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He had a very good point. His varsity jacket meant something at this school. The basketball team’s did not.

Scarlett shrugged. “Maybe they’ll turn things around with their new prospects.”

“Prospects?” Jacob asked. “You’re acting like they’re recruiting for the NBA. This is the Empire High basketball team. You’ve seen them play.”

“Not since freshman year,” Scarlett said.

“Yeah, because they were so bad we’ve only ever been to one game,” I said.

We kept bickering about it as we grabbed the books we needed for the weekend. Did Scarlett not realize that Jacob, Axel, and I were only going to this to laugh?

We walked into the gym and climbed up the stands. There were only a handful of other people in the stands. Since the team was terrible.

The guys started coming out of the locker room.

“Well, this oughtta be good,” Axel said and sat down.

“I know,” Scarlett said.

He laughed. “I’m being sarcastic, baby.”

“I have faith that Liam will be good at this. He’s good at everything he does. As long as he actually wants to excel, the team will be great.”

“One good player isn’t going to change anything,” Axel said.

“Well it’ll be two good players,” I said. “RJ’s got this too.” I did not believe in the basketball team. But I did believe in him. Always.

“And Adonis?” Axel asked.

“Oh, he’s going to suck balls.”

Axel laughed.

“Stop it.” Scarlett swatted his arm.

The coach blew the whistle. And the three of us turned toward the court.

Adonis was staring up at me. He winked when he caught me staring back.

I sighed.

“I think he really likes you,” Scarlett whispered.

I ignored her. Adonis couldn’t really like me. He didn’t know me.

Everyone started warming up. Adonis grabbed a basketball from the rack. Instead of walking to the free throw line, he bounced it once exactly where he was. And then he jumped, his arms making the perfect arch, as he shot it at the hoop.

It went in with a satisfying whooshing noise without even touching the rim. Even though he was way behind the three-point-line.

“Nothing but net!” RJ yelled and slapped his back.

What the hell was that?!

“What the heck was that?” Axel put to words exactly what I’d been thinking.

Right? “I thought Adonis wasn’t good enough to be on his last school’s team.”

“That’s not what he said,” Scarlett said.