Basketball is Not Life

Chapter Thirty-Six

We win the first game, if you could even call what the Michigan State guys did to the Grand Canyon players, we won by twenty-five points, and most of the starters were pulled off in the fourth quarter. It was an easy win, and we sailed onto the second round.

Daisy texted, saying that her dad got her and his tickets to the next game. I was excited to see her. We were back at the hotel when my father's team took the stage later that night. Michigan State had rented out one of the conference rooms and had the games playing on the projector wall. We all watched, praying that Duke would lose.

Ryan was there on the sideline; they panned over to him, his face looked clenched as if he was in pain. Then what they brought up on the screen made my face go white. The room got quieter as they showed a picture of Ryan and me standing next to him; I was leaning into him. What they didn't talk about was how that night Ryan had got upset because he said I had looked at one of the basketball players for too long when we went out to eat. He said that I flirted with him, so that night he waited until we got to his house, his parents were gone, and he beat the back of my legs, leaving welts on them.

Deep breaths, they say my name. "Renee Renner, Coach Renner's daughter, and Ryan Hollen at their Senior first day of school." There are a few catcalls, and then they switch to another picture of just me. "Renee Renner was also a basketball star" It was a picture of me at my junior year's state basketball tournament. We lost in the championship game. "Her father must be one heck of a coach." And I laughed. My father never coached me; I had talent from all the nights he wasn't home.

In the photo that they showed of me I loved basketball so much. Coach Rizzo is there, and his eyes flick over to mine. One of the guys from the back yells something about me being a ringer and that it all made sense now. He knew I was Renner's daughter but being good at basketball, that was something else.

I stand and walk out of the conference room; I'm fumbling for my hotel room key. Parker's hand is on my shoulder.

"Renee, wait," he said, turning me around to face him.

I take a deep breath.

"I need to go."

"I'll come with you; let me just grab my.."

I cut him off and held my hand up. "No. I need to be alone." His eyes snap to mine.

"Alone?"

I nod. "Just right now. I need to be by myself." He steps closer to me, and I take a step back, and the pain in his eyes is easy to see. Parker couldn't fix me; the only person that could heal me was me. He knew what I was doing.

"Ren," he said slowly, almost as if he was giving me a warning. A chance to change my mind, but I was already folding into myself.

"I'm just tired. I'll be fine. Go have fun." I push him back toward the conference room. He eyes me, and I can tell he doesn't want to stay that he wants to follow me. "Seriously," I give him a small smile, the Renee special. He eyes me and then looks back over his shoulder.

"Fine." He says, finally relenting, and I turn to leave, but he grabs my arm and pulls me into his chest. His arms encasing me. I take a deep breath. He bends his head down, he whispers in my ear. "You are not alone Renee, remember that. I'm right here." I nod, my head still pressed against him. He holds me for a couple more minutes; he kisses the top of my head and then turns and goes into the room. I watch as he walks back to his seat, and Coach Rizzo starts talking to him. I check the score; Duke was leading by ten going into halftime. I was happy for my dad but still wanted them to lose; that would mean that Ryan would be back in Durham and far away from me.