically. “You know me so well.” He takes them and finishes the cookie in two bites. “Incredible,” he says. “Definitely worth you breaking curfew.”
“I didn’t break curfew, I don’t have curfew. I’m an adult,” I say.
“Sure,” he says. “Totally explains why you crept out like you were dodging things.” He looks at me up and down and adds, “Also, cute heart pajamas.”
“Thanks,” I wiggle my pajamas. “But I wasn’t creeping out. I just didn’t want anyone to see and fuel gossip trains around here.”
I look around at the quiet neighborhood, lampposts and Christmas decor illuminating the gloomy roads. The village is quiet, and everyone is peacefully asleep. Normally, I would’vebeen too. But now, I’m here. Smiling. At midnight. With someone.
He bounces the ball toward me. “Alright, Miss Noodles. Show me what you’ve got.”
I catch it—barely—and nearly drop it on my foot. Michael bursts out laughing.
“Wow,” he says. “Natural talent. Scouts will be calling any minute.”
“Shut up!” I reposition my hands on the ball. “I don’t even know how to hold this thing.”
“Good thing you’ve got me.” He steps forward, close enough that I can smell his cologne. Or shampoo. Or whatever. It’s clean and warm, with a hint of something citrusy. “Okay, feet apart. Bend your knees. Elbows in.”
I glare at him. “Don’t tell me what to do.” I blink, momentarily stunned with myself.
