Chapter 218: Thirty
Saturday, January 21st, Late Morning
(Song lyrics in italics)
She used her key to enter the apartment, closing and locking the door behind her. Ashlyn put her gym bag on the floor and walked over to the chef's island. She found a note from James, telling her he had to head over to the arena and at what time Bruno would be there to pick her up for the game. Ashlyn nodded, and looked out the windows, and smiled. The massage James arranged for in the complex's wellness center was what she needed. Her body felt refreshed and relaxed, loose for the first time in a while. Ashlyn put James' note back on the chef's island, understanding all the details for the evening.
Ashlyn checked her watch; she had enough time for a shower and a video before watching the broadcast of the Pine Forrest game. Shrugging, she walked to the master bedroom; once in there, she dug through her bag for a fresh pair of yoga pants and a baggy sweatshirt; it's time to be comfortable. After a quick shower, she walked out into the main room, drying her hair.
Taking a seat on a stool at the chef's island, she draped the towel over the back of the other stool. Pulling her tablet over to her, she navigated to the school's website and started the new video.
The player buffered a bit as it loaded the video. Ashlyn set up the case's tripod, so she could watch it hands-free. That's when the music started, and Ashlyn maximized the player to full-screen mode. The normal opening filled the borders of the player, and by now, Ashlyn could do other things and know she's not missing anything. That's when Ashlyn heard the definitive cue to start paying attention again.
I
Will
Be
I will be heard
Ashlyn turned to see Trey in the studio behind the desk. She smiled; it was go time.
"Hello, I'm Trey Terthero, and this is Be Heard: A Championship Defined. Today we're covering a sophomore who was shocked to make the team, and by the end of the season, was the team's sixth man, the top reserve: a talented player that could play both shooting guard and small forward positions. Finding a home among the upperclassmen, she punched above her weight and was a key player in this championship. But don't take our word for it, they'll tell you her story, today, on thirty," Trey said.
The screen went blank and white words filled it.
The sixth man in basketball is a player who is not a starter but comes off the bench much more often than other reserves—often being the first player substituted into the game. They often play minutes equal to or exceeding some of the starters and post similar statistics.
It was Ashlyn's turn to lead off the players. She studied her computer self and shrugged. "Cee Gee," Computer Ashlyn said.
The Doctor in her office was next. "Gyles," she said.
Next was Kay in her Chicago Apartment. "Cara," she said.
Coach Scott sitting on the bleachers in the field house, nodded and looked into the camera. "Cara," he said, and held up his hand with two fingers nearly touching, "She was this close to making the team her freshman year with Faith. She didn't make the cut, but she made good of her time on the JV team, and it showed. Once she got into the swing of things, she supplanted Ashlyn as the backup small forward, and soon, I found myself calling her number more and more," Coach Scott said, "I learned that I could trust her, even though she was young."
Coach Sinclair was in the coach's office and nodded. "Cara was tall, could shoot, and most importantly, could be coached. When we went for broke in the championship game, there was a reason Cara was on the court. She could set screens, and she could shoot. Cara was that multi-faceted player every coach wanted coming off the bench," Coach Sinclair said.
The screen changed again to Devyn appeared in her living room. "She could play and wanted to play. Cara would fight for every minute she got. I remember doing drills against her, and Cara just wouldn't quit," Devyn said.
The screen filled with a basketball coach's office, and the brown-haired high school basketball coach was sitting behind the desk. "Imagine being fifteen and getting your name called saying you made the team. Next thing you know, you find yourself backing up one of the best players and co-captains of the team. Finally, finding yourself the top reserve and starting a few tournament games. That was that year for me. I'm Coach Cara Stille, back then I was a sophomore guard/forward, sixth man, and number thirty, and known as Cara Gyles," she said.
Some archive footage showed Cara playing at Tree Hill. It also showed her sliding over with an auburn-haired girl wearing jersey number sixth-nine to screen a young blonde girl wearing jersey number three.
It was Angela's turn on the screen. Her hotel room filled the background of the screen. "Cara was a sponge; she would just sit there watching, listening, and mulling things over. I would be damned though; it all just sank in there," Angela said.
Kay was next, sitting in her chair. "Cara was fun to play with if you needed to pass it, there she was. She just knew where she needed to be," Kay said.
Monica at the River Court shook her head. "Coach Cara, wow, she not only knew what she had to do, but the other positions as well, and could adjust things in her mind on who's on the court. I played three years with Cara, two of them as her backup. She made sure I knew what I needed to know, so I didn't cause a drop off when I was on the court," Monica said.
The screen changed, filling with a picture of Cara, Monica, and a black-haired girl wearing jersey number thirteen; they were sitting on the field house floor. They were looking up at the camera, and each glinted with mischief in their eyes.
Computer Ashlyn was on the screen. "It's hard to remember Cara from that year. I have a friendship and professional relationship with her, so its mutules the memories. What I do remember was she was very sweet off the court," Computer Ashlyn said.
Devyn appeared on the screen. "Negatives, why do we have to have to talk about flaws?" Devyn asked, "Cara was young, so there were the issues with her confidence, many believing she didn't belong on the varsity level," Devyn said.
The Doctor was next. "Inexperience, there you go, I summed it up for you," The Doctor said.
Cara was back on the screen, "Who am I to point out my bad points? I'll tell you what I did right, it's a shorter list," she said.
Coach Scott was sitting on the bleachers and leaned back. "I had only two problems with Cara. One, I liked using her as the sixth man. Two, she and Angela didn't click when they were starting together. That was just their personalities, they were too similar," Coach Scott said.
Monica at the River Court looked at the camera. "You want to talk about Cara's legacy? How about two state championships, and damn close to a third," Monica said.
Cara was on the screen. "My legacy?" she said and shrugged, "I came and played every game I could. I will say my favorite teams I played on at Tree Hill were my junior and senior years when we had the Three Amigas," she finished.
The screen dissolved to show the still from earlier with Cara, Monica, and the black-haired girl wearing jersey number thirteen. It next changed to a clip of a blonde-haired girl wearing jersey number three after sinking a basket and Cara and the auburn-haired girl wearing jersey number sixty-nine hugging the blonde-haired girl. The next still showed Cara holding a basketball saying conference sixth man of the year. Another still of Cara holding the state championship trophy, and one final one of Cara standing between two trophies with Cara holding up two fingers.
To Ashlyn's surprise, Brett filled the screen. "Well, why did I ask for number thirty? Because I absolutely love Brenna Stewart, and one of my youth basketball coaches, Cara Gyles," Brett said.
The screen faded to Cara again. She looked at the camera and smiled. "Be Heard," she said.
The screen went black and was replaced by Trey in the studio. "A good sixth man is a mark of how deep your team is. What surprised most people that season was how Cara stepped up to fill that role. Tomorrow we stay on the bench, but we cover the first of three seniors on the team. So, tune for the first of the A's, tomorrow on Six. I'm Trey Terthero and have a good day," Trey said.
The video ended, and Ashlyn lowered the tablet. She checked her watch; she had time for a quick bite before the Pine Forrest Game.
