Diamond Dogs
Chapter Ten: Basketball Game
Despite the deafening buzz of the rapidly-filling bleachers, Al sat alone on the second row and jiggled her knee impatiently. She hardly ever came to basketball games since she never really got hooked into it. Swimming, soccer and volleyball already took up a lot of her time—and if not, then she was at work scrapping every cent she could. The fact that she was even there on a Friday night was a feat in itself.
Sometime in the past fortnight, Al had given up protesting against Mrs Conte's reminders and her father's demands that she spend time with Jonathan outside of school. They had gone bowling together once so far and the whole experience had been rather creepy. Everyone there, from the employees to the group of middle-aged women in the aisle beside them, had been trying to discreetly watch them throughout their entire game. In their second round, Thom had twirled around and glared at anyone he encountered looking back at him. Alex, as cool as ever, had watched with a careful eye and imitated his best friend's brooding silence to perfection.
Al was glad when no reporters were sighted the whole time, but was dismayed to open up her computer later that evening to find a photo of her and Jonathan sitting together at the bowling alley on the school's gossip column.
She knew that there would be more than a hundred eyes on her tonight. Across the court sat a row of reporters that Principal Conte had warned her about in advance. "Try to ignore them and don't do any thing rash" seemed to be a useless piece of advice. Though Al knew she wasn't the main attraction when compared to the game between Corus High and Carthak Academy, she wasn't as dumb as to miss the way that the cameras flashed as soon as she so much as re-tied her ponytail or craned her neck to search out anyone she might even be familiar with in the stands.
The bright lights took some getting used to as it was yet another assault on one of her senses. The game hadn't even begun yet and the crowd was loud and boisterous. She heard a couple of people enter the row she was sitting in from her left. She stiffened when she recognised the six tall guys from Tusaine Prep's varsity team. Dain Melor, their infamous captain, sat the closest to her. Dressed in all black, he grinned lecherously while surveying the courts.
Though they spoke amongst themselves, Al felt a tiny nervous flutter in the pit of her gut. What the hell were they doing here? If it was to reiterate their status as the winning State Champions from the previous year, then they really were full of it. Even Al knew that the rivalry between their school and Tusaine was fierce and epic that it was almost tradition.
But deliberately coming to a game that was not theirs to participate in was plain infuriating and plain stupid. She knew the hackles would rise as soon as the players stepped onto the court twicefold: for it was not only Corus High that held an agitation towards Tusaine Prep, but Carthak Academy also. Nibbling on her thumb, she narrowed her eyes when Dain Melor looked her over and then rolled his eyes before paying his attention to his buddies.
Scooting over to her right, she gladly welcomed the large space between them and turned her back in Dain Melor's direction. Looking around, she observed her surroundings. Unlike her swimming comps, the bleachers were almost filled to the rim except for the row she sat in and the one in front. She saw an equal amount of parents and younger kids balance out the large numbers of students that showed up for this game.
She spotted a few faces that she knew but didn't greet them in case it brought her any unwanted attention. But most people ignored her anyway, a notion that she approved of and delighted in secretly inside. While there was still plenty of talk about her, the speculations had lessened and the school body had resigned themselves to the fact that The Tomboy was attached to their God. She didn't doubt that it'd let up soon, though, as both Jonathan and Delia informed her. Jonathan Conte was always "hot news"—in school and out.
She sent a grin to Mr Olau when she saw him enter the bleachers with Mr Naxen, the Vice Principal and Gary's father. They joined a group of adults—three of whom were also teachers, and two whom Al assumed were family members. Sitting upright, she sighed and tried not to be bored. There was only so much she could do in a setting she had never really familiarized herself with. She was contemplating the pros and cons of switching to basketball, when two girls slid into the space directly beside her from the right.
"You're here!"
Confusing the excited voice for Tay's, Al was surprised to find Cythera and her friend Gwyn sitting so close to The Tomboy. Cythera she could understand. But Gwyn's friendly salute made her swallow. It was only over a month ago that they would have ignored her and she them.
"Hey," she murmured, suddenly conscious of herself. Both the other two girls were dressed in blue and grey; the colours of their school. Cythera was wearing a royal blue basketball jersey with with a huge 3 on the front. Al guessed that the name 'Naxen' was printed on the back in block white letters.
"So this is new," Cythera chattered. "Are you excited for the game?"
Al shrugged. She didn't really know the answer herself. Doug was out on a date and Thom was at home playing on the Xbox 360 with his newly made friends from his new job. It had made sense earlier for her to come to the game rather than to stay at home and surf the net.
Gwyn offered Al some lollies that she gladly took. "Why is Dain and his friends here, again?"
Cythera was frowning. "Because they're jerks. Just ignore them. I hope to God that they'll stay quiet during the game."
"I think they will," Gwyn countered. "After all, Jon's playing tonight. And Dain respects that."
"Ugh!" Cythera whined in distaste. Following her gaze, Al saw Josaine and four of her cronies setting up their presentation—because there really wasn't any other word to describe it—four rows up. They were all dressed in white tank tops with a letter spelling out K-I-N-G-S on the front in huge blue paint.
"They get that hyped up just for a Friday night game that isn't even the finals yet?" Al asked in bewilderment.
Cythera snorted. "Josaine's posse consider themselves the team's personal muse."
"That's lame, man. There are already cheerleaders."
"Totally," Gwyn agreed and offered more lollies. At this rate, it would be finished before the game even started. Al didn't regret arriving early. "But they didn't dare do this when Delia was around. Now that you're with Jon, Josaine thinks she's better than everyone because Delia 'didn't last' and she might have a chance. Thing is, she's too dumb to understand that Delia and Jon are still on very good terms, and that Delia's only taking a small break from the spotlight."
Now that was another something to think about. The Queen Bee and the God always did have a strangely close relationship. Perhaps two intense, attention-drawing, sex-seeking people such as them just naturally stuck together. Even if they weren't dating (a term Al used loosely), they still seemed to keep in touch regularly.
More than her and Jonathan anyway, she deduced.
Whoa! Where did that thought come from!?
Shaking her head, she moved her legs like her companions as a couple of parents squeezed in front to get to the free seats on her right. They apologised kindly, and the last two—clearly their daughters—widened their eyes when they recognised Al. She averted her eyes quickly in both embarrasment and frustration. Get over it! she wanted to scream. Yes The Tomboy is here to watch the game!
She listened to Cythera and Gwyn talk for a couple more minutes before the crowds suddenly erupted into shrill screaming. Al covered her ears immediately and watched as the players from both sides entered the court from opposite ends. The introductions of the announcers were drowned out as soon as the cheerleaders got the stadium rumbling two different chants. One for the Kings, and the other for the Carthaki Suns.
"Thunder! Thunder! Thunderation! We're the Corus Kings generation!"
Al gritted her teeth as soon as Cythera jumped onto her seat and started stamping and shrieking at the top of her lungs for Number 3. Instantly, Gary, Raoul and Zach looked up and laughed as they recognised Gary's girlfriend driving herself crazy with excitement and fury. As soon as they spotted Al inconspicuously trying to protect her ears, she groaned at their sudden grins. Raoul broke away from them and walked over to the guy wearing Jersey 23 who was bent down filling out a form. After Raoul said something to him, 23 looked up and Al froze.
"OH MY GOSSSHHHH!! JOOON!" Al could hear several girls screeching.
It was bad enough to be caught actually attending the game, but when Jonathan saw for himself that she was there in the bleachers… her stomach fluttered strangely, like it was hungry. It wasn't only the surprised look in his eyes, but the very short buzz cut he had gotten in the time since she last saw him hours earlier.
She was unable to really focus on anything except for his new haircut. Was that why he left school straight after their history class? In the few seconds they stared at each other—Al in puzzlement and Jonathan in surprise—it slipped into her mind that his short hair made him seem more… attractive then he already was. And she meant it in the most objective way possible! The sound of a whistle shattered their moment, however, and Al bit her lip when she saw the tiny quirk of his lips before he focused his attention on his team.
"Wow!" Cythera nudged her and Al looked at the other girl. She must have looked like a git because Cythera then asked, "What's the matter?"
Al shook her head. I have no idea! "Uh, nothing. That just never really happened before." What did it mean? That was more than just a simple greeting between Jonathan and her, she was sure of it.
Cythera probably didn't have a clue as to what Al was rambling about. Al was going to wave off her comment to avoid explaining, when Cythera surprised her by laying a friendly hand on her shoulder. "That was a good sign."
"A what?" Al asked.
Cythera giggled at her little secret. "Nothing, nothing! Ooh, the game's going to start!"
Al glared in suspicion. I hate stupid vague stuff!
"Conte! Conte! Conte!"
Ugh, and screaming crowds!
It was during half-time when Al finally got the chance she'd been waiting for.
She had just finished buying herself a can of Root Beer from one of the four vending machines on the school's ground level. Granted, she had to wait in a line but at least it wasn't as long as the others she had already passed. She had asked Cythera and Gwyn before she left if they wanted anything, but both girls had declined because they had brought their own Diet Coke. Al just grunted and made a note to remember to bring her own food and drinks the next time around.
There probably would be a next time, she admitted to herself. The first two quarters of the game had been far more interesting than she expected and now that she knew some of the players on a personal level, she believed that it was, to some extent, worthwhile watching. Who knew? Depending on how the second half ran… maybe she'd ask Raoul to teach her some moves. But in reality, she knew it would be wiser to ask Jonathan.
Because not only was he a point guard; he was also her fiance. But for reasons unknown—though she suspected it was pride—she didn't want to ask him. Just like with other things. Even though they were friends now, the heavy chunk of gold that was currently hanging on the chain around her neck seperated their kind of friendship from the ones she shared with Doug, Tay and Cythera, or Gary and the other guys.
Undoubtedly, their friendship wasn't normal because a friend (her) wasn't meant to dream of drunken kisses from their other friend (him) while they bizarrely baked a birthday cake for Bug in her linen closet without a light on.
Twisting the pull-tab, she relished the hissing sound before taking a large sip as she moved back towards the direction of the basketball hall. She was half-way there when Al stopped mid-step and stared transfixedly as a brunette with long hair stood next to a taller black girl with shining black hair. They were speaking excitedly and looking at the photos on the digital camera that the taller girl was holding.
Before she knew it, Al was striding forward towards them with a firm grip on her soda can. When their heads lifted at the sound of her steps, they both looked frozen to see her of all people coming to them. They recovered quickly and beamed as if they had been good acquaintances for years.
"Hi Al!" The brunette waved just before her smile turned into a scream as Al pulled her can up high into the air and watched with satisfaction as her root beer soared and fell all over Dee Longlake's gossipy self.
Schadenfreude, dickhead. She turned to Miri's shocked and outraged face. Watch what you write or you'll be next.
"You freaking bitch!" the gossip-monger yelled. That, alongside Dee's pathetic sobbing was like music to Al's ears. "Why would you do something like this! Oh god!"
Hmm, so many sinners were going to hell for saying God's name in vain tonight. Al took a loud drink as she started to walk away. "Because…" she explained patiently over her shoulder, "I thought you finally deserved something true to blog about."
As she made her way through the bleachers, Al resisted the urge to scratch inside her nose. It wasn't that she was ashamed or embarrassed to—she did it in public sometimes anyway—but the thought of seeing a picture of her doing so on the newspaper tomorrow morning or on the internet made her rethink. She doubted that her father or Principal and Mrs Conte would be too happy to read the front-page headline "Conte Bride: Sideline Nosepicker?" so early in the day.
And everyone would have it wrong. She wasn't picking her nose, she was just easing an itch—one she frequently got after 'causing a scene' (as Mr Naxen liked to call her quests of justice), or in wacky scenarios when she passed by that incredibly magnificent but eerily scary woman around town that Bug liked to visit when she was gone. Now that was a woman who surpassed Tay's beauty twenty times over, and convinced Al that she could be prone to hallucinating and conjuring up ghosts.
When she had asked her brother or father about her, they all called her an idiot because if they had seen her, then Al would know it by then. "Gee," Thom had mocked, "the whole bloody town would be talking about her! Better looking than Tay Wilima? Please! Tay is peerless."
And what the hell did peerless mean anyway?
"Yo, Al!" A familiar voice called out, and Al was broken from her reflections.
"Oh, Nate."
The taller boy laughed. "What are you doing here, shortie? I thought you didn't dabble in basketball."
She made a face. "I don't. But it's my duty because of Jonathan…"
"Ah, of course." He was wise in not saying anything else. That was what she liked about Nate Salmalin. Not only was he smart, and down-to-earth with a good sense of humour, he also knew when to speak and when to shut up. Al found that she could unburden everything onto him during their shared study hall periods.
In many ways, he reminded her of a brighter, more friendly and more open version of Alex.
"Nummy, is it finished yet? I wanna go home," a small voice whined. Instantly, Al was on alert.
Nate turned to his other side and leaned down. "Not yet, Vera. Just another twenty minutes and then we can go, alright?"
Oh crap. He brought the little monster who wanted my M&Ms. Al came up with an excuse in less than a second."Er, my friends," whoops! Cythera and Gwyn just unknowingly got voted to suffer for the rest of their lives, "are probably wondering where I am. I'll see ya!" Without waiting for an answer, she hopped down the steps and found her row. She rudely bumped into knees and stepped on feet before she finally dropped into her seat.
"What's got your knickers in a twist?" Gwyn asked and then dissolved into chuckles. Al suspected it was more to do with actually saying the question than wanting to know Al's answer. Al just stuck her tongue out and apologized to Cythera for stepping on her toes. It wasn't her fault that she wasn't naturally good-mannered. Especially not around girls.
Great. So now she sounded gay. Whatever. Al sighed and looked at the scoreboard again. They were leading by eight points. They might have the advantage, but Carthak were good and two quarters still remained. The thought led Al to look over to her left to spy on Dain Melor and Co. who were still there. They were still talking amongst themselves and Al was impressed that they hadn't tried to distract the game.
No doubt the boys on the court had already seen them, but at least Gary and Zach didn't look as agitated as she remembered them being the last time they complained about Dain Melor at the game against Wilcox. Al hoped that the peace-thing lasted until well after the game. Plus, as Gwyn had explained to Cythera earlier, Dain Melor and Jonathan were mutual associates. If not for the God, then Corus High and Tusaine Prep would have shed blood and landed a number of students each behind bars for a couple of days ages ago.
Fumbling in her jeans pocket, she fished out her cell and flipped it open to check if she had any missed calls. None registered, but she did have three text messages: one from Alex, another from Tay, and one from her voicemail inbox.
I can't believe you ditched my soccer game for basketball.
Smirking, Al easily relaxed and typed back.
Suck it up, dude. It's not like I get to play anyway. At least here getting my ear drums busted keeps me awake.
She hit send and scrolled down to open Tay's message. That girl had been calling and texting her more often than she used to ever since she started going out with George.
Hi Al! You're coming with me tomorrow after you finish work. Pick you up at 2! Bye xox
Al cussed impolitely under her breath. Trust Tay to make plans for them without consulting her first. While it was cute, Al dreaded spending "girl time" with her new "girlfriend". She often wondered why Tay chose to spend so much time with her, when she had hundreds of other equally feminine friends, and decided resolutely to ask the girl tomorrow. Tay would probably have a silly reason such as being the one to remind Al of her womanly side. As if Al needed a cue! She was painfully reminded for a week every month.
She chose not to reply after half a minute of deliberating. What could she say to that anyway? She'd probably have to suffer through shopping or something, but at least Tay was Tay and had wormed her shy, girly way into Al's affections. As long as George didn't come with them (Al could only stand so much PDA—and with her cousin involved too—vomit) then Al would go with a genuine attempt to refrain from whining too much.
"Hello Alanna. This is Lianne. I was just calling to inform you that you'll be attending mass with us on Sunday morning at eleven. I trust that you'll dress your best and be ready by twenty to. Now, enjoy your weekend and we'll see you then!"
Well that just royally sucked. Even with the clamour around her, Al still heard Mrs Conte's voice as clear as if she had shouted in Al's small ear.
Gwyn was packing up her and Cythera's things into her canvas bag when Al heard a few girls giggling and knew instantly that the God was approaching. Lifting her head, she found Jonathan directly in front of her on the edge of the courts. Trying hard not to stare below his shoulders, she gave him her first grin of the night.
"Close game," she commented.
He smiled wryly. "They were good. I was overconfident to think that we had it in the last minute." He shifted awkwardly and she realised that he was probably discomfited at their loss.
She unconsciously strode to alleviate his embarrassment. "You would have won if they didn't get that three-pointer in the basket during the last four seconds."
"Yeah. It'll just take a while to sink in." He slung a towel around his shoulders and wiped some of the sweat on his forehead. "How are you getting home?"
She waved her cell up. "Calling Thom to come pick me up."
"Don't waste your credit. Wait for me and I'll drop you home."
She could feel Dain Melor staring at them from her left, and Cythera and Gwyn watching from her right. Why did they have to stare? Jonathan didn't seem bothered by it. His attention was focused wholly on her as people exited the bleachers. She hooked her thumbs in her belt loops and nodded. "How long?"
"Twenty minutes tops. I'll just take a shower. I'll meet you here. Cyth... can you wait with her?"
"Of course! I'll be happy too," the blonde chided him. "Can you just remind Gary to actually soap up too?"
Jonathan laughed. "Yeah no worries. See you girls in a bit. Gwyn," he nodded before walking over to the side and greeting Dain Melor. The two boys slapped hands and exchanged a few words before Dain pointed two of his fingers first to his eyes, then to Jon. His point was clear: they were watching.
Dain's group broke up after that and headed for the exit, while Jon walked back across the court to get to the change rooms. By then, the courts were already empty except for Al, Cyth and Gwyn, and a couple parents from the Carthak Academy side and several girls flitting around.
"You are so lucky, Trebond!" Gwyn gushed. "Not only because Jon Conte is yours, but because you get to ride home in that yummy Porsche!"
Al's mouth went sour. Jonathan wasn't hers. They were just two unfortunate souls who had to get through the next year as smoothly as possible. He was free to do whatever the hell he wanted.
"Look at those girls," Cythera remarked in a tone more acidic than Al had ever heard. "Why don't they just go home and leave other girls' boyfriends alone?"
"That's what happens when you date someone like Gary," Al bluntly pointed out.
Cythera pouted. "Most of them are waiting for Jon, Al. If you don't do something soon then they'll think its okay to drape themselves all over him. Aren't you worried?"
Al kept silent. She couldn't be. Her and Jon were friends, nothing more. So maybe they were engaged—but it was a forced arrangement. She didn't need more to think and worry about. Stubbornly, she lifted her chin proudly. "Not really."
Then why did she feel unhappy?
Author's Note: News and previews will be posted from now on my blog if you're interested (link in profile). Also, if you're following Vivat Regina - I've updated that recently if you were waiting. And lastly, my thanks to LadyKnight0207 and Sandy (both of whom I was unable to leave a review reply) for dropping a review! Next chapter: Al & Tay's girltime, mass with the Contes, and the story behind Al and Delia's first arrangement.