and sweat hung in the air of the S
g onto the bench. She
arrow mirror inside her lo
se was swollen and bruised purple from the mor
scissors. Her eyes were fixed on the expens
ing steady. She preten
in striking distance. S
he edge of the heavy metal locker door
Tammy-Lynn squa
mmy-Lynn screamed. She dropped the scissors and
rs froze. Their eyes
screeched across the tiles, blockin
e. She wrapped the ends around her knuckles. She pulled her hands
forward. Her eyes were e
r out of the way, scrambling over the benches to flee the
word. She stepped over Tammy-Lynn's legs, ch
packed with students from Manhattan's elite families.
heir wore a custom jersey. Sweat glistened on h
e bleacher steps. She
d the systematic social isolation that drove Eleanor to de
yup. He turned to
vanished. He saw the pure, unadultera
assed the ba
erately bounced the ball hard and low, aiming it to ricochet off the floor
d their faces, bracing for the sickening sou
didn'
hot down. Her fi
m her knees. The impact was massive. Th
tic energy, her wrist dipping slightly before lockin
he referee dropped his whistle. I
t the three-point lin
h one hand. She stepped off the bleachers
slowly to
e teammates stepped fo
that promised immediate, violent hospitalizatio
Julian. He was taller, but
, Eleanor?" Julian stammered. His voice
didn't
the ball. It
oded int
lently against the floor. She dropped her shoulder,
ss the speed. He tangled his
hed hard onto the floor, his
e. She squared her shoulders. She jumped.
high through
is
ouching the rim. The buzzer sounded
s still sitting on the floor. The bas
ot on top of the ball.
id. Her voice carried across the dead
eins in his neck bulged. He opened his mouth, but the
lked out of the gym, leaving the king
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