Page 101 of Ruthless Court

That is what bothers me.

Most people watch what I do and see highlights, turnovers, numbers, or money.

She saw the hesitation beneath it.

I lean back and stare at the ceiling.

Thursday feels too far away.

For someone who claims she wants nothing to do with athletes, Bookworm has buried herself inside my game.

Now I need to know how deep she can see.

Ten

HANNAH

My contacts arrived today. Finally.

It’s Saturday night and we have no plans.

Lila treats this like a campus event. I’m out of my favorite almond shampoo so I borrow Noor’s off brand Keratin one that smells like coconuts and vanilla mated.

“You have eyes,” she says when I come out of the bathroom.

“I had them yesterday.”

“Not like this.”

Noor looks up from the sweater she’s borrowing without permission. “Your glasses make your eyes look huge. Without them, you look…”

“Finish that sentence carefully.”

“Less likely to poison someone with a rare plant.”

“Disappointing.”

I lean toward the mirror and blink twice.

No burning.

No scratching.

No sensation that a grain of sand has lodged beneath my eyelid and is trying to reach my brain.

A successful medical procedure.

Lila appears behind me with a curling iron.

“No.”

“I haven’t said anything.”

“You’re holding a weapon near my head.”

“We’re going out.”

“I thought we were getting burgers.”