Hustle Vs Muscle

Chapter 19: The First Game Part II

The game resumes. Apples have the ball. The 5'10 Apples boy brings the ball up the court. He tries to spin away, but D'amato steals the ball. This time, I think Number 62 remembers to guard me now because he steps in front of me so I can't receive a pass. I am frustrated. He seems to know where I'm trying to go every time. D'amato makes the layup and we're back on defense. Number 62 brings the ball up the court but I steal it from him and run up the court as fast as possible. I can't stop my momentum so I go for the layup. It falls in and the audience cheers. In the final minutes of the third quarter, the Apples boys score four more points but we score eight more. At the end the score is 38-17.

Now it's our turn to watch the bench players play. All they have to do is either keep the score the way it is or score a few more baskets. The Apples boys score one basket and our players score another one. But we're still winning and in the end, the final score is 40-19. We line up to high five the Apples boys. "Good game." I say after every high five.

I grab my water bottle and walk towards the bleachers to find my mom. I see her talking to two other parents. The mom is six foot four and the dad is probably six foot six. "Your kid plays so hard!" the mom says. "She literally outran and outsmarted that entire team!" "Thank you!" my mom says. "Oh hey, Christina!" my mom says. "You did so well!" "Your mom's right. You're faster than literally eveybody." says the dad. Then D'amato sidles up to the mom. "Hey mom." he says. Oh. It's Damato's parents. No wonder Damato's so tall. "Oh, you two know each other?" says Damato's mom. "Uh...yeah." says D'amato. "Do you get along well?" asks my mom. "Well...." I say, thinking of how to explain to my mom and D'amato's parents that he hates me. But instead I reply with "Sure. Sure..we're getting along well." "I mean, we totally didn't do anything to each other." said D'amato. I laugh nervously but my mom and his parents seem to believe it. "They're taking the team and the cheerleaders out to Chili's at but everybody has to pay for what they get." says D'amato's mom. "You coming?" "Sure." she says. She hands me a twenty dollar bill. "Order whatever you want."

At Chili's I sit at a table with Katrini, Chase and Aiden. Kids menus and adult menus have been left on the table. I pick up one of them and I notice on the front it says 12 and under for half off. I remember how the Taco Bell lady mistook me for a twelve year old. Then I get an idea.
When the server comes, he takes Katrini and Chase's orders. "What would you like, ma'am?" the server says. "I would like mac and cheese off the kids menu." I say. Katrini opens her mouth to say something but I kick her gently in the shin and she doesn't say anything. "Okay, that's half off." the server says and walks away. "Christina, you sneaky little devil!" exclaims Katrini. "You're not twelve. " "That's one of the great things about being short." I say, grinning. "There you go." says Aiden. "She's finally learned to embrace her shortness." "I love being short for once." I say. "They never let me order off kids menus." says Chase. "You're lucky, Christina."

Our food arrives and I eat because I'm tired and hungry but elated. "You played so good!" says Aiden. "I don't get why D'amato is pissed at you. You literally scored half the baskets and got the most steals out of the whole team. " I notice my mom sitting at a table with D'amato's parents. I hope they don't become friends. D'amato's parents are very kind people but if my mom becomes friends with them, I might have to see more of him. "Well, I think he's afraid of you being better than him." says Chase. "Whatever." I say. "Who cares about him?" Who cares what D'amato or anyone thinks? This is a great way to spend a Friday and there's only more to come.