Chapter 20- Basketball is harder than it looks.
Throughout the day in school, nobody had dared questioned how I had gotten the scars that lingered on my arms shown through my shirt. Peter had kept his distance and never asked me how I was, never wanted to know if we had any homework he missed out on. Nothing.
Lennie had glued to my side, she only left when it was time for basketball drills in the gym. When I changed into my newly pressed basketball jersey she held her breath as my fresh scars were revealed.
"Don't look at me like that, they will heal by the end of the day" I say stroking her arm.
"I knew this was a bad idea" She snapped.
"It was your idea in the first place!" As I said it I raised my voice.
"You agreed to it!"
"I never!" I took in a deep beath, slowly some other girls came in "I was drawing sketches when you saw me, I never really thought about it beforehand. I had these powers for several years and just used them for my own good, now I can use them to help people and more importantly take Tyler's away"
Lennie huffed, stuffing my clothes into my gym locker I tied up my laces and handed her my school bag. "How can you take Tyler's away? He's just like you!"
"Not entirely, he was bit by a different spider. The New Aranea, I was bitten by the original. My parents might have changed their genetic coding or something 'cause they changed it's sex and maybe other features"
She took in a deep breath and closed my locker with force "Don't blame me if you get killed"
I followed after Lennie, her dark dirty blonde hair was hidden underneath her blue beret that she constantly wore to make herself look more like a news reporter. As she walked into the gym I quickly threw my hair up into a pony tail and joined the guys on the court.
The basketball court is filled with the boys team, the cheerleading squad is cooped up in the corner cheering the boys on even though they aren't even playing a game. Lennie takes to the benches that close up the sides, while Shannon from the cheerleading squad rushes over to me still in her cheerleading uniform and perky hair.
"Sierra Rose! I have been looking for you. I talked to some of the girls about you and the basketball thingy you did the other day and they love you! And we have decided that if you come after school for a tryout we can get you on the team. Obviously we understand that you will be captain of the basketball team but you are a natural. You can come to practice and cheer on for the soccer matches and football" Shannon explains.
I smile, this was all thrusted on to myself. But without thinking, "Yes!" I blurted out.
Okay, I know what to think. But when you have lived most of your teenage years homeschooled and you are asked to be on the cheerleading squad who wouldn't say no?
They are the popular girls, the girls that get all the best guys and are always homecoming queens and get the best seats in the school bus.
Shannon pulls me into a hug, "I can't wait!"
She smiles then and jogs back to the team, her skirt bobbing up and down. The guys from the basketball team eyed me, especially Jamie and his little minions.
Miss Hanson and Mr Rigby appeared out from the locker rooms and blow the whistle, I wince in response and jog over to where they stand. The guys quickly gather and nudge my shoulders as we crowd around the teachers.
"As you know, Sierra has now been nominated by myself and Mr Rigby to become team captain. As you are wondering why Sierra is on the boys team that is because you guys are slacking and I want somebody to keep you in shape and work as a team" Miss Hanson says.
"But why couldn't you get another guy?" Jamie groans.
"I reckon Sierra will keep you on your toes, especially since homecoming is coming up" Mr Rigby says.
"Be nice to her, and if I hear any bad mouth about anybody nobody gets to go to homecoming" Miss Hanson snaps.
Some smile while others huff and puff like 5 year olds. Mr Rigby then hands me a jersey with captain written on in the back, he smiles "Maybe you can glam it up, I know it's dull"
I laugh and agree, the jersey blue and white like Shannon's uniform is dull and has no standing out from the crowd on it.
"Right! We will have a game, Sierra and Jamie as captains. You guys can pick your teams" She shouts.
I look towards Jamie who is smiling his face off, I know nobody so I'm going to pick by numbers. Talking about embarrassing. We stand apart from each other and one by one we pick, Jamie picks his minions while I pick the tallest and some who look like the strongest.
Once the teams are picked we gather around the court, I look to the guy next to me whose number is 49. "I've never properly played basketball like this" I whisper.
He smiles "Don't worry, let me take of it. By the way I'm Nate" He shakes my hand and tells the guys what to do. "Gabe and Bennett I want you to the centre of the court around Sierra"
I watch as Gabe explains what to do, he gives my position and tells me my instructions. Once the whistle blows we move to our areas and the game begins, Jamie thrusts the ball towards one of his minions and dribbles it past me.
I freeze and watch my team, I knew some of the basics of basketball, dribble the ball, place your palm on the ball and that was it. I hadn't don't basketball for several years, I would occasionally watch a lakers game but that was it.
The ball was passed towards me without noticing, Gabe mimed where to shoot and so I dodged past the other team sneaking around them like a spider and then jumping to the hoop.
The ball landed graciously in, with a twist the ball fell onto the ground. Gabe clapped his hands running for the ball as the game still played on.
For the rest of the match I scored several points, Gabe took a few shots but missed in his attempt as along with Jamie's team. Lennie sat on the sidelines and cheered as we played, once the final whistle blew, I dropped to the floor.
"Are the guys always like that?" I ask Gabe.
"No, they're just being hard on you 'cause your the newbie leave them to it I'll talk to them in the locker room" He says.
"Tell them they're bastards too, and when I get to do drills it will be 20 laps around the gym" I say with a huff.
He laughs and stretches a hand out to me "You sound like a captain already"
I nod as he pulls me to my feet, Gabe slowly starts to walk away with his strong hands pressed onto the delicate basketball.
Then Lennie races up to me, smiling like we never had a argument just under an hour ago "I'm still mad at you, but you were badass on the court!" She says.
"Now I have a cheerleading tryout" I groan, my body felt limp.
"Well get your butt in that locker room and change, I bet there will be loads in guys on the field!" She squeals.
YOU ARE READING
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