The gym was perfect. They had redone the flooring over the summer and the new floor was shiny, scuff free and featured a huge picture of the Wildcat in the middle. It had been the Senior Present. Jack Bolton smiled down at the wildcat as the gym doors opened and a few boys walked in, going to the table Chad sat at, signing up for basketball. It hadn't taken a lot of cajoling to get Chad to agree to help with try outs. After all, Wildcat was in the boy's blood. Since Troy had Left for California Chad had become Jack's stand in son. A few more people walked in and signed up, standing around awkwardly with the others. Jack turned his attention to his old team, who were already there and sitting on the bleachers. Jimmie Zara, or Rocket Man as he preferred to be called, was rapping while Donnie Dion beat boxed for him. It was a sad sight to see, however Jimmie was the front runner for Captain this year.

"Umm… Coach?" Jack turned to Chad who was standing up. The other boys looked up as Jack walked over, confused.

"What's up Danforth?"

"This… chick, wants to sign up." Jack looked down into the blue grey eyes of a blonde female. She couldn't have been taller than five foot five and maybe a hundred and twenty pounds on a good day. She looked up at him, slightly annoyed.

"This… Dude won't let me." She pursed her small pink lips and quirked an eyebrow.

"Baby doll, Cheerleading try outs were last week." They looked over at Jimmie, who had stood up with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I hope you make it." The girl rolled her eyes and looked back at Jack. Rocket Man walked down from the bleachers, Donnie forever by his side, and headed over to see what was going on.

"Why do you want to join the boy's team miss…?"

"Evans, Kiki Evans." She answered, ignoring Jimmie's snort and Chad choking on air.

"Evans? Like-"

"Like Ryan and Sharpay. They're my older brother and sister."

"Kiki?" Jimmie asked, still laughing.

"Well you could call me Kiely Killian but I'd be forced to kick you in the face." Kiki turned to look at him.

"That's just violent." Donnie spoke up. Kiki looked at him, surprised, like she hadn't noticed he was there before.

"Whatever. There's no girl basketball team and according to the rule books that means a girl can join the boys' team if she wishes to." Kiki nodded. Chad grabbed one of the rule books from Jack's bag and flipped through it.

"Miss Evans I don't think,"

"Look, I'm not going to freak over women's rights or anything. If I'm good let me in, if I'm not then cut me. I have no plans on going to a lawyer whining about sexism or whatever. This isn't about equal rights or anything other than my love for basketball and your team being the only one in the school." She said. Jack sighed, even if she didn't plan on going to a lawyer if it got out that they hadn't let a girl even try out there'd be press all over it.

"Fine, but don't think I'm going to have the boys go easy on you." He warned. Kiki brightened and took the pen from the table, writing her name on the list.

"Coach, you can't be serious." Rocket man shook his head as they all watched her run to the bleachers, drop her pale blue gym back and unzip her hooded sweatshirt.

"I don't really have a choice Rocket." Jack shrugged.

"She's right, it says right here. If a school doesn't have a girls' team a female can join the boys' team." Chad sighed. The boys didn't take their eyes off Kiki as she pulled her shirt over her head, revealing a white tank top. Next her jeans came down leaving her in pale blue shorts.

"This is insane." Jimmie threw his hands in the air, walking away. Donnie hurried after him leaving Chad and Jack alone.

"I have to say, He's right. This could end badly, very, very badly." Chad nodded.

"Yeah, I know. " Jack sighed. "Okay men… and Kiki, line up."

"I don't demand that you single me out, I'll answer to guys, men, whatever, it's just easier to assume you're talking to me too. " Kiki said as they ran to line up on the far side of the gym.

"Okay then. When I blow my whistle I want you to turn from one side of the gym and back." Jack helped Chad move the table and he blew the whistle. They all shot off and a tall black boy was the first back, followed closely by Kiki then a tall Hispanic boy. They did that a few more times before Jack looked back at his team.

"Are they ready coach?" Jimmie asked, getting up.

"I'm going to pair you up and you'll play a quick one on one drill with one of our current wildcats, just to see what you can do." Jack said as the boys came down from the bleachers.

"Coach!" Jimmie called, running over to him. "I want Evans." He nodded at the blonde, who was stretching her arms. Jack quirked an eyebrow at him, but shrugged.

"Evans, you're with Rocket man." Kiki looked up and walked over, smirking at him.

"So why do they call you Rocket man?" She asked.

"I'm as fast as a rocket." Jimmie answered.

"What kind of rocket?" Kiki asked, Jimmie thought about it as Jack threw the ball in the air, distracting him. Kiki jumped up and hit the ball, running around Jimmie to get the ball. By this point Jimmie realized what she'd done and ran after her. The two went back and forth, each time he scored she'd score a few seconds later. Finally Jack called out,

"Next Basket wins." Kiki faked left and spun around him, dribbling the ball. Jimmie chased after her because; while she had speed he had at least four inches on the small girl and had done a decent job of blacking her so far. Kiki ducked under his arm, threw a jump shot and cheered as it sailed through the basket.

"She shoots she scores!" She skipped over to the bleachers, sitting in the row behind the others.

"Dude, you got beat by a girl." Donnie laughed.

"Shut up, she would have just stepped on your head." Jimmie snapped. Donnie stopped laughing, glaring at the other boy. As the try out wore on it was obvious which players were up to par and which were just there to keep their dads happy. By the end of the day Jack was close to pulling his hair out because of a whiney young man named Hamilton.

"Okay, Tomorrow after school all you be here to find out who made it and who didn't." Jack announced, looking at him clip board, then at Chad, who was going to help him pick. This wasn't going to be easy, mostly thanks to the blonde girl who was pulling her jeans back over her skinny hips.