Hustle Vs Muscle

Chapter 18: The First Game Part I

During Friday practice, Coach Anthony announces that the A team will be playing our first game today at Apples High School, from six to seven. We have to show up at five for warmups. I work even harder. But I can't stop myself from being nervous. Nervousness is normal. It's a part of the whole process. We take the bus to Apples High School after practice. On the bus, boys are horsing around, being rowdy. Then they start chanting the Glenwood. I join in.

"We're from Glenwood
And we're gonna win the game
We're on fire
Cause we're the Glenwood Flames!"

We show up. We warm up with layups and a little bit of one on one. I can see the Apples High School boys in their red uniforms warming up on the other side of the court. The Apples boys seem pretty good. Most of them are taller than me or the same height as me. I notice Luke and Mom in the audience and Katrini, wearing an orange cheerleader outfit decorated with flames and holding two orange pompoms. Katrini gives me a thumbs up. I feel slightly braver.

Coach Anthony picks out the starting five which is me, D'amato, Aiden, Warrick and Christian. D'amato is doing jump ball against an Apples boy who is 5'10. The referee blows his whistle. I get in my position. The ball goes up and both D'amato and the Apples boy touch the ball at the same time and it goes out to the side. I grab the ball at the same time as the Apples boy who is supposed to be guarding. me. He tries to pull it from my grasp. His weight pulls me down. The ref blows his whistle. "Orange ball." he says. "On the side." He looks shocked to see a girl on the court with a bunch of guys. I check the back of the boy's jersey. His number is also 62. What a coincidence. Now I know who I'm supposed to guard on defense. Number 62 stands in front of me with his hands up. I fake a pass and pass to Aiden. He catches it and starts dribbling. Then he passes it to D'amato who goes for the layup and makes it. The audience cheers, breaking the silence.

We're on defense. I can hear the Glenwood student section yelling "Defense!" and clapping rhythmically. Number 62 is bringing the ball down the court. I stay in front of him. He picks up the ball to pass it, but I slap it out of his hands and grab it. I pivot and dribble as fast as I can on the court. I love fast breaks. I can hear the sound of feet pounding on the court but all I see is the basket and the ball.
I use my momentum and go for the layup. The ball hits the backboard and goes in. A cheer rises from the bleachers.

I can hear the Apples coach yelling to his team. "Don't let that you-know-what score on you!" Whoa. Did he seriously just indirectly call me the b word? The Apples coach needs to chill. It's called sportsmanship. And sportsmanship means you stay classy and don't take low blows. We're on defense again. Number 62 is bringing the ball up. I guard him but then he passes to the 5'10 Apples boy. The 5'10 Apples boy fakes past D'amato and makes the layup. We're tied at four points. I bring the ball up the court. Number 62 guards me, it almost feels like he's pushing against me. I spin away to the left. Number 62 will overtake me in two seconds so I pass to Aiden who makes the layup. When the first quarter is over, the score is 12-2.

We switch out with bench players during the second quarter. At the end of the 2nd quarter the score is 12-13, in Apple's favor. I'm starting to get real nervous. Right now it's our ball. The Glenwood cheer squad is chanting.

"We're from Glenwood
And we're gonna win the game
We're on fire
Cause we're the Glenwood Flames."

I can see the Apple boys at the other end of the court, joking around as if they've already won. Aiden passes the ball in. I catch it and bring it up the courts as fast as I can. I spin away, throwing off Number 62. I pass to D'amato who takes the three point shot. It balances on the rim and falls
out. I sprint and grab the rebound. I put it right back up and it goes in with a satisfying swish. Cheers rise up from the audience. By halftime the score is 30-13, in our favor because of the basket I scored, the three point shot D'amato hit and a few baskets from the other boys. Coach Anthony claps us on the back. It's halftime so the cheerleaders perform their routines. Even at halftime the Glenwood cheerleaders totally out-cheer the Apples cheerleaders. I take a drink of water. The game will resume in two minutes so I drink some water and get back on the court.