late to be out, or that I had homework… anything that wouldn’t have dragged me out of doing dishes to go see Billy. He’d changed into shorts and a T-shirt with the sides cut out so you could breathe when you play ball. He had a basketball under his arm. He didn’t wait for me. He just started dribbling down the sidewalk to the driveway where the hoop was set up. I followed him with a cold pit of dread eating away at my insides.
He shot a few glances at me, then shot some free throws, mostly just passing the ball between his hands as he chewed over his words. He wasn’t a blurter, like I was. “The way I see it, there’s nothing wrong with one guy sending another candy. You know I love chocolate.”
I closed my eyes and waited for the worst, or at best, a misunderstanding.
“But that’s not what this was, was it?” He continued when I shook my head. “You really have feelings for me, and I…. Well, I’ve never really thought about it, ’til now. You’re my buddy, my best friend. It’d be… wrong for me to… you know, not have any feelings about you.” He took a few more shots, then pushed the ball into my chest. “And I don’t know what that means. Play me for ’em.”
I stared at him for a moment, just gobsmacked. “What?”
“Call your own fouls. First to five wins. If you win, I’ll go on a date with you.”
I felt my eyes narrow, and my hands trembled a little at his offer while I started to dribble. “And if you win?”
He smiled and shrugged. “I dunno yet. Hadn’t thought of anything past that.”
A nod, and the game was on. By the end of the game, sweat was pouring off my brow and my shirt clung to every part of me it could stick to. It was 4-2, and I was ramping up for the game point when Billy drove his shoulder into my breadbasket and stole the ball.
“ Foul! ” I croaked. But he had already taken the shot—4-3. My stomach hurt as I got to my feet and steadied for the free throw shot. In a normal game, adrenaline would keep me from feeling so nervous and achy over a simple shoulder, but this was no normal game. Cold fear raced down my spine as the hollow ring of leather on concrete sounded in my ears. I hated free throws. Make this, and you win the game. You win a hell of a lot more than a game, but lose and… who knows ?
I took the shot. The ball left my hands, my feet came back down, my eyes screwed up tight, and my ears picked up every sound. “ Bang…. Bink. Bink. Swish. ”
When I opened my eyes, Billy had his hand out to me. “Good game.” We shook on it, but he surprised me when he wound his hand around to thread his fingers into mine and stared at it. “Huh. ’S’not so bad, I guess.”
I had to laugh at that and took his other hand. “Not bad?” He shrugged, but I could see the crimson blush crawling up his neck that had nothing to do with the game. I let go of his hands, wrapped one palm behind his neck, and planted a big, wet kiss on his salty lips. After a second, his brain kicked in and kissed me back, just as brutal an overtake as he’d done on the court, until both of us pulled away.
“Why did you…?” Billy’s perplexed eyes searched my face.
“Because it’s what I want, Billy. If you can’t handle that, then I don’t even want to take your sorry ass on a date.”
He still looked a little confused, but he didn’t step away.
“Can you handle that?” I had to press.
“Yeah, I can handle that. You’re just… changing the rules on me, and it’s gonna take me a while to figure this out.”
I frowned and shook my head in disgust. “No, man. This isn’t a game, and you don’t have to play if you don’t want to. I want to be with you, but only if you want to be with me right back, not because you lost some stupid bet.”
The look on Billy’s face was priceless as he gaped like a fish. “But… I let you win!”
And that right there said it all. Only I had been too stupid and pigheaded to think about it. But he came over with
He shot a few glances at me, then shot some free throws, mostly just passing the ball between his hands as he chewed over his words. He wasn’t a blurter, like I was. “The way I see it, there’s nothing wrong with one guy sending another candy. You know I love chocolate.”
I closed my eyes and waited for the worst, or at best, a misunderstanding.
“But that’s not what this was, was it?” He continued when I shook my head. “You really have feelings for me, and I…. Well, I’ve never really thought about it, ’til now. You’re my buddy, my best friend. It’d be… wrong for me to… you know, not have any feelings about you.” He took a few more shots, then pushed the ball into my chest. “And I don’t know what that means. Play me for ’em.”
I stared at him for a moment, just gobsmacked. “What?”
“Call your own fouls. First to five wins. If you win, I’ll go on a date with you.”
I felt my eyes narrow, and my hands trembled a little at his offer while I started to dribble. “And if you win?”
He smiled and shrugged. “I dunno yet. Hadn’t thought of anything past that.”
A nod, and the game was on. By the end of the game, sweat was pouring off my brow and my shirt clung to every part of me it could stick to. It was 4-2, and I was ramping up for the game point when Billy drove his shoulder into my breadbasket and stole the ball.
“ Foul! ” I croaked. But he had already taken the shot—4-3. My stomach hurt as I got to my feet and steadied for the free throw shot. In a normal game, adrenaline would keep me from feeling so nervous and achy over a simple shoulder, but this was no normal game. Cold fear raced down my spine as the hollow ring of leather on concrete sounded in my ears. I hated free throws. Make this, and you win the game. You win a hell of a lot more than a game, but lose and… who knows ?
I took the shot. The ball left my hands, my feet came back down, my eyes screwed up tight, and my ears picked up every sound. “ Bang…. Bink. Bink. Swish. ”
When I opened my eyes, Billy had his hand out to me. “Good game.” We shook on it, but he surprised me when he wound his hand around to thread his fingers into mine and stared at it. “Huh. ’S’not so bad, I guess.”
I had to laugh at that and took his other hand. “Not bad?” He shrugged, but I could see the crimson blush crawling up his neck that had nothing to do with the game. I let go of his hands, wrapped one palm behind his neck, and planted a big, wet kiss on his salty lips. After a second, his brain kicked in and kissed me back, just as brutal an overtake as he’d done on the court, until both of us pulled away.
“Why did you…?” Billy’s perplexed eyes searched my face.
“Because it’s what I want, Billy. If you can’t handle that, then I don’t even want to take your sorry ass on a date.”
He still looked a little confused, but he didn’t step away.
“Can you handle that?” I had to press.
“Yeah, I can handle that. You’re just… changing the rules on me, and it’s gonna take me a while to figure this out.”
I frowned and shook my head in disgust. “No, man. This isn’t a game, and you don’t have to play if you don’t want to. I want to be with you, but only if you want to be with me right back, not because you lost some stupid bet.”
The look on Billy’s face was priceless as he gaped like a fish. “But… I let you win!”
And that right there said it all. Only I had been too stupid and pigheaded to think about it. But he came over with
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