I turned down Oakwood Drive, the home of a runaway junkie, an excess of horse girls, a pedophile, my best friend, her younger siblings, and me. Yeah, the street my family had been living on since my great-grandfather moved into town wasn’t the most ideal in terms of neighbors, but it was home. Or at least Taylor’s house was. It’s not like I have trouble at home or anything, I have just been spending every moment of spare time I have at the mansion of a house belonging to my closest friend for as long as I can remember.  

So, naturally, on the way home from school, I walked straight past my house and up the front steps of my second home. I rapped on the glass window next to the door and waited for Taylor to let me in. 

The door swung open and I was startled for a second to see Taylor’s mom in the doorway. “Addi, what are you doing here?” she demanded. 

“Um. . .” I replied with a blank stare, wondering why for the first time in fourteen years I needed an excuse to come over. 

“Tryouts started ten minutes ago.” Tryouts? 

Tryouts. The most important day of the year for any basketball player at our school, which, honestly, wasn’t many. How could I forget? 

Sprinting over to my house, I bounded up the steps to the front door. I fumbled with the front door and yanking open the shoe closet, I searched for the white Kyrie’s I had bought last month after I realized my old ones hadn’t fit for years. It took me a good five minutes of staring at the same few pairs of shoes to remember that I had left them in the garage along with all of my other equipment. I threw my shoes, ball, and empty water bottle into a bag and hopped on my bike. I cursed as my tires slid on the icy sidewalks around every corner and up every hill on the mile long bike ride back to the school. 

Finally, still panting, I ran through the gym entrance. 

“Addison Kettler. Late. What a surprise.” I looked up at the nearly seven-foot man glaring down at me. Coach Lewis Robinson had always hated me, especially since I had been more fit to play point guard than his daughter, Gracie, for the past seven years. “10 laps. One for each layup I’m sure you would have missed if you had been here for them,” he jeered. I rolled my eyes and immediately began to run; the one thing he couldn’t deny I could do better at than his sad excuse for a daughter.  

I completed my final lap and went immediately to the drinking fountain.  

“Kettler! No time for breaks!” Coach Lewis barked. 

“Yeah, Kettler, especially when you’re a half hour late,” Gracie added with a sneer. Five girls who I still hadn’t bothered to learn the names of giggled. Even though none of them had more than an ounce of skill, they had been starters on the team for years. Gracie smiled at each of them individually and an incredibly short girl wearing brand new Jordan’s stood on her toes and whispered something in her ear. They both burst out laughing before Coach Lewis shut them down. 

“Girls, save your chit chat for later. Unless you are discussing a new play to run. Then, please, do enlighten us.” They both quieted and returned to glaring at everyone as if they ruled the court. “Alright everyone. Most of you have been playing on this same team for years. This year is going to be different. For the first time, we are playing to represent our school.” A cheer went up through the group. “This means that there are more of us here at tryouts and some of you will have to be cut.” Everyone began looking around, sizing each other up. Except, of course, Gracie, who already had her spot clinched on the team as the coach’s daughter. There was no doubt she’d put in a good word for her cronies that followed her every step and Coach Lewis wasn’t stupid enough to cut Taylor, she was too good. If Gracie could make the team, so could I, which left the new girls. Not all of them would make it, a few would have to go. The question was, which ones? 
 

“Alright everyone! Bring it in!” Coach barked. Everyone jogged in to listen to his instructions for the final ten minutes. “We are going to play a five-on-five scrimmage. I want to see how you all play in a game situation. Kettler, Maria, you two are on the bench first.” 

I sulked over to the bench. The best part of any practice, and I’d be sitting out the first half. After five minutes went, Coach Lewis called Maria over and subbed her in. 

“Coach, what about me?” I called to him.  

“Kettler, I already know how you play, even if I wanted to sub you in, I wouldn’t have to.” Does that mean I’ve clinched my spot on the team? But if I was out for that reason, why was Taylor still in? 
 

A week later, I was sitting at my desk straining to finish my homework when my mother walked in. 

“Mom! What did I say about knocking? I could be changing or something!” 

“But you're not.” 

“I could be!” 

“Well, Addison, I thought you might want to know how you did at tryouts,” she grinned as I perked up. “I thought you might want to read Mr. Robinson’s email yourself.” I smiled and took the phone from her, opening the email. I skimmed through all of the useless niceties at the top until I got to the good stuff. 

‘Unfortunately, due to the number of girls we had at tryouts today, we had to cut your daughter from the team. I look forward to seeing her improvement next year, and maybe we can get her back on. If you need, we are still going to play games against the YBA (Youth Basketball Association) and if you want to sign her up for one of their teams, I’m sure they’d be thrilled to have her and we’ll be excited to play against her.  
‘Have a wonderful day, 
‘Coach Lewis Robinson’ 

I stared down at the phone in shock. “He cut me,” I breathed. 

“Honey, speak up please, you know I can’t hear you.” 

I looked up at my mother. “He cut me from his team. Eight years and he threw me out like trash! How could he cut me and still give a spot to his b*tch of a daughter? This isn’t fair. He just hates me, mom! He hates me!” My voice kept getting louder and louder, but I honestly didn’t care. 

“Addison, he doesn’t hate you. And maybe this will be a good opportunity for you to play with another team.” 

“Mom, what other team will take me? I can’t just transfer schools!” 

“Play for the YBA, honey.” 

“Have you seen their teams? They suck!” I screamed in her face. I was sick of this. My biased coach. My glass half full mother. Even Taylor, who was always Miss Perfect. I stormed out of my room, trying to hold back the tears in my eyes and almost ran into the front door before remembering to open it. Then I ran. 

A half hour later I realized I had absolutely no idea where I was or how to retrace my steps. I sat down and hugged my knees for God only knows how long before I came to a conclusion.  

I’d join that other team. And I’d crush Coach Lewis and his stupid favorites until he questioned every life decision he had ever made.  

*** 

Another two weeks had past when I stepped out of our car and onto the YBA’s court. Maybe my mother was right. It would be nice to get a fresh start on a new team. I smiled and walked over to a gaggle of girls laughing and lacing up their shoes. 

“Hey! You must be the new girl!” a tall brunette called out to me.  

“That’s me.” I replied. 

“Well, I’m Audrey, it’s nice to meet you.” I sat down in their huddle as all of the others recited their names. 

“It’s nice to finally have someone new on our team,” said a girl with blue hair who had just introduced herself as Maggie. “Are you any good?” 

“Well, I dunno, I got cut from my school’s team,” I answered meekly.  

“You can’t be much worse than us,” Maggie said and the rest of the team laughed and started high fiving. “What team did you come from?” 

“North Rockford.” 

“North Rockford?” Maggie laughed. “You’d think you guys would have bought a better team by now with all the money you have.”  

“Didn’t we beat you guys last year?” I snapped back at her. Even though I wasn’t with them anymore, I was still offended at the jab at my school and their team. All of the girls started laughing and making fun of each other’s missed shots during last year’s games all at once, not even slightly bothered by my annoyance or the insults at one another’s performance. I couldn’t help but smile. And I knew in that moment, that this was the team I wanted to be on, and there was no one else that I’d rather beat Coach Lewis with. 
 

Weeks passed, and, finally, the day came. My new team and I walked onto the court. I smiled as my old teammates immediately started whispering from the other side. We lined ourselves around the three-point line to warm up, and as I released the ball, it went through the net with a satisfying swish. So went my next shot, and the next. My grin grew wider with each made shot and I had only missed one when the ref blew her whistle for the game to start. Audrey stepped up for the tip-off, towering nearly a head over Gracie.  

The ball was tipped off and flew straight into my hands. Without hesitation, I dribbled it down to the opposing team’s three-point line and shot. The ball sailed straight threw the net. Looking over at Coach Lewis, I saw the calculated anger in his eyes. If they got beaten by this team, they would have no chance of going to the regional championship.  

We continued for the next twenty minutes with almost no subs, finishing the first half with a two-point lead.  

I drowned myself in my water bottle for the entire half time break before being called to go back onto the court. Taylor took possession and started to dribble up the court as I went up to guard her. She passed the ball down into Maria’s wide-open hands. I ran down to defend her before she took a shot, and she charged the rim. 

Maria’s elbow went straight into my jaw and before I could even feel the pain, I was on the ground, with her sprawled on top of my legs.  

“Addi, are you all right?” I could barely make out the people standing above me. The back of my head felt as though knifes were being stabbed in and out at a thousand miles an hour. My vision began to clear and I could make out the blue in Maggie’s hair. “Can you get up?” 
“Yeah,” I breathed back. And with her help, I pulled myself to my feet. I had only taken one step when my right leg gave out from under me. I moaned in pain. By now, it seemed everyone in a ten mile radius was hovering above me. 

“Her leg is broken!” I cringed at the shrill scream. 

“We don’t know that for sure.” 

“Yes we do! Look, it’s bent all weird!” 

I felt Taylor and Audrey pick my limp body up. 

“It’s ok guys, I can walk,” I protested. 

“No you can’t,” Taylor replied with finality, continuing to carry me out.  

She was right. I couldn’t. I couldn’t walk now, and wouldn’t be able to for a long time; or at least long enough to mess up my basketball career forever. I sighed. If I had to go out, there was no other way I’d rather be doing it; beating Coach Lewis Robinson and his girls with a team that supported me to the end.