“Hey now,” I protest.“I’m amazing.I just make it look hard so you kids don’t feel bad about yourselves.”
The boys crack up, and I lean back, satisfied.Making kids laugh is easier than stopping slap shots.
By the time homework hour ends, I’ve somehow explained geography, lost a spelling bee to a nine-year-old, and drawn a stick figure on someone’s worksheet that they swore looked like Logan.
Olivia catches me on the way to the gym.“You can’t just give wrong answers for fun.”
“I was making fractions interesting,” I argue.
“You told them one-third of a pizza is ‘the saddest number.’”
“Am I wrong?”
She rubs her temple like I’m a migraine in human form.“Just… try to set a good example in the gym, okay?”
“Good example is my middle name,” I say automatically.
She arches a brow.“Pretty sure you told me it was punctuality…and responsibility…and James.”
“Wow,” I say, grinning.“You remembered.”
“Don’t,” her eyes narrow.
I want to, though.God, do I want to.
I ignore my feelings and head to the gym.
The basketball court is chaos.Kids racing up and down, sneakers squeaking, someone yelling “foul!”every thirty seconds.
Malik, the self-appointed king of the court, spots me and tosses the ball.“Bet you can’t sink it from here.”
There it is.My kryptonite.A dare.
I spin the ball in my hands, pretending to weigh the challenge.“What do I get if I make it?”
“Respect,” he says.
“Not enough.Gotta be something bigger.”
“If you miss, you gotta wear one of the pinnies that smells like feet,” another kid yells.
The crowd erupts with cheers.Even Olivia, standing by the wall with her clipboard, looks like she’s trying not to smile.
“All right,” I say, bouncing the ball.“Prepare to witness greatness.”
I take the shot.It sails, perfect arc, beautiful release… and clangs off the rim.
The gym explodes with laughter.Someone tosses me a neon-green practice pinnie, and I groan loudly as I pull it over my hoodie.
“This is cruel and unusual punishment,” I mutter again.
“Rules are rules,” Malik says, grinning like he just won the Cup.
I ruffle his hair.“You’re lucky I’m a man of honor.”
But when he goes in for a layup later, I block him clean, and the whole court gasps.
“Lesson one,” I announce.“Don’t get cocky.”
