The Capital One Area filled with cheer as shooting guard Elijah King scored the winning shot, allowing the Wizards beat the Sixers 101-98. He'd scored 53 points alone and the look on his face showed it.
Sasha Pointer leapt into his arms from her court side seat with a grin. The pair had been best friends since elementary school when Sasha moved to Woodbridge, Virginia.
"Congratulations, E-Kay." Sasha giggled as Elijah spun around and placed her on her feet.
"You know I couldn't have done it without my number one fan cheering me on." Elijah tried fixing the hair stuck to Sasha's slick forehead but was pulled back by his teammates for their group celebration. "Aye, I'll meet you at your place!"
Sasha smiled watching Elijah get his well deserved praise. It was his second season and he was already carrying the Wizards on his back.
Dubbed as 'The Cheerleader' by the media, not once had Sasha missed a home game or post-game interview.
The usual reporters were already piled in the room and she slipped into a chair at the very back. Despite her obvious display of affection court side, Sasha hated being the center of attention. She had always been that way and Elijah had been helping her break out of that shell since the day they met.
"Excuse me, are you new?" Eleven-year old Elijah walked over to the lunch table where Sasha sat alone, eating a strawberry PB&J.
"You talking to me?" She looked up and then around the room, not believing someone as cute as he was actually speaking to her.
"Who else would I be talking to?" Elijah made himself comfortable across from Sasha and pulled out his own lunch box. "Name's Elijah but you can call me Eli. I'm kind of the most popular guy in the fifth grade."
"Well, I'm Sasha: the least popular girl in fifth grade."
"You won't be if you stick with me and my friends."
"I like being alone."
"You won't for long. We're the coolest people here. Plus I saw you on the bus this morning so I know you live in my neighborhood. You can come and watch me play basketball after school."
"Me watch you play basketball? Why would I do that?"
"Because I'm going to be in the NBA and you're going to be my girlfriend when I am."
The memory was enough to make Sasha's neck hot, though she was far from being his girlfriend now. Eli gave her her first kiss in the eighth grade during a birthday party. Seven minutes in heaven felt like a lifetime with Eli's lips tasting like strawberries, mouth fresh like Listerine, and hands smooth like melting ice cream as they roamed over her body.
Things had gotten more heated as the years passed but none of their encounters led to what Sasha wanted the most. Him.
At twenty-five years old, Sasha was ready for the moment she could have Eli as her own. There were times where she felt like Eli wanted the same thing. But he was a hooper with an endless supply of willing women, which is what he'd been indulging in since the draft. Why would he want her?
"So, E-Kay, we couldn't help but notice you and The Cheerleader after tonight's game. Is it safe to say you're a taken man now?" A reporter asked with a bit of a smirk in her voice.
The words broke Sasha out of her trance and she looked up to see Eli looking directly at her. "Her name is Sasha and I'm not sure what she has to do with the game. I almost single-handedly beat the Sixers and you're worried about my personal life?"
