By the third quarter, everything changed. The game had gotten so exciting that despite her lack of basketball knowledge, Alicia was on her feet, cheering along with the crowd. And she no longer minded the deafening noise-she was contributing to it. Every time the Bulldogs made a basket, she grabbed Will and hugged him. He'd been right, this was a huge game and she was glad that this was the game he'd chosen to take her to. If they won this, they'd win it all and go on to win a national championship! How could she not have even known that the Georgetown Bulldogs were this good?
The ball went this way and that and even in the silent moments when the players lined up for a free throw, she could feel her heart beating so loudly that she was certain others could hear it. But if they did, they were too busy concentrating on what was happening on the court. She glanced at the scoreboard, surprised at how close the scores were. This game was definitely the most exciting thing she'd ever been to in her life and there were times when she'd almost (almost!) forgotten that Will was standing beside her, cheering.
The Bulldogs were only a few points behind and she was screaming louder and louder, urging them to catch up. She knew they could do it; she was certain of it. If Miranda v. Arizona, 1966 could end with the requirement of prisoners being advised of their rights before being questioned by police (which was famous in its own right), then the Bulldogs could pull this off.
The score was suddenly tied, which increased her heart rate, along with her enthusiasm. And then the players assumed the position of the free throw. The Georgetown player in the middle-number 7 had already made every other free throw he attempted, and Alicia knew that he was going to make this one as well. They only needed one point to win it all.
Silence washed over the arena, creating a deafening sound. She looked down and realized that she was holding Will's hand, but he didn't seem to mind. All that mattered in that moment was that number 7 threw the ball into the basket. Never before had she been so nervous.
He aimed the ball at the basket and tossed it into the air. It sailed toward the basket and she heard Will whispering "Swish, swish… come on, Mason, swish!" She had no idea what it meant, but she started whispering the same, praying…
The ball reached the basket but ricocheted off and fell to the floor. The crowd groaned and a player on the opposing team caught it. The ball traveled down the court in the opposite direction and when she looked at the time clock, she was surprised to see that there were mere seconds left in the game. Number 18 on the opposing team threw the ball from center court where it went straight into the basket just as the buzzer sounded. There was only a moment's pause when a small cheer rose from the other side of the arena.
The opposing team had won.
Beside her, Will cursed and let out a breath, but Alicia found that she could not move. For the past several moments, her whole world had been tied up in that game. And now she felt as though she'd lost the biggest court case known to man. She would never know what it would be like for her school to win a national championship, never be able to celebrate with her classmates and finally understand what all the fuss was about, never….
The court and the fans who were now pouring out of the arena seemed to blur before her eyes.
"Well, come on, let's go."
She barely heard Will's voice and she stood there for a moment, staring at the faces of the players, the way their heads were hung low. She knew little about basketball of course, but she knew plenty about losing. She could tell by their faces that a lot of them wanted to go on to the big leagues, to play for teams like the Celtics and the Cavaliers. She couldn't imagine what they must be thinking.
His hand was in hers and she was led blindly down the concrete stairs but once they reached the tunnel, she stared at the court. A janitor was sweeping up the orange and yellow confetti from the floor, a symbol of the opposing team's victory.
Woodenly she moved away from Will and leaned against the railing.
"Alicia?"
She turned around and looked at him. He looked so upset. And that was all it took for her emotions to break.