Page 579 of Bad Prince
Their center, a thick six-eleven bastard with a beard and too much confidence, pointed at Kane on the way back and said, “Keep barking. Five fouls comes quick.”
Kane just smiled.
“Try scoring first.”
First foul came at 11:41.
Second at 8:52.
The second was trash. Everybody in the building knew it. The ref signaled anyway.
Kane slammed the ball once against the hardwood and turned toward him.
Coach was already on his feet.
“Enough!”
I got to Kane before the technical did.
“Kane.”
“He’s kidding.”
“I know.” I grabbed the back of his jersey and pulled him a half-step away. “Don’t help them.”
Their center jogged by and said, loud enough for all of us to hear, “He’s tight ‘cause Vale’s girl got passed around the whole storyline before he caught up.”
Everything in me went white for half a second.
I took one step.
Jalen got a forearm across my chest first.
Kane caught my wrist.
“Not now,” Kane said, low and hard.
The center just smirked and ran back on defense like he’d done his job.
I could feel my fist closing.
Feel my pulse in my teeth.
Jalen leaned in.
“He wants you dumb.”
I stared past both of them at the other end of the floor.
Kane still had my wrist.
“Vale.”
I exhaled once through my nose.
Then twice.
Then I looked at Kane.
