Chapter 647: In The Stands
Saturday, March 11th, Afternoon
Sitting in the bleachers, she wondered if basketball could be used as an analogy for life. Coming from a family of letters, she remembered the speech from the As You Like It, The Seven Ages of Man Speech, which opened with the even more famous line All the World's a Stage. But throughout the years, it has not come clear to her. To her, basketball has been a part of her, an escape, a passion, an average, and finally, a career.
"What are you thinking about, Angela Baby?" Andy asked.
"Life, love, and basketball," Angela said.
"The title of your autobiography?" Andy asked.
"Funny! But no," Angela said.
"Why are you thinking about those things?" Andy asked.
"I was trying to draw a parallel between basketball and life," Angela said.
"Why?" Andy asked.
"Just something I do," Angela said.
"Sometimes things just are," Andy said.
"Yeah, I've been told that before," Angela said.
"Don't always get lost in the symmetry because life has a way the throwing curves in the road," Andy said.
Angela nodded and looked at the bench. The depleted Tree Hill team was discussing the disastrous third quarter. Angela noticed how flat the team played after Brett's injury and Jade chomping at the bit to get back in the game. Ashlyn wasn't on the sideline; Lucas sent her in the back to look after Brett.
Shaking her head, Angela looked at the scoreboard; a game they controlled or dominated was now in doubt. The score tied, and the bench was depleted; what would happen?
Angela clasped her hands across her lap and leaned forward to watch the court. Taking a few deep breaths, she closed her eyes.
The darkness of her closed eyes brought a feeling of peace and calm. In many games, when she needed to be better, when she needed to step up, when it was time to put up or shut up, she would close her eyes and build it up inside. As Philip Labonte would say, It Dwells in Me. Angela would think about what she needed to do and manifest it; the calm before the storm, she called it.
As the peace of purpose settled over her and the path to her future became apparent, the world dropped away. The noise became fuel for the machine, but she couldn't affect this game, as she isn't playing in it.
There was a rumble in the beginning, and it grew. It felt like waves crashing over her with increasing intensity. The power was becoming intense as she felt her tank fill.
Angela forced her eyes open and saw half the crowd was wild. Looking down towards the bench, she saw Ashlyn was back at the bench. Along with Ashton and Brett, and they were talking with Kiera and Lucas. He nodded a few times and looked at Ashton. Ashton said a few things, then nodded yes. Lucas nodded and turned to Brett; he said a few short things, and Brett nodded.
Brett removed her warmup jersey to the cheers of the Tree Hill Faithful. Brett walked away, headed towards the scoring table, and checked in. As she walked back to the bench, the crowd got louder. The girls of the team stood up and greeted Brett. High fives, chest bumps, and a few hugs. Lucas went over to talk to the team.
Angela looked at the sole redhead on the bench. She sat flanked by her two friends, Baylee and Avril. Angela could see the white bandage behind her ear; there were even some darkened areas where her blood seeped into her jersey.
Body language is everything, and Angela could see the change. Brett strode with a confident stance, even an edge. Angela saw her as probably how Brett saw herself, as an executioner. The telling was even pronounced in the team; the confidence was back in their body language. The swagger was back; the world was about to change.
Brett nodded her head and looked over the other eleven girls. As the coach finished, they put their hands in and called out, breaking the huddle. The five girls walked out onto the court. Each one of them took their position. Angela could see the swagger in them, but Brett, Brett carried herself; differently; there was a purpose in how she carried herself.
"Wow!" Angela said.
"What's up?" Andy said.
"Something is different, and I think we're about to see something," Angela said.
"I'm not sure," Angela said.
"How do you do it?" Andy asked.
"Do what?" Angela asked.
"Know these shifts?" Andy asked, "Even after all these years, I can't figure it out," Andy said.
"It's like poker," Angela said.
"Everyone has a tell?" Andy asked.
"Something like that, you just know, like when you're working on a deal, you know when to press and when to hold back," Angela said.
"I guess if you applied it to other things, you could've been a shark," Andy said.
"The roads not taken," Angela said.
"There is always enough time," Andy said.
Angela shrugged, "Well, all roads lead back home," she said.
"Meta?" Karen asked.
"Maybe," Angela said.
"I'm thinking about staying for this Brian Scott movie," Karen said.
"Why?" Angela asked.
Karen sighed, "Haley has always been like a daughter to me, and Brian is sort of a grandson," she said.
"Even with all that has happened?" Angela asked.
"Maybe, somehow, it might bring some closure or some understanding," Karen said.
"Yeah, well, he's not somewhere in the South Pacific living as a beachcomber," Angela said.
"That's my favorite one," Andy said.
"Mine is he's living the life of a beat poet in Paris," Angela said.
"Like his idle Jim Morrison tried to do," Karen said.
"What is yours?" Andy asked.
"He found someplace quiet to escape from it all," Karen said.
"What?" Andy asked.
"What do you mean, Mom?" Angela asked.
"Shh! The game is starting again," Karen said.