It's Life

Stepping up. It's a simple concept. It basically means to rise above yourself. To do a little more. To show you something special. Life's funny sometimes it can push pretty hard. Like when you fall in love with someone, but they forget to love you back. Like when someone leaves and never comes back. Like when you pull the trigger. Or light the flame and can't take it back. In sports, they call it stepping up. In life it's called pushing back.

"Nathan!"A middle aged man who seemed aggravated screamed from the door.

"What!" A young boy yelled back in the same aggravated tone as his father.

"What the hell are you doing? You're supposed to be practicing! You know if you ever want to be better than me you have to work harder. I mean UCLA isn't going to accept some lazy ass." Dan exclaimed.

"I am practicing" Nathan said without confidence. He knew where this was going. As usual Dan was going to bully him about basketball. Usually Nathan would've fought back but he was tired and didn't want to waste his breathe. These arguments always came to one outcome. Dan winning. That's how it was before and that's how it is now.

Now if you're confused let me run a little background information.

This is the Scott family Dan, Deb, and of course Nathan. Nathan Scott is a 16 year old boy. He has incredible basket ball skills. Even when Nathan was a freshman at Freeport High he skipped right through Junior Varsity and went to Varsity. Right now Nathan is a Junior, Captain of the Red Devils Basket Ball team and King of the school.

Freeport is a small town by L.A... Home of the Red Devils. Their athletic, scholastic, and arts departments are known all over California. Most of the students from this school end up going to UCLA. And that's where Nathan plans on going. You see ever since Dan found out he was going to have a boy; he planned Nathans whole life out. He didn't even think of a name he just thought of Nathan playing basketball. This was the plan, first Nathan plays high school basketball, then he plays for UCLA then he goes pro. Dan didn't even ask Nathan what he wanted to be. Dan never asked, even when Nathan was a little kid.

Dan figured since he couldn't go pro because of his knee injury he would just live his dream through Nathan. Or that's what Nathan thought.

"Nathan if sitting on a bench is practicing then of course your practicing. But it's not! And you know what since you're not capable of practicing by yourself then I'll coach you." Dan said in an aggravated tone.

"Whatever"Nathan was in no mood to be fighting with his dad. In fact Nathan was in no mood to do anything. All he wanted to do was relax, and sleep. But no apparently in Nathans last game he was being a slacker. Even though he scored 25 of the 40 points the team scored. He gave that game his all but Dan still tore him down. Apparently he was supposed to score more even though the Pirates defense is one of the best in the state. But no winning 40-28 wasn't good enough for Dan. It didn't help that his coach was a total kiss ass to his dad. Coach Boyd was a big UCLA fan so, since Dan was their best point guard for two years, Coach Boyd listens to him as if Dan were a god.

"Now I want you to make 20 free throws miss one start over!" Dan yelled out

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~40 minutes later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"C'mon! Move! Move! Move!" Dan spat out.

Nathan was drenched in sweat, he could hardly move, and felt like he was about to throw up. Before Dan came he was tired now he's just plane exhausted.

"Nathan What The Hell Do You Think Your Doing" Dan exclaimed.

"RESTING!"Nathan yelled back with all the energy he had left.

"Are you kidding you just started "Dan spat.

"No I'm not kidding I'm tired of you pushing me around. Summers coming and I'm going to spend it like a normal teenager" Nathan stated firmly. He only had two games left, semi-finals and the championship if they win semi-finals which the will. He then had finals the day after the championship. But to hell with Dan and his summer training.

"Oh no you're not next year is your last year to impress the scouts. So we have a lot more practice if we want to get into UCLA." Dan said in his cool voice.

"You don't get it do you I'm getting into college not you. OK! Me not you, so I decide and I'm going with mom to Tree Hill."Nathan said with more firmness. By each passing minute getting more tired. He needed a break plus he had some business to take care of there.

"Oh please that's how you're spending your summer in some insignificant town you're your mother!"Dan said while laughing. "Wow you're going to have a blast."

"Shut up!"Nathan was really irritated now.

"Whatever if that's how you want to spend your summer then knock yourself out. But I'm not going to waste my summer there."

"Good! That's the point."Nathan laughed. "No one wanted you to come anyways."

Dan was now shooting daggers at Nathan, as he was shooting the basketball. Nathan was so happy that he finally won, that he mustered up enough energy to throw one free throw. "Swoosh nothing but net" he thought. "I can't wait to see her. I don't even know if she still lives there. I hope so god I miss her."