SAM's POV

It was the last period of the day. English. All we do is read in this class, which is what I was doing right now. For the last fifteen minutes of class my book of choice was The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I've read this book plenty times in the past, but it's an easy read and I really enjoy it.

About two minutes before the school day was over, there were a few end of the day announcements. A high-pitched, peppy voice blasted through the intercom and everyone that was sleeping jerked awake.

"Hey, Wesley High Bumblebees! Here's some end of the day announcements! The Homecoming dance is tomorrow night in the large gymnasium. Doors open at 7pm. If you haven't already gotten a ticket for you and a special one, we still have a few available in the activities office after school. The dance will have lots of food, drinks, music, and the homecoming queen will be announced! And also, don't forget to go out and support the girls' and boys' varsity basketball game this Saturday morning at 9:00 am! Have a great rest of your day!"

The bell rung and students filed out of the classroom. Finally getting through the thick crowd of students in the hallway, I rushed down to the gym and into the locker room to get ready for basketball practice. Tonight was our last rehearsal until our first homecoming game this Saturday -- not to mention our last rehearsal before winter break!

I was the only one in the girls' locker room. Practice doesn't start until another twenty minutes, but I have to be early because I'm the captain. As I was tying my shoes, Becca texted me: 

BECCA: I have to tell you something!!! :)

"Wow. Someone's excited about something," I said to myself. I was about to reply back when someone rushed into the locker room.

"SAM!! OMG, GUESS WHAT?!" Becca was jumping up and down and screaming.

"Um, what?" I said, staring at my crazy friend.

"I'm going to the homecoming dance!"

"I know. You've been talking about the stupid dance since school started," I stood up, meeting her eye level.

"GUESS WHO I'M GOING WITH?!"

"Mm. I don't know, but I'm guessing you'll tell me?"

"...KHALIL ASKED ME OUT!!" Becca hugged me real tight and jumped up and down.

"Khalil? Wow... "

"I KNOW, RIGHT?! I was shocked, too," she said, grinning from ear to ear, "I'm so happy right now!"

"Really? I couldn't tell," I responded sarcastically. I wonder if Diggy knows that Khalil asked her out?

"OMG, SAM! You have to help me pick out my outfit for the dance. I already have about five choices to pick from so you have to come over tonight and help me, chica!"

"I don't feel like it. It always takes you hours just to pick out a pair of shoes," I whined obnoxiously.

"You can just sit on my bed. I don't care, you have to come over tonight."

"I have practice..." I grabbed my basketball out of my bag, and started walking out of the locker room with Becca right behind me. 

In the gym, the boys basketball team was shooting free throws. Khalil and Becca make eye contact for a brief moment, which causes my friend to giggle. Eww. I also saw Diggy flirting with that THANG again. I rolled my eyes and walked to the other side of the gym where the girls practice. One girl on the team, Mickie, walked past us and pat Becca on the back.

"Congrats, Rebecca! I heard about you and Khalil. You're so lucky!"

"Thanks," Becca responded, way too excited. She looked at me and said, "See, I'm already popular."

"You wish," I replied.

"I'm gonna go home... see you after practice," she skipped away.

I rolled my eyes and practiced shooting some hoops before practice...

***

"Pass the ball! Pass the ball!" I screamed to my teammate as I ran toward the basketball hoop. She passed me the ball and I went for a lay-up. "Wooo! 10 for 10, baby!"

Coach Tom walks over to me and asked, "What are you hollering about?"

"My team just scored 10 points!" I said.

"No, you scored 10 points. You were the only one on your team that shot the ball and made a basket. How about sharing the ball and letting your teammates get some practice?"

What? I thought to myself.

"Well, they all pass it to me anyway. You know I'm the captain of the team for a reason..." I said confidently to the coach.

"You trying to say you're better than us?" One girl said. I don't know her name, but I don't care. None of these girls names are worth remembering anyway.

"Uh, yes, smart one. Obviously, I have the most skill. SO, everyone just continue to look to me to make the shots and we'll win all of our games this season! How about it coach?" I said with a smile.

Coach Tom looks at me in disbelief and chuckles a little bit. I don't see what's funny. After a few seconds of chuckling, he turned his attention back to me and said, "So what you're saying is... that you don't need any teammates? You can win all the games without them?"

"Yeah," I replied, rolling my neck.

"Hmm. Well, Sam, since you feel like being big and bad today, I have a challenge for you."

"What is it?"

Coach Tom blows his whistle and gets the attention of Coach Jerry across the gym, who's coaching the boys' basketball team. He jogs over to him, they whisper about something, then he gestures for me to come over. This better be good. Jogging to the other side of the gym, I spot Chris eyeballing me and shaking his head. I should go over and slap him in the face just because, but I don't. I nod a 'sup' to Diggy and Khalil before meeting Coach Tom and Jerry.

"So... you've met Coach Jerry. As you know, the varsity boys' basketball team has never lost a game and they continue to keep that record alive. You think that you're the best thing out here," Coach Tom says.

"Mkay... so what?"

"If you can win a game against my boys, then maybe Tom here will leave you alone and let you continue to get wins for the girls' team," Coach Jerry said, "But if you lose against my boys, Tom can decide what to do with you and you'll learn that teamwork is very important."

"Is this a challenge? Psh, okay. I play against my guy cousins every summer -- this will be easy!" I say too confidently, "So who am I facing?"

"The whole team. First ones to ten win. Good luck," Coach Jerry replies. 

They've gotta be kidding me. 

They pass me the ball to start; the whole team of twelve guys cover the court facing me. Diggy looks worried for me; Jake looks like he doesn't wanna play against me; Khalil looks tired; and Chris is staring at me really hard. I breath in really big and let out a slow breath. This can't be too hard.

I start to dribble the ball and look for a passage way through all the guys, but they are covering the entire court. I charged to the right and Khalil guards me. I spin around and break left, but am blocked by Chris's tall frame. I try to go around him but he steals the ball, sprints down to the opposite basket, and passes to Diggy who makes a lay-up.

"One..." Diggy says. He tosses the ball to me, looking unimpressed. 

I roll my eyes and assume my first position in the middle of the court. This time I dribble the ball three times and attempt a to shoot a free throw, but it hits the rim and bounces off. Jake retrieves the rebound, sprints to the opposite basket and shoots.

"Two..." he says, giving me a look that says 'why you gotta be so hard-headed'. 

I know my mouth got me into this mess, but excuse me for telling the truth. Everyone knows I'm the best female basketball player at Wesley High... but maybe not better than the boys' basketball team. And maybe it would help if someone was also on my team.

***

A few more disappointments later and the guys beat me 10 to 4. I was sweating all down my back by the time we were done.

"So, Sam, how does it feel to be beaten at your own game?" Coach Tom asks me with crossed arms.

"Look, maybe I was feeling myself too much. But it was one against twelve and that's not fair at all!" I reply out of breath.

"You're the master though, right? You can beat anyone because you're the best!"

"I get it, okay! I was wrong..." I say, ready to go home. It's been a long day and I just wanna sleep.

"Maybe you'll realize that working together as a team is much more successful and rewarding than working alone. Sam, stay here and make 100 free throws then you can go home. The rest of us will be in the cafeteria eating pizza and cookies to celebrate the last practice before winter break," Coach Tom says.

"Let's go, guys! Good job today." Coach Jerry yells at his boys, and the girls team follows them out of the gym. I'm left alone in the gym with a basketball in my hand. Man, today's not the day!

"This is so stupid," I complain to myself, "It's already late and I wanna celebrate too, but noooooo! Coach Tom decides to be an A-hole."

"You did it to yourself," a voice says from behind me. 

I turn around to see Chris walking back into the gym.

"Whatever," I say, rolling my eyes, "Why are you here? The coach said you can go celebrate with your team."

"I told Jerry that I'd help with your free throws. Ya know, since I'm the captain of our team, I decided to be the big person and help teach another little captain," he says as he grabs another basketball from the bin.

"I don't need your help."

"Yeah, you do. Plus, coach said we can both split the 100 free throws, so technically you only gotta do 50. You're welcome." Chris shoots a basket effortlessly and smirks at me. I shoot a basket but miss again.

"You know, for the best basketball player in the school, you really suck," Chris says in a sarcastic tone.

"Shut up. I don't suck -- I'm usually better than this. I don't know what's up today..." I breath out a heavy sigh.

"First off, you need to raise your elbow higher when you shoot. And don't put your feet together; leave a 'lil space in between."

He shows me how I should stand, and I copy him. I shoot another basket and it goes in this time. Would you look at that.

"See? It helps, doesn't it?" 

I ignore his comment and continue making more baskets.

"Can I get a 'thank you'?"

I don't respond.

"Why are you always so rude and mean?" he asks.

"I'm not mean. Why are you such a sensitive baby?" I retort back.

"I get it from my mom," he shrugs, smiling a bit.

"I bet you get your annoying humor from your dad."

He shrugs, "I wouldn't know. I've never met him."

"...Too bad."

"Did your dad like to play basketball, too?" Chris asked me.

"Naw. He really liked to play run away... that's what he loved to do," I say. Chris brightened up all of a sudden like he just got an idea.

"So THAT'S why you're so negative and rude! You have daddy issues!"

"Excuse you?! You know nothing about me!" He's starting to get annoying now.

"I know that because your dad was probably never in your life, you bring all that pain and hatred out on everybody else. Everyone's not a bad guy, y'know."

"Oh, really? Prove it mister know-it-all..."

Chris doesn't reply. I continue to shoot free throws while he feels stupid.

"Do you like barbecue?" He asks out of nowhere.

"What?"

"Do you like barbecue? Y'know like ribs, baked beans, pulled pork--"

"I know what barbecue is, thanks..." He waits for me to respond. "Yeah. What about it?"

"My uncle owns this really good BBQ place in lower Manhattan. I think you would really enjoy it. And tomorrow he's having a 50% discount for kids that are going to homecoming!" He says, too excited.

"Thanks, but no thanks."

"I know nobody asked you to the dance and you don't like me for whatever reason, but maybe it might be cool to try new things. We could hit the BBQ pit at around 5:30, pick up some sweet treats, then head to the dance afterward. You ain't even gotta dress up--"

"Are you asking me to the dance?" I ask, surprised.

"I'm just suggesting a good time. I mean, a pretty girl like you deserves to be taken out, even if you have a bad temper."

"Sorry, but I'm not going to the dance. I don't do dances. And... wait, what?" Did Chris just say that I was pretty? This can't be reality.

"It don't have to be tomorrow. Maybe this weekend, if you're down? I can pick you up in my mustang," Chris says, winking at me. 

I bite my lip as I feel butterflies in my stomach. Why am I feeling like this?

"Uh-um... my mom won't allow me to ride with strangers."

"Baby, we won't be strangers by the time the night is over," he says, biting his lip again. I look up at him, not sure what to think. Is he genuinely being nice to me, or is he just using me for something? He takes the basketball out my hand and throws his and mine in the bin. "Let me walk you to your car," he offers. 

Still speechless, I grab my bag and we start walking to the student parking lot.

***

"You ever had a boyfriend?" he asks.

"Um... no. Boy's don't like me like that. I'm more of the best friend material."

"Well, I'd like to get to know you better. We can be more than best friends."

"Are you flirting with me?" I ask as we approach my car.

"Is it working?" He laughs a little, and I join him. "There's a smile! I was scared you didn't even have teeth!"

"You're stupid," I say, smiling a little, "Good night."

"See you tomorrow," he says.

Wow, what just happened?