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“Guys or girls?”

I ask the question even though I already know the answer. Lydia laughs as though I’m crazy. “Guys, obviously. I’ve been single way too long. I need to scope out my next target.”

I roll my eyes at Lydia. Her definition of way too long is much different than mine. She broke up with her summer fling a few weeks before school started, and we hadn’t even been back for a month. “Maybe I want to scope out my next target.”

Lydia stares at me for a long time, and I wonder what could possibly be going through her mind. Normally, I know exactly what she’s thinking, but right now, I’m unsure. She tilts her head slightly as a smile comes to her face. “Since when were you looking for a girlfriend? I thought your focus was on basketball and basketball only.”

Lydia knows me way too well, because she’s exactly right. I’m not looking for a girlfriend right now. At the end of the last basketball season, I finally started to see some time on the varsity team. Now that I’m a junior and four out of the five starters from last year graduated, I’m pretty sure I have a good chance of starting this year. I just need to put all my attention on basketball. Hence, why I’m not looking. “Okay. You’re right,” I conceded, “but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the view.”

Always one to be super touchy, Lydia loops her arm through mine as we continue through the hall. “Fine. We can go to the girl’s game, but don’t blame me when I’m up your ass because I’m bored and don’t have a guy to entertain me.”

How sweet. “I’m just messing with you. I can’t go to any games tonight. I work.”

Lydia groans and drops my arm. “You work all the time.”

“I have to. Once basketball starts, I can barely work at all. Gotta make the money now.” I’ve explained this to Lydia multiple times, but she can’t seem to get it through her head.

Lydia pushes her lip out in an exaggerated pout, causing her to resemble the girl I met back when we were in first grade. “Fine. But you better call me when you get home, so I can update you.”

She slaps my ass and walks backward away from me, throwing me a wink before turning around. The bell rings just as I walk into my first period English class and my friend, Jazmin Hunte, taps the desk next to her in the back of the room, as if there was a chance I would sit anywhere else.

I immediately direct my attention to the front of the room, but I’m distracted by another tap on my desk. I look down to find a note from Jazmin.

Wanna stay after school and do some shooting drills?

I smile at the note. I love my friendship with Jazmin because we have the exact same goals. Being on varsity is all either of us care about right now. I try my best to pay attention to my teacher, who is talking about how we are about to start Lord of the Flies, while writing back to Jazmin.

Can’t. Work :(

It doesn’t take long for Jazmin to write back. Apparently, she isn’t as worried about paying attention, which could have to do with the fact that we’ve both already read Lord of the Flies. After becoming obsessed with the first season of The Wilds, we decided to read it since we heard there were similarities. Jazmin loved it. I really enjoyed it, but it could never compare to The Wilds since there were no lesbians.

You always work!

I laugh quietly before responding. You sound like Lydia.

Must be true then. When do you get off? Want to come over to my house afterward to shoot hoops? My mom can make snacks.

Jazmin certainly knows the way to my heart. You had me at snacks. I’ll be over around 8. I just need to stop at home quick after work.

***

As soon as school ends, I swap my T-shirt for my blue polo that sports the name of the small ice cream shop I work at. I grab the matching blue visor from my locker but refuse to put that on until I absolutely have to. To say that thing is an eyesore would be the understatement of the century.

I clock into work just before 3:30, which means I’ll get about three and a half hours tonight. The shop is owned by an older couple, and they insist the high school students working there leave by seven if they come right from school. The only way you’re allowed to work later is if you do your homework first and promise them that it’s all done before starting. It’s a bit extra, but I like it. It’s kind of like having another set of grandparents. I’m lucky enough to have two sets living within a half hour of me, but I’d never complain about more.

As soon as I’m standing at the front, my visor now in place, Delilah Howard slides up beside me. We don’t run in the exact same social circles at school, but there is some overlap, and she’s my favorite person in the world to work with. “Lydia tells me you were talking about checking out the girls’ soccer team. Have any prospects in mind?”

I stop myself from rolling my eyes. Lydia is such a gossip, and if I didn’t love her so much, it would probably annoy the shit out of me. I know that’s just Lydia though. “Lydia told you that?” I asked instead of addressing the actual question.

As if picking up on my unspoken question, Delilah nods in response. “We have physics together. We’re partners for a project.”

“Well, Lydia is getting you excited for no reason at all. I just said I wanted to go to a girls’ game for the eye candy. I’m not looking to date anyone.”

Delilah nods once again. “I feel that. My focus is on my AP classes right now. Dating is the last thing on my mind.”

Delilah is by far the smartest person at my school, and the only reason she isn’t number one in our class is because of Genesis Brimstone. She’s taking the easiest class load just so she can be on top. I get along with pretty much everyone and although I don’t dislike anyone, there are two people who rub me the wrong way, and one of them is Genesis. She’s on the basketball team with me and actually requested to stay on the JV team throughout her high school career. She says it’s so she can be a guide for the younger players, but we all know it’s because she thinks if she plays JV long enough, she eventually will be the best player. On top of that, she’s also ridiculously religious, hence the name her parents gave her, so she’s always had a problem with the fact that I’m gay. She’s never said it directly, but she’s asked me to come to church with her multiple times, making comments about how she thinks it could be beneficial for me. What else could that possibly mean?

The last thing I want to do is get angry thinking about Genesis, so I crane my neck to try to peer around the corner. When I realize there is no hope of figuring out who is over there, I turn my attention back to Delilah. “Who is on the outside window tonight?”