Start for the nearest ball

The moment Marcus crossed the line you started forward. Your socks slipped on the hardwood floor. You slid half a step to your left. You looked up to see Anne bearing down on you. You dove to the right…Too late! Her foot hit your ankle. She stumbled across the end line and crashed into the padding under the basket. You ended up sprawled on the floor about two thirds of the way to the free throw line. By the time you picked yourself up, Cindy was almost to the ball in front of you.

“You okay?” you turned around and asked Anne. The tall brunette leaned against the pads a moment before she nodded. You turned back to the game.

Cindy had reached the balls first. Sliding to a stop at the midcourt stripe, Cindy bent over and scooped nearest ball up. Cindy set herself and threw. Brian saw the ball coming and pulled up. It passed in front of him. Cindy didn’t care. Brian wasn’t her target. Between being screened by Brian and concentrating on the ball in front of him, Larry never saw the ball coming. He grunted as it hit him squarely in the chest. The ball dropped to the floor. Larry grunted again as landed on top of the ball.

The tall redhead had no problem beating Tomomi to the ball at the left end of the line of balls. She didn’t need the distraction Cindy had created on that end of the guy’s line. However, she didn’t hesitate to take advantage of it. Brian turned when Larry got hit. When he turned back, he got spun the other way when Shannon’s throw hit him on the right shoulder on the way to the back wall.

Melissa beat Tina to the ball to your left. Like Cindy, Melissa slid to a stop at the center line. She bent over and scooped up the loose ball. Unlike Cindy, Melissa wasn’t able to get the throw off. The ball slipped out of her hands. Ken paused and watched it fly over Tom’s head. The redhead leapt into the air with his hand raised high. The ball passed inches over his outstretched fingers. Dave dove for the ball but Marcus ruled that it bounced before he could wrap his hands around it. Ken never saw Dave’s try. As he spun, he saw another ball coming at him from another direction.

“SHIT!” Mary called out as Ken reeled in her throw. You whirled and saw the brunette stick her tongue out at the guys.

“Look out!” Anne called out. Before you could react, Anne drove a shoulder into your ribs. A ball flew by as she knocked you from your feet. Ken had tried to take advantage of your being distracted. Thanks to Anne, he failed. She showed no sign of strain when you took the hand she offered to help you up.

“Did you get hit?” you asked when Anne grabbed the bottom of her sweater.

“No,” Anne answered. She pulled her top over her head and tossed it to the back wall. “Marcus and I agreed that in order to keep the start of the game fair, whichever of our teams got more balls out of the initial rush had to take something off. Marcus’ team won the first start. Mine won the this one.”

As Anne tugged as her bra to ensure that it was in its proper place, you reviewed what had happened. All four of the balls had been snagged by your teammates. While Larry topless form showed he didn’t have the six-pack abs of Marcus, but his slender waist had a definite appeal. At least it did if you measured it by the dampness between your legs. Of could that dampness could have been the result of the sight of the bulge in Brian’s jockstrap or the clear view of his tight cheeks that you got when he turned to toss aside his just removed pants.

On the other hand, Mary’s sweater joining Anne’s along the back wall reminded you that your side had not gained any advantage from reaching the balls first. If anything you had lost ground. Although Nicole now held the ball that Ken had thrown at you, the guys held the other three. Dave still held the ball Melissa had thrown. Bill and Tony had picked up the balls that had hit Larry and Brian. While they kept an eye on Nicole who now stood near the free throw line, they advanced on the girls who had made the initial charge. Seeing the danger they were in, all the girls ran for the safety of their end line and the protection of their teammates. More than one arm raised the ball they held.