I stared for a beat or two and then my head was back in the game—games, actually. Because this was all I had.
With a ball in my hand, I would do what I needed to.
Wednesday, I tried to find Cate, but she wasn’t in any of her regular haunts. I leaned my chair back at Mean Beans and pretended to listen to Ashton, but I was on the lookout. I ducked when Ava’s friends popped in and eventually left, successfully avoiding chatting anyone up.
I might have also traipsed by the women’s studies building, but nothing.
I couldn’t spend all day on the hunt; we had practice and team meetings. It was the beginning of the season, ultimately the most important season of my career so far. This would be the one everyone was watching; my performance would be judged and graded. The rest of my life depended on this season.
Thursday, I hit the weight room for some light lifting and stretching. Some Bush from the nineties blared over the plates clanking into the bars and the bars hitting the racks. I was in a wall sit stretching my legs when Mo squatted next to me.
“What’s happening?” He turned his head toward me.
“Living the dream, Mo.”
Our thighs quivered and my forehead dripped onto the floor. I pushed my sweatband higher on my head, swiping the sweat with it.
“You are, buddy, and don’t you fucking forget it.”
He was right. I came from a trailer park. When that Catholic school gave me a scholarship in ninth grade, I didn’t know how much my life could change. Now I did.
I glanced at Mo. “You’re right, man. I don’t know, feel like I’m floundering a bit. Shit, you got a kid on the way. Who’s going to be waiting for me when I’m making all this money next year?”
I stood, straightening my legs and shaking out my quads.
Mo snorted. “My man, you’re gonna buy your momma a house and make a good life. And shit, you’re gonna fuck a lot of women looking for the one.” He stood and smacked me in the side with the back of his hand. “Don’t let the rest of us down, especially the one with a fucking baby.”
We didn’t talk anymore; Coach called us in to watch tape for the next day’s game. Sitting in the dark room, my mind wandering, I wondered if the Stealer might have stolen his last heart.
Fucking Cate. She was cute, yeah, but smart and sexy too.
And she was ignoring me.
Blane
Mid-December
“Sonny B. here. Most of you are packing up and heading home for the winter break, but I’m staying right here in Hafton, and my girl, Miranda, and I are going to decorate our tree tonight. Have no fear! I’ll put a picture up on Twitter for all you jealous lovaaas.”
“Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” played in the background as Sonny made love to the mic.
“You know who else is here over the break? The Hafton men’s and women’s basketball teams. That’s right, folks . . . I wonder if they get freaky together? Let’s hear your thoughts, Haftees, give me the 4-1-1. Call me or e-mail the station, and we’ll be back with any and all scoop. Oh, and give a nice hello to Johnny, our new intern, if you call.”
“Grandma” finished and some Bob Marley-style steel band song played.
“God, that guy’s taste in music is ass. I’d know he was white from a mile away.” Ashton tossed a foam ball against the wall over and over again. A constant whir and whack echoed throughout our apartment.
“Hey! Enough with the white-boy jokes,” I said. “And dude, fucking cut that out with the ball or I’m getting a new roommate.”
“It’s true,” Ashton said with a grin. “Present company excluded. You like good rap. I do worry when you start with the rock, but I know it’s hard to take shake that out of the Southern boy.” He took aim and zinged the ball my way.
“Thank God. I was getting a headache from all the back and forth.” I snatched the ball before it slammed into my chest. “So, what’s got you all twisted in knots?”
He hung his head. “Fucking Christmas is in two days, and I got no poontang.”
“You’re vile, man.”
“Hey, it’s the truth. My girl, Ava, went home, and you should be proud ’bout me hitting it with just one lady.”
“You’re growing up.” I flashed him a wicked grin and lobbed the ball at his shiny bald head.
“How ’bout you?”
“Sonny’s leaving me alone, maybe since we’ve won every non-conf game, but he’s not mandating I stay celibate. So I guess I’ll go out looking. Wanna come?”
“What? In your pickup?”
“Yeah, we can be like, y’all looking for a good throw?”
Ashton burst out laughing. “Dude, you been hung up on that intern ever since she went MIA. Don’t you fucking tease me. We’re not going on the prowl in your truck.”
“Plus, you have Ava.” I looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
“Exactly, white boy. Good thing you’re smart.”
This time I laughed hard, and Ashton laughed with me a moment before giving me the eye.