The air outside was chilly even without the tension between JC and Justin, but the two of them ignored the cold air. They were each treating Justin's challenge as seriously as they would a real high school game. Most of the kids at the party had followed the pair outside, and they lined the edges of Brian's driveway around the basketball hoop, which was on a post off to the side, not mounted over the garage. Someone in the back yelled, "Hey, JC, how're you gonna play in those pants?" JC shot the kid a withering look and turned to Justin.
"Straight up rules. First to 21 by ones, gotta win by two, and it's alternating possessions, not make-it, take-it," JC said, and Justin nodded. "Ready?" JC asked, eye still icy.
"Game on," Justin replied, tossing the ball to JC. "Check."
JC bounced the ball back and assumed a defensive stance. Justin flashed a grin, made a half-jab step toward JC, which caused JC to back up a little, but then Justin pulled back for the jumper from just inside the top of the key.
--swish--
"That's one," Justin said, licking a finger and making a tally mark in the air before flashing his cocky grin once more. The Jefferson kids cheered. JC glared.
From under the basket, Brian, who was trying his best to be neutral in this contest between his two friends, threw the ball to JC. JC took it and handed it to Justin, who gave it right back. Justin was a good defensive player, but he made the mistake of watching JC's cold blue eyes instead of his stomach, and JC caught him on a look-fake. As Justin moved the wrong way, JC made a two-step drive to the basket and put the ball through the hoop easily on a reverse lay-up as Justin watched from the top of the key.
"Ones," JC sneered at Justin, handing him the ball. Justin narrowed his eyes, determined not to be caught by that trick again.
Justin took the ball straight to the hoop on his next possession, but he pulled up short of a lay-up and beat JC by shooting a quick jumper from the middle of the paint.
--swish--
"That's two."
JC made a hard chest-pass to give Justin the ball to check that time, and Justin looked up after he caught it, smiling. JC glared right back. This time, after Justin returned the ball to JC, Justin kept his eyes on JC's stomach. As a result, when JC made a fake and his t-shirt pulled up exposing a little bit of JC's smooth skin, Justin lost his focus. JC quickly side-stepped him and scored again.
"Twos."
The game continued, back and forth like that, for something like 20 minutes. Every time Justin scored, JC scored. Every time Justin missed, JC missed. Then, when the score was 17-17, JC inexplicably pulled ahead. He made three quick shots in a row, while Justin missed each of his opportunities. That made it 20-17.
"Game point," JC said, looking Justin directly in the eye. Justin nodded, his game face set.
The cheers of the crowd were split between the two ballplayers. More of Brian's friends from Kennedy had shown up, including several of JC's teammates, so Justin was no longer the crowd favorite. Justin, however, tuned it all out. He stared down JC, who was crouched in front of him, ready to pounce and steal the ball if given the chance, all business. But then, JC looked up and caught Justin's eyes with his. Justin saw that the iciness was gone. There was something different there now, something warmer, but not quite so hot as the look he'd received from JC at the game earlier that night. There was something there, in JC's eyes, something ineffable. Something intriguing. Something distracting.
Justin was puzzled. Why is JC looking at me like that? In the split second that this question occupied his mind, Justin lost his concentration. JC wasted no time snatching the ball out of Justin's hands, dribbing the the top of the key, pivoting, and pausing only long enough to swish a perfect three-pointer. Game over. And Justin had lost.
The kids surrounding the court swooped in to congratulate JC on his victory over Justin, whom they had all thought would win. Justin stood there, watching JC and his throng of admirers, in a fog of stunned silence. Then he walked back into Brian's house. This time, no one followed him.
Justin headed into the bathroom. He splashed water on his face, trying to wash away the frustration of letting JC prove him wrong. He never lost at one-on-one. Never. Especially not to ice-cold bastards like JC. Justin studied his reflection in the mirror. How did this happen? And how am I going to get him back? I can't let him win, no way. But what can I do to even the score?
Uncertain of an answer, Justin turned to his hair. He tried to smooth down his curls, which had become wild during the game. When that didn't work, Justin pulled a bandana out of his back pocket and tied it around his head to keep his curls in. Bunches of them stuck out in back, but it was still an improvement, Justin thought. He gave himself a final once-over in the mirror and turned to leave, but then someone knocked on the door. Justin opened it, and found his eyes once again locked with JC's.
Justin wouldn't give JC to satisfaction of looking away, so the two boys stood there, eying each other. Justin felt as if they should be circling each other warily, like elk getting ready to lock horns. He stepped out of the bathroom and into the hallway, never taking his eyes off the other boy. They stood there in the hallway, facing each other, in silence.
Finally, JC spoke. "Good game, Timberlake," he said, his voice, for the first time that evening, entirely without malice.
"Looks a lot better from the side of the victor, doesn't it?" Justin replied, refusing to let down his guard, even though JC's tone was inviting him to.
"No, really, Justin, I mean it," JC said softly, "you're an incredible basketball player."
Justin couldn't believe it. Where were all the hard edges? Where was the biting bitterness? Where was the fire? But still, he wouldn't give in to this new, softer JC. "You're only saying that cause then you look better cause you beat me."
JC sighed. "Justin, for once, take a fucking compliment!"
"Fuck you, JC, you couldn't take one earlier in the kitchen."
"Whatever, I can take whatever you give me. I proved that outside, didn't I?"
As that hint of sassy JC snuck back out, something inside Justin turned wicked. "You can take anything?" he countered.
"Anything," JC replied without hesitation.
Justin gave JC no warning at all. Before JC had
any idea what was happening, Justin had him pushed up against the hallway
wall, and Justin's lips were covering JC's in a fierce and fiery kiss.