Oracle {Book 1}

Tryouts Part 2

Chapter 16

"You have to get the ball in the hoop Seth." We'd been at the park for two hours, and I had basically been sitting here watching Seth fail miserably at free throws.

I swear he rolled his eyes. "I realize that Ella. I'm trying."

I started tapping my foot. "Well, do you need any help?"

"I can do it myself thanks."

Ella smirked. His ego was getting the best of him. "Are you sure you don't need any help?"

"No, in fact, I don't."

Ella laughed out loud. "Ok, big boy."

Seth walked back to the three-point line. Ella watched him as he bent his knees and fling the ball toward the hoop. She was unsure whether or not it would go in, but surprisingly, it did.
"Ha, see, told you I could get it in. I should join my school's basketball team."

"Ok, don't get that carried away. Anyone can make a lucky shot, and based on your previous performance, this definitely was." He passed the ball back to me, and I began dribbling nonchalantly.

"Ok, ok, so maybe I'm not that could. You could always teach me."

"And I will, after I make the team."

"You already made it through the first round, and I'm sure you'll make it again. Your way better at it than me."

"I know." Seth chuckled, and Ella beamed. "Here let me help you."

Seth followed her closer to the basket. "So, the correct way to shoot is put one of your hands under the ball. It gives you more control of where it goes. But you have to make sure, that when your touching it, it's mostly the tips of your fingers, then the rest of your hand. Then, put the other hand at the side of the ball. Don't put it in top. Then, try to make a shot."

"Were you on your schools team back in Phoenix?"

"No. I just played on my own."

"How come you didn't try out for one? Did your school not have one?"

"No, it's just... Girls like me don't go out for basketball teams."

"What do you mean 'girls like you'?"

"Girly-girls."

"So what? You can obviously play and I'm sure if you had tried out, you would have made it."

"Doubtful."

"You shouldn't put yourself down so much."

"I'm not. It's just... there were these girls on the team that used to tease me, that's all."

"Oh."

"Yeah, but that's not important."

We were quiet for a while, and then Seth decided to make a shot. He got it in this time, with my advice of course.

"See, your a real baller now."

"True. I might even be the next Michael Jordan."

"Woah. Don't get too far ahead of yourself."

Seth chuckled, then frowned. "So why did those girls make fun of you?"

I frowned, and then sighed. "Most of the girls at my school aren't girly. It's not like it was back in the day. No one really wants to be feminine anymore. It's seen as weakness. So naturally, my school was made up of band girls, jocks, smart girls, pretty much everything that wasn't me. I can't help that I love skirts, and florals and flowing dresses. It's who I am, but no one really gets that."