May 2007

Leah sat on the hardwood, legs drawn up, elbows resting on them as she panted, her chin dropped down against her chest. Sucking air through her nose and pushing it out of her mouth, she tried to regulate her breathing. Swatting a piece of hair away, she pressed into her neck, wiping the sweat up into the sweatband around her wrist.

"Come on, Lee. We gotta' finish this." Bella encouraged, pulling the taller girl to her feet.

Bella, being a forward, was one of the shorter girls on the team, but the training coach Platt had them rigorously undertake, made sure the shorter girl was just as strong.

Leah nodded, feeling the burn of lactic acid building in her limbs. Her arms were sore, her shoulders even more so. Even her knees felt like she was going to collapse after running on pure adrenalin for most of the game. After three quarters being down on the scoreboard, the team had been able to claw back, but only just.

Not just Leah on her own, but the whole team.

Taking her position, she clapped hands with each of her team mates who lined the key.

Blowing the whistle, the referee nodded as he bounced her the ball. "Penalty against 12. Two shots, University of Washington."

Leah nodded, wiping the sweat from her forehead before bouncing the ball in three sharp bounces. Angling her knees to the side, she looked up at the net, bouncing once more. Pushing up, she flicked her wrist and watched as the ball spun backwards yet careened towards the backboard and net.

Swish.

The university gymnasium erupted in cheers, but Leah blocked out the sound.

Turning around she placed her hands on her hips, staring up at the board. With seven seconds left on the clock the next shot would give them the game and would ensure Whitman College wouldn't catch them.

Glancing to her right was the worst thing she could have done.

Irina, the blonde from the party, was wearing Jake's basketball jacket and sitting all over him with her perfect blonde locks flowing over her shoulders.

Leah's eyes trembled as she looked at Jacob who was staring straight at her while he whispered in the girl's ear, making her giggle. His hair was growing out and he had it tied back in a band, several strands falling out against his hard-set jaw. Leah wanted to scream and peg the ball straight in the blonde's direction, hopefully to connect and break her perfect little upturned nose.

She closed her eyes, running her tongue over her lip, tasting the salt of perspiration there. Her stomach felt like lead, and she had to remember to breathe through her nose.

Of course, that asshole would hook up with Irina as soon as she was out of the picture. She didn't know why she expected something different. Jacob was, and had always been a player. And he was only after one thing.

"Clearwater. One more, baby. You got this." Another team mate encouraged her, patting her hip to help get her thoughts back on track.

Giving Jacob one last look, one mostly of disappointment, she made her way back to the key.

This moment was going to define the rest of her career. If she made this shot, the scouts that had been showing up to each one of the last four games would not be able to walk away without offering her something. She was willing to take anything they had to get away from Washington. She had worked all her life for it. And she wasn't going to let Jacob's new slut ruin it for her.

Again, she carried out her routine. Three bounces. Glance. Bounce. Push and flick.

She could barely see the ball as it tipped into the ring, before she was mobbed by her screaming team mates.

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