Kickin' It in love (Jack Brewer)

Eddie Cries Uncle

As much as I love my friends playing basketball was something I would not do for them. I like watching basketball but I won't play it. I play volleyball(Or whatever sport you prefer). And also they kinda suck at basketball. They called a time out and I joined in on their huddle "All right, the good news is we've already got our highest score of the year," Jack said. "That's right...nine!" Kim exclaimed. "Nine, you guys are doing so good," Sarcasm dripped from my words. "Shut it Thena. Ok, we've got time for one more shot. What do you say we go out with style?" Jack held his hand in front of my face to keep me from talking.

"Oh, yeah yeah, give me the ball. I'm feeling it, man!" jerry was very pumped up. "Jerry you haven't scored in five games, you're not getting the ball," I said. But apparently stating the truth wasn't needed on my part either cause Jack put his hand over my mouth instead of holding it in front of my face. "Not helping," He said. They ran out of time for their time out. They gave the ball to Eddie who claims to be the nephew of Big Easy from the Harlem Globe Trotters. Eddie ended up hitting the fire alarm causing everyone to panic. Milton got run over by people, "Too much style?" Eddie asked. "Are you kidding me?" Jack started. 

"Now that's how you lose a basketball game!" I put one arm around their shoulders as we walked out of the gym. 

At school the next day we were sitting at lunch trying to figure out if the brown sludge on our trays was pudding or gravy. "Is this brown stuff pudding our gravy?" Jerry asked messing with it. Marge came over to our table as we were talking about Big Easy. "Big Easy? Of the Harlem Globetrotters?" She asks. "Yeah he's Eddie's uncle," I said looking at Eddie. I knew Eddie was lying to us about Big Easy but I wasn't gonna say anything. 

You can't bullshit a bullshiter, I've gotten away with just about any lie I've come up with in my life so I know one when I see one. "Woo! That man's got a thing for me," Marge shared. "Really?" We all asked. "I went to a game two years ago, and for some reason out of all the women in the stands, he spotted me," Marge had a nostalgic look on her face. 

"Sounds magical," I said sarcastically. That's another thing I've been great at my whole life. Sarcasm, other than Rudy and the gang people can't always tell when I'm being sarcastic. "Oh he asked me to be his girlfriend, but I told him I have a career," Marge explained. "Marge, you're a-" Kim put her hand over my mouth. "I didn't say it was a good career," She said pointedly. 

Jack came running into the cafeteria looking frantic and a little upset about something. "Guys, guys! I just heard the principal say they're shutting down the Intramural Basketball Program because the school's out of money," Now I know why he looked upset. "What?" They said. "I can't believe it," I said not really that surprised. All our school cares about is how our teams win trophies and kids gain scholarships, so getting rid of the basketball program wasn't all that surprising. 

"Please, the school's been hurting for money for a long time. They're renting half of the cafeteria to the senior citizens' center. "I point to the large group of elderly people dancing to music. "Oh, that reminds me, it's Tango Tuesday," Jerry stood up and walked over to a couple 

~~Time Skip~~

We were at the dojo after school for practice. The gang was still upset about their basketball program being shut down "Why don't you guys do a fundraiser for the program?" I offered. "I'll be the first to" Kim cut Rudy off "It's 5-thousand dollars,". Seems a lot for a program with a team that kinda sucks. "Are you insane? I was gonna give you like 3 bucks. Basketball is dead. Let it go," Rudy said. 

"Look I've been here about 6 months give or take and I've seen how passionate you guys can be about something. But this, this is not the group of kids my brother would brag about on the phone when I told him I was moving in with him," I crossed my arms. "Think creatively about how you can save the program," I went back to practicing.  "The debate team makes a lot of money selling those chocolate bars," Jack stated. 

We all nodded our heads in agreement. The only bad I could see with this plan is Rudy going all boss mode and ruining it. "You guys think we can sell enough chocolate to save our basketball program?" Kim asked. I wanted nothing to do with Rudy going all boss mode so I left to go find an actual solution to the problem. Which turned out to be harder than I thought, because I was so deep in thought I didn't notice my friends join me at my table at Phills. "Oh! Hey guys. How'd it go with full-on boss Rudy?" I asked. 

They all sighed in defeat "I'm not happy about quitting, but Rudy was totally out of control," Eddie started. "I mean, who limits people to two-second bathroom breaks?" Milton complained. "Two-second...bathroom breaks?" I was so confused. How does one go to the bathroom in two seconds? "It takes me that long just to light the candles," Eddie overshared. This caused us all to look at him weirdly. "I have to set the mood for my shy blatter," He explained.

Jack came running up to the table holding a piece of paper looking excited. "Guys! Look, the Harlem Globetrotters are coming into town!" Jack placed the paper on the table. "Eddie maybe your uncle can help us!" Kim got a hopeful look in her eye. Eddie stuttered out a response while the rest of the gang came up with the idea to have an exhibition game with the Globetrotters. 

They got Eddie to "call" Big Easy while Phill showed us he could somewhat spin a tray on his finger before it literally flew off his hand and around the restaurant. "Guys they're having a trick competition in the courtyard. The person with the coolest shot gets to meet the Globetrotters," I pointed out. Milton tried, missed, and hit the news castor's car. "Eddie, you're up," the News guy said. 

"I sure hope this goes in," Eddie said. He through the ball which looked like a shit shot but it went in anyway "Congratulations! You just won the trick shot competition!" We all cheered. "Yes, Eddie, you did it! Because you, we're going to meet the Harlem Globetrotters!" Jack exclaimed. I was happy my friends got to meet people they looked up to. I also got this weird feeling in my stomach when I saw that childish hopeful look in his eye. He looks, kinda...cute...wait what the heck; that's my best friend?!

~~Bit of a Time Skip~~ 

We were back at the dojo waiting for the Globetrotters to show up "Guys, I cannot believe the Harlem Globetrotters, are actually coming to our dojo!" Milton was a little excited. "I know! I'm a little nervous," Kim rubbed her hands together. "Get your shit together guys they're just people," I crossed my arms. Right as I said that they walked in, Milton gasped, shrieked like a pre-teen girl at a concert, and then jumped onto one of the Globetrotters. "Milton! Stop that, you're embarrassing us!" I yelled. 

"I'm sorry. I'm really excited," Milton backed up. "I saw you guys two years ago at the civics center," Who knew Milton was a basketball fan. "I remember you! You were the kid on the Jumbotron inhaling a macho nacho platter," Flight said. "That's right! Diz pantsed a ref and you laughed so hard nacho cheese came out your nose" Daley laughed. "Guys, I don't believe it! It's cheese sneeze!" Dizzy pointed causing them all to laugh.

That was Milton that night! I was there at that game too with one of my old friends and her dad "That was you?" I asked. "I was at that game too. I feel a little bad for laughing now," I said. "I'll have you know I still have a jalapeno seed lodged in my septum," Milton. Once that was over Eddie asked if they would help them with their basketball program. They said yes, and showed us some of their tricks. Rudy left to do god knows what and the guys went to show the Globetrotters the gym and to prepare for the exhibition game. 

About two hours later I found myself clutching my side laughing at how Marge tried to get Big Easy to notice her, and how bad my friends were losing. It was now halftime and I was with the gang trying, the key word there trying to come up with a plan to get their all-time high score for themselves. "Why not use their own tactics against them. You know trick them," I offered. We were heading back to the court we watch Phil and Rudy who looked like Willy Wonka and an Oompa Loompa being dragged out by security guards. To say that it was an entertaining game would be an understatement of the fucking century 

It was 9 to 100, with eight seconds left on the clock when Jack called a timeout. "Jack you guys have eight seconds why the timeout?" I asked. "Look at the scoreboard. If we make one more basket we'll finally break double digits," He explained. They decided to go out "in style" which meant they launched Jack into the air to make a basket but it almost missed until Eddie jumped onto Big Easy and pushed it into the basket. 

After the end game, they did a big introduction of the team and Milton acted like he made a dunk even though the rim was lowered. Big Easy pulled Milton off the rim and then we had a big celebration of the victory of saving the basketball program. "You did good guys," I said as we walked out of the gym arms around each others shoulders.