"I challenge you to a basketball game!"
"I, Jordan Michaels, will finally defeat you in a game of basketball today!"

"Loser loses the court for a week!"

Each and every time Jordan would challenge his older brother, Troy, to a game of basketball, he would've always worked more on the fighting stance and confendence, rather than his skills. Sure, he practiced, but just not as much as he should've.

Thus, each and every time he lost. WHY? Why was it so hard to win against him? WHY? WHY WHY WHY?

He practiced as much as Troy. He did his best to use the same tips as Troy.

But he could never get it right. Not once could he get past three baskets before Troy claimed victor.

And now, because of the bet he had made against Troy, he lost the court for a week. If only he would've opened his eyes and didn't bet the court and didn't act so high and mighty...

Heck, he probably still would've lost, but he wouldn't have lost the COURT...

It was a lonely walk home from the court as Jordan clearly remembered what went on. How he acted so cool and Mr. High and Mighty, how Troy laughed every time Jordan missed the basket (sometimes by a long shot), and how Troy sneered at him as Jordan left, defeated, "Hey Squirt, next time, DON'T BET ON THE COURT, CUZ YOU'LL NEVER WIN IT!"

He sighed as he kicked a rock out of his foot's path, continuing to walk down the street, passing by that new family's house that, rumors be told, lived some insane girl.

Glad I'll never meet HER...

"Hey Mom, I'm home-"

"Oh good! You're just in time to meet our guest!"

"Guest...?"

"Yes! It's the daughter of the family that just moved in yesterday; her parents were so busy unpacking everything, that they suggested that she should come visit her new neighbors. You should come meet her! She's your age, too!"

As soon as Jordan heard the words "Daughter of the family that just moved in", he froze in his tracks.

So much for NOT meeting her...

But slowly, he did as his mother asked and crept slowly to the living room, and was immediately greeted with

"HIIIIIIIIIIII, JORDAN!"

He barely had any time to regain his senses as the girl began talking nonsense for five straight minutes, latching herself onto him, going

"HiyoumustbeJordanyourmomtoldmeallaboutyouandyourolderbrother, Troywasn'tit? Yeah, itwas, itwas! SoanywaysIwantedtosayHItoeveryoneintown'cuzI'mnewhereandsoaremyfamilyandtheysaidIshouldgomeeteveryonesoIwasallOKEE-DOKEE! Ialreadyknowyourname, yourmom'sname, andyourbrother'sname, soImustintroducemyselfsoIwon'tberude! Myname'sDandySmandybuteveryonewhoknowsmejustcallsmeDandy!"

For one thing, her skin and hair was nearly, if not completely, the same as Jordan's. Well, she had no afro, but instead, her hair were put into pigtailed held in by rainbow rubber bands. Even as pigtails, the remaining hair in the pigtails were put into four braids, the rubber bands being lord knows how many colors. Next, her clothes didn't match. At ALL. Her tee-shirt was green with a strawberry on the left part of the chest, her skirt was blue with pink flowers which reached to her knees, her socks were black with purple spots that glittered, and what was on her feet? Orange sandals with a sunflower on them.

So anyways, after having to listen to all this, she started going on and on about how his afro must be some kind of fluffy pillow, while Jordan just stayed silent for a bit and started to tune her out. But then,

"Hey! Don't touch the 'do!"

So...THIS was the insane girl.

Right...

After what seemed like forever "Dandy Smandy", or whatever her name was, finally left for either home for another unsuspecting neighbor. In reality, it was only 2 hours. During this time, Troy had somehow snuck into the house, laughed at how much Jordan was suffering from the talk-a-holic girl, and scurried off upstairs to his room without any announcement that he was home. Nowadays this was quite common in the Michaels home.

Jordan went off upstairs to his own room and collasped onto his top bunk (Jordan and Troy used to share the same room, until Troy protested for his own room), face staring at the ceiling. He just wanted to go to bed right now, he didn't care if he didn't eat supper, it's just that he felt for tired he wanted the day to end. What a day, you would say right then and there. Not pacticularily a good day, but a day it was.

Sad thing is, no one was around to say it.

But tomarrow and the next 6 days after that, Jordan figured, would be just as bad, if not worse, than today. Because of that stupid bet.

STUPID BET.

Stupid, stupid, STUPID.

Not only that, but who knows how many times he'll end up seeing and have the displeasure of having to hear that girl speak ninty miles per hour. About stuff he wouldn't comprend even if he were some sort of advanced alien species.

It would take a true genius to be able to decode it.

Despite what Jordan had thought, the next 6 days weren't that bad. Sure, no practice for those days, but still, some good came out of it.

For example, turns out that Dandy wasn't really that bad at all, at least, after you get past her mad-speech. She had an eye for creativity, and another for Badmittin, and maybe even basketball too. Everyday she would stroll around the block, passing by the fence of the basketball court, but rarely did she actually go in, especially on days where Troy and his friend were around. Jordan would assure her that Troy's just pretty much mean to everyone who wasn't his friend.

Which meant that except for that one other person, Troy's mean to everyone.

After the bet was over and done with, Jordan ran with might to the court as soon as he had the chance, ball in his small hands.

Then he practiced.