"Get up bitch."
Robin woke Alanis abruptly. Alanis lost track of her immediate surroundings, forgetting she was in the hotel. The two got ready and went down to the breakfast buffet, wanting to conserve their time. Today was the last day they would get to practice before the competition.
After retrieving their food, the girls sat at a table in the dining hall. They looked around anxiously for any pair of kids their age seeming to be here for a purpose. Robin locked eyes with a boy sitting adjacent to a girl holding a Frisbee.
"Oh no," she exclaimed.
Two Weeks Earlier...
"Right here Robin, I got it!!"
Robin expertly flicked her wrist, the Frisbee sliced through the air. Alanis slapped it before it got past the black bucket on the ground. It landed barely skimmed the bucket. One point.
"OOOOOOOOOH," the pair said in unison. They had just elevated their score to an even 20 points. The couple they were playing against was close behind with 18. Their specialty was getting three-pointers while Robin and Alanis accumulated their points randomly.
The only problem was that Kanjam could only be played to 21.
Cheyenne and Jacob were in the perfect position to annihilate the two girls.
Alanis was anxiously sweating as well as perspiring from the physical activity. Robin was internally screaming. This was their last shot to win or lose; losing would cost them their well earned place at the Kanjam Nationals.
Alanis was unsure of whether to toss the disc with her right or left hand. She was proficient with both, yet she had to strategize. Her right hand could throw the Frisbee high and straight across, while her left hand could get it level but not as accurate. It was a tough call.
Meanwhile, Robin didn't know what she was to do. She could try assisting the Frisbee in hitting the outside of the black plastic, but that was more of Alanis' style. Robin was much better at hitting it straight down into the bucket. It would be hard to pull off. Harder still would be garnering the two points needed. Scoring anything other than a 21, that was as good as forfeiting.
There wasn't anymore time to think. Alanis tossed the Frisbee, going slightly higher than her intended aim. Robin didn't think. She just reacted.
It was as if in slow motion she watched the disc's trajectory just above her head. Alanis stared on in suspense. Robin stuck out her arm and slapped the Frisbee.
It didn't even make contact with the Kanjam bucket.
The spectators of the match grew fatally silent and Alanis whispered after gaining understanding of what had just happened:
"The Reverse Kanjam."
They had only planned it hypothetically. Math was not either of the girl's forte, so if they needed a better plan or to regroup, one of them would block the point gain altogether. The two had to get to 21 but it was aligned so that Robin was responsible for getting their final one point. That is, until she manipulated the game.
Alanis could get one point each time like clockwork while Robin would get two points without fail. She had to do what she could in order for them to win. They've come too far to go back now.
Cheyenne took Robin's place while Jacob stepped into Alanis'. They both had smug looks on their faces. Robin and Alanis exchanged reassuring glances, hoping they could pull this off. They could only hear the sound of their pulse rates increasing.
Cheyenne was up first to throw the Frisbee, which was way off course. She visibly winced, but Jacob redeemed her by backhanding it into the side of the bucket. 19 points. Jacob took a little too long to take his turn, stressing his two opposers the frick out.
After the Frisbee became airborne, it was clear that his windup was not due to precision but rather trepidation. Cheyenne did everything she could to try to save the dramatically rogue Frisbee, but to no avail. A glint of hope entered Alanis' eye. She was up, and this was where it was going to count.
Robin couldn't help but smile, her plan could actually pay off. Alanis did her thing, throwing the Frisbee level to the bucket. To her bewilderment, a breeze began to sweep the disc off course. Robin swiftly maneuvered to the side where the Frisbee was heading...
She hit it. All Alanis could see from her side was the Kanjam bucket moving to the opposite side where the Frisbee landed. The ref called something out, but Alanis' ears were filled with something unfamiliar.
It was cheering. The crowd was chanting their names. They won and would be going to nationals.
