Page 36 of The Baller

Parker snapped his fingers directly in my face, making mefrown. His, however, was lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Oh shit! That’s it.”

Ace and I looked at him, as did the steward who was handing around menus at the time.

“What’s it?” I asked.

“The expression you’ve been wearing.”

Ace’s eyes flicked between mine and Parker’s. At least he’d stopped looking cross-eyed, “Dude, I’m not following. Don’t think Lux is either.”

I wasn’t. I definitely wasn’t.

Parker’s head fell back with a guffaw. “When Ace lost it last season, and Payton wasn’t replying to him… that’s what your face has been like the past few days – Ace’s sulk… because you haven’t heard from Radley.”

“My face hasn’t been like anything…” I scoffed, at the same time Ace huffed, “I didn’t sulk!”

Parker’s eyes widened, and we both stared at Ace until he said, “Okay, fine, maybe I sulked a little.”

“Anyway…” Parker continued, “back to Lux.”

No, not back to Lux. When did everyone decide I was the topic of conversation this morning? First my clothes, now this.

I scooped up a handful of nuts the steward had left with the beers. “What? I don’t care Radley didn’t reply. I didn’t even want to text her in the first place.”

“Bullshit…” was hollered from the couch.

“Go back to sleep!” I snapped. “Look, you wanna see how much I don’t care? I’ll delete the message and her number right now.”

Yeah, that’d show them.

I snatched my cell off the table and opened my messages. I scrolled down the screen to where Iknewthe one I’d sent Radley was sitting. Except I couldn’t find it.

It wasn’t halfway down my messages; it was right there in the top spot.

The number one position.

Radley: Guess not. But you get points for trying. No one’s ever done that before. Thank you.

My heart gave one single hard thump, and I couldn’t hold back the grin.

“What?”

I couldn’t have been any more sheepish as I glanced up at them. “She replied.”

Evidence would suggest I did care after all.

Goldilocks: Best literary character

Lux: That’s easy – Winnie the Pooh

Goldilocks: But he’s a cartoon, he doesn’t count

Lux: He wasn’t a cartoon in the books. Hedoes count.

Goldilocks: He’s a talking bear. You need a human character.

Lux: Why? It wasn’t in the rules

---