"Glad to see you girls enjoying the night."

The voice made me stiffen, and I instinctively turned to see Blake and Elijah standing behind us with wide smiles on their faces.

"Hello, ladies." Elijah's tone was smooth, almost teasing as he addressed us.

Daphne's cheeks flushed a soft pink. "Hi." She mumbled, unable to keep the shy smile off her face.

Sophia gave him a smirk. "This is quite the setup."

"Yeah, I kind of went all out this year." He shrugged like it was no big deal, but I could tell he was proud of the sprawling scene around us.

Sophia raised an eyebrow, her gaze moving deliberately to me before flicking back to Blake. "We can see that."

Blake's eyes caught mine, and for a moment, everything else faded. "You like it?"

He is asking me?

My heart skipped a beat, but I forced myself to maintain a cool exterior, even though the warmth creeping up my neck betrayed me.

"It's nice," I said, offering a smile that I hoped looked more confident than I felt. "And unpredictable."

"That was the point." Blake's grin turned smug, and I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. There was something about the way he looked at me like he knew exactly how to make me second-guess myself.

Before I could reply, Elijah stepped forward with a playful grin. "You guys wanna play some ball?" He gestured toward the court, where a few people were already warming up. "A couple of our players got a little... drunk, so we're kind of short."

My gaze flickered to the court, and then back to Elijah. "Uh, I'm not really in the mood-"

"Afraid to lose again?" Blake's voice cut in and the challenge clear in his tone.

I shot him a dead glare, wanting nothing more than to wipe that cocky smirk off his face.

"Again?" Elijah frowned, but I wasn't about to elaborate on the last time I'd played against him. It hadn't exactly been my finest moment.

Sophia casually draped her arm over my shoulders, grinning like she knew something I didn't. "You know what?" she said, nudging me playfully. "We'll join you guys."

Blake's eyes sparkled with mischief, and Elijah looked delighted. "Great. Let's go."

"What are you doing?" I squinted at Sophia, who was bouncing with excitement beside me.

"What?" she asked, her attempt at innocence failing miserably when her lips curled up into an amused grin. "This is a party. We came to have fun, right?"

Daphne and I exchanged a glance, then followed them toward the court. Something about the way Blake kept looking at me made my stomach flutter, and I was pretty sure he knew it.

"I never said we had to play with them," I muttered, irritation mixing with my nerves.

Sophia shrugged, unbothered. "It's just basketball, Cara. What could go wrong?"

"Yeah, except Blake always has to turn everything into a competition," I said, shooting her a look.

Sophia just winked. "And you love it."

Daphne, who had been quiet until now, beamed and gave us a thumbs-up. "I'll cheer you guys on!" she said, standing with the other partygoers near the sidelines.

I took off my jacket and handed it to her. "Can you hold this?"

"Sure thing." She nodded, her eyes wide with excitement.

Sophia and I walked toward the center of the court, where a few more of our high school players, both girls and boys, were gathered. We greeted them and my eyes went to the drunk players on loungers. Among them, I spotted Erica and Susan.

They weren't exactly friends again, but after our big match, they'd managed to call a truce-though I noticed there was still a lot of tension whenever they were together.

"The game is one-on-one," Elijah explained, clapping his hands together. "Each one of us will take turns spinning the bottle. Whoever it lands on will be the opponent. The spinner has to make the shot while the opponent tries to block it."

Sophia raised an eyebrow. "What's the catch?"

"Simple," Blake added, with that trademark smirk of his. "If you miss a shot, you take a shot."

I paused.

"What?" I frowned, confused. "You mean like... a drink?"

Elijah laughed. "Yeah, exactly. The players will get thirty seconds and only one shot. If you score, you win and the opponent takes the shot. If you don't, vice versa."

Now it made sense why the other players were drunk. The mix of alcohol and competition was intended to make things more interesting.

"Got it?" Blake asked, eyes narrowing on me like I was the slow learner in the group.

"Bring it on," I growled.

Blake's eyes gleamed. "Why don't you go first?"

I rolled my eyes, but there was no escaping this now. With a resigned sigh, I picked up the bottle, twisting it in my hands as the group fell silent, waiting for me to spin it. The stakes had just been raised, and the butterflies in my stomach felt more like a stampede.

Everyone circled me, eyes locked on the bottle as I placed it on the ground. The cool evening air brushed against my skin, but my palms were clammy as I crossed my fingers, silently praying the bottle wouldn't land on Blake.

The group fell into a hush and anticipation thick in the air. The bottle spun, its twisting motion hypnotic as it slowed down, inching toward its final destination. I held my breath, my heart pounding in my chest.

Please don't be Blake.

The bottle finally came to a stop.

I blinked, my shoulders tensing as I followed its direction. It pointed directly at Kyle, and I exhaled in a rush of relief while Kyle caught my eye and flashed me a grin.

"Looks like I'm the chosen one," he said, his voice light and teasing. The group laughed, everyone except one person.

Blake's expression immediately darkened. His eyes narrowed at Kyle, and his jaw tightened in that way I'd seen a thousand times before. Because that's the same look he used to give me. I swallowed, trying to ignore the sudden rush of confusion that hit me.

I mean, I've lied to him about liking Kyle, but why's he glaring at him like that?

I shook myself out of my thoughts when Elijah tossed me the ball. The bounce of the ball against my hands helped ground me as I focused on the game. I squared up against Kyle, positioning myself opposite him.

"I'll go easy on you." He smirked.

I rolled my eyes, putting on my best confident smile. "Please, do me a favor and give your best." I flicked my hair over my shoulder, my grin turning smug. "So I can enjoy the taste of beating a boy."

The group burst into laughter, and I couldn't help but feel a little giddy while Kyle shook his head, amused.

Elijah blew the whistle, and the game was on.

Kyle launched forward toward me, but I anticipated it. Without hesitation, I stepped back and launched a shot from behind the three-point line. The ball sailed through the air-smooth, controlled, and perfect.

Swish!

The crowd erupted in hoots and cheers, and I blinked innocently at him. "How was that, Kyle?"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "You're good."

We walked back to the group and everyone shouted 'Chug' as he took his shot. My eyes went to Blake, and I saw him with a blank look on his face.

What's his problem? He's the one who invited us to play.

Sophia was next, and the game continued with similar results. One by one, the players spun the bottle, and the game continued.

I took a deep breath, but I could feel the heat rise in my chest when it was Blake's turn. He bent down, his fingers brushing against the neck of the bottle as he spun it. He stood up, and I caught his eyes. Then, without warning, he winked at me.

What?

I froze for a split second, my mind trying to catch up with what had just happened. Blake's grin widened, and his eyes flickered with something I couldn't quite place.

Before I could even process the moment, the bottle finished its spin-and, of course, it landed on me.

Blake's grin was wide, toothy, and knowing, and I felt a rush of heat flood my cheeks. He couldn't have planned that... could he?

I grumbled under my breath as I made my way to the court, trying to push down the nerves that were suddenly building in my stomach. I couldn't afford to look like a mess in front of him again-not after the last time.

Sophia and Daphne cheered from the sidelines, and I puffed out my chest, trying to look more confident than I felt. I patted my cheeks, reminding myself to stay focused.

You've got this, Cara. Don't let him get to you.

Blake took his position across from me, and for a moment, everything seemed to slow down. His presence on the court was enough to make the air feel thick like the entire world was watching just to see what would happen between us.

Blake was taller, stronger, and had a reach that could easily overpower me, but if I dwelled on him till the time was up, I could win this. Elijah blew the whistle, and I bit my lip, determined to stick to my plan.

His lips twitched upward in that signature smirk. "Aren't you going to do anything?" He asked in a low-teasing tone.

I rolled my eyes, trying to suppress the nervous flutter in my stomach. "You're the one who needs to make the shot, not me."

In response, he dashed toward me, his long legs covering the distance in seconds. The ball bounced in his hands, and his movements were smooth and calculated. I braced myself, waiting for him to take his shot, but I knew he wouldn't make it that easy. He pivoted, juking me to the left before launching the ball toward the hoop.

I stretched out, jumping to the block, but my timing was off. The ball sailed over my hand, and before I could react, it swished through the net.

The crowd went wild and my heart dropped.

"Looks like I win... Again." Blake's grin was wide, victorious and his gaze locking on mine as I stood frozen, taking in the sting of defeat.

Elijah handed me the drink, and I shot him a look of playful annoyance before I took it from him. The group cheered, some chanting my name, and I could feel all their eyes on me as I brought the drink to my lips.

I downed the drink in one go, the burn of alcohol spreading down my throat. The crowd cheered, and I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, pretending like it hadn't affected me at all.

Blake's eyes lingered on me for a moment longer than necessary, and I could feel my heart skip a beat, but I tried to ignore it.

The game continued, each round more intense than the last. I was still trying to shake off the embarrassment of losing to Blake, but the next spin was already here and, it stopped again on Kyle.

Kyle let out a loud laugh and his eyes sparkled with amusement. "Well, well, looks like I'm the lucky one again!" He joked, raising his hands in mock triumph.

"Don't get too cocky." I shot him a sideways grin, stepping into position with the ball in my hands.

The rest of the group chuckled, as we quickly took our places and I didn't even dare to glance in Blake's direction.

Elijah blew the whistle, signaling the start of the round. Kyle immediately charged toward me, and I dribbled the ball, trying to go around him, knowing my last strategy wouldn't work again, but he was quick.

I faked a shot, making him jump, and whirled on the other side to toss, but luck was not on my side. My feet got tangled, and the ball slipped from my hands, missing the hoop.

As for me, I was about to kiss the ground and my dignity again. To my surprise, Kyle's instincts were strong, and he saved me by grabbing my shoulders.

"That was a close one." He murmured as he pulled me back and I stumbled on my feet.

"Are you okay?" Elijah asked, and I gave him a thumbs up.

You know in cartoons how they show a gloomy dark purple aura radiating from a person? At that moment, I swear that's exactly the vibe I felt from a certain someone and it took everything in my power to ignore it.

"Looks like I win." Kyle patted my shoulder as we walked towards the group. I felt the sting of defeat, but I shrugged it off as I took the drink from Elijah. The burn of alcohol hit me hard this time, sharper than before. The room spun for a second, but I forced myself to focus.

As soon as I was done, it was Sophia's turn to spin. The bottle spun with a sharp snap, and everyone watched eagerly as it came to a stop.

Elijah.

Sophia smirked as Elijah gave her a mock-somber look. "Guess it's time to show you how it's done." He said, rolling up his sleeves.

Sophia raised an eyebrow, her grin widening. "Don't hold back, Elijah," she said, flexing her fingers like she was getting ready to battle him. "I want to see what you've got."

The game between them was intense. Elijah was quick, but Sophia was even quicker, her movements sharp and precise. In the end, Sophia won the round.

"You were saying?" Sophia laughed, hands on her hips.

"Fine, you win. You're a better player than I thought." He conceded, laughing. "But I'm coming for you next time."

The energy in the game was electric, and I could feel the alcohol catching up with me. The competitive banter kept the mood light, but it was clear everyone was getting a little tipsy.

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