The Photograph (Eastbrook 1)

Chapter 9

Rachel spent her free period in the library working on her homework. With a game that evening, she was thankful for a light homework day. She finished the last section of her biology assignment on the composition of cells and then looked in her planner for the next assignment to complete. She needed to finish the history essay she’d started Sunday evening. 

Rachel opened up the document and read over the essay to refresh her memory. The introduction and conclusion were missing, and her transitions were rough. She wrote a few sentences for the introduction. She read through her sentences and deleted them. She tried two more times to find words, but frustration set in so she put the essay away. She had tomorrow, when she wouldn’t be distracted by basketball, to finish it. 

That night’s game was against Cornerstone Academy, one of the toughest opponents on the schedule every year. Cornerstone was a private school that recruited the best athletes for their sports programs. Basketball was their signature sport. Year after year, they took home league and district championships in girls’ and boys’ basketball. 

The previous year’s game had been the first time in several years that Eastbrook had a chance to win against Cornerstone. Eastbrook played their best game of the season but ended up in the loser’s column by eleven points. The eleven-point difference was the largest deficit of the whole game. Cornerstone pulled away in the last two minutes, and Eastbrook was forced to foul to slow the game. The strategy backfired. Cornerstone made every free throw, and Eastbrook went cold from three-point range.

This year, the showdown with Cornerstone was the game of the week for Northeast Ohio’s girls’ basketball. Reporters predicted a close game, with Cornerstone prevailing by a small margin. The Eastbrook girls didn’t take offense; they liked the underdog role. With a victory over Cornerstone, Eastbrook would establish itself as the team to beat in Northeast Ohio this season. 

Rachel couldn’t stop thinking about the upcoming game, so she moved away from the computer and sat down at a table in the library. She took out her notebook and diagrammed plays until the bell rang. She gathered her mess of notes and plays before walking to her last class of the day. 

After school, Rachel had a little over an hour to kill before the bus left for Cornerstone. She arranged to spend that hour at Lillie’s house again. They decided on picking up sub sandwiches for dinner. 

“So did you spend the night at Maggie’s on Saturday?” Rachel asked. She wanted to keep her mind off the game for this hour. If she kept thinking about the game, she would drive herself crazy. 

“I ended up bumming a ride home from someone late that night,” she said. 

“Oh, okay. Good night?” 

“Yes, it was a blast, so much fun. I wish you would have stayed,” Lillie said.

“You know that’s not my scene.”

“But you never stay long enough to make friends!”

“Yeah, yeah. Maybe next time,” Rachel said with a mouth full of an Italian sub. 

“Do you think we can win tonight?” Lillie asked. 

“Definitely.” 

The Cornerstone starting lineup was intimidating. Two post players were over six feet tall while the remaining starters were at least 5’9.” The Eastbrook squad didn’t have the height to match up, and Coach Davis’s strategy was to pressure Cornerstone with a full-court press. Eastbrook would press or play defense the entire length of the court and trap Cornerstone in the corners. 

The point guard was the weakest link on the Cornerstone team. Rachel was confident she could outplay her on both sides of the court. However, the twin towers standing guard underneath the hoop were a problem; getting a shot off under the hoop would be difficult. Rachel knew this wasn’t the game to try to do everything. Her goal was to do whatever it took to win the game—whether that meant passing the ball or shooting. And not to turn the ball over. She needed to protect the ball.