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definitely not having second thoughts.”
    She left it at that. There was no need to go public with her parents’ ridiculous decree just yet. She felt sure she could get through to Coach.

    Ashland High was just across the parking lot from the middle school. The high schoolers had gotten out earlier, but Ava knew where to find her father. He oversaw the weight-training kids—mostly fall and spring athletes who didn’t do a formal winter sport.
    She could hear the clanking of weights and blasting of music before she’d even turned the corner of the hallway that led to the weight room. Inside it was hot and crowded with high school kids, many of whom she recognized from the football team. She saw Tommy standing behind his friend Winston on the bench press, but knew better than to distract him while he was spotting.
    Coach noticed her almost immediately. He waved and beckoned her over to where he was scribbling some notes on a clipboard.
    â€œAve!” He shouted to be heard over the clanging weights. “What brings you here?”
    She pointed toward the doorway, indicating that she wanted to talk in quieter surroundings, and he nodded and strode after her.
    Once in the hallway, she turned and looked at him with a pleading expression. “Coach,” she began. “About me not playing basketball. I was hoping to talk it over with you calmly and rationally.”
    Coach stiffened. He pressed his lips together and nodded guardedly.
    â€œSee, I have a feeling this is not your decision and that it’s coming mostly from Mom,” said Ava. “Because you know sports so well, and you know that—”
    He held up a hand to stop her.
    â€œAva, I realize it’s a disappointment to you,” he said. “But it was a decision your mother and I made together. I can’t have you blaming your mother for what we concluded was the best thing for you right now. We’re trying to help you impose structure on your life, so you can be successful academically. Academics always come before sports, and you know how firmly I believe that. And that’s that. Now, I really have to get back inside to oversee.” And with a quick pat on her shoulder, he left her standing there, grinding her teeth in frustration.

    Ava walked home from school so she could practice her dribbling, even though her hopes of changing her parents’ minds were fading as fast as the fall afternoon light. She didn’t cry. To cry would be to admit that her parents had won, and she wasn’t yet ready to accept their decision as final.
    As she passed the park on Saragaso Way, she spotted Jack shooting around. She stopped dribbling and held her ball tightly with both hands, watching him work on a reverse layup. Why hadn’t he just stayed at school to play with the rest of the kids at the gym? She felt a slight shock zing down her spine. Was it because she hadn’t been there? Was he hoping she would walk past this park?
    She knew that Alex had guessed she’d picked Jack when they drew names for Secret Santa, because Alex and Ava could usually read what was going through each other’s minds in situations like that. She hoped she hadn’t turned red or something. For now, what she and Jack had was just a friendship. Still, she needed to figure out what on earth she was going to make for him for a Secret Santa present. Good at crafts she was not, and it was supposed to be something homemade.
    â€œHey!” she called to him. She scrambled down the grassy incline and cut a diagonal through the park.
    In answer, he passed the ball to her and pointed toward the rim to indicate that she should shoot from where she was. She dropped all her stuff and took a long-range jumper. It almost went in.
    Jack grinned and retrieved the ball. Then he passed it back to her. “I was hoping you’d come along,” he said.
    â€œWhy? So I could school you in one-on-one?” she teased.
    â€œUm,