Southern Girl by Lukas Renee J

Author:Lukas,Renee J.
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781594935053
Publisher: Bella Books
Published: 2016-09-30T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Forty-One

In November, the basketball preseason began and with it team practice every afternoon. The team had been chosen, mostly veterans with a few freshmen girls as alternates. The coach was particularly hard on the new players. “You don’t get the right to wear the green and white unless you’re a fighter!” she had shouted during tryouts. “It takes fight, it takes guts, to be on this team.”

Coach Drysdale’s reputation for screaming at players didn’t exactly attract girls to the team, but the team’s successes did. Jess had long wondered about the coach’s past. She looked as though she’d fought in a million wars and not just because she had been in the military. The lines around her eyes suggested there had been many personal battles as well. Jess never expected to find out what those were. At the same time, Jess wouldn’t have been surprised if she showed up someday on America’s Most Wanted.

In practice today Jess was on fire. Even when the coach had her double-teamed, she still managed to dart around the two defenders and make her way easily to the basket. She was in her “sweet spot,” that place where everything felt effortless and the looks on the faces of the coach and the other players couldn’t be described. For all of her insecurities about public speaking, among other things, it was at times like this when Jess was overcome with a feeling of liberation, like everything was really within her reach.

“Gather ’round!” Coach Drysdale called finally, and the tired team dragged itself over to the gray blob with the whistle. She took a breath, cleared her throat. “Okay, listen. I know what I say about teamwork, but in the first exhibition game I want you to give the ball to Aimes.”

Kelly’s eyes skewered Jess, drilling into her for a longer time than usual. Her jealousy was palpable, and while Jess looked away, she still felt it.

“What about the eight formation?” Jess offered, reminding Coach Drysdale of a play they’d been practicing for weeks.

“Scrap it. That was only if you were double-teamed,” Coach Drysdale said.

“You know she’s gonna be,” Lisa Kelger said. She rarely spoke at practices, so everyone took note. “It’s so predictable. I mean, c’mon. They’ll know we’re givin’ her the ball, so any fake we do won’t fool ’em.”

“Excuse me?” Coach Drysdale’s nostrils were flaring. Smoke would be coming out next. “Who’s the coach here?”

“I know,” Lisa said, as though she’d heard it many times before.

Giving her an almost crazy, wide-eyed stare, the coach dared her to say any more.

“The real trick would be to have everyone focused on Jess while someone else shoots,” another player said.

“Yeah,” Jess chimed in eagerly.

“Well, that’s all well and good,” Coach Drysdale snarled. “And that’s just what we’d do—if anyone on this team besides Aimes could score!”

Jess winced. The coach probably didn’t mean to, but she was setting her up as a target for sure.

Coach Drysdale stood with one hand on her hip, the other squeezing her whistle.

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