<b>hapter </b><b>215 </b>
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<b>86 </b>
Jade’s POV:
The gymnasium fell eerily quiet as Jade took her position at center court. Students from both schools leaned forward in their seats, expressions ranging from confusion to outright amusement. The silence didn’tst long before whispers rippled through the Princeton section.
“Is Astor serious? He’s putting Instagram girl as center?” A guy in an orange Princeton hoodie snickered to his
friend.
“This is what happens when you’re desperate,” another replied. “They’re basically forfeiting at this point.”
From the Randview side, thementary was even less charitable. “Princeton’s officially given up,” a tall blonde in Randview blue called out. “At least the view got better!”
“They’re not even trying to win anymore,” someone else shouted. “Just throwing in the towel with style!”
I ignored them all, focusing instead on Brock Reynolds, who stood across from me with a smirk stered across his
face. His teammates had gathered around him, all stealing nces at me while trying not tough too obviously.
“So,” Brock said, lowering his voice as he stepped closer. “You ever yed basketball before?”
“I’m learning on the job,” I replied coolly.
Brock’s smirk widened into a grin. “Like you said earlier, things can get physical on the court. If you fall down or start crying when you lose, Mr. Haxton won’t hold it against us, will he?”
I tilted my head slightly. “Getting cold feet? You can forfeit now if you’re scared.”
His teammates snickered behind him, clearly enjoying what they perceived as an easy win. Brock’s eyes narrowed slightly, but his smile remained.
“How about we sweeten the deal?” he suggested, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair. “If I win, we be friends. If you win, I’ll do whatever you want.”
Chase, who had moved to stand beside me, scoffed loudly. “Just who the fuck do you think you are? She wouldn’t be caught dead hanging out with you.”
“She can speak for herself,” Brock replied, not taking his eyes off me.
I met his gaze steadily. “If you can steal the ball from me even once, I’ll consider it a loss.”
The statement hung in the air for a moment before Brock’s teammates burst intoughter. Even my own team looked at me with wide eyes, as if I’dpletely lost my mind.
8:00 Fri, Sep 26 <b>T</b>..
“<b>Is </b>she serious<b>?</b>” one of my teammates whispered to Chase.
Brock chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. “Then I guess I ept. Let’s start this show.”
The referee approached with the ball, signaling for us to take our positions. Chase gave me onest concerned nce before backing away. The Princeton team looked torn between wanting to win and assuming defeat was inevitable. Brock’s team, on the other hand, seemed rxed and confident, already savoring their victory.
86
The referee blew his whistle and tossed the ball high into the air. Brock crouched, preparing to leap–but I was already moving. Iunched myself upward with a burst of speed that seemed to catch everyone by surprise. My hand connected with the ball first, easily tapping it toward Chase, who stood frozen for a split second before he recovered and caught it.
“Holy shit,” Chase whispered, then quickly passed to his teammate.
The teammate, still stunned by what had just happened, fumbled the pass. Brock and Chase both lunged for the loose ball, but I was faster. I slipped between them, scooped up the ball, and darted toward the three–point line.
The gym was dead silent as I squared my shoulders, jumped, and released the ball in one fluid motion. It arced through the air and swished through the without touching the rim.
“Three points for Princeton!” the announcer’s voice broke the stunned silence. “Score is now 10-13!”
For a moment, nobody moved. The yers on the court stared at me as if I’d just performed some impossible magic trick. Then Chase let out a whoop that seemed to break the spell.
“What the actual fuck was that?” Brock demanded, his face flushed with anger as he turned to Chase. “You said she didn’t y basketball!”
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