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"Thanks!" I gasped, still breathless I wiped my still sweaty forehead with the back of my hand and placed both hands on my hips completely exhausted without the benefit of ood as you," Tristan laughed He moved a basketball back and forth casually in his hands and kept his intense gaze on aze was always intense lately, as if he had to watch me constantly or I would disappear into thin air Soet on my nerves, but this look, this new look wasn’t so much platonically possessive as it was… I didn’t really knohat it was I felt my blood heat inside my veins and found the need to defuse the iven," I boasted sarcastically "But seriously, they were tough How is their guy’s team?"

"They’re rated number nine this year They started out the season slow, but before break they killed Scribner-Snyder, who is rated higher than us… so ill see Lincoln and I have soood tonight," Tristan s out of the visitors’ locker roo warly "Watch out for nuh, his sister playedthese randouard"

"I saw that," Tristan agreed, his eyes narrowing in focus "Piper looked pretty pissed about it"

"That’s because Piper is super possessive about her three-point record, even if they’re on the other teah," I noticed the rest of my team had disappeared into the locker rooah! I expect to be pointed at after the best play of the ga I want a 360 dunk, while you… bark like a dog"

I laughed at our pre-gaames, I ca by a lot Tristan would try to incorporate thea to throw the ball inbounds and then clucked like a chicken during a set of free throws shot by the opposing teaht he was crazy and his coach only tolerated his antics because he was so good at winning games

"What is with all these sounds now? It used to just be fancyopera or recite the pledge of allegiance," he shook his head atand I knew I had already won

"Those are great ideas!" I agreed energetically and gripped his bare bicep beforearound him

"Hey!" he called before I could walk away "Lincoln’s party tonight? What do you think?"

"Throw in sootiated, wondering if this party was a good idea, but Tristan seeo

Tristan shook his head at me and then took off onto the court when the official warym speakers I paused to watch as he led his tea toward the backboard and tossing the basketball hard against the Plexiglas screen so the guy behind him could ju like pride bubbled up inside me as I watched Tristan maneuver around the court and command the attention of his teaifted human athlete and he was ed to a destiny that didn’t include high school boys, or best friends… or really anyone else besides Seth

But right noas o to Lincoln’s party tonight I really couldn’t tell hiut that warnedominous hovered overhead

I shook out my knotted, sweat-soaked ponytail and bounded into the locker roo my best to focus on Coach Litz’ victory speech

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"I think I could play that sport," Seth mused as alked into Lincoln’s fare life The party was extra lively after tinning varsity ga over Lincoln’s parents were some of the wealthier farmers in the area so his house was only a couple years old and sat on two thousand acres of land

"I think you could too," I agreed, knowing as an Angel he could really do anything, including varsity basketball "The hardest part of the ga huaths are"

"I can see why you use these sports to train though, they see hed as the rest of our group gathered around us inside, "Make sure you report that back to Jupiter fordark hair over her shoulder Her copper bangles jingled around her wrist,the bronze beadwork of her hot pink, stylish tunic

"It’s big, right?" I replied vaguely, changing the subject

"Super big, weirdo," Piper laughed sendinglooks like?" Seth asked while taking in the wild teens in front of hi room into a dance floor Lincoln sat perched on the top of the staircase leading upstairs watching with restrained horror as Rigley’s party turned destructive on his parents’ expensive ho looks like," Piper explained with obvious tones of disgust "When it’s cold outside at least… in the suh class"