Alley-Oops I Think I'm Falling in Love (With the Wrong Guy)

"Damn, you do have springs in your legs." Katie Choi whistled. Her long black braid hung over her shoulder and her hands were perched atop her hips. She was eying me from the wing — the top corner of the court.

I twisted towards her, a proud smile creeping across my face.

"Told you I could grab the rim." I said and pretended to shoot a basketball with a little too much gusto.

"Well that's why you start varsity and I'm still on the sophomore squad." She laughed, her eyes flicking from me to the ten foot rim dangling overhead, as though she still couldn't quite believe it.

"Does your coach know you can do that?" A man asked.

I had my back to her, but at the sound of that voice, I whipped upright and abandoned the ball I'd bent to retrieve.

A wiry man with peppered grey hair was standing beside Katie, a clipboard tucked under his arm. His stance was wide and his arms were folded across his chest as he inspected me, his mouth curved into a stern line.

I blinked at him, feeling my cheeks grow hot at the thought of him witnessing my little show-off routine.

"Umm... I don't think so." I said, my voice alternating between too loud and too quiet all within a single sentence.

This is why I didn't talk, I couldn't even get the volume right...

Summer was in full swing, it was suffocatingly hot, and the air conditioning was fighting for its life. Summer league was open to anyone, but designed to weed out the weak. Hell, just ten minutes ago, Katie Choi had puked her guts out in a garbage can.

Coach Brown, the men's head coach, glanced at Katie, noting the car keys tinkling in her hand and the Adidas slides on her feet, "You have anywhere to be in the next hour or two?"

I followed his eye, raised my brows almost imperceptibly at Katie, "No, sir, just shooting around..."

He nodded and gave me another once over, before lowering his clipboard, "Why don't you come join us on the main court? Let's see how you do with guys your own size."

I gulped. As in... he wanted me to come scrimmage with the men's team?

Katie gaped at me. Her eyes darted between Coach Brown and I.

"Will do." I said simply and inclined my head, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

Coach Brown noted my lack of hesitation, my confidence, and he seemed pleased by it. Without another word, he nodded to us both and continued on his way.

As soon as he was out of ear shot, Katie whirled on me, "Are you freaking kidding me right now?" 

My facial expression was just as bewildered as her own. My heart thumped wildly against my ribcage and I had to fight the urge not to fist pump or leap into the air in excitement.

Was Coach Brown inviting me to humble me or help me? I didn't know the man well enough to know. I'd caught his keen eye on me more than once last season, but I hadn't thought much of it.

Whatever his reasoning, I summoned every last drop of energy I had for this exhibition. I felt like I had the reputation of lady ballers everywhere on my shoulders. I needed to make them proud.

This was more than just an opportunity to show out, if I played my cards right, this could revolutionize my high school experience before it even began. And I didn't mean on the basketball court, well... not exclusively.

This was zombie recess — my second chance — to make guy friends in my natural habitat.

Males bond through activities, through repeated proximity. This was the third rule of the male social hierarchy.