Basketball tournament

At lunch, Eva met her cousin Ryan, who asked if she had finished reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. They both loved that book.

“I’ll give it to you once I’m done,” she promised.

That evening, after school, Eva and Debby made a little plan—to go near the boys’ school just to catch a glimpse of Brutus. They waited a little distance away, pretending to just hang out. Twenty minutes later, Brutus finally walked out with his friends.

Eva wasn’t the only one waiting. A few girls stood around in little groups, clearly admiring Brutus too.

“No doubt, he looks good,” Eva thought, feeling a pinch of jealousy.

The boys walked down the road, and Eva and Debby quietly followed. They soon entered a familiar shop.

“So this is the dumpling shop his friend talked about?” Eva whispered.

“Yes! Let’s go inside!” Debby grinned and took a step forward.

“Hey, wait! Stop, Debby!” Eva pulled her bag, stopping her.

“Let’s not go in. Let’s follow from outside,” Eva said.

“Oh, fine!” Debby agreed.

That evening, they secretly followed Brutus and his friends. Eva watched him from afar, feeling butterflies every time he smiled or spoke. After a while, she went home—her heart full and happy. Just seeing him had made her day.

Over the next two weeks, Eva kept doing the same thing. She followed Brutus often—sometimes with Debby, sometimes alone. She knew it wasn’t exactly right, but it made her happy. Slowly, very slowly… she was falling in love.

One Sunday, Eva went to church with her family for a special prayer. While waiting outside, her brother Mike ran into one of his school friends.

Eva stood nearby, watching.

“Hey Mike! Is this your sister?” the boy asked.

Mike smirked. “No! I don’t know who she is.”

Eva rolled her eyes and looked at him. “Don’t be silly,” she said, tapping his shoulder.

“She’s my sister,” he told the boy with a small smile.

“Oh, hello!” he greeted, and she greeted him back politely.

The two boys then started talking about school and some basketball event. Eva listened carefully.

After the boy left, Eva asked Mike, “Hey! What basketball match were you talking about?”

Mike gave her a suspicious look. “Were you eavesdropping?”

“I was listening,” Eva corrected. “You two were talking loudly.”

He sighed. “There’s a tournament this Saturday. I’m playing.”

Eva’s eyes lit up. “Really? Is Brutus playing too?”

Mike narrowed his eyes. “I knew it! I know your plans!”

“Mike, please take me with you! I know family is allowed to watch!”

“Nope,” he replied, walking away proudly.

“Last time you begged Mom and Dad to come!” Eva reminded him.

“But not this time. Even if they say yes, I’m not taking you,” he smirked.

Eva clenched her fists in frustration. “Why are brothers like this?” she thought. “Why was I born with a sibling?”

Still, she reminded herself she was in church and kept calm.

Later in the week, after another quiet trip to see Brutus from afar, Eva returned home, took a shower, and sat down to study. But her mind kept drifting back to the tournament.

She decided to try persuading Mike again.

She knocked on his door. No answer.

After waiting for two minutes, she peeked inside. The room was empty.

“He must still be at basketball practice,” she thought.

Her eyes scanned his bookshelf. She spotted a stack of Harry Potter movie CDs. Should I borrow—or maybe steal—one? her sneaky side whispered.

As she reached for them, something else on his study table caught her eye.

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