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Birdie Philippe is the star basketball player of Hawkins High, lauded by local newspapers and scouted for sports scholarships. This puts her at odds with "King Steve", forming a rocky rivalry since the day t...
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Birdie versus the buzzer, a tale as old as time. The board taunted a tied score as her scuffed sneaker toed the three-point line, her knees bent and the leather ball gripped firmly in her hands. She blocked out the cheering crowds roaring from one side of the bleachers and the booing coming from the other as she took a deep breath and focused on her target.
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Her eyes traced the arc the ball would take before it even left her fingers. Birdie pushed off the balls of her feet, her eyeline rising above the head of the defender blocking her. Her left hand guided the ball as her right hand pushed forward, her wrist snapping down to the ground.
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The ball flew through the air over hovering hands. It seemed to be in perfect trajectory with the net but Birdie's calculations were just a bit short. It hit the rim and bounced off the backboard before returning to the chaotic court awaiting it.
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But Birdie was ready. Faking left, she side-stepped the defender's right, her arms stretched outwards as she rushed towards the ball.
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Birdie caught the ball and pulled it tightly towards her body. The only way it would leave her was after it was pried out of her cold, dead hands. Taking two long strides, she dribbled the ball twice towards the net before launching herself off her left foot and releasing the ball.
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The ball hit the corner of the red square painted on the backboard before dropping through the hoop. The swish of the net echoed in Birdie's ears long after the ball had dropped to the ground, louder even than the roaring audience screaming her name.
