"Hey babe," A boy tapped my shoulder as I was rapidly searching the cafeteria for a place to sit. I turned back, "You got a jacket, sweet."
“Huh?” I looked back and saw his blonde locks, “Jason right?”
“Yup, how about you sit with the team today?” I was instantly grateful that he saw me. A burden was taken right off my shoulders. “You can sit next to me, sound good?”
“Yeah!” I smiled, but couldn’t help feeling like he was coming on to me a little bit. I decided to ignore it. I needed somewhere to be. Hannah followed us, but I don’t think Jason noticed her at all.
After sitting down at the circular table containing the members of Gardan High’s Basketball team, I was instantly questioned. “Why is she here?” Kevin groaned. “Jason, did you bring her over here? Why’d you do that?!”
I slumped in my seat, “Wow, thanks Kevin!”
“And you got a jacket… You’re not even part of the team yet!” He yelled with his fists down on the table.
“Not on the team?!” I objected.
“Yeah, you haven’t even played in a game yet.”
“That’s because there hasn’t been a game this season yet! By that logic Jason and Keith aren’t members.”
“No,” He smirked just to piss me off more, “They count you don’t.”
I folded my arms, “You’re rude.”
“Aw, are you gonna cry?”
“Shut up,” I turned away from him and looked at everyone around the table. I found it interesting that all these guys from different grades could still come together and be friendly. Being in a circle like this made them all seem equal. Even though Mike was the captain, he let other people have the spotlight sometimes. I didn’t know him that well yet, but I could already tell he was a strong leader.
No one had talked about the crazy girl sitting next to me. She hadn’t pulled out a lunch or gone up to buy food, but I didn’t think anyone at the table even noticed her. Jonah sat three seats away from me, and since there were ten seats at the table, I could see part of him. He leaned outwards and stared at Hannah for a second. Lowly, when the groups conversation had quieted down he asked, “Who is she?”
“It’s Hannah Logan,” Isaac answered with his general knowledge of everyone who attended this school.
“Oh…” He silenced.
“Wait, what?!” Kevin turned from across from me, “When did another girl get here?! They’re multiplying!” He screamed.
“This is Hannah. Um,” I called Alec out, “You played basketball with her in gym yesterday.”
“Uh, yeah… You were that girl who didn’t do anything.”
I protested, “She did something!”
Alec realized he was treading through dangerous territory with me, “Wasn’t she that one that people kept saying sucked?”
Hannah darted her head upwards. She reached her hand over to my lunch laid out on the table. After grabbing my green apple, she threw it slowly at him. “I no suck!” She said harshly. I cringed seeing the faces of my new teammates.
Alec was able to dodge the apple flying towards him, “What was that for?!”
“I no suck,” Hannah repeated and slumped her head back down near the table.
Alec thought about her for a moment, “Oh yeah, she was also the one that made a dunk during gym basketball, like who does that?”
“She made a dunk?” Thomas questioned, “But she’s so tiny.”
“You’re also very tall,” Mike added.
“Yeah,” I explained, “She got all angry at the boy defending her. She started playing keep away against him and he couldn’t steal the ball away. It was all legal though, because she didn’t move her feet. And then, once he said she sucked again, Hannah took off towards the basket. She jumped way higher than someone barely five feet should be able to. Then, Bam! She ducked in right in the basket.”
“But once she did, she went back to sitting calmly on the court,” Alec finished for me.
“Sitting?” Keith raised an eyebrow. “She sat on the court, dumbass.”
“Hey!” I yelled at him.
He held his arms up, “Hey, I’m just saying.”
“It was really cool okay?!” I defended her, “I think she could actually be really good at basketball. She’s coming today to practice, just to watch us though.”
“Whoa, what?” Mike looked straight at me.
“Yeah, well Rosa said yesterday that she still wanted one more member right?” He nodded, “So I thought maybe Hannah could just see what we are doing, and if she wants to she could possibly join.”
“But… it’s a boys basketball team hun,” Jason laughed playfully.
“That did stop me, did it?” I pointed out to all of them.
“Sadly…” Kevin mumbled.
“What was that?!” I jerked my head at him and he just laughed coldly. “I’m not saying she has to join, I just thought she might want to. I know my place, okay? I get it, I can’t just waltz in and change the team like that, but clearly this team isn’t looked upon highly at this school. Maybe it’s in need of a little change.” I took a deep breath and sipped my water.
“She’s allowed to watch,” Mike described to me, “I mean, we can’t stop her. I’m just not so sure have two girls on our team against all male teams with much more seniors than us, isn’t the best situation.”
“Yeah,” Jason stared at her, “I mean you’re hot and everything so it’s fine, but could a short little thing like her be good at basketball?”
I placed my water bottle down, “Just because she’s on the team doesn’t mean she has to be playing in regular season games as a starter! She could be like a secret weapon. You know, like once she’s angry no one is going stop her.”
“That’s stupid,” Keith commented.
“Duh it’s stupid, having a girl on a boys team is stupid to start with. This whole thing is stupid, including Jade.”
“Kevin…” I muttered, “I swear…”
“You swear what?” He mocked me.
Mike interjected, “Okay, okay, guys that’s enough. Hannah can come watch us during practice that’s fine. We need some sort of support from this school, right? Yes, and by no means is she on the team. That’s Rosa decision.”
“What’s my decision?” Rosa turned around from the table behind ours, and the boys froze, “Do you guys really think I haven’t been listening? Yes Jade, it’s perfectly fine if Hannah comes tonight. With the team, I’ll have to see what she’s got.”
“Awesome!” I grinned, “Doesn’t that sound great Hannah?”
She shrugged, “Meh.” We laughed at her lack of interest, but maybe everyone was laughing at the fact I had stuck my neck out for a girl who couldn’t care less about all of this.
“She could be good,” Jonah said, but it sounded more like a whispered.
“Yeah right,” Kevin laughed down and Jonah, who sat next to him. Jonah didn’t try to disagree. From him I only ever got a sentence here and there. When we played basketball two periods later there wasn’t as much communication as I would have liked.
Now that I was sure he was on the basketball team with me, we worked together better. We still had those three girls on our team. They were all so talkative with each other. Eventually, they did a little bit in our game to. One girl actually scored a two pointer, so that was cool. We won our game, but that wasn’t the interesting part of that gym class.
When it was Hannah and Alec team’s turn to play their semifinal, Alec was determined to make Hannah angry. He made it his personal challenge. Jonah sat next to me and we watched together. I was more talking to him about the game than he was ever talking back to me. He was a good listener I guess, if he was actually listening to me, I would never know it.
Alec ran around Hannah dribbling the basketball as she sat lazily on the ground. “Please play Hannah! What do I have to get you to play?” She didn’t answer him, “So that’s how it’s gonna be, well I’ll get you to play somehow someway!” He promised and went back to playing. He passed the ball to someone else on his team and they passed it right back. Being an actual good basketball player he made a solid layup with easy. “Can you do that Hannah!” He yelled at her as walked to the other end of the court. “I don’t think you can!”
I laughed and turned back Jonah, “That was a good try at least…”
“Yeah.”
“I’m pretty sure her trigger is ‘you suck’ though,” I added and Jonah nodded to me agreeingly.
“Do you even have the ability to defend Hannah?!” Alec jeered. Hannah lifted her hands and placed them on top of her head. She pulled them down across her hair and face. “Blah!” She sounded.
I heard Jonah giggle behind me, we were one of the only ones actually watching her weird antics. “What?” I asked with laughter behind me voice. I was trying to get him to talk to me desperately.
“She’s cute huh?” He spoke of Hannah fondly.
“Yeah, I guess, she’s a weirdo though.” I turned back around as Alec was trying just about everything to get her angry.
“You suck? Is that what you want me to say, crazy?!” He jumped above her.
“Won’t,” She paused and took a breath, “Work.” She waved him to get away from her.
“Urgh! You are impossible Hannah!” He rushed down the court and after the other team’s player that was making a fast break. He wasn’t able to get there in time though, and the other team scored. “Look what you did! Don’t you even care?! I wanna play Jonah’s team! He’s the only actual basketball player in this class.”
“Gee thanks,” The boy across from him on the other team said. I mumbled the same thing as him.
The three girls that were on my team raised their voices a little bit and I tuned into their conversation. The first one looked over at the basketball game, “Stella, weren’t you friends with that girl at one point?” She asked.
“Yes actually, in like elementary school.”
“Was she that lame then?” The third asked with a snicker.
Stella nodded enthusiastically, “Oh yeah. You know how little kids would like taste glue sticks and things? Well, she would actually eat paper. Like in the middle of class and everything.”
“That’s weird even for little kids.” They giggled.
The first girl spoke again, “Oh right, wasn’t she the one who failed out of freshman english?”
“English? I heard it was algebra.”
“Really?! No, I’m pretty sure it was English…” Both girls were sure of themselves.
“God, I guess she just sucks at everything huh?!” She spoke louder to be heard over their laughter. “As far as I know she’s never been good in school or at any sports, even recreational ones!”
Hannah plopped her legs out from the criss cross she was in, and picked her butt up and off the ground. “This is it…” I muttered.
“What?!” Alec turned when he noticed her standing up. “Random girls talking about you was enough?! You really do suck!” He couldn’t stop himself from chuckling, even with his hand covering his mouth. She walked over to Alec and snatched the ball from his hands. “Oh, this is gonna be good.”
Hannah stared down at the ball in her hands and then tilted her head up to the basket her team was aiming for. “Hmm,” She thought and leaned backwards. “No.” She turned on her feet and bounced the ball on the ground as she walked towards the other basket.
“Wait! Hannah! You’re going the wrong way! Our basket is the other one!” Alec yelled jogging by her side.
“I know.” She smirked and started running down the court. Around the middle of the paint she jumped up and off her feet.
“Stop it!” Alec screamed after her.
“Heh,” Hannah reached the peak of her jump and slammed the ball in the net. She reached the floor and turned to Alec. “I don’t suck.” She moved out from the middle and sat back down.
“What-? Why would you do that?! I don’t get it! Are you retarded or something?!” He became even more frustrated. “If you can anger dunk or whatever it is you do, why would you use it against your own team?! If you’re gonna play with the school team, you can’t do things like that!” His voice squeaked.
“I dunno,” I addressed Jonah behind me, “I’m pretty sure Hannah just does what she wants. A dangerous secret weapon could still be a good one.”
Jonah nodded his head, “Yeah.” I sighed knowing that any conversations I had with this boy were going to go like that one. I would get used to it I guess. Either way, I was glad to be getting closer to the members of my basketball team, even if they were standoffish like Jonah. He wasn’t being rude, like some boys I knew. Kevin…
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