Hello Beautiful

“Hey, are you girls ready yet?” I yelled across the court. I grabbed the ball. “Worst team gets the ball first,” I said, tossing it to Nick.

He checked the ball, throwing it to me, hard, and catching me in the chest. Whatever. I was fine.

“Now, now Nicky, play nice,” I talked to him like a kindergartener as I bounced the ball back to him. He pivoted, looking for an opening, but I was right in front of him. I saw what he was going to do a second before he did it, feigning like he was gonna throw it to Garbo and tossing it to Joe instead, but the ball never reached Joe’s hands. I grabbed the ball out of the air and spun on the spot, backing up to the line. The ball left my hands exactly when I knew it should and I heard a satisfying swish.

“Oh. That’s how you play basketball, right guys? I have no idea because I’m a girl, sorry.” I laughed as I walked to the three-point line and Nick tossed the ball to Garbo, who checked the ball and made the same mistake as Nick, waiting too long to throw the ball. It was mine in an instant. I tried a different approach, with three guys guarding me. I backed up, dribbling the ball. I made it to the half-court line with Ryan on my left, Jack on my right and Nick right I front of me. I backed up one more step and lunged suddenly to the right. It worked. Nick backed up Jack and I had my opening. I threw the ball and heard my favorite noise:

Swish

I scored again and again, with the guys continuing to make the same stupid mistakes. By the end of the first half, the score was 48 to 12. At halftime I gave them 5 minutes to regroup. They really needed it. So did I actually, but I didn’t show it. It’s really hard to play basketball in skinny jeans and a silk blouse.

After a little bit, the boys called ‘Break!’ and walked back on to court. Joe whispered something to the guys when Nick’s back was turned.

Joe checked the ball and dribbled for a moment before looking for an open person. But he didn’t throw the ball or fake to the left or right. He looked right through me like I wasn’t there and, walked forward with me right in front of him. Continuing to dribble with one hand, he took another step and shoved me in the chest with his shoulder.

“Whoops.” He laughed as I fell to the ground and swore him out. He tossed the ball to Nick, who held onto it tightly and called for a time-out.

“What the hell was that for?” I yelled at Joe.

“What? I didn’t do anything.” He smirked.

“Like hell you did!” I rubbed the place where he had shoved me. He had gotten me right where Nick had hit me with the ball earlier. I was gonna have a bruise, that much was certain.

“Guys, chill out. Joe, don’t do that anymore. Laura, are you ok?” Nick walked over and touched my shoulder.

“Yea, I’m fine.” I shrugged out from under his hand.

“Do you want a free throw? He fouled you.”

“No, just check the ball.”

“Ok, fine.” He threw me the ball and I threw it back and walked forward three steps to block him. He passed the ball. Whoops. I grabbed it from right between John’s fingertips and dribbled towards the hoop.

Suddenly, Joe’s foot came out and I went sprawling. “Mean, aren’t I?” he observed, as he picked up the ball from right in front of my face and shot a perfect lay-up.

“JOE!” Nick yelled at him. He ran over and stretched out his hand to help me. I didn’t take it.

I pulled myself up and brushed the dirt off my dark wash skinny jeans.

“Are you ok?”

“I’m fine Nick.”

“You don’t want the free throw do you?” He smiled knowingly.

“No, I don’t,” I snapped at him.

“Ok. Here.” He checked the ball and passed it.

Whoa.

The ball actually made it past me to Kevin. Maybe that fall had readjusted my brain. Kevin tossed the ball back to Nick, but he wasn’t ready and dropped it.

Thank you Nick. I snatched it up and shifted my weight to my other foot as I turned left, then right. I couldn’t find a way through Nick, so I backed up.

Bad idea. Guess who was behind me?

I don’t even know what Joe did, but it hurt a lot and I fell over again. Then everything went black.