Page 10 of Full Court Love
The house we live in is right by campus. AJ’s parents are loaded, although you’d never know it just by meeting her, and they bought this house right before our junior year. We call it the Sailboat, or the Boat for short, because we’re all captains on our respective teams. It’s a dumb name. We all acknowledge that wholeheartedly. But once we came up with it, it just stuck.
AJ’s parents charge us a low rent and are the best landlords. We’re pretty easy tenants. This isn’t a party house at all. Not even close. The closest we get to a party are our themed movie nights. Sometimes we have various teammates join us, but it’s usually just us four. We aren’t interested in bringing boys around. We’ve bonded over our commitment to our sports and school. Yes, we still go to parties sometimes. Yes, we like the occasional fling–well, Brit and AJ do. But none of us have entertained many—or any—real relationships. Therefore, I refuse to believe or admit that I have any sort of crush.
We’ve finally stopped laughing in time for Britt and Kya to walk through the door, coming home from their last practices of the week.
Britt looks at us suspiciously. “What’s so funny?”
AJ doesn’t hesitate to expose me. “Lucy has a massivecrush on the new transfer and is refusing to admit it, and it’s driving her insane. How was your day?”
Britt dramatically throws her bag in the general direction of her room and sprawls out on the couch like she just fainted. “Well, butter me up and call me a biscuit ’cause the world must be ending and pigs must be flying. I never thought I’d live to see the day. Our spinster cat lady Sister Lucy has finally fallen prey to a sexy smile and perfect set of abs. Do tell me more.”
Britt is a Southern girl, and her sayings have become more outlandish the more I’ve gotten to know her. But I don’t crack. I stare her down, fully deadpan.
“Ha. Funny.”
She sits up, her long dark hair falling out of its messy bun to the side of her head. “Iamfunny. Thank you for finally acknowledging that.”
I chuck a throw pillow at her. She spikes it back at me like a volleyball, and it hits me in the face. This brings howls of laughter from the whole group. I’m wiping away tears as Kya sits next to me and tries to get some legitimate information.
“So, Luce … the transfer? Jordan, right?”
I love how gentle she is, but I’m not telling anyone anything.
“Guys, there’s nothing to tell here. We met at the YMCA and then again at the contest, and in both instances, he was super arrogant and flirty. Not my type. As a side note, I should mention that I beat him both times.”
I can’t hide my smirk as I say it. They all slow clap for me, and I stand and take a bow.
I sit down again and let out a breath.
“Ladies of the Boat, I don’t have time for a boy right now. Seriously, you know how much this season means to me, how hard I’ve worked to get healthy. I can’t get distracted–even if that distraction definitely does have washboard abs.”
AJ puts her arm around me. Kya and Britt nestle at my feet and hug my legs. AJ talks first.
“We know. We also know you’re going to be amazing tomorrow. And the rest of the year. But it’s okay to have a life outside of basketball. We love rom-coms for a reason.”
Britt, ever the drama queen, grabs my hand and gazes off toward the window.
“Maybe you’ve found your Romeo, Prince Charming, Austin Ames.”
I snort.
“Wow, twoCinderella Storyreferences in one day. We really need to expand our repertoire of movies.”
Kya grabs the remote and turns on that very movie. She shrugs when she sees our expressions.
“What? I figured we might as well lean into it.”
Normally I’m super into the romance of this movie–it’s one of my all-time favorites. But tonight, I’m reminded that just like Sam, I lost my dad. This season, like every season, is dedicated to him.
But especially this one. It can’t be anything less than perfect.
My fondest memories of him were on the basketball court. He taught me to dribble and shoot before my hands were even big enough to hold the ball. He came to every game and cheered like a maniac. I acted embarrassed, but now I would give anything to look in the stands and see him give me his signature wink again.
However, my mind takes an annoying path, and thinking of a basketball court reminds me of Jordan. My mind is in an endless loop, circling between him and basketball. Both thoughts are anxiety-inducing. It sucks that the first guy who makes my heart race has to be a classic college jock, flirting the pants off every girl in the vicinity.
Not that he could flirtmypants off.
Or do anything to my pants.