Chapter 32
Jack and Elizabeth walked down the hall toward the cafeteria. Steven and Cory were walking in front of her. She almost felt that they were protecting her as her own personal escort. Connie and Steph were on the other side of her while Rosemary and Lee were behind her. Jack was holding onto her hand. She felt she was surrounded by a group of friends that was fiercely guarding her. It was only slightly annoying. She did feel very loved by the friends that were around her.
Cory and Steven were the first through the cafeteria door. Jack walked through still holding Elizabeth's hand. They immediately found their group waiting for them. Usually, the special ed group was already sitting down at a table eating when Jack and Elizabeth arrived in the cafeteria. Not today, however. The group was just inside the door waiting. The moment they saw Elizabeth, they all made their way to her.
Elizabeth looked up when she heard her nickname. She immediately saw Adam quickly walking her way waving his arms. She was surprised when he hugged her first. He never hugged her first. Since the first day of school when Jack gave him a hug, Adam always went to Jack first for his hug. Then he would move to Elizabeth for their hug. She felt that Adam held onto the hug longer than normal. All the other special ed group was standing in line behind Adam waiting for their turn. She felt each hug from everyone. She knew they held her a little tighter and longer than normal. Each one loved her, and she felt that love. They loved her freely without any reservation. Each of the guys gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. After they each hugged her, they moved to Jack.
Mrs. Johnston was the last in line and gave Elizabeth an embrace. While holding onto Elizabeth, she whispered in her ear. "They were all worried about you."
"That's very sweet of them."
"I'm worried about you too."
"I'm fine. I promise."
The special ed group only went to the line for food when Elizabeth went. They were worried and wanted to be with her. While Adam did stand beside Jack like he normally did, he kept close watch on her. She would often smile at him. As they sat down at the table, Adam offered his fruit cup to her. She smiled and leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
"Thank you, Adam. I already have one. Why don't we eat it together?"
Adam gave her a huge smile.
"Princess Beth…" Jack teased. "…those are the only guys that gets to kiss you and they can only kiss you on the cheek."
"Deal."
As much as she tried to stop the tears, she just couldn't. She felt immensely loved by all her friends.
…
The lunch table was full of laughter and giggles. By now, they were always the loudest of the tables. The lunch monitors always looked the other way. They never corrected the table unless they were getting ridiculously loud. The table seemed to grow by other students, but the core of the group was already established. Other teens were beginning to gravitate toward their table.
Elizabeth and Adam were sharing a one sided conversation while eating their fruit cup at the same time. Elizabeth would say something, and Adam would smile and or nod his head. He constantly had a smile on his face and often would open his mouth bigger as if he was laughing. By now, Elizabeth had already forgotten what had happened before school. This special ed group just had a way of burying any sorrow you had and brought out the joy in your life. You just couldn't be in a bad mood around them. They simply wouldn't allow it.
Elizabeth was telling Adam about her and Jack playing uno with his family when she noticed a sudden change in Adam's facial expression. He went from smiling and nodding his head to a frown and an intense glare. She was taken back a little by his sudden change, but mostly by the expression. She had never seen such an intense look on Adam's face, even at the basketball games.
Adam suddenly stood with an ever increasing glare. He stepped away from his stool and quickly made his way to the cafeteria doors. Elizabeth took a couple of seconds until she noticed that Jack was quickly standing as well. He darted from his stool and was quickly walking after Adam. She looked at Adam again and followed his gaze. Charles was standing in the doorway. He had a large bandage across his nose and his eye was already turning black.
"Jack!" She called out. "No!"
She thought Jack was going after Charles for what he did to her. She told him she was fine but knew Jack would want to protect her. She loved his protectiveness, but she didn't want him to start a fight in the middle of the cafeteria and get in trouble himself.
"No Adam!" Jack called out. "Don't!"
Elizabeth's eyes went from Jack to Adam. She realized that it wasn't Jack she should be worried about, but Adam. The determined look on Adam's face only grew as he walked closer to Charles. Before Jack could reach Adam, he was standing in front of Charles.
Adam pushed Charles' shoulder and glared at him. He shook his head no as he pointed to Elizabeth. He signed Princess Beth's name while shaking his head no.
Jack finally reached Adam and touched his shoulder. Adam never took his eyes off Charles.
"Come on Adam. We need to finish our lunch. I'll get you something else to drink."
Adam continued to shake his head no. His eyes never leaving Charles' face.
Elizabeth stood from her table and stool. Usually, the cafeteria was loud with so many students eating, but at this moment you could hear everything. Everyone was quiet and watching the scene with Adam unfold in front of them.
"Come on Adam." Jack stated again in a soft voice. "Princess Beth was telling you a story about how she beat us all at playing Uno." Jack tugged his arm a little. Adam's glare finally left Charles' face and turned to Jack. His glare finally softened. "You need to hear what she did when she had the winning hand." Jack turned Adam by the shoulder and walked him back to their table. "You're going to love that part."
Elizabeth watched as Adam walked back toward her. He signed her name and had a tear falling down his cheek. He walked into Elizabeth's open arms. She held tight to him. When he backed up, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "My protector." Adam gave her a shy smile.
They sat down at the table. Everyone noticed that not one lunch room monitor came to reprimand Adam.
When they settled, Adam placed his head on Elizabeth's shoulder. "Now, if I remember correctly, Jack and Nana had one card left and they were about to win. I played a seven card and was able to change hands with anyone I wanted. That's the fun part of the story. They were cheating and making up rules as they went along, but I beat them at their game…"
Jack just shook his head. "You know we weren't cheating!" He exclaimed at the table's laughter.
"Who's telling this story, Mr. Thornton?"
"You are, Ms. T."
"As I was saying…" Elizabeth finished the story from her point of view to everyone's laughter. The warning bell rang as she finished.
Jack helped Adam with his tray like he always did. Mrs. Johnston gathered her group and gave Adam an extra smile. There was no way she was going to reprimand him for what he did.
"I think I need to step up my game." Jack teased.
"What are you talking about?"
"I think Adam has a great chance to steal you away from me."
Elizabeth reached for his pinky. "Well, he is a cutie, and he listens to me when I talk. Plus, he is my protector."
"He is…I also think you enjoy kissing him. He kissed you earlier and you kissed him just a few minutes ago." The teasing was evident in his eyes.
Elizabeth wiped away a tear before it fell. "Well Mr. Thornton, you need to continue to woo me to keep my attention. If not, maybe Adam will give you a run for your money." She sassed with a huge smile.
"I'm doing my best, Ms. T." Jack squeezed her pinky three times.
Elizabeth's loving smile told Jack everything he needed to know.
…
By the end of the school day, Charles had been charged with simple assault and suspended for three days out of school and two days in school. While Coach Franklin didn't kick him off the team, he suspended him during his out of school and in school suspension. He also lost his starting job with no promises to regain it. He also had a long list of running he had to finish to get back on the team by the end of his suspension. If he hadn't finished it, he would not be allowed on the team until he did.
Jack walked her to her car and gave her a quick kiss. He had to get back for practice. She watched him jog away when she heard Rosey's voice.
"Yahooo…Elizabeth…yahooo." Rosemary called out waving her hand.
"Hey Rosey. How are you?"
"I'm good. I was just wanting to check on you."
"I'm fine."
The shared looked between them expressed their feelings. Rosemary was concerned because she knew how that type of assault felt. Elizabeth really was fine because she felt empowered by what her dad showed her. Tom did a great job teaching her self defense. Elizabeth didn't feel like she could take on anyone in a physical altercation, but she did feel confident enough to protect herself if she was ever in a situation like that.
"What do you have planned?"
"I was going home to study. I need to stay on top of honors math."
Rosey let out a laugh. "Jack always complains that you answer before he can. It was never his subject like history, but he always did very well with it."
"It's fun to watch him try to keep up. I can't get ahead of him in history."
"Hey, Jack said that you met Scott and Billy last weekend."
"I did. They were hilarious and a lot of fun to hang out with. No one called them by their given names. Why do you?"
"I refuse to call them Rabbit and Cowboy." Rosey dramatically waved dismissing the idea with her hands.
Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh at her personality. She had trouble seeing Rosey and Jack being close friends in the beginning when she met Rosey, but now she understood why Jack liked her so much. She was a really kind hearted person who was funny in her own way.
Steph and Connie walked up when Rosey was waving her hands.
"Hey, what are you two doing?"
"I was going home to work on math."
"We don't have any homework in math." Connie stated.
"I know but I need to stay on top of it."
"Oh…you like to beat Jack too much in that class." Steph laughed.
"It's a lot of fun and I do enjoy watching him try to keep up." Elizabeth laughed.
"Hey, let's go to the park and hang out."
"Oh Connie…it's too cold for that."
"It's not too bad, but it is getting cooler."
"Let's go to Abagail's. We can get our normal snack."
"Did Jack send you to keep me busy, so I won't study?" Elizabeth asked.
Everyone laughed. They knew how hard Jack worked to beat her in math. He just couldn't do it.
"Come on oh sassy one. We don't have any homework tonight. Let's have some fun."
"Fine." Elizabeth huffed.
…
The basketball game on Friday night was an intense one. It was against their rivals, Hamilton West. The two teams have been rivals since they split the schools decades ago due to the number of students outgrew the old school building. Jack knew it was an important game, but he hadn't experienced this rivalry game. His old rivalry in Buxton was Pimberton. He guessed it was just the same.
Just seconds after the tip off of the girl's game, he noticed it was much bigger than Pimberton. The crowd was much larger than normal, and they were already amped up several levels. Even Elizabeth was getting into it more than normal. He smiled when Adam came down the stairs. After giving Elizabeth a hug first when her incident with Charles happened at school, Adam had gone back to giving Jack a hug first. However, Jack was certain that Adam held on longer to Elizabeth than he did before the incident with Charles.
Linda sat with the Thorntons and Thatchers in their customary portion of the middle section almost to the top row. They had all become close friends through the games. Linda didn't even like basketball, but her son loved being at the games with Jack and Elizabeth. He also wore that warmup jacket that Jack gave him the first game. She would always laugh when she had to wash it. Adam wasn't happy about it when she did. He would often stand by the washer and dryer until it was finished.
"Elizabeth told me what Adam did in the cafeteria on Monday."
Linda could only shake her head in disbelief. "I can't believe Adam pushed him. He has never been aggressive before, not once. I was so shocked when I spoke with Mrs. Johnston that afternoon."
"Elizabeth thought it was so sweet."
"It was." Linda's smile grew. "I almost felt bad when I admonished him for doing it."
"You didn't come down on him too hard did you?"
"No Grace. I just couldn't. He had this prideful look on his face in protecting his friend. He was so cute, but I couldn't let it go without saying something."
Charlette giggled as did Grace.
"This must be a big game." Tom asked.
"They are rivals. This will be intense." William told him.
"Does this mean you're going to get ejected from the game?"
"Tom, why would you say that?" Gasped William.
"Well, you almost did a few weeks ago. I thought they were going to handcuff you."
"You're being silly. All I did was cheer for Jack."
"William, you were telling the ref that he should be doing anything other than calling a basketball game." Grace laughed. "You were really bad."
"Come on Grace…I wasn't that bad."
"They thought you threw that water bottle on the court."
"I did not such thing!" William gasped as he defended himself. "How is the team doing since Charles is suspended?" William asked. His anger still rising saying Charles' name.
"Jack thinks Joe is filling in better than him. Jack said the team is practicing better without him than with him." Tom refused to say that boy's name.
"That's great."
…
With one minute left of the third period, William glanced down to where Jack and Elizabeth were standing in the middle of the student section. He witnessed a gentle kiss from Jack and a huge smile from his daughter. He still wasn't accustomed to PDA between his daughter and Jack. Then Jack gave Adam a hug that lifted him off the ground a little. He also saw Jack reach for his daughter's hand. He saw a distinct squeeze three times and wondered what that meant.
William watched as Jack walked up the steps toward the group of parents. He leaned in and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek and a hug. He did the same with Grace. Then he fist pumped him and then Tom before turning to jog down the stairs.
"He's always done that?"
"Yes William. He always has."
"Most young men won't do that in public."
"I guess, but he always has." Charlette smiled.
"Are you ready for this college trip?"
"If I say no, can I keep my baby at home." Charlette whined a little.
"I feel you." Grace chimed in.
…
"So, what do you think about this trip after the game?"
"I'm just going because dad's making me." Tom honestly stated. "I'm not going to that school. Plus, I get to be with you. So that's a great part of it."
"That's my favorite part of the trip too."
Much to everyone's shock, Tom and Julie were still dating and going strong. They balanced each other out well. This is the longest they have ever dated anyone. They may not have seen each other as often as Jack and Elizabeth, but for them this worked out perfectly. They wouldn't change anything about them.
They both started to receive information about the college in Charleston. They thought it was way too early to be thinking about college. Their birthdays were coming up soon. They were looking forward to their first official date. Like tonight, they have been together, but it was always within a group.
"Hey, you want a snack?"
"Sure, I would also like to use the restroom."
"Let's go before the end of the game. It will get crazy between the games."
Elizabeth told Connie that she was going to the concession stand to get some snacks for herself and Adam. Connie and Steph stated they didn't want anything. They also agreed that would keep an eye on Adam.
Elizabeth turned the corner out of the gym and noticed her sister and Tom already standing at the concession stand.
"Hey, you two?"
"Hey Bethie, what are you doing?"
"Probably the same as you. Are you ready for the trip?"
"Yes. Already to go even though there is no way I'm going to that school."
"I don't think mother and father expect you to."
They stood and talked for a few minutes while waiting their turn to purchase their snacks. Elizabeth was happy for her little sister. Tom had a calming hand on Julie. He was good for her. Jack stated the same thing about Julie's effect on Tom. In some strange way, the two people who were big flirts and scared of any form of commitment just worked.
…
Adam's smile grew when Elizabeth handed him a Coke and two bags of skittles. She remembered that Mrs. Wilson said only one bag of skittles, but how could she tell Adam no? She, along with her whole friend group, would do anything to make him smile. After all, he placed a smile on everyone's face.
"This is crazy." Stated Steph looking around the crowd.
"Is it always like this?" Elizabeth pondered as she followed Steph's eyes.
"Not usually, but this is our rival. Even though it's not usually this craze so soon."
"Cory said that it's bigger this year."
"How so, Steph?"
"Well, we're playing much better than normal and Hamilton West is good too. The winner tonight takes sole lead of first place."
The student section cheered as the home team won by two. Everyone sat down to rest, or they left to go and get snacks or visit the restroom.
"So, that's why it's crazy."
"Hey! There they are!" Proclaimed Connie.
Steven was leading the team out on the court tonight. Connie was excited for her boyfriend. Steven and Connie, along with Cory and Steph, have all progressed very well in their relationship. They were getting along very well as couples and as a friend group.
Elizabeth smiled when Jack was the last one in line. She and their families were the only ones who knew why he did that. She loved that he was that type of guy. He was a starting player. He was very good at this game. Yet, he didn't have to proclaim it to anyone. He was satisfied in knowing that himself. He didn't have to have others know it. Her smile grew when he glanced her way with a grin.
"You know, I remember when he would do that to me." Charlette stated to Grace.
"It's hard, isn't it? William is struggling with the same things concerning Elizabeth. I guess it's the growing up part of your child's life. We put in all the hard work as parents, and they grow up and leave us."
"Yeah…" Charlette's smile grew when she noticed her son grin at her a few moments later.
"This is wild." Willliam stated.
"I get the feeling you are going to get in trouble tonight."
"Tom, why would you say that?"
"This is their rivalry game right?"
"Yes."
"Both teams are good, and the winner is in first place."
"That's correct." William added.
"Then the crowd will be crazy…which means you will feed off of it and get even more crazy. I just hope one of the refs didn't date Grace when she was in high school. You would be arrested." Tom sassed.
William glared at his friend with a small grin fighting to appear. "Can I fire you yet?"
"Nope…contract, remember?"
"Oh yes…that pesky little contract. The worst and best decision." Both men laughed. "Are you telling me that I need to dial back my yelling?"
"Not even suggesting it. It's not going to happen."
…
"So, what do you want to do while we are visiting the school?"
"Jules, we don't have to do anything other than hang with family."
"I guess." Julie stated as they took their normal seats in the student section. They were waiting for the game to begin. "We will hang with them, but maybe we can sit on the deck or something."
"That sounds nice." Tom stated.
"You know Tom…I can't believe I'm saying this, but this is nice." She stated waving her hand between them. "I never in a million years would have thought this would be nice, but it is."
Tom reached for her hand. "I agree." He stated as he gave her a kiss on the lips. It wasn't passionate due to being in public, but it was a little more than a quick kiss.
William just shook his head when he saw his youngest daughter lean in for a kiss.
"Are you ok dear?"
"My youngest kid is kissing a boy. We are taking my middle daughter to visit a college a few hours away with her boyfriend, and my oldest daughter is already in college." He shook his head as he spoke. Life was going by quickly.
"It is, but I must admit it's been good."
"It has." William sighed. "But do they have to kiss?" He sighed again.
"I remember another young man who would often kiss me in public."
"Not in front of your father."
"I remember a few times…"
"I don't think you do dear." He teased her shaking his head.
…
When the starters were announced, the whole gym was rocking. The student section was all standing up and screaming. It was completely packed with students, and they were all standing and screaming their heads off. Even the other sections of the bleachers were standing, shaking pom poms, and cheering. The whole gym was so loud that no one could hear the gentleman on the loudspeakers.
Cory stepped to the middle of the court with the other player from the other team for tip off. Elizabeth watched Jack. He had an intense expression until he glanced in her direction. He gave her a quick grin and turned his attention back to the game. He loved having her in the stands. She loved that he would steal a glance toward her. She knew he was concentrating on the game and his focus was there, but she was grateful even in the middle of all of that, he still sought her out. She blew him a kiss just before he turned his attention back to the game.
"You have it bad." Connie stated.
"I saw you do the same thing as Steven walked onto the court."
"I didn't say you were wrong." Connie defended herself.
"We're lucky, aren't we?"
"Absolutely." Steph added as she turned her attention to the middle of the court. "Let's go Cory!" She shouted.
The game started with Cory tipping the ball to Jack. Before he took one dripple, the opposing player came toward him to guard him. Elizabeth grinned when Jack smiled. She knew what he was going to do. While she still wasn't a sports girl, she knew Jack. He was about to do something special. She tightened her hold on Adam's hand when he reached for her hand. His mother told her that Adam gets a little nervous when he is in loud situations. She never saw it at basketball games. She reached for Connie's hand.
Jack took one dripple to the left and immediately turned to the right. Within two steps, he was at full speed drippling the ball down the court. He quickly passed half court on the right side of the court. His defender was just behind him. He couldn't catch up to Jack.
Jack made his way to the painted area. When he did, a very tall player peeled off of Steven and came toward Jack. He was thinking he was going to block Jack's shot. Instead of shooting, he passed the ball to Steven. With one dripple, Steven jumped and dunked the ball and yelled at the same time. The excitement just overcame a usually quiet Steven.
The whole student section jumped and yelled. Somehow, they got louder. Adam raised both of his hands, even the one holding Elizabeth's hand, and waved them over his head. Elizabeth yelled and then chuckled when skittles began to land on her head. She turned her head to see him. She was afraid he would become scared due to the noise in the gym. He had the same smile on his face that he normally would when he saw Jack for the first time each morning. Adam was many things, but being scared wasn't one of them.
William was jumping on the bleachers along with Charlette. They were both screaming at the top of their voices. Charlette was always one to scream, but Tom was shocked that William did. He was always a put together businessman at work. He was never rattled, even in tense situations. On the bleachers at a high school basketball game, William is anything but put together.
The rest of Jack's team ran up the court to play defense. For Jack, however, he stayed back to play defense as soon as the point guard received the ball. He was always taught that if someone liked to press playing defense, they didn't like being pressed when they were on offense. Jack grinned when the man receiving the ball looked frustrated as soon as he saw Jack guarding him.
Jack played good defense and stayed close to his guy. When they reached halfcourt, he turned left to try to get away from Jack. However, Joe was coming from behind and stole the ball. He passed the ball to Jack and they both began to run toward their goal. When the defensive guy played Jack, he passed the ball to Joe. He hit an easy layup. Again, the crowd cheered even louder than before.
The opposing team inbounded the ball and brought it up the court. They ran their play. They passed the ball down to a tall guy. Cory was instantly on him. When he bounced the ball and turned to shoot it, Cory was there and blocked it. Steven grabbed the ball and passed it to Jack. Instead of running the ball up the court, he decided to walk it up. He wanted to slow things down for a moment. He was afraid everyone was getting too caught up in the excitement from the crowd.
Jack called the play that was given by the coach. He passed the ball to Joe. Jack ran in front of him to the corner. This was the same play as the first game when Charles didn't do what he was supposed to do and passed it to another teammate who wasn't expecting it. He threw the ball away. Instead, Joe followed the play and passed the ball to Jack. The defender stayed on Cory. So, Jack squared up and shot a three pointer. The ball went through the rim without even touching any part of it. It was all net.
Elizabeth, Charlette, and William all cheered when the ball went through the rim. Somehow, the crowd was even louder. They jumped out to a quick lead over their rival school. Hamilton West's coach called a quick timeout. The crowd grew in noise as the teams walked toward their bench. Jack's and Elizabeth's eyes quickly connected for only a second as he walked toward his bench. Joe came up from behind him and patted him on top of the head.
"Great job, Jack."
"You're playing great." Jack stated. "It's great to have someone who actually plays with us."
"I bet."
Jack smiled when Adam was waiting for him at the end of the bench. He had a bottle of orange Gatorade in his hand waiting for him.
"Thanks." Jack stated as he received the bottle.
Adam gave him a hug and picked up another bottle as he made his way back up to Princess Beth. He tore his eyes off his girlfriend when the coach began to speak.
…
At halftime, Jack's team was up by four. The game was really good as both teams were talented. No one left during the game to go to the concession stand. Therefore, almost everyone was there now. Elizabeth and Adam went to speak to their parents.
"Are you having fun?" Linda asked her son.
He laid his head on Elizabeth's shoulder and nodded with a smile. He really was having a good time.
"I'm surprised he isn't upset with the noise."
"He hasn't flinched one time." Elizabeth stated. "I think he's enjoying himself."
"Do you want a snack?"
Adam nodded his head at his mother's question.
"I'll go when the third period starts. There are too many people out there now."
"He spilled his skittles early on."
"I saw." Linda laughed along with all the other mothers.
"I'll go. I need to use the restroom and I'll stop by the concession stand. Just text me everything you want." William stated to everyone. He figured several people would text him their wants.
"You know, you may not be back in enough time when the third period starts."
"Then Tom, I better hurry. Elizabeth, I'll bring your and Adam's things to you."
…
The coach stood in front of his team. He was happy with their effort and how they were playing. They were up by four points and had the momentum, but there was room for improvement.
"Jack, you need to be more aggressive out there on the offensive side. Look for your shot. They are leaving you open and doubling down on Cory and Steven down low near the basket. Make some of those shots and that will free up Cory and Steven.
"Joe, you're doing great! Keep playing within the system. Nice work. Don't be afraid to take the open shot."
"Sam, great game, but make sure you stay on your player closer. You're getting too lax on defense. Stay up on him."
"Cory and Steven, don't be too afraid to pass the ball back out to Jack, Sam, or Joe. When you're doubled, pass it out. Once they make their shots, they will stop doubling you two so much.
"Now, on the defensive side of the ball… play together. Jack, Joe, Sam, come down on number forty five. Collapse on him. He's not going to pass it.
"When we rebound the ball, Jack, let's push it. Get the ball out to him quickly and let's push the ball faster up the court. Make smart decisions and good passes. Let's take the fight to them. Let's run them and see if they have put in the work like we have."
"Yes coach!" He heard several people yell out. They were all excited. The crowd was loud, and they were feeding off it.
…
Jack stepped on the sticky piece of film by the bench to clean the dust and dirt off the bottom of his shoes. He looked up when he heard a loud voice.
"Great job, son." William called out when he was standing by his middle daughter delivering the snacks and drinks to her and Adam. He was also delivering Connie and Steph a few items as well.
"Thanks William."
"You're doing great Jack. Keep up the good work."
Jack nodded his head with a smile. Then he glanced toward his girlfriend. He gave her a dimpled grin and tapped his chest twice. She did the same and mouthed 'I love you' when her father wasn't looking at her.
…
As Joe stepped onto the court, Jack walked beside him and placed his arm around Joe's shoulder.
"Hey man, let's push the ball until someone passes out. You with me?"
"Let's roll." Joe smiled.
"If you get the ball, I'll jump to the second spot, and you push it. Let's not waste time passing it around in the back court. If I get it, let's roll."
"I'm in!"
"If things work out, Cory and Steven should have some monstrous dunks. Let's have some fun."
"This is going to be a blast." Joe laughed as he walked to his spot.
"What are you laughing at?" Joe's opponent stated with some tone to his voice.
"I hope you did your running."
…
The whole third period Jack and Joe pushed the ball at every opportunity they had. It didn't matter who the ball was passed to, they pushed it. Cory had four dunks, one of which Jack thought the backboard was going to explode. Steven had two thunderous dunks. Sam had five three pointers when Jack and Joe drove the painted area and passed the ball out to him behind the three point line. He was wide open. Joe had four three pointers in the same way as Sam. Jack had four easy layups later in the period because the guy guarding him was getting tired from all the running. They were up fourteen points by the end of the third period.
"Great job men!" Coach Franklin stated as the guys walked toward the bench during the break. "Jack…Joe…great job of working together and pushing the ball. They're wearing down and everything is getting a little easier. Keep up the good work. Joe, way to step up and push it. Cory, you better not break my backboard." Coach pointed his finger at Cory.
Cory grinned at his coach's statement.
"Sam and Steven, excellent work. Now, don't get lazy on me. Keep pushing. I know were up by fourteen, but this is Hamilton West…if you back off, they will come back. They're a good team. Don't quit on me and don't quit on each other.
Coach Franklin looked squarely at Jack. "Jack, it's your team. Lead them!" With that statement, the coach stood and walked out of the huddle. Everyone turned their attention to Jack. They did not hesitate to follow him.
"Cory, if you don't break that backboard, you are a sissy, and I will never forgive you!" Jack's tone was intense. Elizabeth was lost in watching her boyfriend. She couldn't hear what he was saying due to the noise from everyone.
"Joe…Sam…camp out on the three point line, I'll find you! Steven, just be the monster you are! Now men…" Jack began as she placed his hand in the middle of them. They placed their hands on top of his. "Let's put these punks away and we get to kiss our girlfriends." Jack chuckled.
"But Jack…I don't have a girlfriend." Joe stated.
"You will after this game." All the guys laughed. They were thankful for a moment of laughter in the tense and excited atmosphere. "Now…let's have fun but let's end this! Punch them in the nose and put this game to an end. Family on three. One…two…three…"
The whole team yelled 'family' on the third count. As the huddle broke up, Jack quickly glanced toward Elizabeth. He gave her a quick smile before turning to walk onto the court.
…
With the team up by twenty five points, Coach Franklin substituted all five starters with four minutes left in the game. They didn't sit down. Instead, they stood with the rest of the team to cheer on the new five on the court. Cory put his arm around Jack's shoulder.
"That was a lot of fun."
"You played great. I can't count how many points you had. You were a beast, but you didn't break the backboard. I knew you were weak." Jack smirked.
"I have to follow coach's instruction."
"Sissy!" Jack laughed.
"You must be begging for Jack's forgiveness." Laughed Joe.
"Yeah…" Smirked Steven.
"Not you two." Cory shook his head.
"Sissy." Smirked Sam as he walked past them.
"Good grief…" Exhaled Cory.
The starting five were enjoying their time. They not only handily beat their rivals, but the crowd was also loud, and the atmosphere was off the charts. They were also playing their best basketball. They all knew it was due to Jack, but he never took credit. He sat them up for success. He made them all better.
"I think we have our new second guard." Steven laughed looking at Joe.
"I hope so. Charles should be back sometime next week."
"The coach will be an idiot to replace you. We'll have a talk with him." Sam stated as the others nodded their heads.
Elizabeth, Connie, and Steph all watched their boyfriends talk with Sam and Joe. They were proud of them. They were also admiring their boyfriends. They loved the wet hair look, especially when it stuck to their foreheads. Jack bend over and picked up a towel he dropped on the floor. Elizabeth leaned forward and watched his backside.
"Elizabeth!"
"What?" Replied an embarrassed Elizabeth. She knew she was busted. Connie smiled and glared at her at the same time with a little chuckle.
Grace saw the whole thing too. She just smiled. She did trust her daughter. Elizabeth had never given her a reason not to. She remembered when she was seventeen. She did want to reinforce their previous talks about premarital sex.
…
Jack walked out of the locker room with Steven and Cory. Everyone was feeling great with the big win. Jack was also looking forward to visiting Bryan's University. As they stepped out on the court to walk toward the home bleachers, there was a tall man with a red shirt on.
"Cory and Steven, I'm Coach Frazier. I'm the assistant coach at Cumberland College. I would like to speak with both of you."
Jack gave them a knowing smile and patted them on the backs. "That's my boys." Jack proudly stated.
"You two played great out there tonight. Way to dominate the paint." Coach Frazier began. "Have you two given any thought about where you are going to college?"
"Not really." Both guys stated.
"Let me tell you about Cumberland." The coach continued.
Jack smiled as he heard the coach begin to talk to them about his school. He looked up and saw a part of his friend group. Elizabeth, Connie, Steph, and Adam were all standing on the edge of the court. He noticed his family and extended family all standing on top of the bleachers.
After kissing Elizabeth on the cheek, he turned to Adam. "There's my guy!" He picked Adam up and spun him around one time. Adam's arms waved in pure excitement. "Thanks for the Gatorade!"
Linda's heart melted at the sight before her. She wiped away a tear.
"Who's that?" Steph asked.
"That's a coach from Cumberland. He wants to talk to Cory and Steven about his school. Why don't you two go and stand by them. They would appreciate that."
"You think?"
"I do Connie. Go…go…" Jack nodded toward the three guys standing on the court.
Connie and Steph walked hesitantly toward their boyfriends. They were a little nervous they would be interrupting the discussion. Their nerves were relieved when they saw smiles breaking on their boyfriends' faces. Cory and Steven reached for their girlfriend's hands when they were close.
"Coach Frazier, this is my girlfriend, Steph. Steph, this is Coach Frazier from Cumberland University."
"Nice to meet you." Coach Frazier stated in a meaningful tone.
Steven repeated the introduction with Connie as did the coach.
"Their being recruited?"
"I think they are, Elizabeth. I'm happy for them."
"Me too. Hey, you played great."
"Did my dad tell you?" He sassed.
"Nope, I'm learning this all on my own."
"Well…look at that. I'm dating a sport's girl."
"Nope, you're dating Jack's girl."
"The best." His smile paused her brain for a moment.
Jack, Elizabeth, and Adam walked up the stairs to their parents. They were waiting for the young group. Linda wanted to get her son home to bed. He's not used to staying up this late. The Thorntons and the Thatchers wanted to get on the road as quickly as possible. They were to arrive late at the Airbnb.
"Ma." Jack stated when he released Elizabeth's hand and kissed her on the cheek. "Mom." He smiled and kissed Grace on the cheek. "Mrs. Wilson." Jack gave her a huge smile. "Thank you for brining Adam to the games."
"Thank you for making him feel so special."
"He's the one that does that. I would die of dehydration out there if it wasn't for him." Adam's smile grew when Jack put his arm around his neck.
"Are you ready?" Tom asked his son.
"Sure. We have a little bit of a ride in front of us."
"We do, son, but we have the van from work. It's pretty comfortable and huge. We have room for everyone." William stated.
"Speaking of everyone, where's Tom and Julie?"
"Here." Julie exclaimed walking hand in hand with Tom.
"And where were you?" Whispered Elizabeth. She noticed Julie's red lips.
"Doing what you wished you were doing." Sassed Julie.
"Julie!"
"Well, am I wrong?"
"Hush you!"
"Come on girls. Let's get going. The Airbnb waits." Grace warned her two daughters.