Zain leaned against the fence, trying to catch his breath. Theo hadn’t even broken a sweat. Typical.
“How are you not tired?” Zain asked between breaths.
Theo grinned, bouncing the basketball lazily. “Because I’m not weak.”
Zain rolled his eyes. “You’re not funny either.”
Theo sat down on the bench, stretching his legs out like he had all the time in the world. Zain dropped beside him, staring at the empty court. The place felt weird at night, quieter, almost peaceful.
“You ever think about just… leaving? Like, disappearing for a while?” Zain asked, not looking at Theo.
Theo tilted his head. “Where would you even go?”
“I dunno. Anywhere but here.”
Theo chuckled. “You wouldn’t last a day. You’d forget your charger and be back by morning.”
Zain smirked. “Wow. Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“Hey, I’m just being realistic.” Theo nudged him with his elbow. “Besides, you’re not that miserable, are you?”
Zain shrugged. He didn’t know how to explain it. It wasn’t that he hated his life. But there was this constant weight, school, Ella, his parents, and no matter what he did, it never fully went away.
Theo leaned back, arms crossed behind his head. “You think Ella would freak out if you told her you’re not into her?”
Zain groaned. “I can’t just say that. She’s… nice.”
“Nice is boring,” Theo said with a smirk. “Let me guess, your mom’s already planning the wedding?”
“Basically,” Zain muttered.
Theo laughed under his breath. “If it gets too bad, I can always pretend to be your boyfriend.”
Zain shot him a look. “Yeah, that wouldn’t make things worse.”
Theo grinned. “Or it’d make things interesting.”
Zain shook his head, but he couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at his lips. Theo had this way of making everything seem like less of a big deal, even when it was.
They sat there for a while, neither of them in a rush to leave.
Eventually, Theo grabbed the basketball again. “Come on. Let’s play. I can’t let you walk around with that awful jump shot.”
Zain laughed, standing up. “Alright, but if I miss every shot, that’s on you.”
Theo spun the ball and tossed it to him. “Nah, that’s all you.”
They played until Zain’s arms ached, but he didn’t mind. For the first time in a while, he felt like he could breathe.
ns 15.158.61.47da2
