Chapter 197: Twenty-One
Wednesday, January 18th, Afternoon
It was lunchtime, and she saw her last student appointment leave. She closed her office door and took a seat behind her desk. Starting a cup of coffee, she turned to her computer with her lunch.
It's another day, and another player profiled. Getting comfortable, she looked at the video player. Ashlyn wasn't sure she wanted to click on the link. Of all the players profiled, this was one of the few she didn't look forward to watching.
"There is nothing left for me to do but watch this video, and I would rather die a thousand deaths," Ashlyn said, a bit melodramatic, but she spent too much time around Huck. She clicked the link, put in her earbuds, and waited.
The usual opening played. Ashlyn looked over the faces and tried to remember the good memories associated with every face. The now-familiar refrain filled her earbuds.
I
Will
Be
I will be heard
The show's logo finished up the scenes of a not so distant past. The logo had the sub-title of twenty-one today. As the logo faded to Tree Hill High School Television Studio, Trey is behind the studio desk.
"Hello, I'm Trey Terthero, and this is Be Heard; A Championship Defined. Today on twenty-one, we're covering the youngest starter and the shortest player on the team. She was the point guard, the on-court general for the team. She is probably the most tragic member of this team. Today we profile her in this emotional episode, Twenty-one," Trey said.
The screen changed to Angela in her hotel room. "You got to have Faith," she said.
The Doctor in her office was next. "You got to have Faith," she said.
Ashlyn was now looking at herself. "You got to have Faith," her on-screen self said. In the real world, Ashlyn mouthed the line every time someone said it.
Anna was next, sitting in the field house bleachers, "You got to have Faith," she said.
Devyn filled the screen, still sitting in her living room, got her chance, "You got to have Faith," she said.
Kay, in her living room, was next, "You got to have Faith," she said.
The woman in European Sports Livery was next, "You got to have Faith," she said.
The screen changed to show a quiet and empty field house. The camera focused on an around thirty-year-old black man sitting on the bleachers looking up at the state championship banner. Finally, he turned to face the camera.
"That was a great year for Tree Hill High School; we brought both the boys' and girls' state title. It was also a great year for my family, as members of my family were the starting point guards," he said and paused, and took a deep breath. He nodded as if listening, and then looked into the camera, "I'm Kole Brown, the starting senior point guard for the boys' basketball team that year, and the older brother of Faith Brown, the girls' team starting point guard and number twenty-one."
The scene changed to Faith Brown catching the ball at the top of the key. The team they were playing Olympic. Faith took the shot before the clock ran out. It was the final shot, all or nothing, and it failed as the ball hit the back of the rim and bounced out to the court. Faith fell to her knees upon missing the shot.
The screen changed to Coach Scott sitting alone in the bleachers. "There are plays that define us and our careers. All players have one. I have one, and Faith has one; unfortunately, Faith missing that shot, her freshman year against Olympic, is hers. She never got the chance to redefine her career and memory," he said.
The scene changed to Coach Sinclair sitting behind the desk in the coach's office. "Faith shouldn't have taken that shot, she shouldn't have started that game, nor should she should've been on the team. The simple fact was we were hurting at point guard, and she stood out as a freshman to make the varsity team," she said.
The scene changed to Coach Scott. He sighed and nodded. "Faith was the first wonder freshman. She learned the game from her two older brothers, who both also played point guard at Tree Hill. She was smart and understood how we played and the game in general. Originally, my plan was for her to be the backup and work her slowly into being the starter. You want the universe to laugh, tell it your plans," he said.
The scene changed to Angela in her hotel room. "Faith Brown," she said and nodded, "Wow, what can I say, for the better part of two seasons I played the two-guard next to her at the point. She just got it and played as every play mattered. Also, she knew, she just knew where the ball had to go.
"Off the court, I didn't know her that well. The age difference, the space between us, was too much for us to be close. What I did know about her is she was a warm and generally a good person," Angela said.
Anna was next, sitting on the bleachers. "Faith was only a year older than me, but she was so much advanced when it came to basketball. After practice, Faith would work with me to learn the playbook. When basketball wasn't involved, we enjoyed a warm friendship," she said.
The screen showed several pictures of Anna and Faith being young teenagers. The screen changed to Kay sitting in her living room.
"Faith took me under her wing and made sure I knew where I had to be and to be ready to get the ball. When they started to teach me the point, making me a combo-guard, Faith doubled her efforts to learn her position. There were many days after practice Faith, Anna, and I spent time going over the finer points of the position and playbook. At the end of that season, I was starting at shooting guard next to Faith," Kay said.
The screen changed to a brown-haired woman wearing the livery of another high school. She was sitting behind her desk. "Faith and I played AAU ball together, and my sophomore year, I made varsity, and she was already on the team. She made a young guard-forward feel comfortable, and well, there was no one she wouldn't correct. She was a whippet, and had no fear getting into the face of even the biggest team member," she said.
The scene changed to Coach Scott sitting on the bleachers. "That season was Faith's best season with us. The sky was the limit; unfortunately, her time with us was cut short by a knee injury her junior year, and she never came back. As I said earlier, she never got a chance to redefine herself," Coach Scott said.
The scene changed to Kole on the bleachers. "Faith injured her knee badly. During her rehab, she got pregnant by her boyfriend. She had the baby and stayed with the baby daddy. After high school, they married, and they had another child. It was a hard delivery, and they couldn't stop the bleeding. Faith, my baby sister, died on the delivery table, after giving birth to my nephew, she was twenty-two years old," he said.
The scene changed to Coach Sinclair. She nodded and sighed. "Faith Brown, she could've been our best guard, ever, but not only that she was a great human," she said.
Angela was on the screen now. "There's a reason we yelled you got to have Faith. She made us work," she said.
It was Ashlyn's turn on the screen. "Faith, that's all I have to say, excuse me," she said, and on-screen started to dry her eyes—the scene cut.
"Mother Faith, the best at what she did at her age," The Black-haired Woman by the River Court said.
The woman in European Sports Livery nodded, "She was five foot five inches but played like she was six feet tall, she was all heart," she said.
The brown-haired woman behind the desk was next. "A good friend and teammate, who by the way was one hell of a point guard," she said.
Devyn was next, "The general, she called the shots," she said.
The Doctor got her chance next. "She was, well, Faith," she said and sighed.
The screen changed to an old video of the Tree Hill bench. Faith is wearing her black twenty-one jersey. Suddenly the whole bench shot to their feet and cheered. Faith hugged a girl next to her who worn jersey forty-two, then looked at the one that wore jersey number four and nodded to each other.
The screen dissolved to a picture of Faith with the trophy, and the screen went black, then plan white words came on the screen.
Dedicated to faith Brown, a life well lived but taken way too early.
The screen returned to the Tree Hill High School Television studio.
"Small but mighty, that was Faith Brown. In her time on the Tree Hill Ravens, she led a team that was generally bigger and older. But she commanded their respect with her play. But not only did she leave the Ravens early, but also this world.
"We'd like to thank the support of the Brown Family for this episode. They were integral in making this episode, especially Kole Brown, who you saw in this episode.
"Tomorrow, we visit the second of the Wonder Freshmen, on Be Heard; A Championship Defined. So, tune in for episode four, Sixteen. I'm Trey Terthero and have a good day," Trey said.
Ashlyn nodded, removed her earbuds, and dried her eyes. After a sigh, she closed the browser and tried to finish eating her lunch.
