The Only Promise

Chapter 12

            “We’re down by 4, ladies but it’s okay. We haven’t lost a game this season and we’re not going to, right?” The coach sits down on the bench with us.

            “Right.” We all say.

            I put my leg out placing the heel of my shoe on the ground in front of me and I take my knee brace off. I stare at my red knee and I rub it slowly. “Are you thirsty?” I look to the side a bit at Aiden holding a water bottle. I smile and she sits down next to me. “Very.” I reply. She hands me the bottle and I squeeze on it making the water squirt into my mouth. I set it down on the other side of me and look at my knee again.

            “Is it still hurting?” She asks.

            “A little.” I say half-truthfully.

            She gives me a look and raises her eyebrow. “Let the coach set you out for a bit so your knee can rest.”

            “Aiden, I’m fine.”

            She stays silent and decides not to argue with me about my knee. I put my knee brace back on and take another drink of the water.

*BUZZER*

            “Good luck out there ladies.” The coach claps and we run out there. We start playing the game and instead of our crowd cheering loud it’s the other side since the other team is up by 4.

            “Kadence, watch her!” Aiden yells to me as the point-guard runs towards me. This point-guard has grown to dis-like me, because I keep stealing the ball from her. She’s never liked me in any of the sports we’ve played against each other in really. I run up near her and she runs into me knocking me down and goes on scoring 2 points. I land on my hands and butt. The crowd from our side boo’s the girl for doing that. I look at the referee who doesn’t call it a foul. I hear my coach from the other side screaming along with the crowd to call it a foul. A girl from the other team stands in front of me and puts her hand out. I grab it and stand up. “Thank you.”

            “Are you alright?” She asks and let’s go of my hand.

            “Yeah, your point-guard never liked me anyways.” I smile and take a deep breath in disappointment that the referee didn’t call that a foul. That ball should’ve been turned over to us. Sometimes I don’t like referees.

            I jog to the other side and our point-guard gives a play that we should do. I get in my position and find myself to be open. I wave my hands in the air. “I’m open!” I yell. The point-guard looks at me, and passes me the ball. I turn around and shoot the ball up making a hoop. The crowd cheers and I run to the other side.

            I watch the point-guard closely and she stares me down. “Get open, ladies!” She yells. I stand away from her. I have a trick up my sleeve. I start running as fast as I can when she gets ready to pass the ball to a girl. I jump out in front of it catching the ball. I hear her complaining and running behind me as I run down court. ‘See ya later.’ I think to myself. I look at the basketball hoop and prepare myself to do a layup. I jump up popping the ball out of my hands. I feel a body jump into me, and I head straight down to the floor. I hit my knee exactly where the bad part of it is and I scream in horror pain. My body slides across the floor hitting the mats against the wall. I hold my knee with both of my hands and cry hard.

            “Oh my god!” I scream a loud as sharp pains shoot up my knee. I roll side to side trying to handle the pain, but it’s too much.