End Game

Thirty

"If you can shoot right that well, why are you not playing again already?" Chelsea teases as she wanders towards Jo.

"I wish." Jo sighs, catching the ball as it bounces back to her from the hoop.

"How is the recovery coming?"

"Slowly, or at least that's how I feel it is going." Jo laughs, "I have full range of motion again, so that's good. Just working on strengthening everything now, I can't get back on the court until we know I'm not going to hurt myself further, or worse. The muscles may be moving correctly again, but they are not strong enough to hold the whole shoulder in the correct place if I were to get hit or fall. I'm still healing internally, hopefully by the time playoffs come around I'll be good to go though. You'll have to keep leading the team from the top of the key alone a bit longer."

"We'll keep up the winning until you can get back out here with us. I'm just glad you came to Chicago. I wasn't sure you would, with how rocky things have been with your dad lately."

"I told him I wasn't coming today..." Jo admits, "I told him I had to stay in Vegas for physical therapy."

"Well, that may explain why he looks about ready to blow his top then..." Chels cringes, nodding over Jo's shoulder towards the stands.

"Fuck." Jo breathes out under her breath, glancing over her own shoulder to see her dad standing with his arms crossed just behind the bench.

"Good luck." Chelsea offers, taking the ball from Jo as she holds it out before turning to head towards her dad.

"You lied to me, Jordan." He speaks harshly as she reaches him, having walked behind the bench to make sure they could talk more quietly.

"I didn't think I would be here, how did you even know I was?" She sighs heavily.

"Your mother informed me you were coming to the game tonight in town, she found out from Jacquline. If you truly want to keep a secret from me you might not confide in your sister, Jordan."

"When I talked to you, I didn't know I would be here. I may not have informed you when my plans changed, but I did tell the truth when I told you I didn't think I was coming."

"Are you playing then?" He brushes off her comment, clearly still annoyed with her.

"No, I can't yet. But I played in every other game included in the Commissioners Cup and my team is playing in the final tonight, so I am here to cheer them on and celebrate if we win. Just because I can't play tonight does not mean this isn't my win too."

"If you're still injured, why are you not wearing a sling anymore?"

"Because it isn't necessary? If I'm not in a cast or sling am I not allowed to be injured?" Jo scoffs.

"Well, seeing as I have been left out of the group being informed of your recovery stages, I wouldn't know. If you don't want me to question you, you should tell me the updates as you get them."

"I'm recovering, dad. When I get back to playing, you'll know." Jo rolls her eyes, "Now, I would like to join my team for the game, you can sit and watch, but you cannot talk to my coaches or teammates."

"I wish you would stop being so hostile towards me, Jordan. I'm trying to help you, but you can't seem to accept that anymore."

"It no longer feels like help, dad. It feels like control, and I'm sick of it." Jo spits, "Get to your seat, we're done here." She turns, heading towards the tunnel, her team having gone down to the locker room for their pre-game talk.

Stopping out of the arena noise, but before she gets to the locker room, Jo pulls out her phone, feeling the adrenaline running through her and ready to do something she never would have before. Pulling up a relatively new contact in her phone and hitting call, hoping this works for her.