E'S

ask me if I fl

er? Yes.

ouldn

. It's fun. It's all about timing, at

all court-chilly, unreadable, and glaring at the Mater Carmeli's

cheerleader and another girl who looked

?" I asked, nudging

ying his shoe

one who destroyed Bi

e scary

scary. Sh

girls who look like they'll

a chal

tch with Holy Cross' volleyball team. Coach said

with Holy Cross' players. Swap a few post-game social media tags,

ally n

iment, and nerves. Students were filing into the bleachers, incl

ere sh

nywhere. Especially the way her eyes tracked our captai

rest

noticed

I

he game," I muttered-

rinking from his w

eside the c

like she's deciding whether to play vo

hit him o

catching glimpses of her-eyes sharp, unmoving, like she's dissecting our strategy. Most people watc

ut Mater Carmeli was Mater Carmeli. Basti led with quiet pre

ean over the opponent's shaky middle blocker,

ms crossed, lips pursed like

d, casually leaning on the

like I was speakin

he said coolly. "I'm here to o

ounds like so

m n

wider. "Give it tim

. "You keep defaulting to a 6–2 rotatio

"Are you a

chess p

o tact

a groan. "Dude, you're s

ilding," I said. "You s

g weird," Na

ing mag

to her. "Wha

worry a

. Co

te," she rep

rt, Basti called ou

mock salute.

t-the tiniest twitch at the cor

sidelines, towel draped over my head, half-listen

glancing towar

ting beside that ch

's the one Luke jus

t rejected,"

quote, 'Don't w

g her. "She's the

Bia yesterd

ter that. Just picked up

cause Basti didn't flirt. He didn't cha

ay he loo

sn't cu

nd that never bodes we

match felt like

thing about the way she dismissed me-not cruelly, just firmly. Lik

iled. Flushed. L

k-she dismantled me with

ound myself clicking on instrumentals with strings. Minor chords

easy. Connect

she intrigued me more tha

acquaintance in Holy Cross

now the name of the ch

mean Denz

ught so

I meant to, letting it echo lik

nz

Short.

lik