Excerpt: North Lakeview Reliance: Junior Year

Jayla stood at the top of the key, bent over, dribbling, her breath coming in hard gasps that matched my own. She looked at the hoop, then me, lowered her shoulder and charged. I took two giant steps back, anticipating the drive, when she stood straight up and nailed a three pointer over my head that sent me sprawling to the floor. I’d overcorrected and was now on my ass, feeling the fall reverberate from my tailbone up my back. As the ball slow bounced out of the hoop, I laid down, waiting for the pain to stop pulsing. I heard her trot over me. Not wanting help, I sat myself up, but it hurt. When I winced she put her hand out. We grasped forearms, and she pulled me up. We fell against each other in an embrace.

“I’m gonna love playing with you, Parker,” she said, putting a hand on the back of my head while I thumped her back with an open palm.