Chapter 14
CLANK!
It sounded so much easier in the books he reads.
He was in the middle of a shooting session after a rough three mile morning run through 'The Ave.' UW's University Way where restaurants, clothing shops and other stores stand awaiting the bustle of the Summer School students in the hot Seattle morning.
It was a daily regimen that he had been doing since the try-outs. The Regimen included the run, spending time trying to learn plays, and hitting the gym with...
"C'mon Freddie!"
Another rep.
"You can do this!"
And another.
"You're right there dude! This is it! Just one more rep!"
Freddie feels his arms turn into jelly, his bones shaking like they were made of rubber.
But he kept going. So, so, close, he thought. He pushed, and just as he got the weight up there…
"WOAH!"
The weight, slammed on his throat. Most of his air supply was cut off by the bar and over one hundred and thirty pounds of cold iron. He felt his life drain, but his spotter, Gibby, came to the rescue as he picked his bench bar up and placed it back on the stand where it originally came from.
Freddie sat up and breathed for dear life and slowly he brings his breathing down to comfortable levels.
He'd lifted weights in high school, but never twenty pounds over the weight that he usually went with. As he was catching his breath at the UW gym called, the 'IMA', he doubted what Gibby had been telling him lately.
"In basketball, you push to take what you want."
Freddie doubted those words, every time he lifted that weight.
That painful, PAINFUL,weight.
"You're kidding me right?!" Freddie yelled in a hoarse voice, "TWENTY pounds over my regular bench weight?""
"C'mon dude! Do you remember what I said? You gotta-"
"Push to take what you want? Yes I remember man!" But I don't want to push to a point where my arms break, Freddie thought.
"Don't you think twenty is a bit too much?!"
"Okay, how about fifteen?"
"Five!"
"How about ten?'
"Gibby!"
"OK, OK! We will start with ten!"
"GIBBY!"
"Alright, alright five, but when Gibby wants PUSH!" He turns to look intently stare at Freddie.
"Gibby will get, push!" He harshly whispers.
Freddie gulps…
The physical training had proven to be rough, but he felt more prepared from the summer he had in New York, so he got acclimated to the physical demands of the training. While the physical aspect was slowly coming along, the mental aspect seemed to escape him. He'd read book after book for days. He'd learned the lingo, and some main aspects of the game. However, when it came to running the play itself, the X's and O's confused him. Where does he go? Where does it start? Where is it supposed to end? It just wasn't enough to just read the books. He had to actually do it… but how? Luckily, he was about to receive some unexpected help.
"No, I won't help that giant fail!"
Jerome and Rudy were at Keller's Sports Bar on 'the Ave'. It was a maddening Monday Night and most Seattle Mariners Fans, not just from UW but from all over Seattle, came to this spot to watch some baseball. Rudy and Jerome were there because the Chicken Wings were said to be the best in the 'U-District'.
"Man, these are some good wings, huh?" Rudy said as he ate another of his mild wings. Jerome ordered the hottest ones on the menu.
"Meh, they could be better." Jerome stated, as he finished another wing. "Seriously, I will not have guys like Benson on this team!'
"And why is that?" Rudy asked.
"Because I feel he can get in over his head. And when that happens it could hinder this team at a moment's notice. I do not want that at all."
"Seriously? Why are you acting like this?"
"Because, I need to look out for the team, man. A lot of people are trusting in us to do make an impact in the coming four years."
"C'mon Rome," Rudy Whined.
"No Henderson," Jerome grumbled. "Now, we enjoyed the best wings in U-District, can we enjoy the best sorority in UW?"
"No! Not until you agree on helping me here."
Jerome sat forward looking intently at Rudy with a smirk on his face. "Two things. One, the way you described this place to me earlier this week, do you really NOT want to go?"
"Good point,"
"Two! The only way that guy would make this team if he played on UW on NCAA Basketball 10." after Scoffing Jerome called for the check.
Now, Rudy knew that he was only kidding about that, but it got Rudy thinking. A light bulb went off and a smirk crept upon his face.
A few days later, Freddie was sitting back studying for another summer school test in his dorm. He was also thinking of how to improve his game, thinking about how to better him in the mental aspect a bit more.
Then he heard a knock on the door.
First, a quick tap. Freddie went to the door.
"Who is it?" He questioned. Not a sound. He decided to look through the peephole and saw nothing.
He turned to go back to his almost finished homework, but then, he heard two more taps at the door.
He looked through the peephole. Again, he saw nothing.
Even more confused, he turned back towards his studies once again.
Just as he reached his desk he heard one huge knock on his door.
"C'MON MAN!" Yelled Freddie as he threw the door opens...
And nothing. He looked to both sides and saw nothing down the hallways. He looked down to see a box.
He picked it up and opened it.
"NCAA Basketball 10?"
It was EA Sports latest, and according to what people said, final installment of the NCAA basketball franchise. It was a video game series that featured no real names (due to licensing issues), but playbooks were available.
He looked both ways, once more, in confusion, and he took the game back into his dorm room. He sat on the bed and stared intently at the box. He opened the box and found a post-it note the simply read…
Play this game, and it should help knowledge wise, just choose UW.
Good Luck, you're going to need it.
RJ
A week had passed since then, and if he wasn't practicing on the court or dealing with school, he was playing that game. Getting the basics of each game-plan that was available to him. Offensive game-plans, defensive game plans; he was taking in as much in as he could.
He began to feel more and more confident. He was eager to get back on the court and resume his training.
But as he watched another ball bounce in and out of the rim, his confidence began to wane once again.
He released a big sigh as he tried another shot from beyond the three point line.
He looked back absent mindedly but did a double take when he saw who was sitting in the stands. Sam Puckett and the rest of her volleyball team were watching him. What stood out to Freddie the most, however, was that Sam didn't wear any smug look. There was no smirk. There was no evil grin. Instead she looked thoughtful; comprehensive; as if she were appraising him.
That constant paranoia that he seemed to have had ever since the day he first encountered Sam Puckett started to flow in. However, as he set himself for another three point shot he felt a certain rhythm. From the placement of his feet, to the bend of his knees, to the flick of his wrist, all the way to the follow through, It was something that he'd never felt before.
Similarly, the sight of the ball going through the hoop, and the swoosh-like sound of the net, was unlike anything he'd ever felt before.
Sure, he'd made goals before, but somehow, this one was felt more official. More…
Satisfying.
Knowing that he'd made that sound happen, Freddie couldn't hold back the smirk from his face. But as he absent mindedly looked around the gym he spotted Sam once again. Same thoughtful face, same lack of smugness.
That smirk fell from his face as quickly as it appeared. "I can make this again," mumbled Freddie to himself, as he took another ball that was on the bag beside him. He tried to replicate the same motion he had before, but the sounds of metal connecting with rubber that came across his ears.
Then, the clapping of Sam Puckett commenced.
"Bravo, Bravo" She yelled from her seat in the bleachers.
Freddie groaned and lifted his head towards the sky.
Sam smirked and trudged on, "It is an amazing sound, the sound of a basketball clanging off the rim. You should make a band of that ya know?"
"Sam, leave me alone." Freddie stated as he prepared for another shot. He tried to run through the steps in his mind but they were all a mixed up. He didn't jump high enough, his release was off and the ball missed the entire rim.
"Of Course," Sam says as she made her way over to him, "Silence is just as good!"
"Sam," Freddie groaned, "If you're having practice here, I'll leave."
"No, its fine, I enjoy watching you fail!"
Freddie sighed, "Then I'll take my leave, before yours starts..."
Freddie was going to take his ball bag and walk back to his dorms, but as he reached for his ball bag, Sam took one of the balls. She quickly set her feet, made her leap, and flicked her hand; throwing the ball up toward the hoop. The sound of ball going through net was heard throughout the gym.
"Like that sound, don't ya?"
Freddie just sighed.
"I bet you can't do that consistently." Freddie turned around towards Sam with a curious eyebrow raised.
"Are you sure you want to go there Benson?" Sam said, as she was face to face with Freddie with determined eyes on him.
Freddie thought for a moment, "I think so Puckett, a game of 21. We play at that court outside of Bushwell, either today after your practice, or tomorrow."
"Tomorrow, I don't have practice, so I can have full energy. That way, I'll be able to truly kick the chizz out of you Fredwina!"
"If I win, you have to go a whole week saying nice things about me!"
"Okay Freddie," Sam said as she was nodding, "But, if I win, I feel an 'All You Can Eat Buffet' coming on!"
"Dea-"
"WAIT!" Sam interrupted. "At two, different, restaurants!"
"SAM!"
"We have a deal, or not?" Sam spits in her hand and puts that same hand towards Freddie in a hand shaking gesture.
Freddie thought about it for a while and slowly extends his hand out to hers. he grasps it with a wet hand.
Freddie grimaced, "Why Spit on your hands Sam?"
"Because it's a promise assured, also I have other ways to make promises. " Sam slightly raised her eyebrow.
"Good Point."
"Yeah it is, now clean up your mess so we can practice, Can't have your stench of failure stinkin' up our practice."
Freddie offered up a halfhearted glare and started picking up the basketballs.
He had to do a lot of practicing before the next night.
A/N: SO! Its been awhile again huh? I Promise myself I would finish this story and I will and with some help I have been putting in work on the outline for a long time and that with problems in real life stopped it. But now we have something of a epic ready for you guys so all I can say is...
Stay Tuned!
