One Last Shot

[9] Teambuilding

                                                                                           Liam

Marcus decides that our groups get along so well together, and plans a little activity will help bring everyone closer together. Honestly, I think he just wants to get closer with Lix, but they're happy together so I won't stand in the way. Pulling up to the indoor gym, the sport of choice is basketball. We all head to the indoor court, it's early November and too cold to play outside. Marcus starts, and the guys join in, shooting hoops. The girls are on the outskirts of the court gossiping, before I see Iris grab a ball.

"Hell yes!" Violet cheers, and I see Marcus smile.

"Make way," he whispers to the guys, before Iris pops a three. Swish. What the hell. She doesn't look like a basketball player.

"What? Never seen a girl play before?" She smirks. One after another, she sinks them all. We're all shooting, missing an occasional shot, but she never misses. "Come on, pretty boy, over here." She calls me over. "Shooting contest."

"Oh you're so on." And thus, the two of us start a friendly shooting competition. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. We're tied after 20 minutes of shooting, neither of us missing a shot. If I make this shot, I win. I line up, it feels good, it feels right. My arm is extending, my legs are leaving the ground.

"You look hot when you're all sweaty." I falter. I miss. She wins. I turn to her.

"What did you say?"

"You look hot, like warm? With all that sweat you could heat a fucking furnace."

"You're playing a dirty game there Miss."

"I'm playing THE game, quite well might I add." She clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth and chuckles.

"Where'd you learn to play like that?" I ask, shocked, because she doesn't seem like a basketball player.

"Uh, my hometown?" She scoffs.

"Not like that dipshit."

"I've been playing since I was 7. Captain of the girl's team senior year of high school."

"She broke records," Lilly comes over, smiling.

"No playing in college?" Archer asks, she has gained the attention of everyone but Marcus and Lix, who are talking while shooting around.

"Not with my major. I didn't want to be tied down to a sport if I ever did get burnt out." Reading her body language, I can tell she's lying.

"Damn that's a shame, you're insane," Jasper adds.

"You should see her in an actual game, you'd have no idea it's Iris," Lilly explains. "She's so quick, one of the best female players to ever come out of our high school."

"No D1 offers?" Grayson asks.

"I'm flattered you all think that highly of me to think I had D1 offers," Iris chuckles. Lilly gives her a look. "Well... Okay yeah I did have D1 offers. This school gave me a scholarship though, almost a full ride, I had to take it, I'd be an idiot not to, and Lilly was going here."

"I hope we can see you play in some game at some point," Archer comments.

"Maybe," Iris smiles.

"5 minutes and no stupid remark, must be a new record for you," Violet laughs.

"I'm not a complete horrible person," Iris laughs back, and the day resumes. I see Iris teaching Violet how to dribble and shoot, and I see Lilly on the phone angrily. She huffs past me to the door.