The day after their intense first elimination game, Royal Court finally had a breather. The pressure of the tournament seemed to fade, at least for a while. King had organized a "rest day," insisting nobody touched a basketball until tomorrow.
The team gathered at their usual park. Instead of drills, they sat in circles on the grass, snacking, joking, and just being teenagers for once. Mia leaned against King's shoulder, laughing at Treasure's horrible attempt at telling jokes. Jasmine kept rolling her eyes at Cadel, but every time their eyes met, there was that spark neither of them could hide anymore.
Even AJ, normally closed-off, sat quietly in the group—though his phone buzzed more than usual. Nobody asked, but everyone kind of knew who he was texting.
"Yo, AJ's smiling at his phone," Dan teased. "That's suspicious."
AJ glared. "Shut the fuck up before I make you swallow your snacks whole."
The group exploded with laughter.
For once, it felt like there wasn't a tournament hanging over their heads. Just kids, friends, teammates.
Later that evening, as the sun dipped low, Jasmine and Ebun found themselves walking side by side, trailing a little behind the others. The cool air carried the sound of crickets, and Ebun had been unusually quiet all day.
Finally, she spoke, voice low."Jasmine… I need to tell you something."
Jasmine blinked. "What's up?"
Ebun stopped walking, staring at the ground. "I… I'm sorry. For everything. For how I reacted when you and Cadel… you know." Her fists tightened, but she forced herself to look up. "It wasn't fair. I was just jealous. I thought I had a chance with him, but…" She let out a shaky laugh. "…he clearly only sees you."
Jasmine's eyes softened. "Ebun…"
"But listen," Ebun cut in quickly, her voice almost a whisper. "Don't tell anyone, okay? Especially Treasure. I think… I think I have a crush on him."
Jasmine's mouth fell open. "Treasure?! Since when—"
"Shh!" Ebun pressed a finger to her lips, glancing around nervously. "Please, Jas. Just… keep it a secret for now. I don't even know how to deal with it myself."
Jasmine smiled, a little mischievous but warm. "Fine. Secret's safe with me."
Ebun let out a breath of relief. "Thanks."
The two girls walked back toward the group, and though nothing on the surface had changed, something between them had. A wall had been broken down, replaced by trust.
And somewhere across the park, Treasure was still laughing loudly at one of Dan's dumb stories, completely unaware that someone's heart was starting to beat a little faster every time he smiled.