A lie.

A hoax.

Nimari and Coleman obviously knew Jalen better and they had strictly advised her to not let her feelings show.

But boy was Jalen making it hard.

Flirting with her relentlessly in text messages and in phone calls or FaceTimes, making excuses to come over and see her, and letting everyone see with his actions how much he wanted her.

If Noelani wasn't careful she might turn out to be one of those women in a LifeAlert commercial that she used to laugh at when she was younger: falling and unable to get back up by herself.

Noelani walked into the Prolific Prep gym located behind the high school, feeling her side braid swish a little bit into her yellow and white striped crop top.

She surveyed the expansive gym until she found who she was looking for.

Jalen Green was alone on the court, doing a dribbling drill with two basketballs on the other side.

He was staring straight ahead, his eyes slightly glazed over from focusing.

She slid his eyes over the outline of his face, noting his smooth brown skin, the pinkness of his lips and the sparkle that resided in his chocolate brown eyes.

Noelani tucked her lips in to hide her smile at the mere sight of him before starting to walk towards him.

"Hey!" Noelani called out, to ensure she was heard over the sound of the basketballs echoing throughout the court.

"What's up?" Jalen replied, straightening up to his full height and smiling at her.

Involuntarily, Noelani let herself smile back at him as Jalen wrapped both arms around her shoulders in a tight embrace and rested the side of his head against her scalp.

Noelani hugged him back, wrapping her arms around his torso, "You told me that we were crossing off another restaurant off my bucket list."

When Noelani had told Jalen over text about how most fast food restaurants weren't in Hawaii, he promised to bring her to the ones that he could.

"Oh yeah. Which one did I say?" Jalen stepped back, his arm still wrapped her shoulders.

"Popeyes, I think." Noelani lifted her hands to the waistband of her jeans and began to rub her palms in and out of her pockets, a little nervous at the physical contact.

"Lemme shoot a bit more, okay?"

Noelani nodded as she readjusted her backpack strap over her left shoulder.

"Throw it up for me." Jalen tossed her the ball.

Noelani moves to stand a little closer to the net then throws the basketball high up in the air.

Jalen jumps, snatched it out of the atmosphere, switches it between his legs then dunks it in.

The ball rolled to Noelani's Air Force 1 covered feet and she picked it up off the ground.

She dribbled lightly as she moved closer to the net then shot the ball.

The ball circled the rim then fell back to the ground without making it in.

Jalen laughed a little and Noelani playfully rolled her eyes with a laugh, "Okay, so basketball clearly is not my thing."

"No, it's not," Jalen snickered as he wrapped his arms around Noelani to grip her wrists, "Here. Lemme show you. Like this."

His proximity was making Noelani feel a little lightheaded and she had to concentrate on keeping the basketball in her hands.

Jalen adjusted her arms, "You gotta flick your wrist a little more."

Jalen releases her then moves her bottom arm a little and Noelani shot the ball up then watched as it sunk into the net.

"And one!" Noelani cheered excitedly.

"That's not when you say and one." Jalen laughed.

Noelani shrugged as Jalen slid on a tie dyed hoodie with the word 'Slam' in white across it.

Jalen lifted his hood up and slid his arm back around Noelani's shoulders.

When the two got to the doors of the gym, Jalen opened the door for her, chuckling at the slight surprised expression on Noelani's face.

"Gentleman JG. You know the vibes." Jalen said with a smirk.

"I gotta be real with you right now," Noelani pinched a tiny fried shrimp between her fingers, examining it, "This doesn't look like shrimp to me."

Jalen chuckled before biting into one of his chicken tenders, "No one told you to get that."

The two were sitting in a Popeyes about a fifteen minute drive from Napa.

Noelani was sitting on the right side of the booth, facing the door while Jalen was on the left, a better chance for him not to be recognized with his hood still up.

"You should've told me that the shrimp is trash," Noelani snickered before pushing the half empty box of her food away a little.

"I gotta say... Mainland food is just not hittin' like I thought it would." Noelani shrugged.

"You haven't even tried everything on the list." Jalen laughed.

"Mhmm." Noelani hummed nonchalantly.

Her phone lit up on the table with messages from the group chat she shared with her two friends Sydney and Jasmine.

"Put ya phone down." Jalen snatched Noelani's phone out of her grip and placed it face down on his side of the table.

Noelani raised an eyebrow, "You're aggressive."

"I'm tryin' to get your attention. I have been for almost a month now." Jalen leaned forward a little, his chest pressed into the table, "What they talkin' about anyway?"

"It's nothing. I told them I was here with you and now Syd and Jas have this crazy idea that you like me or sumn'. I don't know." Noelani shrugged in an attempt to play it off as she stirred her cup full of sprite and ice with a straw but kept her eyes on him for his reaction.

"I do. You're just now noticing?" Jalen's response was immediate, his tone leaving no room for questioning as he laced one set of their hands together.

"So... This isn't you trying to catch another body?" Noelani raised an eyebrow, "Tryna be on some hit it and quit it type mess?"

"Is that what you think of me?" Jalen asked, his face solemn.

Noelani glanced at their conjoined hands, "I gotta be honest. A couple people, more than a couple actually, told me that you are the biggest player in Napa and that I should avoid you at all costs because once you get to the league you're gonna drop everyone."

Jalen began to rub the back of her hand with his thumb causing Noelani to glance again at their hands.

"It ain't even like that. I'm tryin' to get to know you. I'm not the type to just leave people behind."

"Every time I think I have you figured out, you show me something new." Noelani commented bluntly.

"I could say the same for you."

"Someone's gotta humble you." Noelani shrugged.

"I'm glad that someone is you." Jalen smirked.

Noelani playfully rolled her eyes in an attempt hide the fluttery feeling in her chest and abdomen.

Only one thing was certain.

This wasn't a fluke.

Her feelings were real.

And I've got it bad.

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