Page 89 of The Glittering Edge

There are two teams of six. A few of Alonso’s teammates glance at him, a little wary. Penny has never seen him socialize with this many people, but the way Alonso swings his polo stick looks practiced, so it can’t be his first time here. One girl even says hi to him. Her eyes linger on Alonso in a way that makes Penny’s stomach lurch.

Alonso certainly doesn’t belong to her. But spending time with him these last few weeks has made Penny feel almost… special. Like she knows the real him, when so many other people don’t. And yes, maybe Alonso has changed Penny’s opinion of what makes someone beautiful, thanks to his intense eyes, his raspy laugh, and his slightly crooked nose. From a distance, Alonso always seemed angry. But up close, he’s electric. Vibrant. And kind of… fun?

Penny should be happy other people see those things in him, too. Alonso deserves that. But as he chats with the bike polo girl, Penny can’t tear her eyes away from him. A strange bitterness rises in her like a fever.

Jealousy. God, she’s actuallyjealous.

Before Penny can dwell too long on what that means, Alonso glances her way. When he sees her staring, a slow smile spreads over his face.

Penny’s anxiety goes quiet. There are no racing thoughts or uncertainties; there’s only Alonso, bright and vital.

“Play!” Sango shouts, and the cyclists take off.

The teams aren’t wearing matching shirts or vests, so Pennytries to memorize the faces of Alonso’s teammates. But they move so quickly it’s impossible to keep track.

“You’ll love this,” Aidan says to Penny. “Alonso is the best player we’ve got.”

Within seconds, Alonso reaches the ball. But instead of getting it, he misses, and something happens with the front wheel of his bike. He tries to regain his balance, but he slams into another player, and Alonso goes flying.

His fall is almost in slow motion. All Penny can do is watch helplessly until he tumbles into a heap a few feet away.

Aidan frowns. “Huh. Bad start.”

Alonso waves Sango off when he tries to help him up. He’s bleeding on both palms, and the holes in his jeans have gotten bigger, but he doesn’t seem to care; he just gets back on his bike. When they start playing again, Alonso is still unsteady. He can barely balance unless he’s using both hands, and even then, he’s moving slower than all the other players.

Penny fights the urge to cover her eyes.

“Come on, Alonso!” Aidan calls.

Alonso gets low on his bike, speeding up.

“Here it is,” Aidan says. “His signature move!”

“It’s not that exciting,” Kiki mutters.

Alonso heads directly for the player who has the ball. He reaches his polo stick across to steal it, but he loses his balance again, and his arm tilts up, tangling his polo stick in his opponent’s wheel. The momentum sends her flying off the seat and into Alonso, and they both crash to the ground. A few other players try to stop their bikes before hitting them, but one gets caught and falls with a yelp, piling on top of them.

Aidan, Kiki, and Penny all stare, mouths agape. Alonso’s hands appear from the pile of bodies and bikes, and he makes the time-out symbol. After he disentangles himself, he jogs over to Penny and his friends, limping slightly.

“What’s going on with you?” Aidan says.

“I’m having an off day, I guess,” Alonso says. Despite the chaos of the game, he’s grinning. “I should sub someone in.”

“I can play for you,” Aidan says.

But Alonso ignores him and grabs Penny’s arm. “Penny! You’re up.”

“What?” Penny says, but he’s already dragging her away. “Alonso, I have no idea how to play!”

When they’re far enough from other people, he turns around and grabs her shoulders. “Did you see how bad I was out there?”

He’s still smiling. How hard did he hit his head? “You weren’t… completely terrible,” Penny says.

“I was the worst player by far.And you know why?” He pulls a small vial out of his pocket. “This.”

The liquid inside the vial shimmers green. “What’s that?”

“It’s a spell. I bottled my bike polo skills.”

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