Basketball Game

My voice was raw as I yelled with everything I had. Less than a minute on the clock and the Badgers were down four. By the grim expressions on the girl’s faces, it wasn’t looking good. The Golden Gophers were playing strong defense. At least, I think they were. It always seemed like Zoe and Kaylee had trouble getting the ball anywhere close to the basket. No matter how many times Ellie, Abby, or Sarah ran interference, there always seemed to be a Gopher waiting to snatch the pass. The only reason the game was this close was due to Zoe and Sarah sinking a good amount of their three-point shots. The big problem wasn’t the defensive wall, but the tiny point guard on the other team. She was wicked fast and seemed to breeze through the Badgers defense. The only one who managed to keep up with her was Kaylee. Kayla, if the screams and cheers were correct, had scored the majority of the team's points. There was something about her that dug at me. Like I’d met her before. It was distracting.

Sarah managed to sink her three, causing the visitor side of the stands to go wild. One point. We only needed one point to tie it. A worried glance at the clock showed they didn’t have much time to get it.

My eyes moved to the opposing team. Kayla had the ball. Troublesome considering the ease in how she picked apart the Badgers defense the entire game. She was exhausted though. Sweat ran down her face and soaked the top of her uniform as she gasped for breath. She’d been going hard the entire game and the fuel was near spent. A look at the Badgers showed they were in the same position.

Less than twenty seconds to go. I sagged my shoulders. Hard to hold onto hope against such impossible odds.

The ball was suddenly loose and there was a mad scramble for it. Kayla, in her exhaustion, had moved a half-second too slow for Kaylee’s swipe at the ball. Ellie picked up the ball and dashed down the court. Seconds left. She tossed it to Zoe, who had used her long legs to pull ahead of the pack. The ball was in the air seconds before the buzzer. With a mighty swish, the ball slid through the basket.

The crowd erupted on our side as the scoreboard ticked up two points. The Badgers had won by a single point in the most intense game of the season. I lost sight of the court in the flurry of movement around me. Students and parents were standing, throwing their arms in the air as they cheered. Craning my neck, my eyes locked on Kaylee. She was beaming a smile as her teammates huddled together to celebrate their victory. Watching the elation on her face made my stomach flip and a goofy grin form. It had been two weeks since we started dating.

To be honest, I was still struggling to wrap my head around that and I think others were too. No matter how normal lunches seemed, there was something different there. Zoe wasn’t nearly as hostile as she had been, but the passive-aggressiveness was there. It felt like the rest of the team wanted me to just grab Kaylee, pin her against the table, and take her right there in the cafeteria. Like, unless they saw us together, we weren’t actually together and just said we were.

The unexpected part came from the reaction from other students. That… I hadn’t expected. In retrospect, I should have. Kaylee was a prominent figure in the school. Even if others didn’t personally interact with her, they still paid attention. Besides, the school loved gossip this was a story for the ages. One of the hottest girls in school had suddenly decided to start dating a no-named guy. Without even intending too, Kaylee had elevated me from an invisible man to a visible one. Not sure I liked the attention either. Girls were definitely paying me more attention and not in the way I wanted. There was an upside, however. Kaylee always seemed to be there to chase them away. She was making things quite clear that I was hers, and I liked the sound of that.

Part of the gossip bordered on conspiracy. After all, there had to be some hidden reason she had picked me of all people. It certainly wasn’t for looks—not that I was some hideous deformity on two legs. Kaylee had her pick from the hottest guys in school. She’d probably slept with most of them by now. The idea of her dating me was scandalous to the other students for reasons I didn’t completely understand. None of them minded me being her friend. Once we started dating though, suddenly everyone lost their minds.

I managed to make my way down to the court. Pushing through the mass of people, I was able to get close to the team as they continued celebrating. A smile on my face, I shoved my hands in my hoodie as I waited for Kaylee to notice me. It didn’t take long. Those lovely blue eyes of hers sparkled in delight as she separated from the group and rushed over to me. I barely managed to get my hands free before she crushed herself against me in a bear hug. She bounced in excitement as I struggled to hold her. She smelled of sweat, but I didn’t care one bit.

“We won!” she said, looking up at me.

“All thanks to you.”

She blushed. “Naw. Zoe made the basket.”

“Only because you managed to steal it from Kayla.”

“Oh? You know the girl's name?” she said with a quirked eyebrow. There was a playful suspicion in her face, her grin giving it away.

“Hard not to with the way the other side was screaming it.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Only have eyes for you.” That didn’t land exactly how I expected it to. She gave me a quizzical look. Before either of us could say anything on it, a new voice broke into our conversation.

“Got lucky, Kaylee.”

Turning our heads, we found the star player of the Golden Gophers standing a few feet away. She had a hand on her hip and a wide smile at odds with the tone in her voice. Releasing me, my girlfriend matched her pose. Seeing them like this was freaky. There was something eerily familiar about the newcomer.

“That wasn’t luck. It was skill.”

“I’m sorry. How many points did you score again?”

“Only points that matter are the ones on the board at the end.” Kaylee made a point to look at the scoreboard. “Yep. Still won.”

“Cow.”

“Bitch.”

“Cock addict.”

They glared at one another. For a second, I detected a spike in bloodlust. Before I could step in between them, their intention to kill one another vanished and they were embracing in a turnaround that left my head spinning.

“Good game, Kayla.”

“It was.”

I gaped at the two of them. Separating, they grinned at each other.

“Who's the gawker?” Kayla said, nodding in my direction.

“Oh! Yes. This is Scott. My boyfriend. Scott, this is my cousin, Kayla.” That explained the resemblance. I remembered her talking about having an aunt.

A look of shock hit Kayla. By this point, I was used to that reaction. “No shit?” She gave me a withering examination. Whatever decision she’d come to, it was clear I’d failed.

I was used to that too.

Her attention turned back to Kaylee. “I’d ask how big his cock was, but I know that isn’t your thing. Clearly not your usual type either. He a god in bed or something?”

My girlfriend gave me a coy smile. “Or something.”

“Ehh. Fine. Keep your secrets.” She gave me another look. Not quite as cold as the last one and a hint of interest. “I’ll probably find out eventually.”

“You wish,” Kaylee said with a soft snort. At the same time, she took my arm, holding it close. “He’s mine.”

Her cousin pretended to pout. “So selfish. You never had a problem sharing before.” Her eyes moved to me. “Must be something special.”

“He is,” she answered without hesitation. I found myself smiling at the words. Two simple words set my body blazing.

The two said goodbye and I watched Kayla head back to her team. “You’re staring.”

“Am not.”

“Kaylee!” We both looked over to Zoe, who was waving frantically from the other teammates. “Come on!”

Before I could react, she planted a kiss on my cheek. “See you on the bus?”

“Yeah,” I said. Releasing her grip on me, she rushed off to join the others.