Amara and Primo rushed downstairs and into the patio. She scanned the area before seeing Elijah on his knees as Natasha looked down on him. Her pale face was flushed as the boy picked up the broken glass.

"What happened?" Amara questioned and step forward. Primo instantly yanked her back, clutching her hands tight.

"Evie!" she called for their maids instead. Two women gasped at the mess and took over the cleaning.

"Aw," Natasha hissed as they stepped inside.

"Are you okay?" Elijah and Primo both asked at the same time.

Amara moved past them and examined the small cut on the girl's finger. "I'll get—"

"I'll get it." Primo dashed to the kitchens. He returned with the first-aid kit and handed her a band-aid. "What the hell happened?"

Amara wrapped the band-aid on Natasha's fingers. With their closeness, she observed how her light blue eyes flitted towards the boy on her left, towards Elijah.

Natasha bit her lip. "Nothing. I just... stood up abruptly."

Liar.

Amara dropped her hands and stepped back. Her stormy eyes were ferocious as Primo talked to the girl he was dating.

"I won this one," she muttered under her breath as Elijah tensed next to him. "I won't ask what happened but you better tell Primo the truth soon."

"Ama—"

"No." Amara gritted her teeth. She glowered at the brown-eyed boy that he swallowed in return. "Do it. Or you'll see me angry."

✘✘

Amara monitored Elijah's movements as the weekend started. She even distanced herself from Primo and Natasha just in case she blurted the truth. She didn't want to be a third wheel anyway.

She was browsing Tiktok after she finished her exercise when her mother called for her.

"What?"

Callista Genovese marched into the living room with a determined face. "Ama, can you drive Aiken and Axel to the clubhouse? I gave the old man a break. Please?"

Amara set her phone down. "But Mom—"

"Do you have plans?" she asked.

"Well, no—"

"Then, you'll do it. Thanks, princess!" Her mother walked out, leaving her gobsmacked.

Amara groaned into a pillow as she heard heavy steps going down the stairs. She looked up and saw her brother in volleyball attire. "What's gotten into you?"

Aiken ignored her question. "Come on. Mom told you, right?"

Amara grabbed the car keys. Her brother, even he was a replica of their dad, was a huge nerd. He liked online games that he barely got out of his room. Only their mother had managed to trick Aiken into enrolling in a karate class. Now, he wanted to play sports? Willingly?

She took the Lexus with Aiken sitting shotgun. Amara drove towards her uncle's house to pick up their cousin. Aiken and Axel were best friends and she was certain she would suffer through this whole ordeal.

She honked the car in front of the Castellano's mansion and didn't stop until Axel slid behind them.

"Hey, couz!" he greeted, showing his perfect teeth.

As expected, they rambled on about this game and that game.

"Ax, tell me why you two are into physical sports now?" Amara interrogated. The boys shared a look but before Axel could speak, she added, "I'll let you drive later."

"Really?" Axel exclaimed before he shyly scratched his blond hair. "Well, they—"

"Ax, come on!" Aiken grumbled as they entered the clubhouse. The place had a sports center that everyone kept raving about.

"Someone called us losers!" Axel announced.

"What?"

"And they kinda... challenge us to a volleyball game! We can't lose, cousin!" Her cousin continued with imploring blue eyes.

Amara managed to laugh as she parked the car. The notion of a challenge between middle-school boys seemed childish but even Amara would take offense to be called a loser. That word didn't exist in their family.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't pummel them instead," she mumbled. The boys' faces went pale. "You two—"

"It was self-defense!" Aiken yelled. "That's why we reached this deal instead of them tattling to the principal."

Amara smirked. Maybe this was what her mother felt every time her children evaded trouble. "Good!"

They high-fived each other before they exited the car. The gymnasium was huge. The sound of bouncing balls could be heard as they walked through the hallway. Two of the three vertical courts were already occupied.

Amara let the boys go to their coach. She sat on the blue seats, observing the place. The ceilings were high and the yellow and blue flooring was solid and clean. Not bad.

She watched different games at the same time. But the one on the middle court caught her attention.

The setter was hot. He looked like Matt Anderson. Brown hair, perfect form, golden skin. Not to mention the 3/4's black compression pants he wore under his athlete shorts. The stretchy material emphasized his thighs sexily. He was totally her type.

Amara filled her eyes with the view when Primo texted her.

Arcade?

Cant. Ask ur girl.

She's busy.

Go alone.

:(

Amara failed to reply as a ball shot in her direction. She picked up the ball and tossed it back to the hot guy's teammate. He received the ball but approached her nonetheless.

"Sorry about that," he muttered. "We're having a bad day."

She shrugged. "It's fine."

An hour passed when Aiken and Axel finished their practice. They drank their water and she stood up. She only had a light breakfast after her run. She was starving. "Can we go?"

"Sure. Wings?"

"Wait!"

The three of them turned to the source of the voice. Amara recognized him as the guy who apologized to her.

"Are you all going now?"

Amara stepped forward. "Yeah. Why?"

"Some of our guys have a business to attend to. Is it okay if... we asked you to play for a while?"

"Sure!" the boys replied without a second thought.

"Whatever," Amara sighed and wondered if she could have food deliver.

"Actually, my invitation includes you."

"Brian, what's the hold up?" The setter joined in their circle. His brows were furrowed as he eyed the boys before his gaze met hers.

Amara folded her arms. "Sure. I can play."

"Then, you better hit my sets," he declared before he stomped back to the court.

Amara ignored the guy's air of cockiness. She didn't need words when she could show it to him first hand. She put her hair in a ponytail and took her position.

The game started. Amara was on the setter's team while the boys were on the other side. She winced internally every time she blocked, praying that her fingers would be okay. But she was betting on the fact that injuries could happen anytime. She'd be fine.

And the satisfied look on the handsome setter's face was worth it.

Only when it was Aiken's turn to serve that her heart hammered.

The ball zoomed in her direction. She was certain that the speed and accuracy were too much for her. She let the ball pass.

"Seriously?" her crush exclaimed.

After a few more minutes, the game ended. Amara's team won but the setter's disapproval dampened her celebration.

"Better work on your receives if you wanna come back here," he said. He sent another glare at her before he clutched his sports bag and trudged to the exit.

"What's his problem? It was one mistake," she grumbled.

"Sorry." Brian smiled at her. "Zeke's very determined. It makes him intense."

"Why? Does he want to play pro or something?"

"He does. We have two more years in college but Zeke's treating each game like it's his last. He always gives it his all."

Amara turned to where the setter disappeared. She had never met someone that passionate about pursuing sports. Not even Primo.

Hmm. How interesting.

✘✘

ah, i enjoyed writing this chapter so much.

haikyu feels hehe