Page 90 of The Glittering Edge

Penny looks at the vial with newfound wonder. “That’s actually possible?”

“Yep. And now”—he uncorks it with apop—“you’re going to use this to win the game.”

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t worry, this was an easy spell. It only lasts a day, and then the potion wears off.”

Penny’s breath is coming quicker. The anxiety is back, and it’s screaming in her ears. She can’t play a sport she’s never even heard of before today. She needs time to think through every detail before she tries something new. She deliberately avoids situations like this—and now Alonso is throwing her into the unknown without a parachute.

Alonso puts the green serum on his thumb. “Here, give me your hand.”

The second Alonso grabs Penny’s wrist and presses his thumb to her pulse, a strange sensation passes over her skin. It’s sharper than chills but softer than a static shock. Her vision goes a little green around the edges.

“You okay?” Alonso asks.

Penny nods, but he’s still holding her wrist. He notices her staring at his hand, and he quickly backs up, as if she burned him. “Sorry. Here, get on my bike.”

Penny shakes her head vigorously.

“Hey,” Alonso says, leaning down so he can look her in the eyes. “What’s the worst thing that can happen?”

“It’s hard to pick just one thing.”

“The worst thing that can happen is the spell doesn’t work, and you’re not good at this. You stick to the sidelines. You don’t score. You’ll never play again. But guess what?” Alonso smirks. “I’ll still think you’re fucking cool.”

Penny can’t help but crack a smile. “You think I’m cool?”

Alonso suddenly becomes serious, and he reaches out for her. His finger brushes her chin, lifting it so that she’s standing tall. Proud.

“I always have,” he says.

Penny’s breathing is now erratic for an entirely different reason.

“Hey, Alonso, let’s go!” Sango calls.

Alonso drops his hand. “So?”

Before Penny learned about the curse, she would’ve walked away from this. She has a black belt in dwelling on humiliating moments nobody else remembers, and this situation is a breeding ground for humiliation. But Alonso believes in her. And whether it’s smart or not, Penny believes in Alonso.

She grabs the bike handles. “Next time, give me a little more warning.”

Alonso beams, and he hands her the polo stick.

When she’s on the bike, Penny takes a deep breath. Then she rides over to Alonso’s teammates.

“You’re a sub?” asks a girl with a friendly smile. “I’m Beth Pilar. Sophomore at Central.”

Penny tries not to look terrified. “Hey, I’m Penny. Senior, I guess.”

“Always great to meet another bike polo fanatic.” Beth holds out her polo stick.

Penny taps Beth’s polo stick with hers. “Nice to meet—”

“Ready!” Sango calls out. “Set!Play!”

Penny gasps as her feet press down on the pedals, even though she wasn’t ready. She grabs the handles, trying to balance the awkward polo stick.

“Relax!” Alonso shouts, but how can she? He just put her on a bike and told her to play when she doesn’t even know the rules.

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