Books, Boys, and BFF's: Sophomore Year

SPRING DANCE

We trail by four points for the first quarter of the game. These girls from Valley High mean business. Everywhere I turnthere's someone guarding me. I feel like they're trying to clip my wings and keep me from scoring.

Seeing how I'm being guarded so hard. I have to make this a three-point game. Whenever I'm passed the ball and there's an opening, I sink a three-pointer, forcing them to come out of the key which makes some room in the key for one of my other teammates to score.

Drew and Josh are cheering me on from the bleachers and coach Treggle yells at me from the sideline. Whenever she has to guard me, the point guard for the other team loves running her mouth. She's trying to psyche me out, but that doesn't work on me. I've got crazy handles and I'm faster than she is. I can use both my left and my right hand and have been able to shake her easily.

"What are you going to do with that? You going up for a J?" One girl from the other team asks.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see my teammate Mariah running her path through the key. Andrea, our center, posts up, and as the person guarding Mariah tries running through the key, she runs right into Andrea leaving Mariah wide open. I quickly curve the ball around the girl who's guarding me and pass it into the key. Mariah goes up for a layup and we score two points. The crowd goes wild.

I finished the game with thirty points, six assists and four rebounds. It's one of my best games to date, and we won by eleven points.

"Dang Sid, you're killing them on the court." Josh raves.

"You should have heard all the crap those girls were talking." I tell him.

"Yeah, well, you showed them." Drew laughs.

"They were guarding me so hard I didn't think I was ever gonna score."

"They were definitely trying to shut you down."

I look over at dad to see what he thinks, and he seems so disinterested that it disappoints me. This is one of the best games I've ever had, and he acts like he has better things to do.

"What do you think dad?" I ask, giving him the benefit of the doubt.

"Do all basketball games take this long?" He complains.

"I meant about my game?" I clarify.

"It was okay," he shrugs. "I'm ready to go."

I can never seem to please him no matter what I do. I look over at mom who can see how hurt I am, but as usual she says nothing.

"What time are you going to be home?" Dad asks.

"Once Drew's game is over."

"No later than ten." He warns me.

"Yes, sir."

"We'll see you at home." Mom sends me her it'll be ok smile.

She hugs me goodbye longer than usual and leaves. It's to make up for dad's lack of support I'm sure. Before she even gets to the front of the gym, my dad honks the horn like crazy for her to get in the car.

"Your dad's a trip." Patrice shakes her head.

"He never supports what I do unless it's what he wants me to do." I sulk.

"That's jacked up." Nicole hugs me.

We find some good seats to sit in and Em pulls me into her arms. I don't understand why he sucks the joy out of my day like that. The only thing I can come up with is that I'm not Em or Josh. I'm a disappointment to him and a reminder of his failure as a father. I feel like crap.