Playing With The Boys

Chapter 23

you guys got to see how hot-tempered Link is in the last chapter! & also how he has a soft side as well. hope his mysteriousness will keep you guys reading :D here's the next chapter!

btw, it IS back in Dare's POV.

Chapter 23

I couldn't believe I had actually stopped a fight between Link and Ryan. But really, why had they even been fighting? I had no choice but to stop it (even though I was still really emotional about what happened between me and Link)... our basketball team was beginning to get into jeopardy, we were all falling apart even though we had won the scrimmage.

After I had broken up the fight, I felt like crying... and I really didn't even know why. Everything was so messed up right now. I was still really hurt from what Link said.

Maybe, It would just be a lot better if I quit the team. It so far had caused me so much drama & pain, physically and mentally. Was it all really worth it? I asked myself. My automatic answer was yes, that it was worth it, since it was the sport I loved since I was a little girl. the sport that would get me into college after all.

I couldn't quit... then I'd feel guilty, also because I would make my prankers happy, it would let them win. Anyways, they told me even if I quit now they wouldn't stop the pranks... so I might as well just play since I was going to get pranked anyways.

The next day at practice, Link and Ryan weren't there, as expected. Coach told us he needed to have a big talk with us all, which didn't sound good to me.

"Our team is falling apart. Something will be done about this," he told us.

"So we will be doing a team-bonding project." he announced.

This didn't sound good. Everyone groaned at his announcment.

"You will all get to very personally know one of your teammates that I know you haven't gotten along with well, or someone that I don't see you hang out with too much." He said.

"So I have already partnered you all up. You will get to know this person very well. Mrs. Robertson of the english department helped me plan this. Here are your papers." He handed us each a packet of what looked like three or four papers.

I heard sighs and the flipping of papers as people looked through the packet.

"You will fill out the chart about your partner, do the activities & exercises listed, and then, at the end you will be required to do a slideshow of pictures and facts about them. The slideshows will be presented in class to everyone else. Mrs. Robertson will be here to grade everything, for this will count for english extra credit, which some of you need- badly." Coach explained.

"Coach, come on, we're a basketball team. We need to be practicing and worrying about our first game next week, not school," Darwin said.

"Seriously, this sucks! I am not gonna do more school work!" Darren said.

"This decision is final, boys." he told them.

"And if you decide that this is 'stupid' or that you're not going to do it, you'll be kicked off of the team," he told all of us.

"Now go put your packets away, we've gotta start practice. I'll tell you who your partner will be personally, with just you, so I can tell you why I picked that specific person for you, after practice," he told us.

During practice, the whole time I wondered who he had put me with. This would be interesting, no matter who I was put with. At the end, I was about to walk into the girls' locker room when I heard my name.

"Dare!" Coach barked, beckoning for me to come with him. He was probably going to tell me who my partner was.

He led me into the office. Papers were scattered all over the desk, and the computer was on the dreaded blue screen, which usually means it's not working. Simply stated, it was a mess.