My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 32: Tension At The Basketball Court

•⋅⊰∙∘☽✼☾∘∙⊱⋅•

The playoffs had kicked off, and the whole school seemed to be all about basketball. Everywhere I looked, there were chants, posters plastered on the walls, and pep rallies happening. The cheerleaders were practicing as if their social lives depended on it – maybe they did.

Of course, Vanessa was front and center, barking out orders in her sparkly green and white uniform, her ponytail bouncing around like she was defying gravity.

I didn’t really mind that she hardly acknowledged me anymore. In fact, it was kind of nice not having her in my face all the time. What I didn’t enjoy was having to sit through every single basketball practice.

Ethan was the one who insisted.

"Come on, Noah," he’d said with that infuriatingly charming grin of his. "You’re my lucky charm. I play better when you’re watching."

How could I say no to that?

So there I was again, sitting on the bleachers with my backpack next to me, trying to look interested while my mind screamed to be at home reading a novelkiss or gaming. The gym reeked of sweat and floor polish, with the squeaky sound of sneakers echoing every few seconds.

Ethan looked good on the court – confident, focused, and completely in his zone. He’d glance over at me now and then, that silly grin creeping across his face before he’d turn back to the game. Sometimes he’d even lift his jersey a bit to show off his shiny abs and wink at me. And sure, maybe I blushed every time he did.

Yes, I am secretly a pervert...sue me.

But lately, there was an underlying tension that had nothing to do with the game.

Adrien.

He was acting sharper, snappier—more unpredictable than usual. Every time Ethan made a basket, Adrien would mutter something, sometimes loud enough for Ethan to catch. It started off small: a sarcastic laugh here, a shove during drills that felt a bit too rough, insults masked as "friendly banter."

I noticed it in class, too. When Ethan correctly answered a question, Adrien would smirk and whisper to his friends. And when Ethan walked by him in the hall, Adrien would bump into him just enough to ignite some friction.

At first, I thought I was reading too much into it. Adrien had always been a jerk; this wasn’t new. But the way he was acting seemed different somehow. It was more intense, edgier. It felt like he couldn’t even stand being near Ethan anymore without wanting to pick a fight.

That afternoon during practice, I saw it again. Ethan was joking around with one of his teammates after making a perfect three-pointer when Adrien barged past them both to grab a rebound.

"Try not to get too cocky, Seymour," Adrien sneered, tossing the ball almost too hard. "Wouldn’t want you to pull something while showing off for your fan club."

Ethan caught the ball without breaking a sweat, his jaw tightening. "Relax, Fell. I’ll do my best not to steal your thunder, if that’s what’s bothering you."

The air between them crackled with tension. The rest of the team went quiet, pretending to be busy tying their shoes or fiddling with their wristbands.

I sunk deeper into the bleachers, hoping to disappear entirely.

When practice finally wrapped up, I waited for Ethan outside the locker room. He emerged a few minutes later, hair damp, face flushed, and clearly annoyed.

"Hey," I said softly. "Tough day?"

He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "That guy has a serious attitude problem."

I shuffled awkwardly with a grin. "Yeah, I noticed."

Ethan looked at me, his brow furrowing in concern. "You think he’s got something against me? I mean, we’ve never liked each other, but now it feels... like he genuinely hates my ass now."

I hesitated, and he caught it. "Adrien has issues with everyone," I finally said.

Ethan gave a half-hearted smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Maybe. But lately, it feels... personal."

I didn’t have a solid answer for that. Maybe it was personal. But if it was, I couldn’t understand why. Adrien’s weird behavior at home, his unpredictable moods, and now this – it was like he was cracking under pressure, and I was scared of getting to the bottom of it.

That thought weighed heavy in my chest for days, like a secret trying to break free.

Should I tell Ethan? Should I let him know that the guy who bullied me, who made school a nightmare, who humiliated me before our peers... was now living under the same roof as me? That he was my stepbrother?

I couldn’t even picture his reaction. Ethan despised Adrien and his crew – he made that clear after the incident at practice. If he found out I was living with him, I could already see the shock on his face, hear the disbelief in his voice.

"You live with him?!"

Yeah, that would go over well.

I sighed, spinning my pen between my fingers while we sat together in the library after school. Ethan had his arm draped over the back of my chair, scrolling through his phone like the world could end, and he’d still be chill about it.

"You’re overthinking again," he said, glancing up with that charming smile that always made my heart flutter. "I can practically hear your brain working overtime."

I forced a laugh. "You wish. I’m just... tired."

He raised an eyebrow, not buying it for a second. "Tired? Or dodging something you want to tell me?"

My stomach dropped. For a moment, I thought he knew – that maybe he’d figured out the whole Adrien situation. But the way he said it, playful and teasing, made me breathe a little easier.

Before I could respond, he leaned in closer, his voice dropping. "How about we go out again?"

I blinked. "Go out? Like... today?"

"Yeah," he replied casually, putting his phone away. "There’s this new place downtown – it’s a bit upscale, but everyone’s raving about the food. I can pick you up later, and we can pretend to be rich for a night."

Pretend? Ethan’s family was wealthy, almost as well-off as Adrien’s.

I frowned, biting my lip. "That sounds... fancy."

"That’s the idea," he said with a grin. "You’ve been stuck inside too long. Come on, Noah. You deserve some fun. Let me take you somewhere nice."

I hesitated. Honestly, I felt a little out of my league already – Ethan was effortlessly charming and confident, the type of guy who made wait staff smile and got free refills without even asking. Meanwhile, I was just the shy boy who preferred staying home in my pajamas to watch low-budget movies.

But I didn’t want him thinking I was boring or that I was only partially invested in us.

So, I smiled and nodded. "Alright. Let’s do it."

His grin widened, and that familiar warmth in his eyes had my heart racing. "Awesome. I’ll pick you up at seven."

As I watched him walk away, phone in hand, my mind was swirling with a million worries.

How would he look at me once he discovered the truth?

Would he see me differently, see us differently, when he realized that the guy he hated most in the world was the same one I had to call family?

I tried to push the thought away, burying it deep down where it couldn’t escape.