Kaya almost got knocked in the head by a pass as she saw Gabi strut into the gym, ready to play basketball.
In her attempts to ignore Gabi, she had missed where Gabi talked non-stop about being excited for basketball season.
"Is nothing sacred anymore?" She thought to herself.
She caught Gabi's eye, and she looked annoyed that Kaya was there. Like somehow Kaya wasn't allowed to be there.
Coach Magath blew his whistle, "all right ladies, let's start warming up"
Kaya started jogging around the gym.
"Maybe she'll suck and get cut" she hoped.
****************************************************
Kaya's hopes were soon dashed. Coach Magath posted the list outside his classroom door.
While Kaya was thrilled to see her name on the list, her heart sank as she saw the name right below her's.
Gabi Braun
Later that night Kaya sat on Sasha's bed, hugging her potato pillow.
"It's just not fair. Why does she have to play basketball too, and be good at it?" she groaned.
"Well I to talked to Reiner, and he was suppose to talk to Gabi, is she still giving you sh*t?"
"Not vocally, but on Instagram, Snap Chat, dirty looks." Kaya said.
"Has she physically tried to hurt you?" Sasha asked braiding her hair.
Kaya shook her head. "But I'm worried that under the guise of 'basketball' she might".
Sasha sighed, she hated seeing her little sister so upset. She didn't want to see Kaya go through what she went through in middle school.
Kaya may not be blood related, but she was just as much her sister as if she had been.
"Sasha....you kinda know how to fight right? Like you and Dad use to kinda spar when you were younger"
"Yeah, he wanted me to be able defend myself, but it was mostly us rough housing" Sasha said.
Kaya bit her lip. "Can you teach me?"
***************************************************
The next few weeks went by with Kaya and Gabi exchanging dirty looks, and "accidentally" fouls at practice.
Kaya was growing agitated. November was always a hard month. It was the month her parents died.
Finally, Kaya snapped.
About midway through practice, the team was in the middle of a scrimmage. Kaya and Gabi on opposing teams. Gabi and Kaya we're constantly battling each other, as they went from offense to defense. After a few "fouls", Kaya was done. Gabi went for a layup and Kaya blocked the shot. Gabi got the rebound, and Kaya stood behind her, hands up to guard her.
While dribbling the ball, Gabi popped her elbow up into Kaya's jaw.
Kaya stumbled backwards as Gabi shot the ball and Coach Magath blew his whistle. But it was too late, Kaya was on Gabi and shoved her hard.
Gabi managed to stay on her feet, and came back swinging. She got Kaya in the shoulder.
"Remember keep your core tight and follow through" Sasha's voice rang in her ears.
Kaya did exactly that catching Gabi on the cheek.
Before Magath could get to the girls they were soon rolling around on the gym floor, smacking, trying to throw punches, and screaming insults at one another.
Some of the girls cheered them on, some tried to get them to stop. The boys team was escorted out of the gym.
Magath and the assistant Coach finally pulled the 2 girls apart. Kaya's lip was bleeding, Gabi's eye was swelling.
"Go get ice packs from the first aid kit and 2 towels" Magath instructed one of the girls.
He looked to his assistant, a college girl who was in the middle of her student teaching at Libero Middle.
"Can you run the rest of practice I need to handle this" he said gesturing to Gabi and Kaya.
"Yeah I got it Theo, alright ladies let's get back to the scrimmage"
************************************************
Kaya sat in the empty gym with Sasha and her parents, with an ice pack on her lip.
"So did you get any good licks in?" Sasha asked.
"Sasha Ann!!" Lisa scolded her eldest daughter. "Don't encourage this!"
"Sorry mom"
Sasha hopped off the bleachers and picked up a stray basketball practice her three pointers, still sweaty from her own basketball practice at Trost High.
Kaya leg shook nervously. She was probably gonna get kicked off the team. Then she wouldn't be allowed to play soccer either, heck they'd probably kick her outta school.
"Great, all because of that stupid Gabi, I'm gonna be a middle school drop out"
The gym door opened. In walked Gabi, holding an ice pack to her growing black eye, Gabi's aunt and Reiner.
Reiner immediately joined Sasha and the two began playing horse.
The Blaus' and Mrs. Braun exchanged greetings.
"Oh good everyone is here, let's walk to my classroom to talk, Reiner and..."
"Sasha" Lisa answered.
"And Sasha can stay here and play basketball, just don't dunk Reiner, we don't need a repeat of 8th grade"
Left alone, Reiner broke the silence. "Look Sasha....I'm sorry about Gabi. She told me she had backed off. But I guess not."
"I mean Kaya was involved too, but looks like I taught her well, she got some good hits in" she shot the ball.
It bounced off the rim.
"I'm gonna sound like the sh*ttest cousin ever but, Gabi kinda had it coming. Growing up she's always been...outspoken, but going into her teen years she started becoming a bit of a mean girl. Some of her attitude I know she got from me, I use to be a little sh*t growing up, but that's because I had daddy issues" he said laughing a bit. "But I remember Aunt Carol and Uncle Joe having to go to her elementary school several times about her being a bully"
"I'm sure Gabi has some kindness in her" Sasha said. "Also being a teenage girl in middle school is hard, and to add on top of that losing your dad suddenly, can be a lot"
"I know but that doesn't mean she has the right to act like she's better than anyone, and she's even lashed out at me."
"Well I'm sorry I taught my sister how to punch, I didn't think they would actually fight, Kaya is normally not the type to get violent like that, I just didn't want her to experience what I did in middle school, it really sucked"
Reiner took a lay up, then passed the ball to Sasha. Over the past few months Sasha had opened up a bit about her being bullied. "I get it, you just want to protect her"
**************************************************
Magath sat at his desk.
"So normally, with our zero tolerance policy both girls would be off the team and recommended for a two week suspension"
Kaya shrank in her seat.
"But..." he looked at Kaya first. "With this being Kaya's first offense and it being after school hours. I can do a weeks after school detention with me, and suspension from the first 4 games of the season."
The Blaus' looked relived.
"Well it definitely won't end there, Kaya you are grounded for 3 weeks. Coach Magath we are so grateful for giving Kaya a second chance. She won't waste it, will you Kaya" Artur Blaus said looking at her sternly.
"Yes I am very grateful for letting me stay on the team. I will do everything I can to make up for what I did" Kaya said quietly.
"Im glad to hear. You're a good kid, and I know you and Gabi don't really see eye to eye, but fighting isn't the way to solve things, but that probably won't be a problem going forward"
The Blaus' shook hands with Magath and left his classroom.
Kaya watched as Gabi was going into his room, for the first time Gabi looked scared, sad maybe.
Her parents were talking about Gabi.
"It's a shame about her dad dying this summer, I hope the Coach takes that into consideration" Artur said to his wife.
As they made their way towards the gym Kaya stopped.
"Kaya what is it?" Her mom asked.
"I'll be right back, I need to get something out off my locker"
She turned and headed back towards Magath's room.
*********************************************
"Gabi I don't know what more I can say. You have already been in trouble several times this semester and last year, and I was hoping basketball was as going to give you an outlet."
"Coach Magath I am so sorry for Gabi's behavior, and she will accept whatever punishment you seem fit"
"Well Gabi...I know things have been hard since your dad died. But based on your record, I don't have much of a choice but to kick you off the team and..."
"WAIT STOP!!!!!"
Kaya busted into the room. Panting and sweating.
"Kaya is you forget something?"
Kaya looked at Gabi. She had tears in her eyes.
"Coach Magath please hear me out. Please don't kick Gabi off the team. I shoved her first because she threw an elbow, but I could have ignored it. Gabi's too good for you to kick her off."
Gabi's jaw dropped.
"Coach Magath I don't know if you've lost a parent, but it sucks, doesn't matter if your 7, 12, or 60"
"I'm 38 Kaya and yes I lost my mother about 2 years ago to cancer" Magath said calmly.
"My point is, I understand." Kaya turned to Gabi. "Gabi I don't know what I did to make you hate me, but I understand what you are going through. Both my parents died when I was 7, car accident. You both met my adoptive parents."
Gabi had remember something about Falco saying she didn't look like her family, but she tuned him out when she realized he was talking about Kaya.
"I'm sorry about your dad, I really am. It sucks and it hurts. It makes you angry, and makes you do stuff you wouldn't normally do. So Coach Magath I think its only fair that we get punished equally, but I think you should go easy on Gabi"
Theo leaned backed in his chair. He thought it over for a bit.
"Ok I'll punish you fairly"
To be Continued