A Ball and A Dream

The Accident

Tryout were today. As the star player and former starter, me along with the other 4 starters didn't have to tryout, by we were encouraged to watch. And watch I did. Let me give you a brief summary of the tryouts: Raymond, Raymond, Raymond. He DESTROYED the tryouts. Ripped it. Crossovers, jumpers, flashy passes, dunks, rebounds- you name it he did it. He must of finishes with 40 points, including 3 plays where his defender found himself flat on his ass, and a few where the opposing big man got flushed on. Coach Rees kept looking over from me to him. It made me nervous. Here was my logic: Ray clearly might be better than me. I'm a PG, he's a PG. We can't start togethor in the backcourt, because our shooting guard, Melvin Stormwell, is a star. And at 6-4 he can't be pushed over to small forward. So I feared that this year id be on the bench while Ray and Melvin tore it up, Duke, UK and Ville would say, "Oops. We don't want you." And Ray would be recruited over me. That night I headed home with my brain clouded with confusion and fear.

The next day the roster was posted basically the same as last year, except of course for 1 exception- Raymond Woods. No shock there.

After 3 practices in which I aged with the first team and Ray played with the 2nd, I didn't play great. Raymond don't either, but I wasn't playing better than him. With a game looming against Fairfield, I was dreading Coaches decision on the starters.

Gametime."Give me Royce, Mel, Dravin, Thomas and Holland out there starting. Woods, be ready."
Whoosh. Still a starter. For now.

Tipoff. I looked over at the other team. Fairfield wasn't really a basketball school, but they had some big guys and a good PG I was up against, Loyola Hikins. Normally I'd crush him, but lately I haven't been sure.

"Woods, take Warren's sorry ass out of this ball game NOW!"
Ray nodded and headed out, tapping me on the shoulder. I nodded, but I had heard the coach. The whole gym had. With 15 minutes left in the game, I was out. I had played like shit. 4 points 4 assist 8 turnovers. I has allowed Loyola 28 points, his career high. And now Ray was in for me.

The team hooted as we headed into the lockerroom. Except for me. We had come back from 21 down to win by 5. All behind Raymond. In only 15 minutes, he had scored 13 points and dished out 6 assists while locking down Loyala and dazzling the crowd. Loyala finishes with 28 points. Coach came in and called Raymond to the front, properly praising him, but I didn't hear a word. Tears threatened to drown me, but I held in.

It's been 2 weeks since I lost my starting job to Woods, in the 2nd game of the season. The scholarship offers, which had once overflowed my mailbox, stopped coming. On the bench I averaged 5 points and 3 assists. Last year I had averaged 21 points 7 assists 6 rebounds as star for the Baytown cougars. Now Raymond was dropping defenders, catching bodies in the paint and leading us to a 9-0 record, while averaging 22 points, 12 assist and 7 rebounds.
I wasn't as popular anymore. Actually not at all. While Raymond was now flogged by people in the halls flirting with him and calling him the man, I receive empathetic pats on the back by teammates.

It had to stop.

12.03 AM
I shook hands with the shadowy man.
"Yea, right by my house, 3 down. #16. His cars the red one. Can't miss it."
I handed him the wad of cash.
"We got a deal." He said.
I just nodded and turned away to head home.

Post game party.
The guys are a little out of it, and we all want to head on home. Every guy has a car of his own except me, and Raymond says he's got me.
"No, thanks. Me and E are headed to his place. Thanks tho."
He nods and flashes his pearly smile that everyone one in the school had come to admire.
Except me of course.
He jumped into his sedan and called out, " Aigt boys. See y'all at practice!"
Then he screeches off into the night. Seconds later, we all hear a squeal of tires and a cry of shock. Then the street lights up as his car explodes.