Bad Girl

chp. 14

"Do you even know who these girls are you're playing?!" Dinah was tapping her foot anxiously on the floor of my bedroom as I surfed the Internet.

As soon as I woke up I called her and told her about the game. She came by at 3 that afternoon to "talk some sense into me". I was too excited to listen to her. It seemed as if everyone else wasn't though. Everyone else was worried. Extremely worried.

"Not you too!" I rolled my eyes, but she just placed her fists at her waist and scolded me. "Why is everyone so worried?"

"You act as if this is gonna be some game of pass the ball around. You don't even know who Vero has you guys playing?"

"It's a rival team, Dinah. A team they played last season." I was relieved when dad called out for me when he came home. He was probably the only person excited about the game though he already told me he'd be in bed so he wouldn't be able to watch it. I tugged Dinah behind me and smiled when I saw my dad in sweatpants and an old t-shirt bouncing a ball around.

"Gotta practice some shooting before the big game." This was the closest he was going to get to me playing an actual game outside of our pick up games, and boy, was he excited. "You playing on your basketball team eh?" I shook my head at his grin.

"Just for tonight, dad. Don't get any ideas." He laughed.

"She's gonna get herself hurt, Mr. Cabello." Dad shrugged Dinah's worries away.

"She's tough. She plays with me." I didn't remind him of all the free shots I got off of him, probably wouldn't have helped my case. I just beamed at Dinah instead. She sat on the porch as I practiced shot after shot. After another shot sailed smoothly through the net I turned to her with eyebrows raised.

"It's not a matter of your shooting. I know you can shoot."

"I'll be fine, Dinah! Geesh!" She shook her head then sighed dramatically.

"And why on Valentine's Day?! Geesh!" I rolled my eyes and ran up catching the ball my dad threw for a lay up.

"You don't have to come, Dinah, didn't you have plans with Siope anyway?"

"Yeah, but that's for this afternoon, before this game." She watched me shoot the ball around some more. "So is Lauren coming to this game too?"

"She's my ride." Dinah looked surprised. "What?"

"Nothing. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I'll be there even though I think this is a very stupid idea." I ran over and hugged her. "Yeah, yeah..." I walked her to her car and promised to call when we left for the game.

***

"Good afternoon, Mr. Cabello." Lauren greeted my dad later that day.

"Afternoon, how's it going?" I sat on the porch as they chatted. Dad still seemed a bit uncomfortable with the idea of me having a girlfriend, but he was trying. When mom stuck her head outside the door I rolled my eyes at her irritated expression.

"Oh! So he's the only one home then? I'm sorry I'm the invisible parent." Lauren smiled and opened the door wider. She looked surprised for a moment when my mom opened her arms for a hug, but she quickly enveloped my mom in her arms.

"Come in before he talks you to death." We all laughed since we knew how unlikely that was. "So, this game today..." She looked at us both as she grabbed a few glasses and a pitcher of juice from the fridge.

"I already told you about it mom," she nodded her head then turned back to Lauren.

"So, Camila tells me it's a pick up game? With other students?"