Chapter 6: Before They Get Better

I had asked Matt the same question yesterday, but out of curiosity, not disdain. Ellery heard him and swiveled to stare at him. Without a word she grabbed the step ladder and dragged it to the top of the key.

“Please,” she said with a mock bow. “Show everyone how it’s done.”

He paused for a moment before swaggering to the line, where he promptly missed his shot.

“I could tell you what you’re doing wrong, but you won’t listen,” she said while studying her fingernails.

He turned and snarled at her. “Like you can do any better.”

Ellery’s eyes flashed with that same glint that I had seen on the day I met her.

“Ball,” she ordered, snapping her fingers. No one moved.

“Ball!” she repeated with greater emphasis. Matt roused himself into action and threw one to her. She stepped to the line and sank her shot. She stepped back a foot.

“Ball.” This time Nick threw her one, a huge grin plastered on his face. Again she made the shot with nothing but net. She stepped back again, to the top of the key.

“Ball.” Lee tossed her one which she caught without looking. One bounce and then she took the shot, which went in with another swish.

She turned back to Mr. Cocky. “Coach told you to listen to me. You should have had the sense to listen to him.”

“I’m done,” he sneered.

Coach Hendrix cleared his throat. “Yes, you are. Thank you for your interest in varsity basketball. You may leave.”

He strutted out of the gym like he hadn’t just had his ass handed to him by a five foot seven cheerleader. Ellery cracked her neck as she watched him leave and though it was an innocuous movement I could feel malice in it.

She exhaled and then shook herself. Without a word about what had just happened she grabbed the stool and dragged it back to the line. She motioned me over.

“That was impressive.” Frankly, that was an understatement. I was blown away, not just by her skills, but by her composure and sass as well. Gods, I couldn’t wait to get to know more about her.

“He speaks.”

I rolled my eyes before starting to line up, and tried to push the growing excitement that came standing this close to her down. I hoped I didn’t smell too bad. That would be mortifying; flashing stinky pits near her gorgeous face.

“Stop,” she said.

I rested the ball on my hip. “Is there something wrong with my form?”

She smirked in response. “No, there’s nothing wrong with that. Your heart rate on the other hand…” She raked her eyes over me from head to toe. “Free throws aren’t the time for aggression. Find a still point and relax into it.”

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and tried to find a sense of calm. It was just so damn difficult with her so close.

“There is nothing here but you, the hoop, the ball,” her voice dipped lower, “and my voice. Let that be your still point, Alexander.”

Swish.

“Again.”

“Ball,” I called and sank the next shot. When I looked back at her she was smiling in a way that made me want to kiss her. She looked proud of me, and I felt my chest swell with pride that I’d managed to impress her.

“Remember how you felt just now when you take your free throws in games.” Her voice was a little louder than before, but it still sounded husky, like she’d just been thoroughly kissed the way I had wanted to.

At a loss for words I stepped aside for the next player. All told we cleared twelve of the defensive slides we had racked up, and after Ellery pointed out that I had made two shots we cleared the thirteenth.

We moved on to more shooting drills before we got a water break. Everyone’s topic of conversation was Ellery and her shooting.

“Seriously Matt, what is the deal with her? It just doesn’t make sense,” I protested.

“Xander, she’s Ellery Sinclair. Sinclair.” He put extra emphasis on her last name.

“You say that like it’s supposed to mean something.”

“Dude, do you not pay attention to anything that’s not wearing a skirt?” Matt pointed at the sign over the gymnasium doors which read Edward J. Sinclair IV gymnasium.

“Who’s that?” I asked, genuinely befuddled.

“The J is for Jones.” He stood watching me, waiting for me to make the connection.

“Wait a minute. Jones Sinclair? As in the Jones Sinclair? All state shooting guard, NCAA MVP two years in a row, predicted first round NBA draft pick who could have done Gods only knows what had he not blown out his knee, Jones Sinclair?”

Matt nodded. “He’s her oldest brother. The other four were great too, but nothing like him.”

“Fuck. Why the hell doesn’t she play? She’d be killer.”

Matt’s expression changed and I knew before I inhaled what had happened. I closed my eyes in frustration. “She’s behind me, isn’t she?”

“Yep.”

I looked over my shoulder expecting irritation if not wrath, but she had a bemused expression on her face. I grinned in the placating way that I used on my teachers as I turned. “Sorry. This is…this is awkward.”

“I’m used to my family inspiring gossip. To answer your question, I have a condition that makes certain types of physical activity impossible.” She stared into my eyes as she spoke and I wanted to drown myself in hers.

I don’t know what came over me, a bout of temporary insanity or an out of body experience, but I leaned closer to her, ignoring that I stank with sweat, and flicked her hair over her shoulder, exposing her neck.

“Certain forms, huh?” I licked my lips as I focused on her Cupid’s bow mouth. “I hope sex isn’t one of them.” Nick spit his water out, but Ellery just raised an eyebrow at me and shifted her gaze to Matt.

“I came over here to let you know I put your English paper with my proofreading notes on your dad’s desk.” She turned and walked away, taking her heavenly scent with her and I broke out in a cold sweat.

“Dude! You’ve got balls of solid rock!” Nick started laughing.

“More like a head full of them. The last guy who said anything remotely that suggestive to her wound up with a broken nose! You’re insane, Xander.” Matt shook his head and walked away.

Towards the end of practice Ellery approached the coaches with another note card. This time when Coach Hendrix read it, he burst out laughing.

He handed it to Coach Murphy who muttered as he read, “damn Sean, you sure you need me when you’ve got her?”

“Billy,” she huffed in exasperation.

He held his hands up in a defensive posture. “I’m joking Elly, I’m joking.”

Billy? Elly? Jealousy squeezed my insides at the familiarity. Around me the guys started talking amongst themselves speculating about the card. Coach Hendrix blew his whistle to settle us down.

“Despite what you’ve no doubt concluded, Ms. Sinclair is not giving me a team roster or a list of people to cut. She’s given me a list of suggested drills for the last day of tryouts, and that’s all they are, suggestions. Tomorrow you’ll be grouped by potential positions and…”

Coach Hendrix rattled off more directions, but I was only half listening. My attention was captured by the ongoing interplay between Ellery and Coach Murphy. He had his hand on the small of her back as they bent their heads together in discussion.

Jealousy squeezed even tighter when he said something to make her laugh and swat his arm in a playful manner. ’She’s mine’ I thought and she turned to stare at me the instant the words had formed in my mind. My eyes widened in surprise and a flirtatious smile spread across her face.

I lost track of her in the flurry of the practice breaking up so I headed to the locker room. I always took a shower after practice since I had a half an hour drive home and hated how a cool down made my car smell.

My pace slowed as my mind wandered back to thoughts of her. I smiled to myself and closed my eyes as I could almost imagine I smelled her. When I opened them again she was leaning against the door to the locker room.

“You lost? This is the guy’s locker room,” I drawled, looking her up and down.

She didn’t respond, only pushed off the door to walk up to me. “Sex isn’t one of them,” she whispered into my ear and then left me there, frozen.