The Game-Elizabeth

The Game

          "Sydney, Maddie, Megan, Jordan, Elizabeth."

I run the names through my head. I'm starting. I have to do this right. Mrs. Barney gives us some last minute pointers but I don't pay attention. I'm too busy thinking about the fact that this is the most important game of the season, worrying I might mess up. 

          "Bring it in for a cheer." 

Back to reality. I put my hand in with my fellow team mates but barely whisper the words.

          "Together!"

I stroll onto the court, taking my place behind Sydney. I nod to Jordan, she gives my a quick smile. I let myself loosen up. The ref blows his whistle and I snap into action, leaping to catch the ball that ricocheted off of Sydney's arm. I fake a pass to my left and throw the ball to Maddie, she scores a layup with ease. Two points. The next few minutes of the first quarter we don't play together. The ball goes back and forth between our players and the sly foxes. We race around, trying to retrieve the ball from their star player. A Campton girl passes, too high. 

          "I GOT IT!!" I holler as I zone in on the ball hurtling towards me. I bend my knees and leap into the air, claiming the ball. I stealthily land and take off down the court. I shoot the ball and let out a small grin as it falls through the basket. Swish. My favorite sound in the whole world. 

          I'm panting when the buzzer goes off, marking the end of the quarter. I jog off the court, the five of us red faced and sweaty. I gulp down some water and listen to Coach's instructions. No one utters a word, we all just nod. 

          "Together!"

I take a seat and anxiously chew on the rubber tip of my water bottle. The next two quarters dash by. I can barely breath as I come off the court before the last quarter. A few times I scored. A few times I made some mistakes. I sit and chew, wondering what I could have done better. Harder and harder. I grit my teeth. So hard, they hurt. A fox gets the ball, 3 minutes left. She scores. They are up by one basket. One basket. I chew harder. Sydney, determined as ever not to lose this game, quickly gets the ball and charges through their defenders. She scores. She scores again. 2 minutes left. My teeth hurt, real bad. We are up by 2 points. That's okay. No, that's not nearly enough. Anything can happen with two minutes left in the game of basketball. 

          "Elizabeth! Go in! Dropping my water bottle, I jump up and kneel at half court, shaking. Coach grabs me by the shoulder. 

          "Keep it," she whispers, "just keep it."

I nod. I'm terrified. The next 60 seconds are a blur. An opposing player gets the ball and breaks through Lilly on defense. She goes for a layup. I watch in horror. She misses. 45 seconds left. This is all a daze. They could still score. I get the ball. Keep it, just keep it. Those words, a stain in the back of my mind, echo through me. 

          "Keep it!" I yell. I must have looked crazy, holding the ball, yelling at myself to keep it. I look at the clock, but I can barely see through the mass of red uniforms surrounding me. 15 seconds. I panic and pass the ball to Sydney through a players legs. Ten seconds.

          "KEEP IT SYDNEY!" I shout.

I can't hear myself. Miraculously, she hears me. Over the ear piercing screams of the crowd, she hears me. She crouches, the ball at her stomach, head down, in the middle of the court. My throat is cracked and dry, and my hands, sweaty and shaking. I turn to the clock. 3, 2, 1. Wiping a bead of sweat from my face, I smile. We win. We are the Pemi-Baker Girls Basketball Champions. 

*This was my first writing on demand piece from early September that reminded me of Phoebe's last post.