The Boy Next Door | LaMelo Ball

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"Okay ladies, we need to start warming up. Joslyn lead the team in stretches!"

I nod my head.

I see Zuri glare at me.

"Jog up to the halfcourt line and back!" I say.

Eveyone does.

"You better yell at them Joslyn! Be louder, lead the team!" Coach Carter yells at me.

I smile because I'm embarrassed.

"Halfcourt and back again," I yell this time.

Once we make it back I tell the team to do toe touches, high kicks, lunges, butt kicks, and multiple other stretches.

"If I point to you, go get a jersey." Coach says.

She points to me, Gwen, Michelle, and a few other girls.

They are new because I didn't see them last season.

Michelle, Gwen, and I all jog over
to the jerseys.

On the way, we pass the other girls that were chosen to be on our team.

"Jog don't walk!" I say to them.

They jog.

"Just a heads up, everything we do in this here Gym is a jog. No walking unless I say you can walk." Coach says.

_____

After scrimmages, Coach makes us play elimination.

It's basically one versus one.

If you make a shot first, then you are safe and the person who has lost is out.

Once everyone has played one on one the last person standing doesn't need to do fifteen pushups.

Coach picks me to go after Zuri is the winner.

Zuri tried to get me out, but she missed her shot.

I grab the rebound and I make a layup.

I play versus a few other people and I end up winning.

"Joslyn beat the remainder of the people, so she doesn't have to do pushups. Everyone else, do fifteen pushups."

Everyone but me drops to the floor and starts doing pushups.

We're a team, if one person does something the rest follow.

I look at my Coach and then I get on the floor.

I do fifteen pushups.

Once I'm done I see Coach smirk at me nodding her head.

_____

After a few more hours of practicing, practice is finally almost over.

"We have twenty more minutes till practice ends." Coach Carter states.

She walks to the guys coach, Coach Latimore, and they speak with each other for a second.

Coach Latimore nods his head and he makes the guys go to the sideline.

"Joslyn, Giselle, Michelle, Zuri, and Helen, you guys go on the court."

We all do as told.

Giselle comes over to me. "Bet you five bucks we're about to scrimmage versus the boys!"

"Oh," Michelle says. She bumps my shoulder a few times. "Joslyn versus her boo thang!"

We all laugh.

Sure enough, LaMelo and his teammates are on the court too.

"Boys you're on defense, girls offence." Coach Carter says.

"Zuri I want Joslyn on point, you'll try out shooting guard."

Zuri nods her head.

"Joslyn jump for the ball with LaMelo."

Melo and I both get ready to jump.

"I'm gonna let you win it." LaMelo smiles at me.

We both jump but LaMelo barley leaves the ground.

"Oh hell no, y'all jump again! LaMelo what type of jump was that!" Coach Latimore says earning a few chuckles from people watching.

We jump again and this time LaMelo wins the jump ball.

I quickly get on defense and LaMelo leads his team on offence.

Somebody screens me on the right causing LaMelo to dribble past me and to the basket.

LaMelo makes the layup.

He looks back at me with a smirk.

Giselle takes the ball out and she passes it in to me.

I dribble up the court and I swing the ball to the left, then I cut to the basketball.

LaMelo follows me.

I call for the ball and my teanmate passes it to me, but I trip on someone's foot and I fall.

I take a hard fall on the gym floor.

I stay on the floor for a second because everyone is scrambling to get the ball.

The boys end up getting the ball in the end and my team gets back on D.

"Where's my point guard at?" I hear Coach Latimore yell.

As I'm about to get up from the floor, I feel LaMelo helping me up.

"You good baby girl?" He asked.

I nod my head yes.

"So that's what you're gonna do during a game LaMelo, you're gonna leave your team without they leader?" Coach walks over to LaMelo and I.

"She fell and I helped her up!" LaMelo replies.

"Is she your teammate?"

"No but-"

"-then you keep on playing the game LaM-!" Coach yells at him.

LaMelo cuts him off. "-No, I'm gonna help my girlfriend up if she takes a hard fall!"

The Coach looks at me and then back at LaMelo.

"Stay after practice boy, we need to talk." With that the coach walks away.

I look up at LaMelo in shock.