Chapter 35

The two weeks from the visit to Bryan's to the beginning of Christmas break in school was a busy one for Jack and Elizabeth. Finals were quickly approaching and their admittance into Bryan's only strengthened their resolve to continue making good grades. They did find time to study together with their friends. Finals just before Christmas break were intense for everyone.

Jack and Elizabeth's relationship grew closer together. They were in love and were ecstatic about it. They still haven't said those words to anyone other than each other and to Pops and Nana. It was just between them even though everyone knew.

To everyone's shock, Tom and Julie were still going strong. They really were good for each other. Rosemary and Lee were an item, and everyone thought it was a good fit. They were going very slow in their relationship, but Lee was gaining her trust every day. Steph and Cory were going strong as well as Connie and Steven.

…

The last day of school before Christmas break was a short day for most seniors and juniors. However, the lower classmen had a full day. For everyone in the friend group, they only had one final that began at nine and was over by eleven. The friend group decided to go over to Elizabeth's for lunch. Grace always did this for Elizabeth, Connie, and Steph. Now, their boyfriends were invited.

William and Grace always went all out for Christmas. While they liked Thanksgiving, Christmas was their favorite holiday. William always insisted on the house to be decorated to its fullest. There were six Christmas trees of all sizes throughout their home. He even had a small one in his library. In the living room, there was a sixteen foot tree. It was the largest one Jack ever saw. He was only over to Elizabeth's house one time during those two weeks. They were all too busy studying for finals and Jack still had basketball practice and games.

With just four days until Christmas, they had a basketball game that night after school. That was the last one until after Christmas and just before New Year's Day. He was ready for the break.

"When are you coming over?" Elizabeth asked when they stepped out of the last final.

"I was going to come over after this. Is that ok?"

"Of course. Mother is home waiting for us. Everyone else will be there around noon."

"Nice. I have all my stuff for tonight. Is it ok if I stay until we leave for the early dinner with everyone and the game?"

"Jack, why do you even ask? Of course it is."

"Is the roads bad?"

"Nope. The snow is only on the ground. There isn't any on the road."

"Hey you two." Connie stated as she walked up to them.

"How was your final?"

"Not too bad. I'm just glad it's over." Steph let out a slow breath. "I'm so ready for this break."

"Me too. Next semester shouldn't be so bad." Elizabeth nodded her head in agreement.

"So, Jack, what do you think about this evening?"

"If it is anything like the last time we played Hamilton West, it's going to be interesting. Especially since we are playing there."

"It will be intense after we beat them so badly last game, but that's not what I was referring to."

"Oh…I'm not too sure." Jack spoke softly. He still didn't want to talk about it.

"Cory isn't happy about it, but he can't change things. He did speak to Coach Franklin about it."

"So did Steven." Connie stated as she walked up to the group.

"What did they talk to him about?" Elizabeth asked.

"Charles." Steph stated.

"Oh…"

"Steven was unhappy about it."

"Is he back on the team?"

"He is Elizabeth. He finally met all the requirements to be back on the squad. It took him some time to finish all the running and the pushups."

"That's good." Elizabeth stated with a smile.

Jack remained silent during the conversation. He wasn't a fan of Charles before his altercation with Elizabeth, and he most certainly wasn't one after. Charles just wasn't his favorite person. Elizabeth's smile confused him.

"I hope he figures this out." Elizabeth stated as she opened her locker to put everything in it. She had no intention of taking any of her books home with her over the break. She needed this break just like everyone else. Jack continued to his locker just a few feet away. He didn't say anything to her.

"Is he ok?" Connie question. She noticed the sudden change in Jack.

"He was a moment ago." Elizabeth turned her head in Jack's direction. It wasn't like him to walk away without saying something to her first. Even if he was just walking to his locker.

"Hey man. You ready for this evening?"

"I am. You?"

"I'm breaking their backboard."

"Cory…" Jack shook his head and spoke in a teasing brother's tone. "…you don't have it in you. You don't have enough lead in your back pocket to bring it down." Jack laughed. "You're just not big enough."

"I think he's calling you weak." Steven slapped Cory on the back.

"I would say." Joe stated. His locker was only a couple down from Jack's. "I hope everything works out."

"Don't worry, Joe. We already talked to Coach Franklin about him."

"You did?"

"Absolutely. None of us wanted him on the team anymore, but since the charges were downgraded to simple battery instead of assault, he had to let him back on the team. However, he did tell us that he isn't playing him at all tonight."

Joe was still a little worried Charles would come back on the team and take his spot even though Joe was playing really well with the whole team. They were much better with him in the starting lineup than with Charles. He fit in better and was just playing better than Charles ever did.

"We've got your back, brother." Jack stated. "We've talked with Coach Franklin as a group. We told him we didn't want to play with him."

"Jack, you shouldn't have done that."

"Joe, it wasn't just me. We all went and told coach we didn't want to be on the floor with him. If he was going to play, we wanted all to sit while he was on the floor." While Jack spoke, Cory and Steven nodded their heads in agreement. "You're our brother, Joe. We roll with you."

"I did the same." Sam stated as he walked up during the time Jack was speaking. "What he did was completely unacceptable. We stand as a team."

"Yes, we do." All the other guys echoed Sam's statement.

"Thank guys. That means a lot coming from you all."

"Joe, your part of us. We do this together. Plus, you play circles around that chump."

"Have you even said his name?"

"No Joe, I haven't." Jack stated. "I don't trust myself around him. I've only seen him during school. I just want to punch his smirking, perfect chin!" Jack growled.

"Calm down. We don't want to lose our star player."

"Me?" Jack scoffed. "Cory and Steven are the ones getting all the offers from colleges. They've got what, three offers each. They're the stars."

"True."

"I can understand Steven, but Cory can barely dunk." Jack teased in a brother's voice.

"You're not going to let me live that down, are you?"

"You should have broken the backboard during our first game with them." Jack shrugged his shoulders. He looked up and noticed Elizabeth looking in his direction. He paused for a moment. "Hey guys." Jack stated in a soft, serious tone while still looking in Elizabeth's direction. His face turned into a serious expression instantly. "Do me a favor…don't let me be alone with him…ok?" His eyes never left Elizabeth.

"We've got you brother." All four guys patted Jack on the back.

Elizabeth noticed the change from a joyous conversation between the guys to a serious one just before they went their own way. Jack's expression changed. She wondered why. She also wondered why he didn't say anything when she stopped at her locker, and he kept going to his. She watched him forcibly shove a book into his locker and closed it with a little more force than necessary. Everyone left him except for Joe. She watched their conversation as Connie and Steph continued to talked.

"Relax Jack. There is nothing to worry about with Charles."

"I know." He shook his head. "It's just that guy…"

"I get it. He's been a thorn in your side since you got here."

"Yeah."

"I guess I'm like everyone else here. I thought Elizabeth was dating him, but I also know she said she wasn't dating anyone in high school. Charles would let everyone believe they were dating. I don't know Elizabeth very well, but what I know of her I didn't think she would lie. I just didn't give it much thought."

"That jerk just pushes and pushes…"

"He does but look where that got him. He's lost a vast part of his friend group. He's barely on the team anymore and he has a record. Everyone knows he lied about dating Elizabeth. It's kind of sickening to see you and her. You two are so sweet together." Joe shook his head and laughed.

"What about you and Abby?"

"What about me and Abby?" Joe challenged him.

"I noticed you two began talking not long after the game. The one I told you would get a girlfriend since you played so well." Jack smirked.

"Yeah…she told me yesterday she has had a crush on me for a few weeks now."

"And you?"

"Let's just say I've had a crush on her a lot longer than a few weeks."

"She seems like a nice girl. You two are sickly sweet too."

"Don't worry about Charles butting in…she's in love with you." Joe nodded his head toward Elizabeth.

Jack looked up and noticed that Elizabeth was intently watching him. "I don't think he can break us up. I'm not taking her for granted. I know I must work at keeping her. It's just that all that guy has done. He's lied, he's tried to hurt me in practice, he's played horribly and hurt the team because he doesn't like me. He started a fight with me and then the most horrible thing he could do…" Jack shook his head. "He laid hands on Elizabeth and caused bruises."

"True, but he can just now breath through his nose because of her. She broke it. I still think she broke it in two places." Joe laughed. "You better be careful with her Jack. She may eat you alive if you do something stupid."

"She's a special girl…that chump just causes all kinds of trouble. I don't like all that drama."

"I get it but don't do something stupid because he has."

"Yeah…thanks man."

"We all will make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

…

"Are you ready for the kids and their friends?"

"I am. Jack and Elizabeth will be here by eleven thirty and the rest will be here around noon or so. When do you think you'll be here?"

"I can't get off until four. Some things came up. I'm sorry."

"No problem, William. When you come home, we'll grab a quick bite to eat and then head to the game."

"Sounds nice. I'm really looking forward to tonight's game. It should be a really good game."

"Yeah. I believe Elizabeth will ride with Jack."

"The team's not taking a bus?"

"Not since it's still in Hamilton."

"I thought they always took a bus for away games?"

"They do for all aways games except for this one. The coach just thinks it a little silly to since it's twenty to thirty minutes away and still in Hamilton."

"Have fun with the kids Grace. I've got to go to this meeting. I'll see you soon."

"Love you, William."

"Love you, Grace."

Grace set her phone down and looked at her Life360 app. Elizabeth was still at school. She noticed the time and realized that it was just past eleven. The food was in the oven and the finger snacks were in the fridge just waiting for everyone to show up. She made a quick trip around the house to make sure all the lights were on. She laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. She always joked with William that if they had all the Christmas lights on at night, then they didn't need any other lights on in the home. She was also afraid that a plane might land on the lawn thinking it was a runway or something at the airport. He smiled each time she said that. She knew he loved all of it.

…

Elizabeth took Jack's hand as they walked toward the front office. While they finished with their last final, they still have to check out of school before they could leave. She noticed Jack was still a little quiet as they walked down the hall. They didn't always have to talk while they were together and there were times she liked the comfortable silence, but this was a different kind of silence.

"Hey…you ok? What's wrong?"

Jack glanced at his girlfriend and then looked down at the floor in front of him. He didn't say anything. He wasn't sure how, or if, he should say what's on his mind.

"I know it's not the game tonight…everything was fine when we reached my locker. You left my locker without saying anything. That's not like you." She stated as he reached for the door handle to open it for her. She glanced at him before she stepped into the office.

"I hope you two have a nice Christmas break." Mrs. Waters stated as the young couple stepped to the counter along with a few other students who followed them in.

"You too, Mrs. Waters." Jack and Elizabeth stated at the same time.

When they stepped out of the front doors and onto the top part of the steps, Elizabeth stopped Jack and turned him toward her. "Jarrick Thornton…you will use your grown up words and tell me what's going on with you! Why are you so quiet?"

He let out a sigh. One thing his girlfriend was good at was reading him. He really didn't want to say anything. As good as she was at reading him, she was just as good at drawing out of him what he was feeling.

Elizabeth moved him to the side of the doors when others began to walk out of the front doors after they signed out.

"May we go to the car and talk about this?"

"No. Jarrick…we will talk about this here and now. No one is paying us any attention. We promised each other that we won't allow this type of stuff to happen. We need to talk about whatever is bothering you. So, what's the problem?" She stood tall and resolute in her posture. She was absolutely determined to find the cause of the problem and then fix it. This promise was made during their first part of dating after the company picnic fiasco.

"Him." Jack whispered.

"Him?" Elizabeth softly repeated. "Him who?"

"Him." Jack whispered again in a little bit of a huff.

"What did he do now?" Elizabeth stated a little frustrated. Charles was a bad penny between them. He just kept finding a way into their lives and causing an issue.

"It felt like you were happy for him to be back on the team. And after all he has done to you…to me…to us…"

"I'm happy he is getting his life back in order…well, hopefully getting his life back in order. I just don't know with that guy anymore."

"Why?"

"We may not be friends now, but I have been friends with him since we were four years old. I don't want him to crash and burn. I just don't want him around me. I'm hoping he begins to make good decisions and does the right thing."

Jack looked at his girlfriend trying to figure out what she really meant by that. He started to open his mouth when she continued. She saw the look in his eyes. She knew what this was all about.

"Jack, I have no interest in being friends with Charles. You know me better than that. He crossed a line when he grabbed my arms and placed bruises on them. He can never come back from that. That doesn't mean I want him ruined. I just don't want him around me."

"Has he texted you?"

"Twice since that morning. I haven't returned his texts."

Jack rubbed the back of his neck. He knew he was letting his hatred of Charles get into his head. After letting out a long breath, he looked up and connected with Elizabeth's eyes. He saw complete love and honesty in those seas of blue. They pulled him into her once again.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth." He rubbed his face with both hands. "I'm sorry I acted that way."

"Is it because I said that about him at the locker."

"Yeah…for some stupid reason I thought you were excited about him getting his old life back."

"I'm excited about him getting his life back in order, but I'm not going to be any part of that life." She continued looking into Jack's eyes. "Jack, I have your heart and I'm not giving it back. For Charles or for any other guy. It's mine. You have my heart and I don't want it back. It's yours to keep. Do you understand me?"

Jack nodded his head.

She placed her hand on his chest and pushed his back against the building's wall. "Mr. Jarrick Thornton. Do…You…Understand…Me…? I need to hear you say the word!"

Jack smiled. It was more of a turn on now than it was when early on in their relationship when she pushed him against the lockers. He felt the warmth from her hand. He didn't understand it. She was always cold, especially her hands. He felt the warmth through his shirt and coat. He nodded her head.

"Jarrick…" She stopped when she noticed his smirking grin. He loved it when she was like this. He loved her determination. It made him feel loved when she directed that determination toward him. He would never admit it to her, but this was just too much for him to handle at times. He didn't always appreciate the determination, but he was loving it at the moment.

"You better answer me!" She demanded as she pushed a little more of her weight on him.

"Then you better quit being so sexy." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Jarrick!" Her tone left no doubt that she wanted an answer to her question. She wasn't interested in flirting now.

"I understand." He whispered.

She gave him a smile that melted his heart. As she began to push away from Jack, he took hold of her wrist. Then slid his hand down to her hand interlocking their fingers. He reached for her other hand. She was still leaning on him.

"Elizabeth…" He elongated her name. She melted each time he did that. "…I am very sorry for my attitude. I shouldn't have acted that way. I am really sorry."

Her expression softened at his gesture and his words. She knew Charles was a touchy subject to him and probably always will be. "We're good?"

"We're good."

She winked at him as she pulled back. "Good. Now, we need to head to my home. Mother is waiting for us."

…

"Mrs. T." Steph stated when Grace opened the large front door.

"Stephanie, it is great to see you. And you too, Cory. Please, come in." Before Grace closed the door, Steven and Connie pulled into the driveway. Grace stepped to the side to allow Cory and Steph to step in and waited for the other couple to park and get out of their car.

"Hey you two. I'm glad you came."

"Mrs. T, it's great to see you."

"Come on in…it's too cold to be out here."

Grace smiled as the teens hurried up the stairs and into the home. Grace loved it when Elizabeth's friends came over. She even liked it when their boyfriends showed up too. They have only been by one other time as a whole group, and it wasn't for long. The sounds of teens in her home were music to her ears.

When Grace stepped into the home, she noticed Jack and Elizabeth were standing by Cory and Steph. Steven and Connie were walking toward the group. They were all greeting each other.

"Now, everything is set for you all at the dining room table. There is plenty for you all. Please make yourselves at home. Elizabeth, the drinks are on the island in the kitchen. You guys can stay in there or you can get comfortable in the living room. Whatever works best for you all."

"Thank you mother." Elizabeth looked around for a moment. She made eye contact with everyone. "Mother, are you busy?"

"No dear. I just have some wrapping to do for Christmas. I'll be in my bedroom. Do you need anything?"

"Would you like to sit with us?"

"Me?"

"Yes, Mrs. T. We haven't had an opportunity to talk with you in a little while. Plus, Steven and Cory don't know you very well."

"Come on mom, please sit with us." Jack stated.

"Mom?" Questioned Cory.

"Yes, I call her mom." Jack stated without any hesitation. "Come on mom, hang out with us for a little while."

"Come on mother. Join us for a little while. We'll just grab our food and take it to the living room. Please join us."

Grace nodded her head. She fought the tear that threatened to fall. She welcomed the opportunity to sit with Elizabeth and Jack and their friends. She didn't stay for very long. She wanted the kids to have their time together, but she did enjoy hanging out with them.

…

Jack brought all of his things with him to Elizabeth's home. So, he stayed there until they left to meet with their friends for an early dinner before the game. That was a routine they all enjoyed when it was possible. They enjoyed their time together alone in the truck and with their friends in the little restaurant. Their friends stayed at Elizabeth's house for a couple of hours. Steven and Cory needed to go home and pick up their gear for the game.

This was the first time Jack was in Hamiton West High School. The school was very similar to his school. Just like the first time they played, the place was very loud. Not only was it a rivalry, but they lost by a lot the last time they played. You could tell everyone was jacked up because of it. Hamilton East girls' team won by one point. It was a thrilling game. It only added to the excitement of the boys' game that was next. Since the game was still in Hamilton, Adam and his mother came. Since it was a different school, it took Adam a little longer to get comfortable. Elizabeth, Adam, Connie, and Steph sat with Mr. and Mrs. Thatcher and Mr. and Mrs. Thorton when their boyfriends left at the beginning of the fourth period.

When the boys' team jogged onto the court for warmups, Adam stood and clapped his hands. Linda was a little surprised Adam wasn't spooked because of the noise and the new location. Elizabeth excused herself with Steph and Connie to make a trip to the bathroom and concession stand. They didn't want to miss any of the game.

Jack was last in line like normal. Charles was at the end of the seniors. He wasn't happy that he wasn't going to play. He still held out hope that he would get in the game. Jack tried his best to ignore him. Joe, Sam, Cory, and Steven made sure that Jack wasn't alone with him. They noticed Charles stared at Jack a couple of times, but they kept a distance between them.

The game began in Hamilton West's favor. They jumped out to a quick start. They were up by four within the first minute. Jack uncharacteristically turned the ball over on back to back plays. He picked up a quick foul on the second turnover out of per frustration. The coach called a quick time out after West went ahead six to zero.

"Come on guys. Let's pick it up. Jack, get your head in the game. Cory, you have to hang with your man. Steven, patrol the paint. Don't leave it. Sam, collapse when the ball goes low. Joe will cover the perimeter on your side. We're playing like we have never seen a basketball before. Let's go!"

Along with the players, the coach was frustrated. Nothing he tried seemed to work. The guys just weren't responding like they have all year. They had only lost four games, but with the way they were playing, they were about to lose their fifth. The first period ended with Jack's team down by ten. Hamiton West was in complete control and their crowd was into the game.

"Tom, this isn't looking good."

"No William, it doesn't. I wonder what's wrong with them. They are all playing poorly."

"They really are playing bad." Steph stated to Connie's and Elizabeth's agreement.

"Really bad. I wonder if Charles is in his head?" Elizabeth flinched when someone a few feet away began to yell for Jack and Joe to play better. She began to turn to face them when her mother grabbed her arm.

"Elizabeth…don't."

"Mother, he can't talk about my boyfriend like that."

"They do it all the time."

"They do? I don't hear it."

"Because you are in the student section."

"She's right dear." Charlette stated. "You can't pay attention to them. Just concentrate on Jack and the team."

Elizabeth huffed and stared at the man. Then she turned her attention to Steph. "I never knew that happened."

"Me either, but they need to watch themselves. They're about to hear it from me!" Steph stated as she glared at the man.

"From us!" Elizabeth stated as Connie nodded her head while still staring at the man.

…

The second period didn't start off any better for Jack and his team. Hamiton West scored another six points and jumped out to a sixteen point lead. When the other team scored another two points, Jack's coach called timeout. Instead of walking to the bench, Jack remained standing at the free throw line. He was staring at the floor shaking his head from side to side. His teammates gathered around him. No one said a word. His coach looked on with a little surprise until he saw Jack's facial expression.

"Why are they still out there?" The assistant coach asked Coach Franklin.

"I think they finally had enough."

"What are they doing?" William asked.

"Watch this father…they are about to do something special." Elizabeth answered. She saw the look in Jack's face.

When Cory, Steven, Sam, and Joe gathered in front of Jack, he took a deep breath and made eye contact with every one of them. "This ends now!" He pointed fiercely to the floor. He was very animated with his hand gestures. That wasn't like him. His voice was raised. His voice didn't carry the whole gym because it was very loud, but many in the stands could hear him. "We are playing so far below our standard! And it begins with me! I'm allowing that punk to get in my head." He nodded toward Charles. "We are not doing this any longer!" He made eye contact with his teammates. "Cory, I swear if you don't drive that guy in the ground…I'm coming to you after this time out. You better do something special! I promise my guy will not get past me again." Then he looked at Steven. "Steven, you won't have to pick up my man on defense again! You will only have to guard your guy. He's my responsibility, not yours. We play better from this moment, and it begins with me! Am I understood?"

"We're in." Each player stated loudly. Everyone could see their body posture change.

"My guy won't have an open shot again." Joe stated.

"Joe and Sam, we attack in the back court after we score. We press them. Cory and Steven, get back on defense. We'll work them to you. No stupid fouls and no easy shots. If they score, they score with us in their face.

"My man won't have another easy basket." Steven stated with authority and determination.

"Let's go Joe…we're going to lite them up." Sam stated.

"Give me the ball and step back. You're going to want to watch this." Cory stated with a sly smile.

"Let's go gentlemen. You have fifteen seconds." The ref stated as he walked by the small huddle.

Jack put his hand out and the other four placed their hands on top of his. Usually he would say something like 'family' or 'together' then he would count to three and everyone would shout the word. This time he just made eye contact without saying anything. Each one looked at each other and nodded their heads. The looks were easily understood.

"Let's get to work!" Jack stated and turned to walk to where the ref was standing with the ball. Sam stepped out of bounds to pass the ball into play to Jack.

Elizabeth intently watched her boyfriend. Usually, he would steal a glance at her, but he didn't this time. He had a determined look she had never seen before. She almost felt bad for the other team. She thought he grew a foot taller because of his changed body posture.

Sam passed the ball to Jack. He slowly dribbled the ball up the court and went to the right side. Jack passed the ball down to Cory when he posted up his guy on the block.

"Uh…oh…" Coach Franklin stated under his breath. He saw the look on Cory's face.

Cory faked like he was going to the baseline. Instead, he took two dribbles to the center of the court and jumped as high as he could. He brought the ball behind his head with both hands. With all the strength his body possessed, he brought the ball forward and screamed as he forcibly grabbed the rim throwing the ball through it. He broke the rim forward like it was made to do. However, the rim didn't stop where it should have. Cory pulled on it and as he began to come down, he brought the rim with him. The backboard glass shattered into countless pieces with a loud, thunderous sound. Cory landed still holding the rim in his hands. As the other players coward down and covered their heads with their hands due to the falling glass, they ran away from the goal and falling backboard. Cory straightened up and looked at the ceiling. "This is my house!" He yelled at the top of his voice.

The home side of the gym went silent. The guest side of the gym erupted in louds hoots and screams after they realized what happened. Cory's teammates all jumped off the bench and jumped up and down screaming. They have only seen that on TV.

Cory turned and began to walk towards his bench. The players that were on the court with him came running toward him. They chest bumped him and slapped him on the back. Their excitement was off the charts. Cory was standing on the side lines with his teammates when the ref walked up to him.

"Son, we need that back." He nodded toward the rim that Cory was still holding.

"Oh…yeah. Here sir. Sorry."

"Impressive." The ref whispered.

Coach Franklin walked to the center of the court when the opposing coach and ref waved for him.

"It's going to take us twenty minutes to clean up this mess and replace the backboard. You can either stay here or go back to the locker room. When everything is done, you will have five minutes of warm up." The ref spoke to both coaches at the same time.

"We're staying out here." Coach Franklin stated and then turned to walk back to his team. He didn't even stay to see what the home team was going to do.

"Men, we have twenty minutes. Have a seat. They must clean up Cory's mess." He fist bumped Cory who was still grinning.

The freshman and a couple of sophomores stood to allow the five starters to sit down on the bench. They were all handed a couple bottles of water and Gatorade. Cory looked up and found Steph. She was smiling so big at her boyfriend. He could see the pride in her face. Connie was smiling back at Steven. Jack made eye contact with Elizabeth. She tapped her chest a couple of times. Jack knew what that meant.

The announcer came on the loudspeaker and shared what the ref told the coaches. Elizabeth looked toward Adam when he gently pulled on her arm.

"We'll be right back." Elizabeth turned toward the adults.

Elizabeth and Adam stood and made their way to the court. They walked around the floor and toward Jack's bench. Adam reached into the cooler and pulled out a Gatorade. He walked toward Jack and gave it to him.

"Thank you, Adam." Jack stated and stood to give him a hug. Adam was wearing the pullover he always wore. While Elizabeth walked by Charles, she never looked in his direction. Her eyes were only on Jack.

"Play well." She whispered after he hugged Adam. Jack reached for her hand. He squeezed it three times and she repeated the process.

…

After the glass was cleaned up and the new backboard was in place, the game began again. The energy was completely different. All of the momentum was with Jack's team. They ended the second period just down by eight points. The hole Jack and his teammates had to climb out of was a daunting one. Sixteen points was a lot. They were thankful they were able to cut it down by half at halftime. Hamilton West was still a good team, and they didn't make it any easier. However, the atmosphere did change more in favor of Hamilton East.

Tom and William made their way to the concession stand to get drinks and snacks for everyone. Grace texted what she and Charlette wanted while Elizabeth texted what she and her friend group wanted. Linda reminded William to only get one bag of skittles for Adam, but he got two instead. When he looked at Adam, he just couldn't say no to a second bag.

"This is intense." William stated as they waited in line to pick up everything.

"It is. That was incredible what Cory did."

"I have only saw that on TV a couple of times. And that was by usually really big men in the NBA."

'Yeah, me too. I never thought someone as skinny as Cory could do something like that."

"I thought that young man was going to tear down the building." A gentleman stated that was standing behind William and Tom.

"Me too." Tom stated. They recognized the man. They have seen him at all the home games but didn't know his name. "That little huddle changed the course of the game."

"I believe your right." Tom smiled. His son really did take over at that moment. Cory and Joe were the two who cut the deficit in half. They scored the most points, but the other three guys contributed in other ways.

…

After the coach's speech to them at half time, the five starters sat in the same small row of seats. The team surrounded them. The coach stepped out and was talking with his assistant coach. They had five minutes before they stepped back out on the court to warmup.

"We've cut it in half, let's continue to push it. We're gaining." Sam stated.

"Joe, you and me like the first time we played them. Whoever gets the ball, we push it. Sam, find that corner you love so much. We'll find you."

"On it."

"Steven, now it's your turn. You and Cory have to own the paint. That number forty five is a hoss but you are doing a great job with him."

"Thanks Jack. He's winded. He can't run with me."

"Then let's run him. You're our first option. If you're not there, we'll find Cory or Sam. Be ready to rebound. Joe, if I'm bringing the ball up, I'll come up center court. Get opposite from Sam. That'll spread the defense out more."

"Let's own this!" Joe stated.

Jack looked over at Creed, Malachi, and Thaddeus. "You three will have to come in and give us a breather. Malachi, when you replace Steven or Cory, I expect you to do the very same thing they are doing. That goes for you two when you replace one of us. You have to match the rest of the guy's level. There is no falloff."

"We got you!" The three backups stated.

"Now, it's a dog fight out there, but it's our game." Everyone nodded their heads. Jack smirked at Cory. "Well…I guess I owe you an apology."

Cory's grin was huge. "I told you man."

"Well, I guess he is man enough." Joe laughed. Cory buffed out his chest.

…

Elizabeth looked up when the team came out on the court. She finally found Jack at the end of the line. Instead of going to shoot, he found the corner of the court and sat down. He began to stretch his legs. He looked up and made eye contact with his precious girlfriend. She looked concerned. She raised her eyebrows and held up her fist in front of her chest with her thumb sticking up. Jack smiled and nodded his head. She knew he was good.

The third period started off quickly for both teams. They traded buckets for the most part. Hamilton East was able to chip away at the lead slowly. Steven shut down his player by continuously running the floor. He had a couple easy dunks and several layups. He owned the third period. The opposing team tried to ruff up Jack a little. His opponent fouled him pretty hard a few times. One time was so hard that he received a technical foul. Joe came to his defense and pushed the player away from Jack. Jack's team was down by two points at the beginning of the fourth period.

The fourth period was more intense than the first three combined. No one would have thought that was possible. The game was close and the intensity consistently grew. The three reserve players played throughout the third period and the first half of the fourth period. They played excellently. No one could tell a reserve came in. With five minutes left in the game, the score was tied. Jack, Steven, Cory, Sam, and Joe didn't come off the court for the rest of the game. It was time for the starters to shine.

The two teams traded basket for basket. The score was either tied or one team was up by one or two points. There just wasn't much of a separation. The whole game Jack distributed the ball well to the other four. However, the last part of the fourth period was all Jack's. He scored the last ten points himself with two three pointers and two easy layups. With twenty seconds left, Hamilton West was up by one point. Coach Franklin called a time out after the opposing player made his free throw that put them up by one point.

"What you got?" The assistant coach asked Franklin.

"Jack has the hot hand the last little bit."

"He has. He's been driving the ball well. Is that your play?" He asked Coach Franklin as the team made their way to the bench. They were wiping the sweat from their faces. This was a hard game to play but exciting to watch.

As Jack walked by the coach to join his teammates on the bench, he looked at Coach Franklin in the eyes. "I want the ball." Jack never stopped walking to the bench.

"There you have it." Franklin stated.

The coach kneeled in front of his five starters with the other team members gathering around. The place was loud with anticipation of what might happen. He pulled out his dry erase board that had the lines on it like the court. He began to diagram a play.

"Jack, drive the middle with ten seconds on the clock. Steven…Cory, stay on the blocks. If they collapse on Jack, he'll find you. If not, he has a layup."

"Joe…find your spot. If they collapse on all three of us, it's you. You make the shot." Jack stated looking directly at Joe. "Sam, crash the paint right after me. We may need help with rebounding. That makes you behind me and Cory and Steven on each side. Any rebound should be one of yours." He looked directly at Sam, Cory, and Steven.

"I'm right behind you."

Joe grinned. "No need for rebounds. I won't miss!" His voice was filled with confidence.

Jack looked into Joe's eyes and saw what he needed to see. "Joe…this one is yours. Let's go win us a ball game." Jack stated to his teammates.

Sam passed the ball to Jack. He jogged the ball up the court, but not in too much of a hurry. With ten seconds left on the clock, Jack faked left and then went right to the middle of the court. He approached the paint. Cory and Steven's players cheated to the middle trying to play both players. Jack's player was to his left and Sam came crashing in behind him to help with rebounding. Jack picked up his dribble and took one step and jumped. Instead of shooting the ball, he passed it to Joe who was in the left corner behind the three point line. Joe's player was crashing to the paint toward Jack.

Joe caught the pass with four seconds left. He caught the ball in rhythm and jumped while he shot the ball. Everyone in the gym went silent as they watched the ball arch through the air. They could have sworn it was in slow motion. When Jack landed, he ran under the goal with his arms above his head. He was already celebrating the victory.

As loud as the fans were during the whole game, you could easily hear the ball swoosh as it passed through the net. The buzzer blared as the opposing team caught the ball after it went through the net. Joe hit the game winning three with zero seconds left on the clock. The guests' fans exploded with cheers as Jack jumped into the arms of Joe. The whole team followed Jack and tackled them to the floor. There was a huge pile of humanity celebrating the hard fought victory.

Elizabeth, Connie, Steph, and Adam all jumped in each other's arms in a huge bear hug. They were jumping and cheering. William gave Thomas a hug as did Grace and Charlette. The guest side was jubilant and screaming while the home side sat stunned.

Coach Franklin began to walk his way to half court to shake the hand of the opposing coach. The players began to get off the pile. They noticed what their coach was doing and began to slowly follow him to shake the hands of their opponents. As excited as Hamilton East's team was, the opposing team was just as devastated.

After shaking hands with the other team, the team began to make their way across the court to the guest locker room. Jack looked up and noticed Elizabeth looking in his direction. His smile grew when their eyes connected. She just brought a smile to his face. He tapped his chest a couple of times and mouthed 'I love you'. Her smile grew at his kind gesture. She mouthed the same expression as she tapped her chest twice.