13. TRYOUTS
"Wake up! Time for breakfast!"
Lilly barged into Jacks room.
"Remember Jack," she said "You have tryouts today. You have to make an impression on your target!"
Jack glanced down at her wrist watch. It was 5am.
"What? Are you crazy? The tryouts don't start for another five hours."
"Silly, you've got to train with me! It's my personal training routine!"
"Yeah well this routine stinks." Jack said as she crawled under the covers away from the light.
"Fine, but if you don't make the Basketball team, it's not my problem!"
Jack jumped up out of bed, she was furious. Lilly jumped in surprise.
"Fine, I'll do your stupid exercise. Take this as a warning. Now you know how cranky I can be in the morning!"
Jack pushed Lilly out of her room and slammed the door. Five minutes later she came out in a tracksuit and runners.
"I'm having breakfast first."
With that, Jack stormed downstairs.
Jack was surprised to find Ben already up.
"What are you doing up so early?" She asked him.
"Well, why are you up so early?" he replied.
"Fine, don't answer. I wouldn't be interested in the answer anyway."
Jack served herself some coco-pops and sat down at the table. She was staring absent-mindedly out the kitchen window and saw a young girl out in the court. Jack guessed it was Pear, or Peach. They were identical and it was impossibly to tell from a distance. But the girl was holding a basketball and she guessed that it was Pear. Her target. So she got up and walked towards the front door when she noticed something strange.
On the Melissa Hearts' roof there was a person. But the weird thing was that the person was holding a machine gun. Jack changed her mind about going to meet Pear.
Four and a half hours later, Jack was sitting on the side-lines of a Basketball court. In fifteen minutes she would try her hardest to get on the team, because if she didn't, Pear Heart would never even notice her.
"Okay girls, were about to start the try-outs for the Stanford Junior Basketball team. I will see each of you play two-on-two. It's like a knock-out round!" Said the coach, she looked about thirty with dark curly locks. She looked nice enough, " Okay girls, I'm looking for thirteen players and I'm I've got twenty-six sitting in front of me. The first round will be a knock-out, and then we'll play for positions. First is Kelly verses Jacquie.
Jack saw a short girl stand up next to her. This must be Kelly, she was slim, but small. That would give Jack the height advantage.
Jack was facing Kelly in the middle of the court.
"1, 2, 3, GO!"
The coach chucked the ball up in the air. Jack jumped up and caught it. She started running down to the goals. But then Kelly ran in front of her, Jack dodged. They had been centimeters away from crashing into each other.
Jack ran for the goals and did a jump shoot. She had aimed it perfectly. She scored and won the game easily.
Jack watched as one by one. Girls lost and went home crying, while others jumped in joy. She observed each of there tactics. Then it was on next round. Then she heard some spectators chatting behind her. She saw Peach and one of her friends, they were talking about Pear.
"Goal Shooter is Pears best position," said the friend.
"Yeah, well she likes being the center of attention…"
Jack heard her name being called over the loud-speakers.
Jack walked onto the court and saw Pear staring at her. She was against her. What would happen if she beat Pear? Would she get angry, or what?
The coach through the ball up in the air. Pear jumped and caught it with extreme speed. But Jack was faster; she grabbed the ball of Pear as she was bouncing it. She made the first score. She had to win two out of three. Pear won the second point. Whoever won the next point would win. Jack dribbled the ball. She couldn't move because if she moved, Pear would steel the ball. She had to shout from where she was. Pear chose that moment to attack. But Jack had already thrown the ball. There was a spooky silence. Everyone in the gym was watching. Pear turned round and watched the ball. It seemed to take forever. And the, the ball hit the backboard and started spinning around the ring. Then it dropped through the hoop. Jack screamed in Triumph. Pear stared at Jack in disbelief. She was angry. Jack got to carried away in the game and forgetting that she had to make friends with Pear, not be enemys.