Alec screamed in his mind for about the fifth time. The feelings of that night at dinner felt fresh in his mind again. Alec was reminded of why he got such a kick out of terrorizing Apollo. Apollo, the reject, the outcast, the kid who didn't have to work for his reputation. The one who constantly smelled like piss and didn't own a hairbrush! Apollo didn't get to tell his secret.
    Alec let his head fall into his hands. He couldn't deal with it like this. He could tell Apollo was starting to get tired, and he couldn't risk fucking his perfect discipline record up. He only had to keep the both of them alive for another week. Right?

....

    Apollo stood, uncomfortable next to Alec's mother, holding open a plastic bag to catch the parts of the vegetables she chopped off. They didn't say anything to each other, and Apollo felt like itching his balls off at the awkwardness of it. At least he wasn't doing this with Alec, or else he may have been stabbed already.
    "Um, Miss," Apollo almost whispered, feeling himself bristle anxiously. "Can you tell me more about first grade?" Apollo almost dropped the bag as he finished his question, but the copious amounts of sweat that had formed in his palms saved him by causing the plastic handles to stick to his skin. Alec's mother furrowed her brow, surprised at his question.
    "Well, I've known your mother a very, very, long time. She was very understanding and accommodating during my divorce. I guess we'd always wanted you and Alec to get along as well as we did. For a good while, you guys really did," Alec's mom moved the cut vegetables into a separate bowl, but her movements seemed slow. "Alec changed when he went into the fourth grade. I can't tell if it's my fault or not. He used to be very expressive and boisterous, but he's quite like a vegetable anymore. Can't get him to tell me anything," Alec's mom then turned to face Apollo, staring at him intensely. "I can't complain I guess, he's a good student, like I expect," An edge in her tone accompanied the hard stare she was placing on Apollo, and he suddenly felt as if the way she was talking meant that he wasn't any of these things. "You two had a special bond. I'm sure you remember that, Apollo." Apollo swallowed thickly and regretted offering to help her. He wondered just how close she was with his mother, that she seemed to know everything.
    "Yes, Miss. I remember it very well." Apollo's shaking voice exposed his fear, and Alec's mom dropped the knife.
    "You aren't influencing my boy in any way, are you? You aren't...affecting what he thinks he's interested in?" Apollo nearly pissed himself.
    "I'm sorry, I don't think I can stay over anymore." Apollo felt sick, his stomach twisting over itself in knots of fear. He set down the bag and rushed out of the kitchen, with his legs feeling like they were made of lead. He practically sprinted up the stairs, knowing he couldn't leave his bag.
     Alec watched Apollo with a bewildered face, and his mouth twitched like he was itching to say something. Apollo frowned at him. "You win. You heard, didn't you? She thinks I turned you gay with my reject-kid-pheromones. I can't come back here. You won." Apollo turned to leave the house before he could even see the look on Alec's face.

....

     Alec sat at the desk in his room, staring at a blank piece of notebook paper. He wanted to finish the project just as quickly as Apollo did now that things went awry again. Alec sighed and set his pencil down once again. Why was he so furious? Who was he so angry at?
    Alec groaned and reached for his phone. He scrolled through about four different group chats, briefly reading the messages and putting his two cents in. Then he opened the basketball team group, smiling to himself.

DENNY227: Cap is that one sophomore really moving up 2 varsity tn?

konnerw6969: if the coach thinks so lmfao alec gonna carry us anyway just run box every time

Alec_A2005: cedarbrook is literally a joke if we dont win this we rip a stall out of the bathroom and blame emoz

DENNY227: do u guys think i can just go for a halfcourt if scores allow

konnerw6969: if you make that shit ill wear falsies to school

DENNY227: LMAOOO that's alecs job

Alec_A2005: ur ass looks so good denny 😘

     Alec let out a laugh and closed his phone again. In a way, Alec's basketball buddies really had saved him. They weren't tight, and they hardly even spoke of their personal lives, but Alec never had to worry about sitting alone on a bus or being the only one out until eleven PM throwing a ball around.
     Alec picked up his pencil one last time and didn't put it down until thirty minutes later when he felt he'd written a sufficient amount of insults toward Apollo and had to prepare for his basketball game.
     Alec's mom was standing at the bottom of the stairs, hands wrung together. Alec stared at her with bugged eyes, clutching his duffel bag.
     "How is school, Alec? I've seen your progress reports, and your grades are exceptional." Alec didn't have an answer to give her and wondered when she was getting to the part where she would propose that Apollo was preying on him.
     "Well, I've got a game." Alec reached into the neck of his windbreaker, fishing around for his earbuds. His mother sighed and dropped her hands.
    "I know. Jordie is coming to watch with me since Apollo going home suddenly messed things up." Alec furrowed his brow.
    "He was coming with us all along? Why? He's probably never even seen a basketball in his life."
    "Well, Jordie told me that you were getting along again." Alec's mother had that pointed tone that he knew was accusatory.
    "I told you we're working on a project together; I still don't like him." Alec mashed an earbud into his ear, growing tired of the conversation and the direction it seemed to be moving.
    "Alec, you know I didn't want to hear it from Apollo, but you can tell me that you're g-," Alec pushed past his mother with more force than he even registered. He was halfway down his block, minutes away from the school, before he tried to give the conversation a second thought. Alec's chest heaved, and he tried to regain his breath.
    Alec pushed open the door to the performance gym, taking in the crowds in the bleachers. The lights of the court shined too brightly in contrast to the dark winter night behind him. Practice runs of buzzers sounded from the scoring table, and Alec felt a dread begin to build inside him. He loved basketball, but the expectant eyes of his peers and superiors battled his will to play.
     Alec's eyes scanned the student section rapidly, accounting for who he'd have to put on a show for tonight. He recognized that black ball of hair at the very top of the bleachers, looking like he was trying to fold into himself. Alec scoffed and joined the huddle of basketball rats.
    Konner's hand found his shoulder, and he was home again. Faces that accepted him as a formidable player surrounded him, and his skills became the only thing he had to prove to them for the following two hours.
    "A-Dog! Our man, our PG! Ya know the drill, let's box these fuckers. Dennis, the little sophomore's kicking ya to spot three, we've scrimmaged it before. Wing Denny, wing!" The boys enacted their cult chant, followed by whistles and moans, and the game was on.
     Alec, of course, was a starter and dribbled the ball up the court like it was second nature. He stopped abruptly, still dribbling, sizing up the guy in front of him. He was taller but had bowed legs, meaning Alec could easily beat him with some showy ball handling. He slapped the ball hard against the floor to begin their play to get something going. His teammates spread the court, and he grinned at the guy guarding him.
    "Right or left?" Alec screamed over the squeals of shoes against the court. Before his guard could respond, the ball had gone between the taller boy's legs, and Alec had blown by him to collect it. Alec began to drive down the court, the muscles in his legs stretching as he approached the net.
     One, two, three steps. On the third, Alec landed a ritualistically practiced lay-up straight through the rim. The crowd roared, and Alec's stardom would thrive another night.
     By the fourth quarter, Alec's team was up by forty points. Their victory was set in stone, and Alec was about to be put in for his final minutes. Dennis stood next to him, prepared to clock in, jumping up and down in excitement. His blond hair was plastered to his forehead from sweat, and his lips and cheeks were flushed red.
     "Gonna do the halfcourt, can you spot the rebound?" Dennis laughed airily, holding out a hand for Alec to shake in agreement. Dennis had been the slowest to absorb his confession but wasn't focused on who Alec had crushes on at this moment. They were playing their favorite game. Alec shook his teammate's hand firmly.
     The plan progressed without issue at first. A quick pass to Dennis and the perfect spot under the rim. Dennis dribbled the ball to the center of the court, feeling hopped up on adrenaline. With a heave and a mighty groan, the ball soared across the court. Alec raised his hands in response since he had already tracked a mental image of the ball's path, concluding that it was far off.
     In a possessed-like second, Alec's head whipped toward the upper corner of the stands, where Apollo was sitting. Their eyes made awkward contact, and Alec realized that Apollo was smiling at him. Shock seeped through Alec's bones.
    The heavy ball collided with his fingers, successfully jamming all but three of his ten. Bodies suddenly barraged Alec, hungry for the ball. Alec was knocked onto his ass, gripping his throbbing and painful fingers. Alec hissed and didn't immediately make any moves to get up. He felt embarrassed. He felt the eyes.