In Charlotte's Eyes

She Could Never Be Balling

Six days passed. Charlotte spent most of the coming week hanging out with Rebecca—since she didn't work. She spent a little bit of time with Aaron and Suzuki as well. Aaron invited her and the other guys to go to the gym together on the weekend.

Everyone agreed and came. After half an hour of working out, the group of five wandered to the basketball court and began playing 2v2s, with one of them reffing. It wasn't long until another group of five men—a battery, a bishop chess piece, a baseball bat, a paper towel roll, and an emerald—came along and asked if they were down to play five against five.

Of course, they agreed.

…

Charlotte dribbled the ball down the court. Across from her was the emerald—the shortest of the five opponents. As she got closer to the three point line, the paper towel roll loitered nearby. She made a quick move and got to the free throw line. The paper towel roll stepped in to help his teammate. Carlos suddenly ran towards the basket, hand in the air. She lobbed the ball up to him and he took it in one hand and slammed it in.

“Damn!” The battery shouted as the bishop grabbed the ball.

Charlotte had a confident smirk as she backpedalled to play defense. Carlos jogged up to her, straight-lipped. She could see the sly confidence, though. It was his eyebrows. She giggled as they low fived.

…

Aaron knocked the ball loose from the baseball bat. “Oh, shit!” Parker picked up the loose ball and took it to the other side of the court. As everyone sprinted back, he passed it to an open Charlotte, who shot it from the corner, behind the three point line. She drained it.

“Damn, girl!” The battery shouted.

“YEAHHH!” She shouted, hyped up.

Aaron came up to her with an excited smile and dapped her up. “Yessir!” He flexed his arms.

“You guys better respect me or I'll keep dropping my nuts on you!” She spat at the other team.

Parker chuckled to himself as he backpedalled to play defense.

…

Parker had the ball again. He took it slowly down the court, surveying the field. Suzuki came over to screen for him, which he took. As he crossed to the other side of the screen, Charlotte ran to the free throw line. “Parker!” She called for the ball.

He bounced a pass to her which she secured. The emerald bodied up with her. She worked against him, inching closer towards the basket. She went up to shoot the ball, but was accidentally smacked in the arm by the emerald. She was still able to get the ball in the air.

“Ay, that's a foul!” She called as she watched the ball go up to the basket. It slid around the rim and fell out. “That's a foul!”

The emerald smacked his chest lightly. “My bad.” He apologized to his team.

As Charlotte set herself up on the free throw line, Parker lingered on the outside, the bat—who he learned his name was Ryan—stood next to him. “That your girl?” He asked Parker.

He made eye contact with him. The question made him feel a bit flustered, but he responded with a smooth “No.” As Charlotte made her first free throw.

Ryan shook his head. “Even with a little mushroom growing on her head, that chick can play ball.”

He snickered. “Yeah.”

He turned his attention back to Charlotte as she readied herself to shoot the second free throw. She was having a lot of fun. It made Parker happy to see her this way, after all the angst she had endured. It rang a familiar bell to before all of what had happened.

Sometimes, Parker felt anxious, the darkness in his mind entertaining the idea of what if it happened again. What if Charlotte was taken away again?

She sank the next free throw. Parker began jogging back. He wondered if she ever worried that it could happen again.