Chapter 11

Bo

I stop at a bench in order to clear my head, I need a distraction! Maybe I will get lucky and Jay and Tamsin will be on the courts. I look up and see some guys playing but don't see Jay or Tamsin. Unfortunately, the one person I do see that I know is Ben. Great, that's all I need is to have to deal with him today. Oh well, there goes that idea of a distraction.

I decide it is best if I just go home and get some more sleep maybe that will help. Then I will need to have a conversation with Dyson before dinner with the doc tonight. As I'm walking out of the park, I run into Jay and Tamsin.

We exchange hellos and Jay asks, "What are you up to today?"

I reply, "Nothing much, just trying to clear my head a bit. I have a lot on my mind today. I think I might just go home and take a nap. I stopped by the courts to see if you were there but all I saw was Ben and his goons playing some three on three."

Tamsin speaks up, "Yeah that's where we are headed now. Why don't you join us? Getting used to playing pickup ball will definitely help you learn the game a lot quicker."

"Yeah, but I don't think I should really be around Ben after what happened last time we met. I don't want any more trouble, so I'm just going to go. Maybe next time."

Jay laughs, "I double Ben will be stupid enough to start anything with you again after the ass whipping you gave him last time. Come on let's go show off your new bball skills!"

I thought about it for a minute and decided what the hell, what's the worst that can happen! I need to learn to reign in my temper anyway and this will be a good test of my abilities.

As we walk, Jay and Tamsin ask me what's wrong. They make the comment that I am even quieter than normal. Since I was pretty comfortable with Jay and thought that Tamsin was pretty cool, I replayed last night and this morning's events leaving out the part about the doc and I sleeping together.

I end the story with, "so now can you see my many dilemmas? I definitely don't know what's going on with my life. It looks like my brother is either lying to me or at least leaving out key facts and on top of that, the one person other than Dyson that I've come to depend on being there for me is leaving tomorrow and I have no clue when she will be back! My life just sucks right now! Sorry to just lay all my problems on you guys but…"

Jay spoke up, "I know that you haven't known us for long but we want you to know that you can trust us and that we will be there when you need us to be."

Then Tamsin says, "Yeah Bo, we got your back!"

Jay laughs and says, "I know when we first met you said you were not a people person but I think you will find that Tamsin and I are good and loyal friends. If you ever need anything all you have to do is ask."

Tamsin also say, "Yeah, Bo, Jay and I were just talking on the way over about how we think you fit into our little circle of friends perfectly. So just know that you can trust us and we are more than willing to help in any way possible!"

I can't believe how much these two people who hardly know anything about me can seem to care so much. "Wow, thanks guys. I'm starting to feel a little better now. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth or anything but you guys don't really even know that much about me so how do you know that I will be someone you want to associate with? I know I am pretty stupid when it comes to interacting with people but I just feel like if the roles were reversed, I would need to know more about someone before offering them what you did."

Jay just puts his arm around me and says, "Let's just say we can just tell that you are a good person and someone that we hope to get to know better and just go from there. Now let's show these boys what you've been learning. What do you say?"

"Why not, I do need a distraction from my life even if it's only temporary."

As the three of us approach the court it looks like the group is between games. Jay walks up to the circle of guys and says, "Hey guys. How's it going? If nobody has next game I'll take it."

Tamsin and I stand off to the side and start doing a few stretches to get loosened up while Jay talks to Ben. We just listen to the conversation between Ben and Jay. Ben speaks up and says, "Well my team won so if you want the next game just pick up a couple of the losers and let's play."

Jay replies, "I have my team so let's go!"

"Ok, who you got?" was Ben's reply.

Jay just points in our direction.

Ben begins to laugh, "Real funny Jay, seriously who are you picking up?"

"I am serious, Ben. It's me, Tamsin and Bo against you and your team. Is that a problem?"

"There is no way in hell that you and two girls can beat us and besides, I bet the freak doesn't even know how to play."

Jay snaps, "She has a name Ben, it's Bo! What's wrong are you scared she will kick your ass again?" Jay says laughing.

Ben's face becomes a deep crimson red as he yells, "Whatever Jay, it's your funeral and don't blame me if the freak gets hurt!"

Jay takes two quick steps to close the gap between him and Ben, "Couple of things before we start, Benny boy, if there is any foul play in this game because of your ego or anything else, I will go straight to Coach Hall about the fight you started. We all know what that would mean, at least a three game suspension for you. You understand, Benny boy."

Ben replies, "Sure whatever Jay, let's just play."

Jay walks over to where Tamsin and I are standing and says, "Ok let's show that idiot that gender doesn't matter! Bo you may want to be careful because even though I threaten him, I'm sure he will try something just nothing flagrante."

Tamsin spoke up, "Yeah, he would be in big trouble with daddy dearest if he were to get suspended from the football team."

"Ok, let's do this!" I said. "You all don't know much about me yet but I can promise you, I can take whatever he can dish out. He just better be ready for me!" They just look at each other and start to laugh. I join in and we step onto the court.

Ben's team gets the ball first since they are the winning team. Jay says he will guard Ben and Tamsin takes the guy with the ball so that leaves me the other one. My guy is about two inches taller than me and probably fifty pounds heavier, so I have my work cut out for me. The first couple of times he gets the ball, he uses his extra weight to back me down and scores easily. Luckily for me, Tamsin and Jay keep us close with a couple of threes.

My guy scores again and Ben speaks up, "Looks like I was right the freak has no idea what's going on!" His teammates just laugh. I can feel the anger rising and the monster wanting to come out.

Jay must sense it to because he comes over to me and says, "Don't listen to that idiot. He is just trying to get into your head. Just remember what we practice and next time you get the ball down low use the drop step I taught you to seal off the defender and make the layup. Ok?"

All I could think was they were making me look like a fool and I didn't want to let my new friends down. The next time we had the ball, I posted my guy up and Tamsin dribbled down to the baseline. She then zipped me a behind the back pass that I caught. I did as Jay had instructed, I drop stepped with my left foot to seal off the defender and then I used all my strength to jump as high as I could toward the rim. As I jumped, I saw Ben out of the corner of my eye coming straight for me. I braced for the impact as I jumped.

I felt like I was in slow motion. I jumped with everything I had, all the built up frustration and anger of everything that had happened in the last couple of days. Before I really knew what was happening I was throwing the ball through the hoop and grabbing the rim. It felt amazing! Just as I slammed the ball Ben hit me full force in the side. We both hit the ground hard. When I got up everyone was just staring at me.

"What? Did I do something wrong?"

Tamsin and Jay ran up to me laughing and Jay said, "Are you ok? No, that was great. We just didn't know you could dunk!"

I was confused, "What are you talking about? All I did was put the ball through the hoop, isn't that what I was supposed to do?"

They both just laughed and shook their head at me. Tamsin spoke up and said, "Yeah, Bo that is exactly what you are supposed to do. Just catch whatever I throw your way and put it through the hoop anyway you want to." Tamsin and Jay continued to laugh.

I finally ask, "What is so damn funny?"

Jay said, "You are just so adorable! You don't even realize that what you just did, isn't usually done by girls and you dunked on Ben. We have a lot to teach you but right now just keep doing what you just did."

Tamsin laughs and says, "Yes you are adorable, cute and amazing!"

Jay shakes his head and looks at Tamsin.

I just shook my head and said, "Whatever, let's just play." Once I had found my groove there was no stopping me!

We continued to play game after game. I was having an amazing time and didn't once think about the last 48 hours. It was great, that was until I heard my phone ring in between games. Shit, I answered it.

It was Dyson, "Where the hell are you Bo?"

"What's wrong Dyson, I'm at the park playing basketball. Why?"

"No one has heard from you since early this morning and Lauren has called me a couple of times trying to find you because you haven't answered her text messages."

"Sorry Dyson, I just had a lot on my mind and ran into Jay on the way home and he convinced me to play some pickup games with him and Tamsin at the park. I will call the doc when I hang up with you. Sorry I didn't call or anything."

"It's ok, Bo. I understand you have a lot going on right now. I'm just glad you are ok and even making some new friends. I'll see you later."

After hanging up with my brother, I took a minute to read all the texts from the doc. The first one said to meet her downtown at six for dinner. I looked at the time, shit it was already a quarter till six. There is no way I'm going to make it. The next couple of texts were asking where I was and if I was ok. I dialed her number and she answered on the first ring.

"Hey doc, sorry I didn't answer your texts but…"

Before I could finish she interrupted me, "Let me guess, you lost track of time while playing basketball at the park with Jay and some girl."

"Whoa doc, how the hell do you know that?"

"Well after I couldn't get ahold of you and Dyson didn't know where you were, I was worried and the only other place I could think to look was at the basketball courts. Look up on the hill on the bench." I turn around and glance up at the bench on the hill overlooking the courts and there sits the doc.

"Oh, hey, I'll be right there. Bye!" I say bye to Jay and Tamsin then head up to where the doc is sitting.

As I near the bench the doc looks up and smiles. I smile back and sit next to her. "I'm really sorry about not returning your texts and worrying you. It's just I had a lot on my mind and on my way home this morning I ran into Jay and Tamsin and they asked me to join them in some pickup games and time just got away from me because I was actually having a lot of fun."

"Bo, its fine. I understand there is a lot on your mind, I'm just glad you are making some friends. I have actually been watching the games now for about an hour, you are really good." I look at the ground and feel my cheeks turning pink, she just laughs at me and says, "Did you play a lot while you were in Africa?"

"No, I don't think so but then again I don't remember. I have practiced a couple of times with Jay but today was the first time I had actually played in a game of any kind."

"Where did you learn how to dunk?"

"It just happened today while I was playing."

"Well I think you should definitely keep playing."

"Why don't I walk you home so you can clean up and change for dinner."

"Ok doc, sorry if I messed up your plans. I know you are pushed for time."

"No problem, my flight doesn't leave until midnight tonight so we have some time. Why don't we ask Dyson and Kenzie if they would like to join us for dinner?"

"Sounds good, let's go."