Hey! Just saw Grown-Ups and got this idea for a Misc. Hope you enjoy!
Old Times
1980
Max POV
"Max, I'm open!" Tucker screamed at me from across the court. I looked at him and, sure enough, he was wide open, no members of the opposite team between us. I fake to Milo and passed to Tuck with no interference. He got it and dribbled down to the basket, got into position for a blind-shot, and shot, sucessfully hitting the corner of the square and making it in the basket, just as the final buzzer rang. I can't believe it. We actually won the championship. That girlie part of me took over as I jumped around screaming at the top of my lungs as my team and I swarmed around each other. Oh, I'm Maximum Wile, I'm 10, and I'm the only girl on my school's basketball team. I'm also the shortest, but the fasted.
"Let's have a good round of 'Looga's for the one that made this possible, Coach Carter," I proclaimed.
"LOOGA! LOOGA! LOOGA!" we chanted, pumping our fists in the air. He chuckled, his rough voice echoing through the gym as the visiting team slumped toward the door. I laughed as the two tallest boys, Trevor, aka T-Rev, and Omar, who was the only black kid, picked me up on their shoulders.
"Would you like to do the honors, co-captain?" Mikey, the team captain asked, handing the huge trophy to me. I grinned, showing my missing front tooth, and took it, looking at it adoringly before holding it up with a victory call. Someone snapped our picture and the rest of the day was a haze. That was, until the after-party, being held at my parents' boat house. I was a rich kid, not the stuck-up and snooty kind. I'm just a regular kid. Not a regular girl, cuz then I'd be lying.
"Hey, guys," I waved and had the satisfaction of the team's eyes widening. I was never caught in a skirt, let along a silk one with make-up. It was a knee-length blue silk dress with a white ribbon around my curve-less waist. But, hey, I'm 10. I'm still flat-chested. My long blond curls were pulled up in a messy bun, several locks falling out to frame my face. Mom insisted on the make-up, blue eye shadow to match my blue eyes and dress and red lipstick. "What? Never seen a dress before?"
"YOU'RE A GIRL!" they screamed at the same time, making me crack up.
"Oh, shut up and give me a hug. But watch the make-up," I warned playfully. They laughed and hugged me, more of a guy hug, if you ask me. But, hey, I'm just another one of the boys.
"God, I love you guys sooo much," I said, squeezing them. I frowned. "Guys, um, I... have something to tell you something."
"Go on," Mikey urged.
"Well, I-" But Coach cut me off by yelling to us that we needed to get to our seats.
"Well, first I'd like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Wile for lending us their boathouse to celebrate our team's championship win. All of them are like sons to me." I cleared my throat loudly. "Oh, and a daughter. Anyways, it pains me to say this, but Max won't be rejoinning us next year, as her and her parents are moving to Russia." The team, who were all sitting at a single round table for us, stared at me.
"WHAT?" they screamed.
"That's what I was trying to tell you," I said softly.
"How long?" Mikey asked quietly.
"I don't know," I said.
"No, how long have you known?" Mikey snapped harshly.
"Like, two months," I said smally. He exploded.
"TWO MONTHS? YOU'VE KNOWN YOU WERE MOVING FOR TWO MONTHS AND YOU DIDN'T TELL US?" he screamed at me, causing me to flinch back as he shot up in his chair. My eyes watered as I ran away.
"Jeeze, good going," I heard Tobie yell at Mikey.
"Yeah, dude. She probably didn't want to mess up our game before the championships, so she was going to tell us here," Omar agreed.
"Man, you're right. I should go talk to her," Mikey said and went to go after me. I was curled up by the lake on a the hamoc. I felt him lightly sit down on the edge.
"Max?"
"Go away," I sniffled, wiping my eyes with my arm.
"Please talk to me? I'm sorry," he said lightly, laying down next to me.
"I said go away," I said again.
"Come on, Wild Wile." He knew I'd give in to my nickname. I sighed and turned over, meeting his warm brown eyes.
"What?" I asked.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you," he said. "It was stupid and uncalled-for."
"Dang right," I agreed. "Just admit you're a moron so we can get this over with."
"Now that's the Wile I know," he said, smiling.
"I'm not kidding."
"Okay, I'm a moron." I laughed and sat up.
"Okay, well, let's get moving. No need to keep everyone waiting," I said.
"True." The rest of the night flew by, each team member giving his/her own personal speech, dinner, and then socializing.
"Guys... I'm leaving in two days," I admitted to the team. They gasped.
"Why so soon?" T-Rev asked.
"That's just the deadline, or else daddy's fired," I said, looking at the ground.
"The team's not going to be the same without you," Mikey said.
"I know, but you'll have to make do," I said.
"We probably won't make it to championship next year," Emijah said sadly.
"Don't lose hope," I said firmly. "I'm still a part of the team, I just won't be there to play. Once a Jag, always a Jag." I looked around and saw tears in a couple people's eyes. "Man, you're turning into pussy cats." They laughed and hugged me. It wasn't so much a guy hug like earlier. It was more of a love hug, between brothers and their sister.
"We'll miss you," Mikey said into my hair. He'd been my first kiss when I was 8. We weren't together or anything, we just wanted to know what it was like to kiss someone since we saw middle-schoolers do it all the time.
"Well, I'll see you guys at school tomorrow," I waved, turning around to go to my parents' car. They said their solemn goodbyes and went to their parents. I fell asleep on the way home. When I woke up the next morning, I sighed and rolled over, burrying my face in my pillow and screaming. Why did life have to be such a... such a... heck, I'm just going to say it. Why did life have to be suck a bitch. When I got to school, I was trample by nearly everyone at school, all having had heard by now that the great Wild Wile was moving to freaking Russia. Sure, I did know how to speak Russian, but... ugh! I just don't want to go there yet! Not when I have an awesome life in Houston. I've lived everywhere, Paris, Italy, Japan, Alaska, Canada. The list is endless. And every time. I have to leave my friends behind and go make new ones. My dad travels a lot in business. The day went by a little too quickly for my liking. When I got home, I had to pack my bags and get ready for the following day. The next morning, I was on my way to Russia.
2010 (Las Angles, CA)
"Baby, Baby, Baby, oh!
Like, baby, baby, baby, no!
Like, baby, baby, baby, oh!
Thought you'd always be mine, mine!"
I jogged over to my cell phone while wiping my hands on a dish towel to get rid of the powder there.
"Yo?" I answered, sitting on the kitchen counter.
"Long time, no see, huh?" I nearly screamed when I heard Coach's voice on the other end.
"Like, OMG. Hey, Coach," I said, dazed.
"Heard you've been sucessful," he said, refering to my books.
"Oh, yeah. Newest one, Alex Cooper, just hit top 10 on the New Your Bestsellers top ten list, number 2 to Fang."
"That's great! I'm having a Jaguar Reunion all week," he said.
"Oh, my gosh. The guys are going to be there?" I asked.
"Yeah, each and every one of them," he said. I hopped down from the counter and jumped around excitedly, like I'd down at the championships all those years ago.
"Yes, yes, a million times YES!" I screamed. He chuckled.
"Okay, then. We'll see you on Sunday. It's in Houston, at the lake." We hung up just as Felix, my husband, came in. I threw the phone down and ran at him jumping. He easily caught me, though confused as to why I was in such a giddy mood.
"Jeeze. Win the lottery?" he asked, Russian accent lightly laced in.
"We're having a Jaguar Reunion!" I squealed.
"A huh?" he asked.
"My basketball coach from when I was 10 is having a team reunion this Sunday and we're invited! Man, I can't wait for you and the kids to meet the guys," I gushed. He smashed his lips to mine, ending any talking. "And that was for?"
"Because I love you," he said. I raised an eye brow. "And you were rambling." I smacked him across the chest and put my hands behind his neck to pull her into another kiss. It still amazes me how much sparks fly when we kiss, even after 20 years of being married and over 25 years of being together. His hands wound in my hair, leaving me to hold onto him by wrapping my legs around his waist.
"Okay, gross," came J. J.'s voice. We laughed and pulled apart. She looked a lot like me, except she had he father's height and face shape. But she had blond hair and blue eyes. She was 18. "Get a room."
"Last time I checked, we're paying for this house, so every room in this house is ours," Felix pointed out.
"Great. I was just coming in to see if the cookies were done." I shook my head no.
"J. J., I just put them in, like, 2 seconds ago," I said.
"Oh." She walked away, going upstairs.
"So, where is it being held?" Felix asked me.
"Houston, at an old boathouse that we gave Coach when we moved. Ya know, to take the guys to if they ever needed to get away."
"Mhmm," he mumbled as he kissed down my neck.
"Stop. That may be okay for J. J. to walk in on, but not so much Bambi, Casper, or Matt," I warned, trying to get down. Bambi was 7, Casper was 10, and Matteo was 11. And three quarters.
"Sorry," he said, setting me on my feet. I tended to the cookies.