LaMelo Ball - By Ari

Four

Over the course of the next month, Chanelle and LaMelo were basically the only people that I bothered to spend my time with. I took turns walking with Nelly for about half the day and then LaMelo usually met me by my locker after 5th period and walked me to my 6th. Most of the time, we hooped after school at either Marty's or the east gym and he offered to take me home once we began packing up, both of us all sweaty from intense one-on-ones and such. I declined most of the time.

He was on top of his game and as he rose higher and higher on the school food chain, my liking for him grew and grew. Everyone, everyone said what's up to him in the halls; there were several posters around school advertising that he had scored 92 points in a game last week and to watch his interview with ESPN next week. There were even more videos of him posted up on Instagram. The follower count on his profile went from 5,000 to 600,000, basically overnight. It was absolutely insane how viral he was going and I was still stuck at such a low status, hardly anyone acknowledged my existence, even when people saw me hanging around LaMelo.

But it was one day in March, the day of the huge game where Chino Hills High would play Bishop Gorman, the number two team in California. Of course, we were number one. It was supposedly a big ass deal because if Bishop Gorman won, because our title would be ripped from us and we'd be dethroned from the top spot.

That same day at lunch period, LaMelo sat down across from me like any other lunch shift and began digging into his meatball sub, trying to talk while doing so, the silly and gross act making me shake my head a little and take a sip of my Fiji water that I had bought from the commons.

"Soooo," Melo stretched out, swallowing a big bite. "We're playing Bishop Gorman tonight."

"I'm aware."

Rolling his eyes playfully at my sarcasm, he continued and I could tell that he had something on his mind. "Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go."

"Duh. I was already planning on-"

LaMelo interrupted me. "Okay, hold up. I was gonna ask if you wanted me to reserve a spot in the front row for you, next to my bench and my parents are sitting there, too, so you can meet them."

I smiled wide at the fact that I would get a good view of the court and I would get to talk to the Ball family as well. My heart warmed and as I watched him pick at his food, I noticed that there was something else he wanted to tell me, by the way he kept glancing up at me and when I caught him staring, he would look away like nothing happened.

"What is it?" I asked, gesturing at his weird behavior.

"Nothing." He chewed on the tip of his straw.

"Melo, tell me."

Putting down his plastic fork, LaMelo stopped pushing food around on his plate and bit a small portion of his bottom lip. "I was also wondering if you wanted to wear my other jersey, since I have a spare white one that has my name and number on the back. Most of the boys on the team let their girlfriends wear their extra jersey and - well - I guess I've never done it and I thought it'd be cool. If you don't want to, then it's okay. I just wanted to throw that out there."

Why did he have to be the cutest thing to ever exist? 'Most of the boys on the team let their girlfriends wear their extra jersey'? Does this mean...? Nah. I shouldn't get my hopes up.

Barely able to speak because of my internal excitement, I nodded my head a little quicker than intended and flashed one of my best grins. "I'd love to."

It was his turn for a slight blush to appear on his cheeks.

-

That night at the game, there were so many people that I could barely squeeze through the double doors to get into the main gym. I gaped at all the many types of different fans, about half of the students crowded into the stands were from Bishop Gorman. There were lots of posters that people were shaking around, screaming and yelling at the same time. It was so loud, I could hardly hear myself think.