Page 38 of Don't Let Go

I kicked the grass and found a basketball hidden behind a tree. I picked the ball up feeling its bumpy exterior, and squeezed, checking its air pressure. Not bad. The ball had a good bounce on the cement. The Giordano family had a basketball hoop installed on top of their garage. I had the carport—hell, I had the whole street to myself. It was meant to be. I needed to play ball to help relax, and this was my chance.

Shooting hoops always gave me a kind of natural high. I ran and weaved as if avoiding invisible opponents before making another basket.

Clapping came from my left, making me freeze in place. Lorenzo and Franco applauded as if they were sideline fans.

“Thanks,” I replied, more like a question than a statement.

“Winston, right?” Franco asked, rubbing his chin as he studied me.

I dribbled the ball from my left hand to my right and back again. “Yeah. Why?”

“Just realized you’re the star player from Lincoln High. They call you the Steel Hand or somethin’.”

I laughed and stopped dribbling, holding the ball between my hip and forearm. “Used to. Now I’m just someone who can play some mean ball with no team.”

“That’s a setback,” Lorenzo said, shaking his head.

“Yup. Gives South Ridge a chance, though. God knows they’d never win if they went up against someone like you,” Franco said and then caught himself. He frowned and added, “No offense.”

They wanted to yank my damn chain. I pinched the bridge of my nose and decided to change the subject. “It’s whatever. Why are you up at the crack of dawn, anyway?”

“You’re the one bouncing a ball before the roosters sound off. My room is right there.” Lorenzo pointed to the window above the garage.

“Oh. Sorry.” I passed the ball to Lorenzo. “I gotta get ready for school.”

“You should attend a South Ridge game. They’re playing tonight, I think. Ask Rory. She’s in the band. She’ll know,” Franco said before attempting to spin the ball on his finger and failing. It bounced off down the carport toward the street.

As he chased it, I moved for the front door. Lorenzo shook his head as he watched his brother. “Fool.” He lightly hit my arm. “Watching a game live could help. You never know.”

“Thanks. I’ll think about it.”

How could I sit on the bench as a game played out? All I’d think about was the moves I could do that they were failing at and how to pull tricks and take the ball down the court, scoring some serious points.

I entered the house and passed by Sofia in the living room. Before she could say a word, I went up the stairs two at a time and entered my room. Rummaging through the drawers, I found some dark-washed jeans and a Nirvana shirt to wear.

Someone was in the bathroom, so I held my toothbrush and toothpaste and waited. The water rushed from the sink, and someone sang softly. I couldn’t make out the words because they were in Italian.

I closed my eyes, enchanted by the song, when the door flew open, and a cloud of perfume and hairspray hit me. Rory stood before me with a brush in one hand and a makeup bag in the other. Her wild mane was all over the place, and her eyes were as green as the emerald earrings my mom used to wear whenI was little. She looked surprised to see me for a second before composing herself and staring me dead in the eye. “Did you enjoy playing basketball before the sun came up?”

“Damn.” I sighed. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I forgot how loud the echo of a bouncing ball can be.”

She raised and then dropped her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I was already awake.” She took a couple of steps closer; she was only a breath away when she whispered. “The wicked never rest.”

Her green eyes had a splash of blue in them if you looked closely. I licked my lips and lifted my hand lamely. “I gotta brush my teeth.”

She flashed a warm smile. “You do that. Do you want a ride to school? Our only detour is dropping Lizzy off first.”

Somehow, we changed places. She had her back to the hallway and the bathroom was behind me. “Yeah. I’ll take you up on that. I can’t keep taking my car in to get repaired.”

“You’re lucky they didn’t boost it.” She pointed her hairbrush at my chest. “We leave in forty minutes, be ready to go soon.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

She turned.

“Wait,” I said, the word slipping through my teeth.

Rory spun around, her hair flying around her shoulders. “Yeah?”

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