Page 371 of Ruthless Court

He catches it.

“Focus.”

“That means yes.”

Coach’s whistle cuts through the gym.

“All of you focus.”

We reset.

For thirty seconds, everybody behaves.

Then Eli comes off a screen beside me.

“Did you build the pillow wall?”

I almost lose the ball.

“You heard that?”

“Noah told everybody.”

“I told three people.”

“There are eight people standing here.”

“Information travels.”

I drive past Eli and finish at the rim.

“None of you have lives.”

Noah catches the ball beneath the basket.

“We have lives. Yours just got interesting.”

Vale walks onto the court from the training room with tape around two fingers and a towel hooked over one shoulder.

“What’d I miss?”

Everyone answers at once.

“Haverhill’s locked down.”

“Bookworm slept over.”

“They had movie night.”

“She brought a waffle maker.”

Vale stops.

“A what?”

I close my eyes.

This is going to be unbearable.