Summary: Alex, former cap'tain of a basketball team moves to a new town... that means playing in a new team were she's no longer the "boss"...
First shot at writing a fic...
First chapter may seem slow, but it's written in order to introduce Alex and Matt. Marissa coming soon... Then Malex. Don't like? Don't read.
***
« That's none of your fucking business! » The blonde girl with her hair tied up into a lose ponytail walked out the door before slamming it shut. She rushed up the corridor and out of the building. Once outside she started to run.
Through the window of the room the girl had stormed out of, a shape had lifted the corner of the light white curtain. It was that of a man who watched her as she ran away, before he stepped back, his left hand rubbing the top of his head.
« Yes, it is.. » he mumbled. He Grabbed the girls bag that had flown across the room during their argument. He then made it to his office and closed a folder before putting it back in the drawer where it belonged.
His attention was caught by a picture at the other end of the desk. Facing him was a photograph of the blondie and himself, smiling, both wearing basketball outfits. She must have been around nine then for it had been taken during a tournament when he was twenty-two.
He sighed. He had turned thirty just a month ago, which means she was seventeen…« tough age », he thought…at least it was for him.
He turned to another photograph displaying a happy couple holding a baby-boy. « Thanks' for the gift. »
He rolled his eyes, took his phone and dialed a number.
« Hey, it's Alex…obviously I'm not there, so don't bother leaving a message I won't listen to…just try again later. »
He hung up. That was right. Leaving her a message was always useless. She had never been much of a « phone » person.
It amazed him to see how she always avoided getting in touch with people through a phone, when so many teenagers wouldn't leave their phone alone for more than half an hour.
She was more of a « real contact » person , then again, there are times when he would prefer her to surf the web instead of getting into fights on her favorite spot. Especially when the one she pissed was taller and twice her weight.
She had been an easy kid to raise, but he sometimes understood how hard it might for parents to have to deal with that kind of tensions… He was grateful it wasn't like that all the time though, because he wasn't sure he would have made it this far.
Their parents gone, Matt had had to take care of Alex. Though they usually acted like the brother and sister they were, the 13 years that separated them sometimes made it easier for him to act as though he were her father,…and sometimes it did not. And well , lately, he often failed to get her to listen to him.
So here he was. Matthew Kelly, literature teacher, barely thirty and already father of a seventeen-year old who happened to be his little sis.
He knew where he might find her but decided to let her cool down.. plus: he had work left before he might head home.
***
Alex had been on the outdoor basketball court for over an hour now. It was no serious training, she hadn't even taken time to change into more appropriate clothes, but it helped clear her mind.
She hated fighting with Matt, but they had been doing that a lot lately.
This time had been stupid. They got carried away about almost nothing. Well actually, that's how it had been for two weeks now. Everytime he had something to tell her, were it legitimate or not (it usually was), she would snap at him.. then they would fight until one of them got fed up and left the room.
The reason for this wasn't really what he'd had to say.
She just couldn't swallow the pill.
Two weeks ago, Matt had announced her that they would be moving to a new town because he had been hired by a new high school. She hadn't forgiven him for not telling her about it earlier… and for not asking her if it was okay with her. It wasn't.
Basketball was a passion for both of them.
Matt used to be the crème of the crop when he was in high school and then in college.
And he still used his knowledge to train her. She was good and he tried to help her make the most of it.
That way he could follow his passion for Basketball and live with Alex a dream they both wanted to live. He did everything he could so that Alex would be given a shot among the best.
Well at least usually, he did.
She shot and put the ball right in . Her thought started wandering again as she went to grab the ball she had just thrown.
Really, being supposed to move out of town pissed her off. Her basketball team was here, which meant her life was here!
She just couldn't imagine leaving the team and yet she had to.
Her team…it had remained more or less the same since she was eight. Aside from a few girls graduating, and others becoming part of the team. She had grown up with most of the girls. They were teammate as well as friends, always hanging out together at school, then practicing,…
And there was that tournament coming… the S.O.D.
It took place every third year. Two years and six months ago, they made it to the final and were defeated.
The memory of that game lingered in her mind for a bit. She could still remember the face of one of the girls from the opposite team. A tall brunette with green eyes.
Alex disliked her though she could only blame her for one thing …That's the face she associated with their defeat. She wondered what the girl's name had been. But she didn't remember and didn't care enough to think about it much longer.
Anyway, that had been one hell of a game for both were damn good teams. Her mates quickly got over it, but she just couldn't, she never really accepted it. Therefore she had been looking forward to having her revenge … But now she wouldn't.
Getting out of her thoughts, she started dribbling and shot, the ball getting into the basket again.
As the sun went down, Alex was still on the court. After shooting from outside the three points line, she heard he brother's voice coming from behind:
"keep your wrist loose and give the ball a bit more power...that is...if you can do it with you little girly arms"
She turned around and glared at him. She smirked and threw the ball hard in his direction, hitting him in the chest.
He brought his hand to his chest, breathtaken and smirked too. "Wow...you really are weak. I didn't even feel it". Alex collected the ball and went back to practicing, taking what he had said into account.
Matt had hoped the playful interlude was a good sign, he sighed when she didn't answer.
"Look, I know you're angry. You've got every right to be, I should have told you what i was planning to do...but i couldn't turn this offer down and you know it...And they have a great basketball team. I'm sure they'd be glad to have you."
It didn't prompt Alex to answer. She kept on dribbling, shooting,... and scoring most of the time.
Seeing he wouldn't get alex to talk to him, he just went on.
"You'll still be able to take part in the tournament with your new team...."
Alex took the ball and neared a bench that stood beside the court. "My team's here. I would be a traitor to do it without them."
"You know... no one is going to stay here forever." Matt said." The others will leave eventually... you too. And then what? You're future isn't here Alex. On top of that, playing in a new team can only be good for you... I think it's important for you to experiment other kinds of team spirits,other kind of games,... and being expected to prove how valuable you are."
He didn't want her to get mad so he didn't allude to the fact that he thought that, even thought she didn't have an oversized ego, it would be interesting to see her operate within a new environment where wasn't going to take her place for granted.
Neither did he mention that the "new team" she might become a part of was precisely the one that defeated hers dur the last S.O.D Tournament....
"I'll think about it." she said, then grabbed her bag and headed towards their house.