Chapter 28 He’s Got Some Game
Cameron stared Xander down, his eyes full of defiance. She thought, ‘Xander’s the kind of guy who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth–showered with love and spoiled rotten his whole life.
“He probably grew up getting everything handed to him on a platter at home, so of course he acts like a big shot at school
too
If he hadn’t come for her, Cameron wouldn’t have bothered with him. But now that had, she figured it was time someone taught him a lesson in humility and let him see for himself that there was always someone better out there.
“Well, well, Xander said with an exaggerated grin on his handsome face. “You wanna challenge me in something I’m best at and kick me out of Room 316 if you win? Pretty boy, are you sure you’re not hallucinating? Maybe drearning a little too hard?”
Cameron’s words genuinely amused him. ‘I’ll give him this–Cameron looks delicate, almost girlish, like one good hit would knock him over. But he’s got a spine. Interesting, Xander thought.
“You got the guts to back it up?” Cameron wasn’t interested in trading words. She’d let her skills speak for themselves. “Pretty boy,” Xander drawled, raising a hand like he was about to tap her face–only to have it blocked midair.
Cameron’s cold expression didn’t change. “Hands off. That’s your last warning.”
“You think I want to touch you?” Xander scoffed, pulling his hand back. “Whatever. Just tell me the terms.”
“I changed my mind,” Cameron said.
Xander sneered with contempt, “Backing out already? Figures. You really don’t know how to act like a man. No wonder Amelia doesn’t like you.”
Cameron couldn’t even be bothered to respond and simply said, “I let you pick one earlier. Now I’ve decided–we’ll do both. Basketball and track.”
Xander let out a mocking laugh. “You really have a death wish, huh?” He thought, ‘These are literally the two things I’m best at. Cameron must’ve left his brain at home.‘
“But how do we settle it if it’s two events?” Xander rubbed his chin, then added, “Not that it matters–I’m obviously gonna crush you in both. No need for a tiebreaker.”
Cameron stood up, a half–smile playing at her lips. “Wanna start with basketball?”
“Let’s go.” Xander tilted his chin.
Cameron slid one hand into her pocket and walked out first.
“Pretty boy,” Xander called after her, “you may be short, but I’ll give it to you–your back view’s got some swagger.”
Cameron was rendered speechless. ‘Short? I’m five–foot–nine–barely average among guys, sure, but not short. This idiot’s really testing my patience. I might seriously consider turning him mute,’ she thought.
They made their way to the basketball court. It was early spring, and the night air still carried a chill. The orange glow of the court lights lit up the dark sky.
Boys in short sleeves dashed across the court, completely unfazed by the cold. Girls gathered along the sidelines, cheering excitedly whenever someone made a shot. The whole place buzzed with youthful energy.
The court was big, but every spot was taken. Without hesitation, Xander walked straight to the best half and crossed his arms. “Clear out. I’m using this court now.” His chilling tone left no room for argument.
The guys playing paused. They clearly didn’t like it, but once they saw it was Xander, they stepped aside without a word. Cameron frowned slightly, then turned to the boy who had led the group. “Sorry, we’ll only need a few minutes.”
“How are we doing this?” Xander asked.
Cameron said curtly, “Shooting hoops.”
“Give me the ball, Xander called, gesturing to someone nearby. He caught it and lobbed it over to Cameron. “You first.” Cameron caught it one–handed and walked straight to the three–point line.
Xander paused, raising an eyebrow. ‘Three–pointer? This punk’s got some game after all, he thought.
The onlookers started murmuring.
Someone asked, “What’s going on?”
Successfully unlocked!
Another chimed in “What are they competing in? Basketball?”
Someone else added, “This guy’s gonna play basketball against Xander? He’s out of his mind.”
Cameron acted like she didn’t hear a word. Her one hand stayed in her pocket, the other spinning the ball in her palm. She
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Chapter 28 He’s Got Some Game
glanced up at the backboard, then gave a small hop and released the ball.
“Whoa,” Gasps rippled through the crowd. The ball arced clean through the air and landed squarely in the net.
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