The gym was loud. Shoes squeaking, Coach yelling plays, the ball echoing off the floor. They were running scrimmages — full court, game speed. Ethan and Jake ended up on the same team for the first time in weeks.
At first it was awkward. Passes were stiff. Eye contact minimal. But then the game took over.
Jake cut hard to the basket. Ethan saw it instantly and fired a no-look bounce pass. Jake caught it mid-stride and laid it in clean. A few plays later, Jake kicked it back out when he got doubled. Ethan drained the open three. They started reading each other again, the way they used to — no words needed.
For almost twenty straight minutes, it felt like old times. Jake hit Ethan on the chest after a good screen. Ethan high-fived him hard after a fast break dunk. They even trash-talked t
