<Coach Styles>

One-

Neely's POV:

To finally be a high school varsity basketball player, I sure didn't feel like one. If all varsity meant was running hundreds of sprints, I could've been on the track team. My coach, Coach Greene had a peculiar way of making me feel so small and insignificant every time I spoke I with her about why I wasn't getting playing time. I mean, at 6'11 as a sophomore in high school, why wouldn't I play? It wasn't that I couldn't run the floor or I didn't know the plays. I didn't know what it was, hell I probably never will. However, there was never a better text I received than the day she texted the team she was leaving.

I literally cried with tears of joy.

Today was August 20th and also the day we got to meet our new coach. The girls who I had played the previously atrocious season with all gathered in excitement in the gym and I admit, I was even excited myself.

"I heard he played at Duke," Ellie whispered, wide eyes and grinning.

"I heard he played a pickup game with Michael Jordan for his sixteenth birthday," another girl added.

"I heard you shouldn't believe everything you hear," a deep, accented voice chuckled from behind us and we all turned around. Looking at him as if he were a piece of art, I flexed my jaw to keep it from dropping on the floor. The sleek, black button up he had on accentuated his probably slim, long waist and his black dress pants led to black boots that probably cost more than my life.

"Good afternoon, ladies. I'm Coach Styles, this is Coach Payne. I'm honored to have been offered this job. I know the program last year was less than a winning team, but Coach Payne and I are here to change that," he announced, his resonant voice filling the gym. Holy British. "Here are conditioning schedules I've gone ahead and organized. We will do conditioning five days a week, three of the five days we'll go before school and then the other two, after school." Taking the stapled pieces of paper from one of the freshman girls hands, I looked down to see neatly written cursive on a calendar for the rest of August, into September, and October, leading up to tryouts.

"Now, if any of you have a problem with getting here for the 6 am workouts, please do not hesitate to let me know. I will be more than happy to pick you up and bring you. Are there any questions?" Looking at his vibrant green eyes, I desperately wanted to ask him how tall he was. We were at eye level, so I'm guessing he was my height, maybe a half an inch taller. Seeing hands go in the air, I watched as he pointed to Ellie.

"Yes," he smiled.

"Um, how many girls are you looking to put on the team this year?"

"Anywhere from 10 to 15. I want there to be enough of you to where in case someone gets hurt or can't come to practice, we'll have enough to keep going." Watching as his eyes scanned the crowd of us again, he pointed to Mia.

"Will we run a lot?" she asked, her small, 4-foot-10 inch frame making it's way to where he could see her.

"We're going to do a lot of different things. Running, weight training, agility workouts, anything needed to be a championship team this year," Coach Styles nodded.

"So now that everything has been semi-covered, why don't you girls go get changed and meet me outside at the track!" We all turned to make our way toward the locker room and filed out of the gym, leaving Coach Styles and Coach Payne standing in the middle of the court, conversing.

"He's so hot."

"How did they ever get him to come here?"

"I would foul him so hard." Rolling my eyes at the girls gushing over him as I changed into my Nike Shorts, a running tank top, and my running shoes, I quickly made my way out to the track, trying to keep myself calm. I hated running, but I loved basketball. Having 40 inch legs was no fun in running when the cross country team and boys basketball were outside on the track as well. Talk about giraffe. I hadn't even spent 5 minutes outside and I was already sweating.

"Let's stretch and then we'll get into what we are gonna do," he announced. Getting through the stretches, I was covered in sweat, wiping at my forehead and trying not to sound like a dying hippo with my breathing.

"Alright, we're gonna run a mile, do ten push-ups, walk another mile, and then do fifty sit-ups."

"Are you running with us?" Mia spoke up and I had realized he had changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

"Absolutely. Coach Payne and I will be running with you all," he confirmed and I felt butterflies form in my stomach. What if he ran next to me? Oh god, I'd get to see his hair all sweaty and glistening. I bet he didn't even sweat. He seemed like the type to glisten. Like those models in magazines that look sweaty but aren't.

"Alright ladies, let's go!" Letting out a breath as we all began to run, I kept a song in my head, keeping pace.

"You're doing good girl," Taylor breathed next to be.

"I feel like I'm dying," I laughed as best I could.

"What's your name?" Coach Styles asked, running up on my left side.

"Neely. Neely Cavanaugh."

"Well, Cavanaugh, you're doing pretty well for a girl your height. Keep it up. Only one more lap to go before push-ups," he encouraged before speeding ahead of me and I kept my same jogging pace. My insides were burning as well as my legs, but I couldn't stop. I couldn't let what all those people had said about me in my past be true. Making it to the finish, I sputtered like an old Ford and laid against the hot asphalt to start my ten push-ups. My arms ached as I did "girl" push-ups.

"Walk a mile and then we'll finish with abs." Catching my breath, finally, the wind felt comforting against my skin and I sighed with relief. My stomach was rolling like the sea during a bad storm. Dry heaves were the worst thing to get. Bending over slightly, I coughed, not wanting to keep walking.

"Are you okay?" I felt a hand on my back and looked to see Coach Payne looking at me worriedly.

"I'm fine. Just dry heaves," I shrugged.

"You're doing great. Keep it up." This was so different from last year. I actually felt like I could finally do something right for once in my life.

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