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Danielle gets that steely look in her eyes. “So ready. Are you?”
There’s a tap on my shoulder. I spin around to find Irene standing
behind me, glammed up in makeup and hair glitter, her cheer uniform
impeccably pressed. She grins my way and I remember very suddenly why
she was nominated for “Best Smile.”
“Wanted to wish you luck,” she says breathlessly.
It takes me a second to remember how to speak. “You too.”
“I don’t need luck.” She smiles playfully. “I’ve got these routines down
to a T.”
“You don’t say.”
Her eyes are warm on mine. “Go kill it, Zajac.”
“Show ’em how it’s done, Abraham.”
Minutes later, my teammates take their places at half-court. I watch
nervously from the bench, still wearing my sweatpants. People seem to be
confused about why I’m not starting. My family is whispering to the
Zanders. Irene tosses me a questioning look, pom-poms tight behind her
back.
The referee throws the jump ball and the game begins.
It’s an evenly matched game for the first two quarters. Danielle is on fire,
but so is the Candlehawk point guard. When we score, so do they; when
they have a turnover, so do we. It’s frustrating and emotionally exhausting,
but I’m proud of our scrappiness. We look much different than we did four
months ago.
The closer we get to halftime, the harder my heart pounds. I text Kevin
over and over to make sure everything’s all set. Honey-Belle keeps looking
at me from the sidelines, her grin practically giving us away. The only
unruffled one might be Gunther, but it’s hard to say since he’s hidden
beneath the Fighting Reindeer costume.
The second quarter winds down. In the last minute of play, Candlehawk
hits a three-pointer, and the red, tinseled half of the crowd groans.
Candlehawk is now leading by five. My team tries to come back, but
Danielle misses an inside shot.