Beyond The Court

19. In Kesleys Eyes

*Kesleys POV*

I sat there at the lunch table, the hollow laughter of my so-called friends echoing in my ears, and wondered how long I could keep up this façade. The truth was, I didn't belong with them. I never did. They never really knew me, and I don't think they ever wanted to. I just filled a spot, a placeholder for someone they could use to avoid feeling alone at lunch or having an empty spot on their social calendar.

It had been like this for the past two years—me, playing along, smiling when I didn't want to smile, laughing at jokes that weren't funny, pretending I didn't feel like a stranger in my own skin. At first, it was easier to blend in, to keep my head down and go through the motions. After all, there was a time when I was good at pretending. But recently, since Izzi came back into my life, every forced laugh felt like another crack in the mask I'd been wearing.

Talking with Izzi again... it was like coming home. I hadn't realized just how much I'd missed her, missed *us*, until we started spending time together again. And now, everything about my life without her felt wrong—especially my so-called friends.

Sitting at the table now, I stared blankly at Jess, who was babbling on about the party over the weekend, her voice a grating backdrop to the thoughts racing in my head. I kept glancing toward the cafeteria entrance, waiting for Izzi to walk through the doors. These days, she was the only person I looked forward to seeing. And even though we weren't the same as we used to be, even though there was still so much to figure out between us, I couldn't shake the feeling of warmth that spread through me whenever I saw her.

Everything about her felt familiar. Even now, as things are complicated between us, being around her felt like I was breathing fresh air after years of suffocating.

"Do you think Izzi's gonna be at the game tonight?" Jess asked, interrupting my thoughts.

Of course, she was talking about Izzi. Everyone was always talking about Izzi. She was the one person in this entire school who seemed untouchable—*the* Izzi Charles. The top recruit in the country. Tall, muscular, confident... and untouchable. Every guy wanted to date her, and every girl wanted to be her friend. But none of them knew her the way I did.

I glanced at Jess, who had a dreamy look on her face as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "Yeah, she'll be at the game," I muttered, not bothering to hide the bitterness in my voice.

Jess and the others all laughed, clearly missing the edge in my tone. "I swear, she's like a celebrity here," one of them said. "No one can get close to her."

I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. They didn't get it. They didn't know her like I did. They didn't know that the walls Izzi built weren't just because she was *untouchable*. They didn't know about the real Izzi, the one who used to fall asleep beside me, her head resting on my shoulder during movie nights. The one who laughed the hardest at the stupidest things, the one who used to let her guard down—if only with me.

And now, after everything, they were acting like they had a right to gawk at her, to admire her from afar like she was some kind of trophy. It made my stomach twist.

Before I could stop myself, I stood up abruptly, pushing my chair back so hard it scraped against the floor. The sound drew everyone's attention, but I didn't care.

"Where are you going?" Jess asked, blinking up at me.

"I'll be back," I muttered, not even looking at her as I started walking toward the other side of the cafeteria.

The moment I spotted Izzi at her usual table with her basketball teammates, my chest loosened. She sat there, her broad shoulders relaxed, a quiet confidence radiating off of her even though she wasn't saying much. Mack sat beside her, laughing at something one of their teammates said. Izzi wasn't laughing, but there was a soft smile playing on her lips.