Lucas Scott shot another basket and it made a swooshing sound as it sailed through the hoop. He sighed. Why couldn't I have played like this last night? He shot another one, and it too went in. Then he heard footsteps behind him.
He turned and smiled at the person standing there, something she was always capable of, making him smile. Haley James had been his best friend for years upon years. His best memories were with her.
"Whatcha doin'?", She asked. He shook his head. "Nothin'." She knew better than that. She knew that in that handsome head of his he was dissecting everything that he had done wrong the night before in his first game as a Raven.
"You didn't play that bad last night, ya' know." Lucas looked at her. It always amazed him how she did that. Haley had always been able to tell what he was thinking, like she had a type of ESP or something.
"You were just nervous. It happens to the best of us." Lucas sighed and went to sit down on the bleachers they had down here at the River Court, where he had been playing basketball since he was just a little boy.
Haley sat down next to him. "Lucas, I know that you're upset about what happened last night and you think you let yourself, and everyone else, down. Am I right so far? Because, stop me if I'm wrong." He didn't say anything.
"Do you wanna know what I think?", She asked. She saw him smile and shake his head. As she was about to talk, though, he began talking. Which she didn't mind. She was completely okay with listening to him vent.
"Hales, I just wanted to impress everyone so much, ya' know? I mean, Whitey put all his faith in me, and so did Keith." It was true. Keith Scott, his Uncle, was the one who made Coach Whitey Durham come watch Lucas play to begin with.
"And I wound up looking stupid and making Nathan look great." Haley sighed. She knew that was the key to all of this. Lucas's ass of a half-brother, Nathan Scott. They had never gotten along, for very good reason. Nathan was a heel of the worst kind. And so was their mutual Father, Dan Scott.
"There's no way you could make Nathan look great, Luke. He'll always look like an arrogant, conceited, selfish ass who's full of himself on and off the basketball court. You don't have anything to do with it."
Lucas laughed and shook his head. "But I know what he's thinking. That if I choked last night, I'll keep choking." Haley smiled. "So prove him wrong." He shook his head, sighing as well. Then he looked at her.
"What if I can't do that?" Haley took hold of her best friend's right hand. "You can, Lucas, I know you can. I mean, is there any other person on this planet who believes in you more than me?" Lucas shook his head, smiling.
"Now, again, do you wanna know what I think?" He smiled sheepishly and said, "Yeah, sorry." She nodded, still not letting go of his hand. "I think that last night was a total fluke, and you were just nervous."
She looked at him and into his eyes. "You're talented, Luke. And you kick ass when you play basketball. They're all gonna see what a star you are. And they're all gonna see what I've known for years. Your game is pure and whole-hearted. Your game is the bomb."
Lucas couldn't help but laugh. Haley was always the one person in his life who was able to make him see the brighter side of things in a situation like this. He didn't know what he would do without her.
"Thanks Hales.", He said, removing his hand from hers and then wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She grinned and said, "I do what I can." They shared a smile. "Piece of pie at the café?", She asked. He grinned as well and said, "It's a date."