In My Head

Common Ground ~ Logan

Whistle! "Bring it in, boys!" Dad calls from center court. The whole team stampedes for the tip-off circle. Kaden sprints right by me, and I cut him off at a nice easy jog. He runs into me, giving me an excuse to push him back. Kaden shrugs it off. I can tell he's pissed, but he doesn't take the bait. I follow the team to center court.

"Our first game is tomorrow," Dad says. "So before you can leave practice today, you have to do two one-on-one drills. You'll be playing offense against Logan at that hoop," Dad says, and he gestures to the half court behind me. "And you'll be playing defense against Kaden at the other hoop. One basket to win against Logan, one stop to win against Kaden, and then you can go."

I really hate when Dad does this. Everyone hates us because our dad is the coach. Stupid little stunts like this only make the team hate us more. And boy, do they hate us. Our teammates call Kaden the perfect show off, and they call me the sympathy recruit.

I glance at the four guys who got in my line. Practice should have been over five minutes ago. Everyone wants to go, and I'm not about to make them angrier. All they have to do is get by me, so I make sure they do. Besides, it's better to give up than to try really hard and make a fool of myself when they all still beat me.

In under two minutes, everyone's in Kaden's line, and he isn't letting anyone off easy. It's obvious that I didn't try, but Dad didn't even notice. He's been watching Kaden this whole time. I stay at my end of the gym and watch too. I can't tell if Kaden's trying to show off or if he's just playing like normal, but no one can stop him.

When everyone's been through the line twice, and Kaden hasn't missed a single shot, Dad finally blows his whistle. "Now that is what you call offense! Let's call it a day."

I don't leave the gym with the team. The locker room sucks and Kaden never changes either, so that always leaves the two of us alone in the gym when Dad goes in with the team.

"Hey Logan?" Kaden dribbles a ball up behind me.

I ignore him and shoot my ball.

"Why did you let everyone get by you?"

You noticed? And I thought you were too busy showing off.

"You shouldn't do that," Kaden says. "Everyone already thinks you're only on the team because Dad is the coach."

That's it! "Yeah, well the whole team hates you too!" I spit back. "Coach's little perfect show-off. No one wants you here."

"You think I wanna be here?" Kaden shouts.

I slam my ball down. "Then get out!"

"I can't, thanks to you." Kaden jabs his ball at my chest.

I grab the ball from him and throw it away. "How is it my fault? Dad's the one who made this stupid team."

"Stupid?" He can't believe I don't think it's awesome. In the silence, the two loose balls bounce loudly against the gym floor.

I sigh. "At first I was really excited to be on a traveling team, but . . . this sucks. Playing for him sucks."

"Yeah." Kaden stares at me with surprise. "It does suck."

"Oh, come on. At least you aren't the sympathy recruit."

Kaden shakes his head. "Would you rather be me? I have to do everything perfect for him, or he makes me do extra practices when we get home."

That makes me think about my report card. I need to get straight A's or else Dad makes me spend extra hours doing homework until the next report card. "You know, I actually know how that feels," I tell him, and then I realize that Kaden knows what it feels like to be me too. I know he gets picked on at school. He doesn't try in his classes and he never gets A's, but Dad doesn't even notice. So this is what it's like on the other side. I can't believe I actually wanted to trade places with Kaden once.

"I don't wanna keep doing this," I say.

"Being on a traveling team is the best way to get ready for high school basketball."

"You're saying we can't quit?"

"No, but we can make him wish he never made the team."

I cock my head. "What do you have in mind?" I ask.

"Well, all I care about is playing the game. What do you think Dad cares about?"

I don't even have to think about it. "Winning our games."

Kaden nods. "We can play hard and still lose our games."

"How?"

Kaden grins. "And you're supposed to be the brainy one."

"Hey. Book smarts don't help us throw basketball games. It's gonna take your street smarts to pull this off."

"I can't throw the game by myself," Kaden confesses.

I grin. "Who said you have to do it by yourself?"