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The big day had come. It was Buffy’s first game since she came back from Phoenix. TJ had promised her play time and now that TJ’s word could actually be trusted, Buffy had kept talking about how excited she was.
Andi remembered seeing Buffy’s wide smile as TJ clapped her on the back like she was just one of the boys and she could not be more proud of Buffy. She deserved to be able to play, because she was an amazing basketball player.
Andi had conspired with Cyrus, who knew about her long-buried crush on Buffy, to create a huge poster that looked like it had overdosed on glitter. Cyrus kept telling her to just confess to Buffy, claiming that Buffy would feel the same way.
Andi had shook her head vehemently as she was insistent that Buffy only had eyes for Marty. They had been hanging out all the time after all and their Spoon hangouts were filled with frequent talk about what Buffy and Marty had done the day before.
Andi got it - Marty was cute and they had an infectious competitive spirit that drove their relationship. It was a perfect fit, really, and Andi wasn’t going to intrude on that just because Cyrus confessing his crush on Jonah had worked out for him.
Regardless, she was going to be the best friend she could be since it was such an important day for Buffy. She just hoped that her stupid feelings wouldn’t get in the way, especially knowing Marty would be in the stands.
Cyrus would be by her side and it would be worth it to see Buffy glow under the pressure of the game. She couldn’t wait to get there.
~~~
Andi had carefully rolled up the poster under her arm, getting glitter all over her clothes in the process. She kind of regretted the glitter bomb she set off in Andi Shack now, but what’s done is done and she planned to smear some on Cyrus to see him freak out.
Cyrus was waiting for her at the end of the block and they walked over to the basketball court but not before Andi chased Cyrus with glitter-covered fingers and successfully swiped some on his cheek. Cyrus pretended to pout, but grinned as he swung open the doors to the court.
Andi saw Cyrus’ eyes light up as he noticed Jonah had already got a spot for them in the bleachers and he hurried over to greet his boyfriend. Andi felt a pang in her heart, realizing she wouldn’t have that same experience with anyone anytime soon.
Sometimes she felt dramatic - her problems seemed so miniscule compared to her friends’, but it didn’t change the fact that she felt lonely.
Jonah was touching Cyrus’ cheek and asking him about the glitter when Andi trudged her way up the stairs to where they were sitting.
“Courtesy of Ms. Mack herself,” Cyrus announced, gesturing grandly at Andi’s entrance.
“Gross, I’m not Bex,” Andi stuck out her tongue and slid into the empty spot next to Cyrus.
It was then she noticed that Marty was only sitting a little ways from them and when Jonah noticed him, he waved him over.
Curse Jonah and his constant need to be friendly.
~~~
“Yo, you guys ready for this?” Marty grinned, glancing at the players warming up on the court.
“Yeah, I love how the ball gets in those baskets,” Cyrus replied. “Gotta be the best part!”
Andi just rolled her eyes at his attempt at a joke and turned her attention to where Buffy was stretching. Buffy looked up and saw Andi, a wide smile breaking out on her face.
Andi felt warm at the attention, but that quickly cooled off when Buffy called out to Marty excitedly and he responded just as enthusiastically.
Right, she was probably just looking at him anyway.
The whistle blew for tip-off and TJ scrambled to grab the ball and dribble it down the court. He saw Buffy was open and passed it to her as she jumped to make the shot.
The scoreboard read Home: 2 Away: 0 and the surge of excitement in the crowd was palpable.
Andi unrolled her poster and waved it in the air, hoping Buffy caught a glance as she ran down the court.
Marty seemed to be more into the game than Andi which felt impossible because she was definitely the team’s (well, Buffy’s) #1 fan.
He was constantly commenting on each play and made approving or disapproving noises at the ref’s calls. It was kind of endearing to see that he cared that much about a middle school basketball game, but props to him. Andi was only reminded of why Marty was the perfect boyfriend for Buffy.
Cyrus and Jonah had left a little while ago with the former claiming he had to use the bathroom and the latter saying he was visiting the concession stand. Andi absolutely knew they were making out by the water fountains like they always did during the games. They weren’t exactly secretive.
They were grossly happy with each other and it just made Andi daydream a bit to have that future with Buffy. To hold her hand and make her a special bracelet like the ill-advised one she had made for Jonah all those months ago.
Maybe no bracelets this time. She had learned her lesson.
A cheer from the crowd interrupted her inner monologue as she tuned back into the game. TJ had shot a 3-point buzzer beater right before the end of the first half and the whole team was celebrating as they walked over to their coach.
TJ was beaming at the coach’s praise and he seemed to be looking for someone in the crowd. When he spotted Marty, Marty gave him a thumbs-up and TJ grinned even more.
Andi thought their interaction was a bit weird seeing as they didn’t seem to speak to each other often. She was sure it was just from Marty’s love of the sport than anything since he was here for Buffy.
~~~
Buffy looked positively radiant starting the second half. She had gotten the ball and was able to complete the shot all on her own. She thrived in this environment and her energy was intoxicating.
Andi could watch her do this all day. It was unfair she wasn’t allowed to attend practices anymore after the coach said she was a “distraction to the players”. So she savored her time at the games and took in every minute Buffy was on the court.
Cyrus and Jonah had returned from their escapade, Jonah looking suspiciously empty-handed.
“They ran out of nachos,” Jonah replied emphatically when prodded by Andi.
“I know you guys were by the water fountains again,” Andi said bluntly, laughing at the way the blush rose in Cyrus’ cheeks.
“Not my fault that I can’t keep my hands off Jonah Beck,” Cyrus stage whispered as his blush faded into contentment.
Andi made a noise of disgust and made sure to sit further away from the lovebirds.
This put her in a position to sit closer to Marty and it was then she began to notice that Marty didn’t seem to be watching Buffy like she had thought previously.
His eyes were trained on TJ as he moved fluidly across the court, handling the ball with a skill far greater than his age would suggest.
Andi had been so wrapped up in her thoughts and emotions that maybe she had misread something all along. It just really felt like the ease between Marty and Buffy would indicate a relationship, but she could’ve been quick to judge.
She made a mental note of that thought as the game trailed into its final seconds.
~~~
The sound of the buzzer going off again signaled the end of another win for the home team. Applause almost masked the sound of the announcer calling out the final score.
Andi made quick work of taking the stairs down to see Buffy. She wanted to congratulate her in person and the hint of jealousy she still held towards Marty meant she wanted to get there first.
Her small frame was able to squeeze through the mob of people with relative ease and she waited at the entrance of the locker room where she knew Buffy was headed.
She saw Marty approaching not long after and before she had the chance to be annoyed, TJ and Buffy exchanged what appeared to be a secret handshake and made their way over to them.
Marty was the first to speak up and pulled Buffy in for a quick hug, “And here I thought you’d never be as good as TJ!”
“Shut up, Marty,” Buffy shoved his shoulder, laughing as she did so. Andi’s heart clenched at the flirty tone in their voices.
Marty then turned to TJ, exclaiming “You did so great out there, babe. Teach me a couple of those tricks this weekend?’
Wait, “babe”?
Andi looked from Buffy to Marty and finally to TJ. “Am I missing something here…?”
Buffy laughed again, “Sorry, Andi, they made me promise I wouldn’t tell anyone. Marty said being tied down was going to hurt his street cred.”
TJ replied, “I told him he doesn’t have any street cred and that got me put in the doghouse for a whole week!”
“'Cause you deserved it for disrespecting my name,” Marty pretended to be offended. TJ snorted and scooped him up bridal-style.
“TJ! Put me down; you’re so sweaty! I’m gonna break up with you,” Marty protested.
TJ relented, but he leaned down for a kiss Marty eagerly reciprocated.
They seem happy.
~~~
It took Andi a minute, but after she saw the lovestruck expression in Marty’s eyes, it was like a lightbulb went off.
“You don’t like Marty?” Andi asked, astonished. “But… all your hangouts, the jokes, the secret texts?”
Buffy scoffed at the idea, “Marty’s one of my best friends, but trust me, he’s not my type. He was always talking to me about TJ and how to get on his good side since I’m on the team.”
Andi felt brave enough to press further and say, “Then who is your type?”
“Well, she’s got short black hair, sparkling brown eyes, and so many crafts I don’t think she even knows what she has,” Buffy seemed a bit subdued now, out of her depth.
“Really?” Andi almost couldn’t believe it. For all these months, she had been convinced Buffy was off the table.
Buffy reached out and laced her fingers with Andi’s.
“Really.”