n's

dline written about me, I could

inates t

Leads Hawks

ero Does

y. The kind of puff piece

thi

ne's di

ckless: The Dual

words keep repl

her in the gym. She was waiting near the bleachers with

" look and shuffle out of the way. But Ava Reynolds didn't move. She

I

e assistants left lying around, slapped it aga

," I read aloud, lettin

y, isn

, but didn't back down. Her chi

that almost

led over apologies or excuses, trying

could see the faint flush on her cheeks. "Well,

she wanted to fire back

tighter to her chest, while my teamma

ng across the court, I co

t like th

zzing like it's Christmas morning. Marcus smacks the hea

!" he crows, waving the

reading a proclamation. "The Chronicle says Cole plays with br

le room

are, but it's useless. The guys circle like sharks

, the Chronicle might

ess fo

o dunk his way

inally say, pushing past

inning. I c

oke. Just another headline t

know b

everyone else to see, but when she looked at me

ng with texts I ignore. The cool evening air outside feels l

against the glass windows. Tyler's hunched in our usual booth, ear

say, sl

cking up for half a second b

the silence stretch; Tyler's never been big on small talk. But ev

aw it?"

ea

oughtfully, then say

y own brother thi

flat, so matter-of-fact,

to be on my

too hard sometimes. You don't stop even when you shoul

e if I want to

damn it,

Smarter. Older, somehow, than his sixteen years. That hap

ir just to break the heaviness. "Eat your

king, but his eyes linger

ll waiting for

r's door is shut, I sit at the kitchen table

s words agai

ite the usual fluff piece. She stripped the g

ating her for it,

she's n

at gnaws at me every day. The fear that one wro

e looks at me, like she sees past the shine, makes

o my face, draggi

rd this. Can'

the gym today, unflinching, almo

a long time, I wonder

lds is the one ho