Lamia's Dream

Chapter 19

Malik leaped and released his shot.  The ball sunk into the net without even touching the rim.

“Woo!” shouted Valerie, throwing her hands in the air.

She brought them back down and wrapped them around my shoulders.  I sat in front of her, one level down on the bleachers.  Her legs enclosed me. 

Malik ran down the court after scoring his fourth basket. 

With this being the final game before regionals, the school gymnasium was packed.  Each of the bleachers, which formed a “U” around the court, was filled with people.  By the time we had arrived, there wasn’t enough space in the row, so I offered to sit directly below Valerie so that Chad and Alexandra could sit side by side.  They thanked me for my chivalry. 

A fair crowd representing the opposing team populated the eastern half of the set of bleachers directly across the court from where we sat.  Shouts and howls were lifted up when the opposing team, the Ashbrook Greenwave, scored.  By that point in the game, I was still trying to figure out what a “greenwave” was.

I had come to a few basketball games during my freshman year.  Eventually my support for my cousin failed to justify my spending additional time at school, so I stopped attending.  I was too shy back then to talk to anyone that I didn’t already know from class.  And, once I started hanging out with Jack and Phil, I developed their habit of shunning our school’s athletic events.  With the exception of my time as a football player, courtesy of my aunt. 

“Feel anything yet?” I asked.  I tilted my head back so I could see her.

“No,” Valerie confessed, her eyes following the movement on the court.  Then, she brought her lips to my ear.  “But, I’m more focused on the game than on draining you.  You should be, too.”  She gazed down at me and stroked my face.  “We’ll have some alone time later.”

“Yeah, that’s true.  I thought you invited me to the game so you could do it here.”

“No, I invited you to the game because I wanted to watch it with you.  And, since your cousin was playing, I thought you wanted to watch as well.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

It wasn’t.  While I was open to supporting Malik by attending basketball games, that action was never reciprocated.  But, to be fair, the closest thing to a spectator sport I was involved in was video game tournaments.  And I lost those just as frequently as Malik won his basketball games. 

“Besides,” Valerie continued, lowering her voice again, “draining while making out is more effective than by long-term touching.  And more fun.”

I recoiled from Valerie’s touch when I first saw her that morning.  I lied and said I had a nightmare about being attacked by a Succubus.  And, being the amazing girlfriend she is, she empathized with me.  She even gave me the option of bailing tonight’s game.  I figured by not coming to the game, Valerie wouldn’t get to drain, I’d be letting Lynn win, and I wouldn’t get to spend valuable time with Valerie.  It was a no-brainer.  Although, if I had known she wouldn’t be draining me at the game, I likely would have proposed an alternate activity.

The referee blew his whistle for a time out.  Each of the players collected at their respective sides.  One of the staff tossed Malik a towel.  He thanked them.

The East Gaston Warriors gathered around the coach in a semi-circle as he barked orders while pointing to a hand-held dry-erase pad.  I noticed Malik wasn’t paying attention.  And the end of his gaze was Lynn.  She sat on the front row, next to Samantha.  He was smiling.  The coach shouted something- probably Malik’s last name, judging by how quickly his head snapped in the direction of the coach and his smile faded.