Play Hard, Love Harder

3

When I get home that night after volley practice I find my dad on the couch. "Hey Dad," my dad turns to me when he hears my voice, "Honey, are you going to watch Austin's game with us tonight? Steph and Lucas are on their way over with their kids," as he finishes saying this the doorbell rings and I go to open the door, so far Nate, Lucas and Tommy have arrived. Tommy throws himself at me as soon as he sees me and wants to be picked up, "Hi Olly," he tells me in that sweet little voice of his, "I've missed you these days. You don't know what happened at school today! There's this girl in my class, she's super pretty, she looks a little bit like you, you know? Anyway, in the cafeteria today she was in line in front of me and after we got everything we were about to sit down when she dropped her juice so I gave her mine so she gave me a kiss to thank me, a kiss on the mouth! she said her sister does that when her boyfriend does something nice for her. so I asked her 'so are we dating now?' and she said 'if you want, yes' so I gave her another kiss and said yes. Jake would have done that to you, right? so in short, I have a girlfriend now," he concludes his super enthusiastic monologue. Tommy is an adorable boy, I love him too much. With an awestruck look on my face I reply, "wow! what a little man! so chivalrous and generous! you almost got a girlfriend before I got a boyfriend". I couldn't help but laugh.

"look at my baby brother taking after me" said Nate proudly with a funny expression "we Davis man are big Womanizer" and bangs his fist with his little brother, who chuckles at Nate's antics.

"hey kids" my father calls "would you mind going to pick up the pizzas? the pizzeria called me and said they are ready, unfortunately the delivery guy is missing today"

Nate promptly nods "sure Jamie, no problem" then pulls me by the hand toward the door, saying "Olly come on! keep me company" I sigh but let myself be dragged towards the car.

While we're on our way, Nate turns to me with a pleading look. "I need you to ask Amelia out, without mentioning that it will be a double date. That way, when she finds herself at the restaurant with you, Jake, and me, she won't be able to leave because she cares too much about making a good impression. You and Jake have to do your best to make me look good in her eyes."

"A good impression on who?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Pronto! You and Jake are like the 'it' couple at school this year. You've topped off your brother's relationship with the head cheerleader."

"If you believe so." I think about it for a second, tapping my chin. "Why can't you just ask her out yourself?"

Nate sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Well, because she has completely the wrong idea about me. Amelia thinks I don't have serious intentions with her."

"And do you?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

"Of course! Otherwise, I wouldn't be asking you! I really want to go out with her, maybe even date her. But if you don't help me, it will never happen."

"Don't be melodramatic. Of course I'll help you! You're my best friend; who knows you better than me? Don't worry, by the end of the evening, she'll already be in love with you. And if not, it's her loss because you're wonderful."

"Aw, Olly, thank you. You're wonderful too. But we're not a sentimental duo, so let's stop with the sweet talk before you make me cry, and you know I don't cry."

"Fine, fine. Let's talk logistics. How do I approach her? Wouldn't it sound weird? We're not exactly friends."

"I know, but your friend Lily is."

"She is, but if so, Lily should ask her to go out with us. That means that we need to find a date for Lily."

"Ok, easy. She's hot-"

"She's beautiful," I correct Nate, giving him a stern look.

"Yes, same thing! Tomato, tomahto."

"You know it's not the same thing."

"Alright, you win!" he says, exasperated, throwing his hands up. "Back to the topic at hand, a date for Lily. What do you say about Drake, my teammate?"

"Isn't he a bit of a douche?" I ask, wrinkling my nose.

"Nah, just when he wants to be. He's cool, totally okay. Who knows, maybe we'll create another 'beautiful' couple."

"Unlikely," I say, knowing my best friend. Maybe that's a great idea. I don't know this Amelia too well, but I'd love for Nate and Lily to date. I kinda feel like she has a tiny crush on him already. A secret plan within a plan, sounds exciting! Can't wait to see how it will unfold.

"Tomorrow we'll set the date up. Can't wait to play Cupid," I grin mischievously.

"You're the best, Olly." Nate smiles, his eyes twinkling with gratitude. Oh, you have no idea, my friend. insert evil laugh

When we get back to the house with the pizzas, the living room is already buzzing with excitement. Jake and his dad, Steph, have arrived, and everyone is gathered around the TV, ready to watch Austin's first game of the season with the Blue Devils.

"Finally! The pizzas are here!" Tommy exclaims.

"Just in time," Dad says, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek and helping us set the boxes on the dining table.

"The game's about to start," announces Jake, taking me to sit beside him.

We all settle in, grabbing slices of pizza and finding spots on the couches and floor. The atmosphere is electric with anticipation. My dad is especially excited; he was a Blue Devil himself during college, and seeing his son play for Duke is a proud moment for him.

The game kicks off, and Austin is on fire from the start. He's playing with the confidence and skill that he inherited from our dad. Early in the first half, he makes an incredible three-point shot, the ball swishing through the net with perfect precision.

"Way to go, Austin!" Steph cheers, clapping his hands.

As the game progresses, Austin continues to dominate. He makes a series of impressive plays, including a fast break where he dribbles past two defenders and finishes with a powerful dunk that brings the crowd to its feet.

"Did you see that?" Nate exclaims, his eyes wide with admiration. Lucas nods. "Austin's killing it out there!"

My dad beams with pride. "That's my boy," he says, his voice filled with emotion. Mom is kind of an emotional mess too at the moment; I guess the happiness she feels with all the pregnant hormones is reason enough.

In the second half, Austin shows off his defensive skills, blocking a shot with perfect timing and then quickly transitioning to offense. He drives to the basket, executing a flawless layup that adds to Duke's lead.

With just a few minutes left in the game, Austin makes another spectacular play. He steals the ball from an opponent, sprints down the court, and finishes with a breathtaking alley-oop dunk. The crowd goes wild, and our living room erupts in cheers.

"Unbelievable!" Jake says, shaking his head in amazement. "Austin's a beast."

The game ends with a win for Duke, and Austin is clearly the star of the night. As the final buzzer sounds, we all jump up, celebrating the victory.

"Austin is amazing," Tommy says, wrapping his arm around me.

"I know," I reply, feeling a swell of pride.

My dad stands up, raising his glass. "To Austin, and to many more victories!" he cheers.

"To Austin!" we all echo, clinking our glasses together.

After the game, we FaceTime my brother, and his grin is splitting his face in half. We all congratulate him on the win and hype him up some more. Then his coach calls for him, and he disconnects the call. As the night winds down, the guys start leaving the house, so it's just me, my dad, and my mom on the couch. Mom hugs Dad. "He's exactly like you eighteen years ago. Next games we're going to be there watching live. At least until this other giant allows me," she says, caressing her still small baby bump.