the sun started to set, Drew began to get tired. His shirt was soaked with sweat, and he could feel it clinging to his back. All he wanted to do was go home and take a shower. He looked at his watch and saw it was almost six. They’d started playing straight after school at three, so that was three hours of coaching—not too bad for his first day.
He blew the whistle loudly to get everyone’s attention.
“Okay, next hoop wins!” he said loudly. Luckily the game was tied, so it made the boys play even harder, trying to get that final basket.
Drew ran up and down the court as the ball was thrown from one end to the other and back again. The blond boy who had called him a dick threw the ball hard, trying to get it to one of his teammates at the other end of the court. The ball flew over the hoop, past the fence and out onto the street.
“Ouch!” a woman yelled, and everyone on the court froze.
“Shit. You hit someone, Dave,” one of the boys said.
The tall boy with the black ponytail raced out to collect the ball, and Drew followed him, ready to apologize to the poor woman. When he got outside the fence, he was stunned to see Jade standing there, rubbing her head and talking to the boy.
“Jade?” he asked.
“Drew?” she replied, sounding just as shocked as he felt.
“Are you okay?” he asked. He reached out to her, but pulled his hand back.
“Yeah. I’m fine. I’ll probably have a headache, but I’m not injured,” she explained as she continued to rub her head.
“We’re really sorry,” the kid said as he took the ball and ran back onto the court.
“What are you doing here?” Drew asked her, wondering if she was there to see him.
“I live just down there.” She pointed down the street.
“Oh. I’m coaching basketball here now. Hey, what are you doing tonight?”
“Apart from holding an icepack to my head?” she said with a warm smile. “I’m meeting some friends for a late dinner, but I have some time before that.”
“If you don’t mind waiting for a few minutes, I’d love to walk you home so we can get to know each other a bit more.”
“Yeah, that sounds good,” she said and followed him into the school grounds.
Drew pointed to the bleachers around the court and asked her to take a seat while he packed up. When he got back over to the group of boys, they were all laughing and staring at Jade. One of them whistled as Drew got closer.
“Is that your woman?” the whistler asked.
Drew looked over his shoulder at Jade and then turned back to the boys.
“Yes, that’s my girl,” he said, smiling. It was surprising how nice it was to say out loud.
“She’s a slam dunk, coach!” Dave said loudly.
All the boys started wolf-whistling and making obscene gestures in Jade’s direction. Drew was surprised by how much it bothered him.
“Okay, that’s enough. Dave, you just scored yourself pack-up duty. Gather up the balls and make sure they get put away in the sports shed. I’ll see you all at three tomorrow.”
The boys all nodded and cheered—all except Dave, who grumbled as he collected the scattered basketballs lying around the court.
Drew turned to walk over to Jade but noticed one boy not joining in on the horseplay with the other kids. The tall boy with the black ponytail that Drew thought held a lot of promise kept his distance from the others. He walked slowly toward the gate and paused to let a group of the boys pass him. Drew wondered why he wasn’t fitting in.
“Hey, kid,” he called out.
The boy turned around to look at Drew with a curious expression. Drew jogged over to him and held out his hand.
“I’m Drew. I didn’t get your name.”
“Alex,” he said softly, looking at the ground and not accepting the outstretched hand.
Drew pulled his hand back and ducked his head, trying to catch the boy’s eye.
“You played great today, Alex. I think you might be the best player on the team,” Drew told him honestly.
Alex looked up skeptically.
He blew the whistle loudly to get everyone’s attention.
“Okay, next hoop wins!” he said loudly. Luckily the game was tied, so it made the boys play even harder, trying to get that final basket.
Drew ran up and down the court as the ball was thrown from one end to the other and back again. The blond boy who had called him a dick threw the ball hard, trying to get it to one of his teammates at the other end of the court. The ball flew over the hoop, past the fence and out onto the street.
“Ouch!” a woman yelled, and everyone on the court froze.
“Shit. You hit someone, Dave,” one of the boys said.
The tall boy with the black ponytail raced out to collect the ball, and Drew followed him, ready to apologize to the poor woman. When he got outside the fence, he was stunned to see Jade standing there, rubbing her head and talking to the boy.
“Jade?” he asked.
“Drew?” she replied, sounding just as shocked as he felt.
“Are you okay?” he asked. He reached out to her, but pulled his hand back.
“Yeah. I’m fine. I’ll probably have a headache, but I’m not injured,” she explained as she continued to rub her head.
“We’re really sorry,” the kid said as he took the ball and ran back onto the court.
“What are you doing here?” Drew asked her, wondering if she was there to see him.
“I live just down there.” She pointed down the street.
“Oh. I’m coaching basketball here now. Hey, what are you doing tonight?”
“Apart from holding an icepack to my head?” she said with a warm smile. “I’m meeting some friends for a late dinner, but I have some time before that.”
“If you don’t mind waiting for a few minutes, I’d love to walk you home so we can get to know each other a bit more.”
“Yeah, that sounds good,” she said and followed him into the school grounds.
Drew pointed to the bleachers around the court and asked her to take a seat while he packed up. When he got back over to the group of boys, they were all laughing and staring at Jade. One of them whistled as Drew got closer.
“Is that your woman?” the whistler asked.
Drew looked over his shoulder at Jade and then turned back to the boys.
“Yes, that’s my girl,” he said, smiling. It was surprising how nice it was to say out loud.
“She’s a slam dunk, coach!” Dave said loudly.
All the boys started wolf-whistling and making obscene gestures in Jade’s direction. Drew was surprised by how much it bothered him.
“Okay, that’s enough. Dave, you just scored yourself pack-up duty. Gather up the balls and make sure they get put away in the sports shed. I’ll see you all at three tomorrow.”
The boys all nodded and cheered—all except Dave, who grumbled as he collected the scattered basketballs lying around the court.
Drew turned to walk over to Jade but noticed one boy not joining in on the horseplay with the other kids. The tall boy with the black ponytail that Drew thought held a lot of promise kept his distance from the others. He walked slowly toward the gate and paused to let a group of the boys pass him. Drew wondered why he wasn’t fitting in.
“Hey, kid,” he called out.
The boy turned around to look at Drew with a curious expression. Drew jogged over to him and held out his hand.
“I’m Drew. I didn’t get your name.”
“Alex,” he said softly, looking at the ground and not accepting the outstretched hand.
Drew pulled his hand back and ducked his head, trying to catch the boy’s eye.
“You played great today, Alex. I think you might be the best player on the team,” Drew told him honestly.
Alex looked up skeptically.
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