Peace, Love, and... Baksetball

Shane's Point of View

Just as Shayla and I were a few steps down the hallway to her room her mother called after us.

"Shane, can you come here for a second?" I met Shayla's confused gaze with a confused look of my own. Why was she calling for me? Shrugging, I turned around and headed back to the kitchen.

"Uh, yeah Robin?" I looked at her, wondering what she could possibly need.

"Shane, you've been Shayla's best friend since you two were in diapers. And I know you know how much getting accepted to this camp means to her. I would like you to go out and get the mail for me, please. The letter should've gotten here today," Shayla's mother replied tossing up some keys for me to catch.

I nodded quickly and a smile grew on my face. Taking a moment to find the key with P.O. Box written on it, I headed outside and down the street to a large metal box on a small pole. On the back of the box were smaller boxes labeled sixty through seventy. Each small box had its own key hole that opened it up.

Knowing that the Wright's box was number sixty-three, I stuck the key in and turned to the left. As I opened the box up I reached in to grab three envelopes. Two of them were bills and the other one, I could tell, was Shayla's letter.

I hoped with all my heart that Shayla would be accepted. This camp called the Junior Stars Camp was the best basketball camp in the state, and it only accepted people from ninth to twelth grade.

To apply for the camp you had to send in a letter and they brought a scout out to film your game and watch you play. They would then go back and it took quite a while for them to determine who they were going to accept into the camp. Unlike some camps, they didn't go for seniority first, they went for the players that played the best; including sportsmanship, teamwork, and individual topics. One thing was, you never knew when they were going to come scout your games, and you'd never be able to tell they were there. After they'd scout your game they would send out a letter informing you that you had been scouted and wishing you the beest of luck.

Shayla was going to be a freshman this coming school year and this was her first year to apply. She'd been working her butt off for this, and I prayed that she'd be accepted.

I headed back to the house taking swift and long footsteps. Opening the door, I stepped into the refreshing air conditioned air of Shayla's house. As I walked into the kitchen, I saw Robin finishing up our lunch. She looked up at me, face a bit flushed from cooking, and smiled.

I grinned back at her, handed her the keychain and the two bills. I kept Shayla's letter gripped tightly against my chest as I waited for her to come out into the kitchen.

Shayla's Point of View

While Shane was out doing whatever it was that my mother had him do I changed out of the sweaty clothes that I had been practicing in and into my favorite black and white Adidas shorts and a bright blue tank top with a darker gray one underneath.

It was just as I had finished redoing my hair in a bun when I heard my mother calling my name. Immediately I knew what she needed so I rushed out of my room, fingers crossed, hoping that I was going to be accepted.

Shane was waving the unopened envelope that I knew was from the basketball camp that I had been wanting to go to ever since the fifth grade. I skipped over to him, took the envelope out of his hand, and felt the gazes of my mother and Shane on me as I carefully opened the envelope and took out the crisp white paper. As I unfolded the letter I held my breath. I felt a lump form in my throat as I read:

'Dear Young Athlete;

We send our appologies, but sadly we cannot accept every athlete into Junior Stars Basketball Camp...'

I didn't read any further than that, wait, I take that back, I couldn't read any further than that. I sighed heavily and my heart sank. Thrusting the letter at Shane, I turned at went into the living room, flopped into my favorite lazy boy chair and turned on the tv without another word.

I knew my mother and Shane must have read the whole letter because it took them about three minutes before they came into the living room to join me, saying things like, "I'm sorry Shayla," and "you can always try for next year."

I just nodded with them, not even really hearing what they were saying to me. After a small silence that seemed to last forever my mother returned to the kitchen, only to reappear a moment later announcing that lunch was ready.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So, Shayla, did you get your letter of acceptance today?" my youth minister asked, looking at me with a hopeful smile on his face.

I felt Shane shift uncomfortably beside me. I knew the letter had hurt him just as much as me.

Without even looking at my youth minister I shook my head.

He just sighed. John Michaels had been my youth minister since I was in the seventh grade. Here in this small town when you hit junior high you were old enough to be in the youth group at the First Baptist Church.

John had gone to most of my basketball games, and he had even coached me in an extra league at one point in time. He had a son, Jared, who was a year younger than me, but he was extremely fast, and a heck of a ball player.

John had been so sure that I was going to be accepted, and it always gave me a warm feeling inside to know that so many people had confidence and faith in me like that.

After that disappointing conversation we did our usual Bible lesson that lasted about an hour before we just hung out like usual.

Youth group was another thing that was extremely important to me in life. Like basketball, it kept me happy, and it was somthing to look forward to. The kids in my youth group were pretty much the only people that I hung out with, wether it was at school or anywhere else. I mean, sure I had friends outside of my youth, but they were the main she'bang.

Our youth group consisted mainly of nine people. It tended to vary, just depending on who felt like showing up, but ten of us were there every time, and I guess you could pretty much consider us a posse.

Kale, Kade, and Lane Johnson are brothers. Kale and Kade are twins, and they're pretty much the best friends you'll ever see. Kale is more out going and wild than Kade, but they're both sweet, and Kade has a mischeivous side to him once in a while. Lane, their younger brother, is in my class. He's pretty much a mix of the crazy Kale, and more shy Kade.

Jared Michaels was another main goer of the youth group. He was our youth ministers son, and he is easily very annoying. Jared is a year younger than me, but in a way we have quite a bit in common, and in another way we are very different.

Shane Rivers; my best friend, and another common person in our youth group. Shane and I had been friends since before we started school, and I know that I could trust him with my life. Shane is in my class, and he is very laid back, crazy, and down-to-earth.

Bryce Reagan is another one of my best friends. Bryce is a year older than me, but she's one of the coolest kids I know. She is at least a head and shoulders shorter than me, but she's extremely fast. Track is her main sport, and, although she plays basketball she isn't really interested in it. Bryce, like me, would easily rather hang out with a big group of guys than a group of girls going to get manicures at the mall. She is one of the most amazing people I know, and she doesn't care what anyone thinks of her.

Aiden Killian is a pretty cool kid. He's another one in my class, and he's an extreme baller let me tell you. I honestly don't doubt that he won't start for the football or baseball team next year. Aiden is one of those people that can make you crack up laughing over the stupidest things.

Trey Matthews is the last main member(Not counting myself, of course) among us. He's about 6'7'' tall and he can shoot three pointers like no other. Trey is one of those kids kind of like Kade, he's shy, but around our youth group he could be one of the craziest kids in the whole world. Trey is a very cool and down-to-earth person, just like everyone else in our youth group, and I may not really talk to him as much as the others, but I do know that he is one cool kid.

On any normal youth group night I would've been having one of the best times of my life, but on this specific night, I just wasn't really into it. My thoughts kept trailing back to that stupid letter. I knew that I really shouldn't be bothered by this, but I was still very frustrated.

Bryce plopped next to John's couch right beside me. "You do know that the guys are making complete fools out of themselves playing basketball outside right?" she said to me, grinning and gesturing for the door.

If I listened I could hear the boys outside yelling and laughing histerically. Nodding, I turned to her and forced myself to smile.

Bryce, being the amazing friend that she was didn't buy my fake smile for a second. "Shayla, I know you're upset about the whole non acceptance thing, but you honestly can't let that ruin you're summer, I mean c'mon, its only the first week into it, and church camp is in two weeks. You can't tell me that you're gonna be all glum during that too!" she stated, looking me square in the eye.

That was one thing that I loved and hated about Bryce at the same time. She knew me so well that she knew my weak points, and giving me the guilt trip sure did work. Letting out a deep sigh, I got up off the couch and looking at my shoes, said, "I know. I'm sorry Bryce, but you know how much that meant to me."

I heard a soft sigh come from her beside me. "I know, but still you have to be able to live this summer to the fullest, I mean come on, Shayla, Kale and Kade graduated this year and we won't see them at school everyday anymore. Sure, they're still gonna be around a lot, but it's going to be so wierd not to pass them in the halls everyday isn't it? And Trey, he's going to be a senior. We have to live life up, Shay," pausing for a moment she got up and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, pulling me into a hug. "Remember 'Live life today, yesterday is gone, and tomorrow may never come'."

That was another thing I loved about Bryce. She always had the best little pep talks. I returned her hug and smiled at her. It wasn't my fullest or best smile, but it wasn't fake. "Thanks," I whispered.

She nodded and pushed me toward the door, "Now c'mon, lets go watch those lame excuses for men that we call our friends."