Playing For The Other Team [REMAKE]

Chapter 25

The crowd whoops and cheers on one side and shouts encouragement on the other. Both sides urge their team to do their best.

Everything seems to be working out perfectly - until Josh picks up the ball.

It looks as if he's suddenly forgotten what he's supposed to do, and where he is. He stands still, with the ball in his hands, looking at it as if he's never seen anything like it before.

"Davis!" Coach Stephens shouts from the sidelines. "Do something!"

Josh blinks and deftly avoids a player that's trying to steal the ball from him. He looks up to see where his teammates are. Nathan is the only one within reach for a pass.

Nathan sees this and readies himself, quickly stepping away to get away from the other team's defense.

But Josh does not pass him the ball and turns to pass it the other way. Since there's no one in any good position on that side, the opposing team wins back the ball, and all the players rush back to the other side of the gym.

"What are you doing?!" Stephens shouts. "Look on your left, Davis! Your left!"

Everything goes downhill from there. It's nearly impossible to get back to - and stay - in the offense, and Nathan can feel that the rest of his teammates are growing frustrated. Coach Stephens looks like he's about to start tearing his hair out. He risks hopping a few feet closer to Josh. "What are you doing?" he calls. "Pull yourself together! We're losing!"

"Shut up!" Josh hisses back, turning to glare at him. He's never looked at Nathan like that. His eyes narrowed into slits, and his lips pulled into a snarl. "Stop what you're doing and leave me alone."

"What did I do?" Nathan asks. He quickly steps back into place, barely blocking the ball from breaching their defense.

"You know damn well!" Josh pushes forward, running ahead and stealing the ball.

The coach is yelling something that they can't hear, but Nathan follows Josh across the court with the rest of the players behind them. Josh scores, and the crowd cheers.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Nathan says when they jog back. It's hard to concentrate on the game, but he can't focus for as long as Josh isn't cooperating. He doesn't care about the game as much as he cares about Josh.

Josh stops as they're running back to their defensive positions, and when Nathan gets close enough, he shoves him hard in the chest. "You're full of shit, Nate," he hisses. "Wendy told me about the flirting, and all the shit you've been talking," he growls. "You thought I wouldn't find out?"

Something short circuits in Nathan's head, and suddenly the game is all but forgotten. "Wendy said what?" He asks. "I've barely spoken to her. You know we don't get along."

"Bullshit."

"It's not bullshit!" Nathan cries.

"It is! You've both been sneaking around. There is no other explanation! You disappear, and you come back and tell some half-assed lie about where you've been and what you've done! I'm not stupid, Nathan! I know you're not telling the truth!"

Nathan doesn't know if the game around has stopped or if it's still going on, but he and Josh are standing completely still by now. "I'm not-" Nathan isn't sure what to say to that. "She's lying to you. I haven't flirted with her. I haven't hit on her. I don't even speak to her if I can help it!" He shakes his head. "You knew what kind of girl she was when you asked her out." Nathan knows he's gone too far the moment those words fall out of his mouth.

Josh darts forward, and Nathan isn't quick enough to pull his hands and arms up to defend himself when Josh throws a punch.

The punch hits Nathan in the face, and for a moment, he loses both balance and vision as he stumbles back, clutching his nose. Josh shoves him again, and it's hard enough to knock Nathan to the ground.