Chapter blah blah something or other having to do with magic y piñas
Anne stole a glance around the shop. Tara was skimming the book shelves looking for something while Soralis was sitting at a table, deeply absorbed into a Spanish spell book about monkeys. It was entitled Mono Deletrea para Torcherar a su Amigos Asnos. Daren had just walked in and was flipping through a spell book. Anne didn't want to disturb Soralis, and Tara looked like she didn't want anyone to interrupt her. "Daren, what are you looking for in there?" Daren looked up at her question.
"A spell to change people into animals. My boss is extremely annoying and is really getting on my nerves. If I could change him into a spider, I could squash him so much more easily." Daren laughed, but his face remained serious as he closed the book.
"Ah, a tangled web of spells we weave." Anne sighed, "Couldn't you not even beat him at a basketball game? I mean, Daren, he's a little on the chubby side. You think you could score a little more than him."
"Hey, at least I'd be able to score more than you." Daren insulted with a daring sneer on his face. He knew Anne couldn't resist an insult.
"Uh! Yeah, right, dork wad! I would so kick your ass! You, me, Tara, Soralis. Tomorrow. 2. Gym. Be there, butt face."
"Be prepared to get your butt kicked to Pluto, monkey ass." Daren hissed challengingly. He walked out the door and Soralis looked up as the doorbell clinked.
"Did I hear someone say something about monkeys and asses?"
Anne and Tara arrived and hour early. The small, enclosed space was empty since Anne had gone through the trouble of reserving it for them. She had brought her own basketball after a half hour of searching it, finally finding it among the items in her shop. That's weird, she had thought, but dismissed the thought as Tara passed the ball to her. She dribbled the ball and raised her arm for a shot. Tara attempted to block it, but it made a swish as it went into the net anyway.
"You're good," She complimented, "What do you need practice for?" Tara asked, taking her red hair behind her head into a ponytail. Suddenly they heard the shout of voices and turned to see Daren and Soralis entering the gym. "Ah," Soralis said, "So you ladies are here early to practice."
"Not practice," Anne sighed as if he was a dim-witted, clumsy ass (as in donkey, duh), "Warm-up. Why are you guys here so early?" Anne questioned, laughing.
"Early cat catches the mouse." Daren said naturally.
"That's a new phrase." Tara said with a laugh, "Now since we're all here, let's get going. I'm with Daren, Anne, you're with Soralis."
The game went smoothly at first, except for Daren stumbling over the ball one or two or thirty times. Anne got three 2-pointers and a 3-pointer, while Soralis got five 2-pointers. Within 10 minutes, the score was and easy 19 to 10. Most of the points on Tara and Daren's team were from Tara, though. Things seemed to be going well, and everybody was enjoying themselves. Until Daren fowled Anne.
"Okay, up to the free-throw line, Anne." Soralis replied, smiling. They were really showing Daren, and Daren was really humiliating himself.
"Nice, going, dumbo." Tara mumbled to Daren. He smiled innocently.
"Everybody shut up! Can't a girl concentrate?" Anne demanded. She dribbled and lifted the ball up to the hoop, about to shoot, when something made her hesitate. Anne stopped and cocked her head. What was that?
"What's the hold up, worm poop?" Daren questioned, but stopped talking when Anne put a hand up to silence him.
"Don't you hear it?" Anne insisted menacingly. Tara looked at Anne in awe.
"I hear it, I hear it. It's the inside of Daren's head asking, "why is it so empty in here?" Tara chuckled at her own joke but stopped short when Anne gave her the evil eye. Anne strained to hear it again. Yes, there it was. It was like the tiny ticking of a clock, a gentle tick tock. She glanced around. No one was wearing a watch, nor was there a clock anywhere "Hey, I hear it, too. It's a little ticking noise." Soralis said proudly, and started searching the room with his eyes. The others nodded that they had heard it, too. Anne let the ball slip from her hands and as it rolled away, the ticking grew softer. The group of four turned toward the direction of the basketball and their eyes widened.
"It's in the ball! There's a bomb in the ball!" Tara shouted and rushed forward to grab it. As she picked it up, she dropped it and let out a cry. "It's sizzling!" But nevertheless, as she spotted an open window up near the ceiling she grabbed it and in full basketball form, tossed it from her hands to the window. It went strait out. Just moments later, the group heard a gigantic boom and thick, black smoke seeped in through the window.
"And I always thought I was bad at long shots." Tara said triumphantly.