Robin Wasserman - Pride

“Just save some of that school spirit for me,” Kane requested.

“You?”

“Haven’t you heard? I’m back, baby. Starting point guard, making my varsity debut.”

“You?” Harper repeated.

“What? Can’t I lend my many talents to our school’s proudest team? Besides, have you seen those cheerleaders?”

“What are you really up to, Kane?”

“What’s the money for, Grace?”

“Point taken.” She knew it was stupid, but being too poor to pay for the ski trip was just too embarrassing. Better Kane should think she had some dark, nefarious purposes. Keeping up an image was hard work. “So, you can give me a check tonight?”

“I’ll be there,” Kane promised. “And so will my money. Just one thing, Harper.”

“What’s that?” she asked, suddenly wary. Kane never called her by her first name.

“This is a lot of money.”

“I know, and I’ll pay it back when-”

“In the meantime,” Kane said, “you owe me.”

“I just said, I’ll pay you-”

“No, not money,” he corrected her. “A favor. Quid pro quo. And when I call it in, you’d better be ready to deliver.”

Miranda answered the phone with a weary sigh. “No,” she said, before Harper could speak.

“It’ll be fun, Rand, I swear.”

“Now, where have I heard that before?” But Miranda was smiling. She loved those rare occasions when Harper was forced to beg, and she had to admit, it was good to feel needed again, special… but that didn’t mean she was giving in. “Like I told you the last time you called, and the time before that, I’m not going. Do you know how boring basketball is?”

“Um, yes,” Harper replied in a “duh” voice. “Why do you think I need you to come with me? Besides, you know that’s not the real reason you won’t go.”

“Nice of you to throw that back in my face, Harper,” Miranda said in annoyance. She flipped open her computer-waiting for it to emerge from sleep mode so she could check her e-mail. See if he had written. “You know why I can’t go.”

“Maybe if you’re nice to him, he’ll let you try on his costume,” Harper suggested, choking back laughter.

Miranda groaned, but had to laugh along. It was funny, when you thought about it, that the only guy who’d been interested in her all year had turned out to be the school mascot, a bumbling loser who hadn’t minded dressing up like a big green cactus as the whole school jeered at him.

Although… it had been kind of nice, having someone like Greg dote on her for a week or two. And he hadn’t been that big a loser. At least, not until she’d blown him off and he’d turned into the king of the assholes. Miranda shook her head, trying to knock all thoughts of Greg out of her brain. This was exactly why she couldn’t go to the game.

Besides, she thought, opening up her e-mail, she had other things on her mind. Better things-better guys.

“Kane will be there,” Harper wheedled. “He’s on the team now.”

Kane Geary, running up and down the court in those tight gym shorts…

“I don’t care,” Miranda lied. “Besides, what happened to your whole ‘forget about Kane’ mantra?”

The computer dinged .

You have new mail.

It was him.

“I know what I said, Rand, but you never know, and-”

“I know you’re desperate, Harper, but this is just pathetic,” Miranda told her, distractedly scanning the email. ReadltAndWeep was online-and wanted her IM name so they could chat. The e-mail had been sent only a few minutes earlier-would he still be there? Could she risk a live chat? Could she risk missing it? “Look, I’ve got to go, I have stuff to do.”

“What stuff? It’s winter break! Come on, for me?”

“Bye, Harper. Have fun at the game!”

“But-”

Miranda hung up on her. It was rude, she knew-but she also knew Harper, and this was the only way to get her to shut up. Besides, she was in a hurry.

Spitfire: Hey, U still there?

ReadItAndWeep : Thought you’d never ask. How goes it?

Spitfire: You live here-how do you think?

ReadItAndWeep : B-O-R-I-N-G

Spitfire: Bingo.

But she was lying-she was far from bored. “Talking” to ReadItAndWeep was, in fact, the highlight of her day. His e-mails had been so witty and articulate-and as they frantically typed back and forth to each other, she was pleased to discover that his real-time persona was even better.

ReadltAndWeep : NEVER seen Annie Hall? Unbelievable!

Spitfire: YOU’ve never seen Bring It On .

ReadltAndWeep : Not the same thing.

Spitfire: Right-your movie sucks. Mine = a modern classic.

ReadItAndWeep : You dare to insult the master? Blasphemy! You ready to dodge the lightning bolts?

Miranda laughed out loud. She felt like she could “talk” to him for hours-even if he did worship at the altar of Woody Allen.

Spitfire: I think I’ll risk it.

ReadItAndWeep : A risk-taker. I’m impressed. You up for another one?

Spitfire: ???

ReadItAndWeep : I think we should meet. Face-to-face. What do you think?

ReadItAndWeep : Spitfire?

ReadltAndWeep : Hello?

ReadltAndWeep : Anyone out there?

Miranda stared at the keyboard, frozen with fear. She couldn’t bring herself to answer.

But she couldn’t bring herself to log off.

Kaia winced at the booming, off-key “music” emerging from the marching band, which had just wound its way around the court and was now dispersing its members through the bleachers. The better to deafen the audience, apparently.

It was her first public school sporting event-and it was just as loud, tedious, and tacky as it always looked in the movies. Cheerleaders stumbling all over themselves, crazed fans with their faces painted in the school colors-rust and mud-and down on the court, a bunch of beautiful boys running aimlessly up and down the hardwood floor, getting all hot and bothered about a stupid ball going through a stupid hoop. Pretty to watch-but such a waste of all that sweaty exertion.

So what was she doing there?

It had seemed unlikely enough for Harper to invite her along-even Harper seemed surprised when Kaia actually agreed to go.

But Harper had said those magic words: “Everyone will be there.” And, when pushed to clarify, had explained that “everyone” included all the Haven High students-all and all the teachers. Which meant everyone’s favorite British bachelor would be in attendance-thus so would Kaia.

Unfortunately, they were ten minutes into the game, Powell was nowhere in sight, and Kaia could already tell this night was going to drag on forever. To her credit, Harper seemed none too riveted to her boyfriend’s pyrotechnic display of athletic prowess. She could barely keep her eyes on the court.