Chapter 526: Riverside-Durham
Tuesday, February 21st, Evening
(Song lyrics in italics)
The porcelain of the sink, cold under her hands, supported her weight as she leaned over. Picking her head up, she stared at her eyes in the mirror. Blue eyes, but who's blue eyes, dad's or mom's? They both had blue eyes. Whose success or failure she will follow?
Brett kept staring at herself; they fought hard to get here today. This day, the first day, and/or the last day. That's the playoffs; you play for your next day. Her career at Tree Hill could end tonight. Brett nodded and straightened up; she left the bathroom and walked to the locker room.
Brett looked at her two best friends, Baylee Miller, and Avril Popova. The other two seniors looked up at her.
"What's on your mind?" Avril asked.
"Just want to get out there," Brett said.
"We'll get there; just breath," Baylee said.
"This could be it for us," Brett said.
"Let's not think about that," Avril said.
"Yeah, let's not," Baylee said.
"Ladies?" Coach Pierce-Scott called from the office.
The teammates looked over to the coach. Brett blinked her eyes and opened and closed her hands.
"Let's go," Coach Pierce-Scott said.
Twelve girls stood up and headed towards the door. The five starters took the back of the line. At the head of the line, at the door, Coach Pierce-Scott stood. Brett turned around, seeing Coach Scott and Coach Sinclair standing at the back.
Coach Scott nodded at his co-captain. Brett turned back to the front. Coach Pierce-Scott nodded and let the team run out onto the court.
After a few quick drills and a minor bit of warming up, they met at the bench. Coach Scott went over a few last-minute instructions, then sent the starters out to start the game.
Brett took position on the court. She looked up into the crowd and took in all the faces. Brett nodded and looked across the court at her opposite number.
The game started, and Brett felt like her feet were in concrete shoes. She noticed that the opponents were also moving sluggishly. Was it court rust? Did they practice too hard? Maybe they were both having an off night.
It ended up being a rough first quarter. Riverside-Durham had one three-pointer and three two-pointers. Tree Hill scored four two-pointers. The first quarter ended with a pedestrian score of Riverside-Durham nine and Tree Hill eight.
At the quarter break, the teams took to the benches. Brett took a seat with Baylee and Avril to each side of her. They looked at each other, and Brett sighed.
"That sucked," Baylee said.
"My feet feel like they're like stone," Avril said.
Brett shook her head, picked herself up a bit, and looked to the other bench. She settled down onto the bench and dried her face. Throwing the towel down, she looked at her friends.
"I think things are about to change," Brett said.
"What makes you say that?" Avril asked.
"They're tired," Brett said.
"We're tired," Baylee said.
"Let's break them," Brett said.
Avril nodded, "Go big or go home?" she asked.
It's just one of those days when you don't wanna wake up
Everything is fucked, everybody sucks
You don't really know why, but you wanna justify
Rippin' someone's head off
No human contact, and if you interact
Your life is on contract
Your best bet is to stay away, motherfucker!
It's just one of those days
"Of course," Brett said, stood up, and led the team out onto the court. The ball came in, and the quarter started. Avril and Brett played tough defense. Brett and Avril dug out the tough rebounds on the offensive side of the ball. If a ball needed to be put back, one of them did that.
The challenging play of Brett and Avril allowed the parameter players kept them locked down. The clock ticked down to halftime. Tree Hill held Riverside -Durham to five points while scoring sixteen points of their own. The scoreboard said Riverside-Durham fourteen points to Tree Hill twenty-four points as the teams left the court.
It's all about the he says/she says bullshit
I think you better quit lettin' shit slip
Or you'll be leavin' with a fat lip
It's all about the he says/she says bullshit
I think you better quit talkin' that shit
In the locker room, the team took their seats. A few of the girls went to the trainer to get checked out. The Coaches went around reviewing and making adjustments. That's how games were worn by who adjusted to the other team and the game.
Brett leaned against her locker and drank her sports drink. All she wanted to do was hydrate and clear her head. Two more quarters of basketball left; she just wanted to get through it and go back to her Aunt Bobbi's.
"What do you think, B?" Baylee asked.
"One more strong quarter, and we'll break them," Brett said.
"Are you sure?" Baylee asked.
"Yes," Brett said and closed her eyes.
"What do you think, Av?" Baylee asked.
"They're ready to break," Avril said.
"Okay," Baylee said.
"Go big or go home?" Avril asked.
"Gimme something to break," Brett said.
The three seniors smiled and nodded. In a matter of moments, they were on the court. The third quarter started, and it was best summed up as more of the same.
It's just one of those days, feelin' like a freight train
First one to complain leaves with a blood stain
Damn right, I'm a maniac, you better watch your back
'Cause I'm fuckin' up your program!
And if you're stuck up, you're just lucked up
Next in line to get fucked up
Your best bet is to stay away, motherfucker!
It's just one of those days
Tree Hill's starters, anchored by their three seniors, and supported by their sixth man, junior forward Flannery O'Brien, took it to Riverside-Durham. They played tight and skirted the line, but it worked.
The defense was smothering, and Avril and Brett made sure they were still smothering on the offensive boards keeping the play alive. They would give Tree Hill a second or a third chance at the basket.
The third quarter ended with the teams walking off the court. Tree Hill took their places on the bench. Riverside-Durham only scored eight points; Tree Hill scored twice as many, sixteen; the scoreboard read Riverside-Durham twenty-two, while Tree Hill had forty.
It's all about the he says/she says bullshit
I think you better quit lettin' shit slip
Or you'll be leavin' with a fat lip
It's all about the he says/she says bullshit
I think you better quit talkin' that shit
Punk, so come and get it
Brett leaned back and looked over at one of the younger players.
"Cammie," Brett said.
"Yes, Brett," Cameron Garcia, a freshman forward, replied.
"Ready to play," Brett said.
Cameron nodded.
I feel like shit
My suggestion is to keep your distance
'Cause right now I'm dangerous
We've all felt like shit and been treated like shit
All those motherfuckers that want to step up
I hope you know I pack a chainsaw
I'll skin your ass raw
And if my day keeps goin' this way
I just might break somethin' tonight
I pack a chainsaw
I'll skin your ass raw
And if my day keeps goin' this way
I just might break somethin' tonight
I pack a chainsaw
I'll skin your ass raw
And if my day keeps goin' this way
I just might break your fuckin' face tonight!
Give me somethin' to break
Give me somethin' to break
Just give me somethin' to break
How 'bout your fuckin' face?
I hope you know I pack a chainsaw (What?)
A chainsaw (What?)
A motherfuckin' chainsaw (What?)
So come and get it
The starters went out and played about halfway through the fourth quarter. Slowly, the starters were subbed out. Evalyn Lopez went in for Avril. Corynn Conners and Gracelyn Cooper went in for Baylee and Faye Ambrose. The last change out was Cameron for Brett and Jewell Loyal for her older sister Jade Loyal.
On the bench, Brett draped a towel over her head and watched the game.
"You know we need a song," Baylee said.
"Not this again," Avril said.
"C'mon, I think it will be cool," Baylee said.
"Bay," Avril said, "Don't force it."
The game ended with Riverside-Durham rallying against the younger players. Even though Riverside-Durham outscored Tree Hill twelve to eleven, Tree Hill held firm. The final story was Riverside-Durham thirty-four, Tree Hill fifty-one on the scoreboard. Tree Hill advanced to the next round, and Brett's season and career at Tree Hill were extended by one more game.
It's all about the he says/she says bullshit
I think you better quit lettin' shit slip
Or you'll be leavin' with a fat lip
It's all about the he says/she says bullshit
I think you better quit talkin' that shit, punk
So come and get it
