Steven Universe: Behind the Scenes Chapter 71- Basketball Practice
Monday, March 17, 2014
Steven was standing in the locker room. It was the end of the day, and Wilt had told him to stay after school for basketball practice. He wore the jersey that he had been given, he laced his Nikes. Lazlo, Finn, Gumball, Darwin, Clarence, Jeff, Sumo, Robin (Richard Grayson), and Ed were ready.
Steven walked out of the locker room and went to the court. Wilt was there already, spinning a basketball on his finger, then he smiled at the boy.
"Looking good," Wilt said.
"Thanks, Wilt," he said, as he waited for his other friends.
Steven sees his other friends walk out of the locker room. Wilt smiles at them as they line up side by side like a team should.
"Alright, guys." He said. "Today, you're going to be working on scrimmages. Can anyone tell me what a scrimmage is?"
"Practicing?" Gumball asked, raising his hand.
"Yes, Gumball. a scrimmage is a pratiace game. And you guys will do just that. Now, when I call your names, go on either side of the court." Wilt said, his one eye looking at the students dressed in their Cartoon Comets jerseys. Then he starts. "Steven stand by my left, Darwin stand by my right."
They both did as instructed.
"Richard. Your with Steven."
"Gumball, you're with your brother." Gumball ran to Darwin's side. Richard looked at Steven.
"Woah! your Robin! How do you like working on season six?"
Robin smiles. "It's such an honor to be working on our show again, I think it's awesome. And Star's season… I hope it will tie everything together."
"Awesome… I love working on my show also, it's fun." Steven said.
"I bet. You get to go on adventures with aliens."
"You too! Well, one of your teammates is an alien."
"True, and we still have fun on the show. Alex Soto is a great director," he smiled.
"Same with mine, Rebecca Sugar is great too," Steven said.
"Lazlo, you're with Steven," Wilt said. Lazlo went to Wilt's left.
"Finn, you're with Darwin."
"Sumo, you're with Steven."
"Jeff, you're with Darwin."
"Ed, you're with Darwin."
"Clarence, you're with Steven."
Everyone got on their sides respectively. Robin crossed his arms, waiting for instructions from Wilt.
"Alright, guys, we are going to do a scrimmage today. Everyone is in the middle of the court." Wilt said as he was holding a ball under his arm.
Robin and Gumball stood on opposite sides of the court. Wilt tossed the ball in the air. Gumball smacks it, and Steven's team gets the ball.
The game was on.
All dressed up and nowhere to go
Walking the streets all alone
Robin started running down the court with the ball. He passed it to Lazlo, and Lazlo passed it to Sumo. Sumo passed it back to Robin,, and Robin stopped just outside the arc and made a three.
It went in.
"Good shot, Richard!" Steven yelled.
Another night to wish you could forget
Making yourself up as you go along
Who's gonna take you home tonight?
Who's gonna take you home?
Who's gonna take you home tonight?
Who's gonna take you home?
Does god bless your transsexual heart?
True Trans Soul Rebel
Darwin passed the ball to his brother. Gumball passes the ball to Ed.
Ed made the shot. It bounced off the rim and missed. "REBOUND, SOMEONE GET THE REBOUND!" Gumball shouted. Jeff jumped up and got it.
"He can jump! I didn't know Jeff could jump like that!"
Yet to be born, you're already dead
You sleep with a gun beside you in bed
You follow it through to the obvious end
Slit your veins wide open
You bleed it out
Jeff grabs it and passes it to Finn, then he passes it to Ed. Ed made a layup.
Wilt smiles and looks at the scoreboard that is mounted on the wall. No shot clock. Just the score, which was 3-2.
Robin ran out of bounds with the ball. He looked at Steven and passed it to him. Steven ran down the court with it and made the shot. He missed.
Robin's skills as an actor and former acrobat kicked in. He flipped down the court to move faster. Wilt wanted to reach for his whistle, but he was so amazed by Richard's agility on the basketball court.
Robin passed the ball to Clarence. Clarence made the shot. "Let's go, Wendell!" Lazlo cheered.
Ed went out of bounds, then passed it to Finn, Finn passed it to Jeff, Jeff lobbed it back to Finn.
"Woah… Never underestimate Jeff Randall's strength, and I thought Ed was the strong one." Robin muttered.
"Come on, boys!" Wilt said,
Who's gonna take you home tonight?
Who's gonna take you home?
Who's gonna take you home tonight?
Who's gonna take you home?
Does god bless your transsexual heart?
True Trans Soul Rebel
Robin passed it to Steven again. Steven passes it to Lazlo, who runs and passes it to Sumo. Sumo took the shot from half court. Wilt sees it go in. "Oh, wow!" Steven said, Robin, looked at the scoreboard.
It read in large red numbers 6-4.
Wilt still watched his players out on the court. He was proud of this group of boys. Playing together like a unit, on both sides.
You should've been a mother
You should've been a wife
You should've been gone from here years ago
You should be living a different life
The game is reaching its climax now. Steven passes it to Lazlo, Lazlo passes it back to Steven, who was in the corner.
Wilt watched. He got into position, his arms bent and the ball above his head as he took it. He sprang his arms, then it flew to the rim. His team watched as it was going in.
Who's gonna take you home tonight?
Who's gonna take you home?
Who's gonna take you home tonight?
Who's gonna take you home?
Who's gonna take you home tonight?
Who's gonna take you home?
Does god bless your transsexual heart?
True Trans Soul Rebel
True Trans Soul Rebel!
The shot went in. "GAME!" Wilt shouted. Steven then looks at the scoreboard.
9-4.
"We won!" Steven said, running up to his friends. Robin, Jeff, Sumo, and Lazlo all smile.
"Good game," Darwin said, smiling. Robin shook his fin and looked at him. Steven shook his hand also, the orange fish looks at his friends and smiles at all of them.
Steven was in the locker room.
He took off his jersey and shorts. He walked to the showers, a towel wrapped around him. He sees the showers.
The school showers lined the back wall of the locker room in a clean, tiled row—each stall separated by frosted glass doors instead of the usual thin curtains. The warm overhead lighting gave the space a soft glow, far from the harsh fluorescents found in most schools. Each shower had its own small bench just outside the stall and a chrome showerhead with adjustable settings—rainfall, massage, or gentle mist.
The tiles were a warm beige, with subtle mosaic accents, and the water pressure? Just like home—perfectly balanced, warm, and consistent. Each stall even had a little cubby with hooks for towels and a small shelf for shampoo and soap. It was quiet, calm, and surprisingly private—a small luxury tucked into the ordinary rhythm of usual school life.
Steven walked into one and turned on the water, he waited for it to get warm first.
A bright light illuminated the shower above him. He's taken a shower here before, and he liked it. It's not like those bad school showers that other buildings have. Madame Foster has good money on her; that is how she could afford everything in this school.
Steven sighed in relief as he went back to his locker. His locker had his number on it. He sat on the wooden bench and got dressed.
He was dressed in a white Steven Universe shirt and shorts. He laced his shoes and went out of the locker room. Steven saw Richard, he was holding a ganola bar in his hand.
"Sup, Rob." Steven said.
"Hey, good game today, want one? I packed extra."
"Sure."
Robin dug into his backpack and pulled one out, then handed it to him. "Thanks." Steven unwrapped it and took a bite. "I'll see you around at school," he said, giving Richard a fist bump.
"Cool later, Steven!" he waved.
Steven walked out of the gym and down the halls. "He's such a cool guy…" Steven smiles to himself and keeps walking.
Then Ami and Yumi were walking. "Steven! You've missed rehearsals."
"Oh, man! That was today! I was caught up in basketball practice!" he told them.
"It's okay, the show is in two days, so we have two days left to practice."
"Where are all professional musicians," Steven said. Ami and Yumi nod, that was true.
"True…. but we still need to practice, Steven!" Ami said.
"You can meet me at my house tomorrow after school, we can practice there," he said.
"Alright, we can do that." Steven then walked out of the school, his dad was waiting for him. He didn't take his bike today.
He opened the door of his dad's van and climbed in. He set his stuff down next to him. "Hey, Schu-Ball, how was basketball practice?" Greg asked.
"It was good. Did you go to the gym today?"
"Yeah, I feel good too." Greg smiled.
"Wanna come to Whole Foods with me? We can get stuff for the house."
"Sure," he said. Steven and Greg went off to Whole Foods by their house in Beverly Hills.
They walk in. People were there shopping for things. Steven grabbed a cart, and Greg pulled out a list from his phone and went through it.
Steven pushed the cart down the aisles. Greg grabbed fruits, veggies, and other things. Steven grabbed ramen, but light.
"Dad, there's light ramen."
"You want it?"
"Heck yeah."
"Toss it into the cart, Steven."
Steen tossed the pack into the cart, and they went on their way.
Steven and Greg both walked to the checkout line, some people were there checking out their stuff. Greg pulled out his Batman wallet and took out some cash.
Greg walked up to the register, food was scanned and payed the man, and he grabbed his tote that was in his cart, then he put it inside.
Steven waited for his dad to finish, and he went on his phone and saw a text from his friends from his group chat. Sumo texted them a meme. Steven laughs at that and replies back.
Greg finished placing the items in his tote bag, he swung it on his shoulder and they walked out.
Steven went back to his dad's van, Greg unlocked the doors, and they stepped inside. Greg set his tote back down next to Steven's feet and they went home.
Rose sees them return. "Steven, how was basketball practice?"
"It was awesome, Mom! My team won the game, and I got to meet Robin."
"Wait, Robin, as in 'Richard Grayson' Robin?"
"Yeah! It was awesome, he goes to school there too!"
"That's amazing, Steven!"
"How's work at Foster's?"
"Amazing, I love helping out my friends!" Rose said
"That's good, I'm happy for you, Mom." he said, hugging her. Rose hugged back.
Steven smiled and went upstairs to his room. He opens the door and sets his bag on his bed. Steven eyed his V-guitar, then sat on his bed and turned it on, and an episode of Ed, Edd & Eddy was now playing.
"Awesome…"
The red pop-up banner came up, and the black lettering said 'Thursdays 7p Regular Show'. Then more came on. 'Up Next Teen Titans'
"Coooollll!" he said, now lying on his bed, watching the cartoon.
Regular Show came on. Steven went on his guide and read the episode title 'Death Punchies\Free Cake' played.
"Oh! I love these episodes!" he told himself excitedly.
A/N:Hey guys! I'm back with a new chapter. Make sure you leave a review!