Chapter 11 Candace James

The light danced across the room. With easy the one person on the court moved, muscles taught, legs pumping, hair like a kite's tails, through the Vaseline-like air. The banging echoes of the ball against the court filled her ears.

"Work harder", was the mantra. Push to the end of your endurances. You had to be the best. If you wanted to play, you had to be better then her.

She stopped at the foul line and let the ball drop. Her shirt was covered with sweat forming an inverted triangle. A heavy exhale blew out the air in her lungs and she breathed in the heavy air, trying to cool her lungs.

Candace Lynn Strauss stood at the foul line and looked at the hoop. She pulled her dirty blonde ponytail with jet black tips out of its hair tie. Her crystal blue eyes scanned the hoop and wondered.

"Well, what more can I do?" she asked, shook her head, and put her hair back up in a smooth motion and picked up the basketball. In one quick movement she started back down the court and was working with the ball. She had to win.

"You need to take it easy, Candi," James said as he walked into the gym and looked at her.

"You know as well as I do that I'm never the most talented player out there, and how I get by is through hard work," Candace said.

James nodded, "It's not a bad way to go through life, but the emotion in you has died."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"When you first came down to Tree Hill you were so full of life and basketball was just a distraction, now it is your life," James said.

"And it's not yours?" she asked.

James shook his head, "Not hardly, I do have a six year old step-daughter," he said.

"Life is just messed up, that's all," she said.

James shrugged, "Is this because of Kay?"

Candace shrugged, "Maybe."

"Candi"?

"Yeah, largely, you know the last time we faced off she practically beat the crap out of me. Have you been over our dad's during the holidays?"

James nodded, "Yeah I don't get that with her," he said.

"What does it matter? Right now I have to be the point guard in the Tournament and not worry about my sister," she said.

James smiled, "So that is why you're out here on a Saturday night busting your hump?"

She nodded, "Yes, I have to perform, and feed the ball to you're wife."

James laughed, "True."

Candace walked over to where her stuff was and grabbed her water bottle. After a long pull she looked at him. "So, Cousin, how is it being talked about as being the best player entering the NBA draft?" she asked.

James shook his head, "You can't believe the hype," he said, "It sucks. You know I can't even go to the park with Brett and Ashlyn without it making some sort of noise somewhere. Thank God they don't report on my farts," he said.

Candace laughed, "I could just imagine that scouting report."

James nodded, "Yeah, it would be funny."

Candace nodded, as James started to walk away. He stopped and turned, looking at his younger cousin. "Don't stay out too late, and use the back door," he said.

"Okay, thanks," she said.

"Oh, and Candi, don't worry about it, just play your game," he said, and walked away from her. She thought about what he said for a minute, and then grabbed the basketball again. Off she went like greased lightning, working up and down the court with the ball. She had to work harder, she had to get better, and that was what she kept repeating in her ears.

Some way she was going to get noticed. Some way she was going to prove she could do it. Some how she would outrun her demons that came and haunted her every night. Not only was she playing better but she was also playing to escape the demons that plagued her since the end of her sophomore year of high school.

She pushed hard for another thirty minutes. Finally stopping, she grabbed her stuff, and went to her car. After a minute she was off to the house she shared with James and Ashlyn for a shower and a fitful night's sleep.