Page 94 of One on One
Quincy is still going: “As of next week, I will be taking my talents…drumroll please…”
Somebody, somewhere, starts banging a series of beats on a trash can. Thomas squats down next to me as I climb into the golf cart.
“We’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” He looks me straight in the eyes, waiting for me to acknowledge him in the affirmative.
A lump swells in my throat but I manage to nod. The room is spinning, but his message is clear:I still want you here.On the other side of the golf cart, Williams is saying something to Ben, but I can’t discern his words.
I brace myself for an argument with Ben about whether he should come with me. I need to convince him not to let Maynard ruin this experience for him. It’s the Final Four, and he deserves to participate every step of the way.
But Ben doesn’t climb into the golf cart. Instead, he flagsdown Eric, who hops in next to me. My eyes connect with Ben’s. His expression is blank, and I don’t know what it means. An uneasy feeling washes over me. He can’t possibly be that angry with me for not telling him.
As James accelerates, Quincy finishes his declaration. “…I will be taking my talents back to Twitch, hopping on stream for the first time all month!”
The reporters groan in unison.
The stadium whizzes by as James expertly maneuvers toward the exit. Despite my confusion about Ben, relief washes over me when it comes into view. I leap out before the cart stops completely and run for the door, Eric’s footsteps trailing mine.
We’re outside and alone. “Holy shit,” I say, stretching my arms out as if to hug the brilliant blue sky. I let go of the cuffs of my sweater, finally. The right one has a hole in it where my thumb worked its way through.
We’re near the loading docks where the bus drops us off every day. I have no clue how to get back to the hotel from here, so I pull up a ride-hailing app on my phone. It’s a long wait, with everyone in town for the game. When I finally get a car, I’ll have to pack up everything at the hotel, wait for another car, and go—where? My family’s Airbnb, maybe?
Once I’m somewhere safe I’ll finish the video. Thomas acted like the events of the day won’t change anything, but I don’t want to bank on that when the fallout isn’t over yet.
“You don’t need a Lyft,” Eric says. “I called in reinforcements.”
“My family? I don’t even know where they’re supposed to be right now.”
But wait. Their plans for the day are irrelevant, becausethey’re not at a restaurant or museum or botanical garden. They’re here, walking through the parking lot toward Eric and me. Even at a distance, I’d recognize Kat’s riot of sunshine hair and Mom’s vacation capris anywhere.
I fall into Kat’s arms. “I have never been so happy to see you.”
Mom puts a hand on my back. “We came as soon as we heard.”
With horror, I remember Mom’s plans for the day. “You’re missing your tarot reading!” She’s only been talking about it for a week straight. I shoo Eric back toward the building. “Get to practice,” I say. “We’re good.”
He squeezes me like a near-empty tube of toothpaste. “I’m proud of you.”
I do my best to explain to Mom and Kat what happened: the press conference, my conversation with Ben, our escape, the long wait for a car, and my half-baked plan for finishing the video.
“It took us forever to get here,” Kat says. “The city is mobbed right now.”
“It’s true,” Mom agrees. “Some strange people too. I asked this guy to take a photo of me in front of Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop this morning and instead he did a selfie of the two of us together.”
“Cassie will know what we should do,” Kat says.
“Good idea. I’ll call her.” I pull my phone out of my pocket.
“You don’t need to call her,” Mom says. “She’s right there.”
I spin around.
There she is, jogging toward us, arms flapping and curls bouncing. She wraps me in a hug so forceful we almost fallto the ground. “Eric told me,” she says, huffing and puffing. “I’m so sorry. I was at my aunt’s barbecue. I got here as fast as I could.”
“I feel awful for making you miss a family party,” I say.
“I feel awful that this is happening right now,” Cassie says. “What’s the plan?”
We fill her in on what I need to do, and our transportation troubles.
