You Belong With Me...I Think

Austin P.O.V

"What’s going on with you son?" Coach White asked me as we sat in his small cramped office that connected with the locker room.

I ran my hand through my sweaty hair and sighed. "Nothing really. Stress I guess."

The team and I had just finished practice, and I sucked. Badly. There was something wrong with me. I couldn’t get my head in the game and I often found myself staring into space. Coach seemed to notice and was now giving me a lecture about it.

"Well your stress is going to cause us the season. We have enough dead weight on this team as it is. I don’t need our star player and captain falling through as well." Coach explained leaning his elbows on his desk and lacing his fingers together.

"I know coach. My head is just somewhere else right now." I replied.

"Get your head back to earth boy and on the court. We need you, badly, and we won’t win the championships tomorrow without you."

I nodded simply. "I understand. I’ll try."

"Good. You can go." He said waving his hand in the air.

I stood up and walked out of the office into the sweater locker room/ showers. Most of the boys had already left, the only two remaining players were Connor and Robby. They were the only people on earth who I could trust, besides family and Miranda. They we’re cool and chill about everything.

"Hey guys." I said opening my own locker.

"Hey man, so what did coach want?" Connor asked putting one foot on the bench and balancing his elbow on it.

"Nothing really, just to get my head in the game and out of the clouds."

"Yeah, no offence, but you really stink ever since that girl Miranda left." Robby said.

"What? He’s stinking up the court because of a girl?" Connor asked Robby.

"She’s not just a girl, okay?" I replied changing quickly out of my uniform and threw it into the laundry bin.

"Wait, are we talking about that cute brunette that lives beside you?" Connor asked.

I nodded and threw on my regular jeans and T-shirt.

"She’s pretty. Are you guys together or something?" Robby asked.

I smiled. "Yeah."

"So why so out of it?" Robby asked.

"I bet she’s sleeping with someone else and he just found out." Connor whispered, but not very quietly, to Robby.

"Miranda wouldn’t do that." I snapped and Connor put his hands up in innocence.

"So what’s wrong then?" Robby asked ignoring Connor.

"She moved," I said. "to England."

"Whoa…" Connor and Robby both said.

"Yeah, it sucks and I miss her. I don’t want to sound like I’m totally whipped or anything but I really do miss her."

"So why don’t you go after her?" Robby suggested.

"I can’t just get on the next flight and leave."

"Well yeah but you can go. You don’t have as much here as you apparently do there."

"True but I can’t just leave you guys."

"We’ll survive. If the girl you love is gone and you want her, you should just go get her."

"And what? Stay in England?"
"Yeah."

"My mom would never go for that."

"Yeah she would. She knows how you feel about Miranda and she probably needs a change of scenery."

"Maybe. But I don’t think I can leave."

"Sure you can just go after the championships and go."

"It’s not that simple…"

"Well yeah, you’ll have to sell your house then tell the school your leaving, book tickets there, get a house in England (near Miranda) and then find a way to get all your crap there." Robby said.

I stood up from the bleachers and grabbed my backpack out of my locker. I threw it over my shoulder and started for the door, Connor and Robby quickly following.

We walked out to my car, threw my bag in and turned to the guys. "You really think I should leave?"

"Yeah man, we’ll miss you but your not happy here." Connor said.

"I’ll think about it then I’ll ask my mom about it."

They both smiled and ‘see ya’ed me before heading off to their own cars.

I slipped inside my own car and started the engine.

Was I really willing to leave? Yes

Pack up my life and move for Miranda? Yes

I felt whipped. I don’t think any other person in this earth would move across the country for a girl.

What if she moved on?

She found someone else better than me?

I thought about these things taking the similar route home from the school.

I pulled into the front driveway and grabbed my backpack before getting out. I locked the car for the night and headed inside.

I smelled the delicious aroma of food in the house.

"Mom, I’m home." I yelled and threw my backpack up the stairs before going into the kitchen.

Mom was stirring food at the stove when I walked in. She stopped stirring and gave me a small hug.

"How was your day?"

"Good I guess."

"Not so good considering the call I got from your teacher."

I groaned. "What did it say?"

"It said your failing most of your courses this year. You went to straight ‘A’s to all ‘F’ Austin. What’s going on with you?"

I sat down on the island and faced opposite of her and the cooking area.

"You already know the answer."

"Is it Miranda?"

I nodded slowly.

"Austin, honey, you know that she’ll never forget you and I bet she still wants you. I hope you know that. No amount of distance will change that. I’ve watched that girl for years and I know she’s wanted you ever since you were twelve."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah since you were twelve." Mom said smiling at herself.

"So what do I do?"

She shrugged and started stirring again.

"The guys say I should go after her."

"Maybe you should." She said.

"You would let me go by myself."

"I’m not saying anything. But if you really like her you should go." Mom said grabbing an oven mitt and taking the hot pot off the stove.

I didn’t reply and pondered on the thought.

She took out two bowls from the cupboard and filled them both with soup. Before she sat down she grabbed two spoons and took a seat next to me. She handed me my bowl and spoon.

"Eat, you have the big playoffs tomorrow and you need all the energy you need." Mom said starting to eat her own soup.

I smiled lightly and started eating.

--

"Okay men, this is it. The playoffs. I know we can do this if we put our minds to it." Coach White said to the team as we huddled together.

Friday had flew past in a flash and now I was standing in the gym only three minutes away from the start of the game.

I was nervous of coarse, like all games. I managed to stay focused during practice.

My brain was all used up after last nights thinking.

"Get ‘em guys. Knights on three," Coach White said as the ref blew his whistle.

"ONE, TWO, THREE, KNIGHTS!" The team said and hollered as we ran onto the court.

The opposite team, who were in green, we’re already waiting on the court. Most of them look short and scrawny. One of them, their point guard was huge. Massive like a skyscraper. He was big up and down and wide…

I wasn’t scared. By his size I knew he wasn’t fast so I could outrun him easily. But now I knew why they had made it to the finals. Everyone was scared of this guy so he had an easy shot of the basket.

"I want a nice clean game boys." The ref said coming up to where me and Mr. Skyscraper stood in the middle of the court.

We both nodded and the ref blew his whistle as he threw the basketball in the air.

I jumped up quickly and hit the ball behind me then broke towards the net. I easily out ran Mr. Skyscraper.

Ryan, who was the player on my team who caught the ball, dribbled the ball and then chest passed the ball to me. I did a quick lay up and got an easy two points.

-

That’s how the whole game went mostly. We ended up winning 42-15.

We had won the championships and the Coach White was close to tears.

The whole school was in a permanently up beat mood.

"I’m so proud of you boys, the progress you made this year." Coach White said and sniffing.

The team raised their eyebrows and looked at each other.

"Enjoy the rest of your night and see you guys next season." He said and walking off quickly so no one could see his tears of joy.

The opposite team had already left in shame but the rest of the school was still there and cheering.

I smiled at them and walked to the bench. I opened my water bottle and downed half the bottle.

I put it down and let out a sigh before I felt something attach itself to my arm.

I looked to my right and saw…shiver…Megan.

She was in her uniform and had a evil smirk plastered on his face.

"Hey Austy, great game, you were amazing." She said resting her head on my shoulder.

Oh god…

"Thanks." I said simply.

"So! I was thinking about something last night and I think we should get back together. I mean, now that Miranda is gone and everything."

"No." I said and walked away. I couldn’t let her ruin my mood.

My mom thankfully saved me when she walked up to me.

"Great game honey." She said hugging me.

"Thanks Mom." I said and she pulled back and reached into her pocket.

"Look what I have as a congratulations gift." She said and pulled out two pieces of thin paper.

I gasped and smiled widely when I realized what they were.