Settle the Score / Hustle Play

Chapter Seven | Hail Mary Shot

Saturday.

“You seem so distracted. Why is that?” Chris asked me at the water station after I finished a ball-handling session with a group of six-year-olds. I wasn’t sure what he meant. Did I space out during the session? Did I forget anything in the training module he provided?

I filled my water bottle and took a drink.

“I’m not distracted.”

“You taught the wrong batch, Figs. But I figured, what the heck, you’d already started.”

I craned my neck to take a look at the children participating, grouped by age. I’d just taught batch 2. Chris assigned me to batch 3.

“Oh god.”

Chris put a hand on my shoulder. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just... I have somewhere to go after this, and I don’t know if I’m even wanted there.”

“Where is this?”

“Charles’ little sister’s birthday.” I smacked my forehead with my water bottle. “It’s today and I almost forgot, and I think he’s mad at me because it’s been a thing for a while now.”

He snatched the water bottle away and motioned for me to take a seat. “Explain this thing to me.”

“Well, Charlie’s sister grew up with three brothers, so y’know, she kinda adores me.” Chris listened intently as I rambled on about how Charles and I have always teamed up for Natalie’s birthday preparations since college freshman year. Not only had I not been actively helping out with this year’s preparations, I’d also almost forgotten all about it.

“Bummer. I think you’re going to lose a fan.” I clicked my tongue and threw a punch against his arm.

“Can I leave early, please? I’m so sorry, I need to make it to the party.”

“And make it up to your cheerleader.”

“Shut up.” Chris laughed. “What—you still haven’t decided? I know there’s a saying that goes... ‘If he really loves you, he’ll wait,’ but there’s also ‘The problem is that we think we have plenty of time.’”

I rolled my eyes at him. He was making perfect sense, but I was rejecting it. “I may have paraphrased a bit,” he said as an afterthought.

“I have decided. But I’m scared.”

He looked at me like I spoke in another language. “Of what?”

“Of not being able to live up to what he thinks being with me will be like.”

“That’s a dangerous thought process, Figs.” Chris returned my water bottle and turned his attention to the children doing basketball drills with the other facilitators. “Even in basketball, we tend to think of worst-case scenarios and prepare for them, but all of those won’t matter if you don’t go out there and play.”

Again, he had a point.

“Hey!” He clapped his hands like a coach would after a huddle. “What are you still doing here, Figueroa? Go out there and hustle!”

* * * * *

I arrived at the Crisostomo house a little past four in the afternoon, thanks to the traffic congestion caused by some road construction somewhere along the way. It also didn’t help that most of Colby’s costumes were one size bigger, so she had to rummage for one that fit me nicely. Luckily, she had kept a Princess Jasmine costume that only needed a minor alteration. Justine was also there to mind my hair and makeup.