The sound of sneakers skidding and a ball pounding across the smooth floor echoed through the hall that was mostly filled with grunts and despair. Conner, holding a very ticked off scowl jumped and tossed the basket ball over to Terry who, unfortunately wasn't able to catch it being blocked by a member of the visiting team. The player snatched the ball and leaped, firing the ball into the Home team's net.
TAhe buzzer went off and then scoreboard changed.
Black Lions 0- 4 Red Eagles.
Conner stumped his foot on the ground rapidly, seething as he looked up at the coach with pure rage. The coach, a senior in the academy and one of the tyrant group's many victims, smirked at Conner's vicious gaze then turned back to stare at a frowning Audrey sitting firmly on the team bench. Audrey's eyes were trained on the score board as he slowly took deep breaths and closed his eyes.
One week ago ....
(In the Principal's office)
Audrey walked into the room quietly and gently closed the door behind him. he walked over to the vacant seat and sat comfortable before turning his attention to the now unusually thin principal of Mellburry Academy.
"Good morning Sir, you sent for me?" Audrey asked politely with raised eyebrows.
"Young man, shouldn't you ask before you sit? Courtesy demands such" the principal tried as he slouch back in his chair.
"You sent for me Sir, Courtesy demands all guests should at least be offered a seat upon entry, I just saved you the stress of doing that." Audrey retorted a smirk on his face.
The Principal looked at Audrey with an exhausted expression... Audrey was actually a regular visitor to his office, teachers always had many complaints about his behaviors however, it was stressful for them since he still manages to get outstanding grades on every subject. Teachers normally resort to having the principal sort out what to do with him, but every time Audrey walked into the office, he got an earful of the high rate bullying going on in the academy and how it could tarnish the academy's public image.
This time though, it wasn't any complaint that brought him and Audrey together.
The Principal sighed, folded him arms on his large desk and leaned forward to meet Audrey's sitting height. "Are you good at any sport?" he asked seriously.
Audrey blinked in surprise, "Yes Sir, pretty much most track and field games" Audrey responded honestly.
"Wonderful, Basketball, are you experienced in that game?"
"Yes Sir"
"Wonderful! there's going to be a friendly match next Tuesday between our school and her sister school, Maybells academy, their junior basketball team, the red eagles will be facing off against our junior team, the black lions and I want you to join this team"
"Wonderful!"
"Indeed... wait, what?"
"Would you be needing just me Sir or some of my friends can join the team too?"
"The more the merrier, I've informed your Coach you'd be joining since your sister earlier informed me you were quite adept to basketball, I'll inform him to expect more than just yourself"
"If you already knew... no ... thanks for checking with me first. Was there anything else you wanted Sir?"
"No, that is all, you're free to return to your classes, just make sure to check in with the Coach during gym class alright?"
"Will do Sir" Audrey said and pursed his lips tight, he hopped off the seat and walked back to the door, pulling the door halfway open, he stopped and glanced over at the Principal who stared back at him with a raised eyebrow.
"It's probably not my business, but you should take a few days from school work Sir, you don't look healthy." Audrey said then walked out of the room leaving the stunned principal and the door closing after him.
____________
"So what do you think?" Audrey asked as he opened a bottled water cap and passed it to Eve who sat beside him.
Audrey, Eve, Terry, Conner and Bruce were gathered around a semi large table in the cafeteria, with their lunches spread out in front of them. Audrey stared curiously at the at the oddly shaped meatball in Eve's lunch pack. Noticing him, Eve smiled and picked it up with her fork then turned to face Audrey.
"Say Ahh" she cooed.
"Ahhh- mnk!"
Eve placed the meatball in his mouth and pulled out her fork gently with an eager smile on her face. Audrey chewed on it with his eyes closed and made a delighted noise, a smile making it's way to his face as he chewed.
"That was gooood!" he cried once he swallowed, the memory of the the juicy meaty taste lingering in his mouth caused him to grin and pat his cheeks. Eve's cheeks burned a shade red while the other two stared at them with disgusted looks.
"I think I've seen enough"
"Me too"
"Me three"
Audrey raised a questioning brow at them while opening his mouth to her, Eve completely ignored their comment as she popped another meatball in Audrey's waiting mouth. The boys groaned and shot Eve disgusted looks. She noticed and rolled her eyes, her focus completely on Audrey.
"Audrey asked you boys a question, are you joining the basketball team or not?" She said while glaring back at them.
"I'm already on the team, but I think there's something fishy going on, the new coach is a senior and he doesn't seem too motivated about this next game" Bruce said quietly, a frown set on his face.
Audrey swallowed and took out a sandwich from his lunch pack and handed it to Eve who happily bit into it in his palm before taking it. Conner and Terry shuddered at the sight. Audrey patted her head for a brief moment then turned to face Bruce.
"I agree, I found it odd that the principal would directly ask me to join the team... but... I can't turn down a good game anyway. So Terry and Conner, are you two in?" Audrey asked.
Terry and Conner were busy staring daggers at Eve who was blissfully enjoying the sandwich Audrey had been so generous to provide her with.
"Terry? Conner?" Audrey called again and looked between them and Eve. Eve closed her eyes in delight as she took little bites of the sandwich.
"Ter-"
"We're definitely in Audrey, but why does she have to be here? what's her role in this?" Conner asked with a glare directed at Eve.
"The Black Lions is a boys only team" Audrey replied. Eve peaked at Conner with one barely open eye as she swallowed the bit she was chewing on.
"I joined the junior cheer squad two periods ago, right after Audrey told me about it. McKenzie Lawrence is the cheer captain for the junior cheer squad and she said she'd love to have me. Don't worry boys, I'll make sure to cheer your names nice and loud" she said closing her eyes and bit into the remaining half of her sandwich.
Conner's left eye began to twitch while Bruce and Terry stared at her with open mouths in shock. Audrey covered his mouth with his fist in a failed attempt to stifle his snickering.
__________
As promised, Audrey and the others joined the team and begun practicing against the friendly match. Eve would also come watch them practice whenever she wasn't having her own cheer squad practice.
Things went on this ways for a couple days but the group still felt something wasn't quite right. It was clear Audrey and Bruce were the strongest players in the game and were encouraged by their teammates the most, this led them to have a wider friend group, but as for their coach, he hardly said a word to Audrey and seemed to keep having Bruce run minor errands during practice. He barely made any effort to guide the weaker team members and sat back on the bleachers watching them do whatever they wanted. This led the boys to have private practice with Audrey and Bruce everyday after school. Though neither one said a word of it out loud, the thought that something was terribly off lingered in their minds.
______
*ALEX'S MANSION*
Audrey gently pushed open the dark wood door and walked into the room. The windows were open allowing the soft glow of the clear sunny sky trickle in, the warm breeze gently pushing at the curtains. The room was lively with books decorating the designer bedside table and cups, bowls and pizza boxes on the littered on floor beside the queen size bed Madonna was occupying. A pink floral summer gown hung out in a hanger hanging on the handle of the wardrobe, the frills flaying against the gentle breeze.
Audrey walked over to the bed where his big sister, Madonna laid on her back with her face nearly buried in a novel held up above her face, she turned the next page and furrowed her brows then peaked out the side of her book. She locked eyes with Audrey who stood opposite her with a bottle of water in one hand and a packet of pills in the other, he was still dressed in his black and yellow basketball outfit, his dark messy hair lightly flaying against the breeze . To her, he looked charming and absolutely adorable.
"Just gonna stare at me all day cutie?"
"Who are you calling cute?!"
"Why you of course"
"Sit up and take your medicine, Uncle Alex says you might be able to make it to the game if you take your medication more seriously." Audrey said with his eyes to the ground.
Madonna sighed and put the book down. "Even if I have to come in a wheel chair, I'll never miss your first game here.... or any game really". she said as she propped herself up with a little difficulty. Once she was sitting upright, Audrey moved closer and helped her take the drug before lying back down. Madonna turned to look at him with a cheeky smile and scooted the side, creating a wide enough space on the bed. Audrey noticed and climbed in, snuggling up to her and burying his face in her chest. She patted her messy hair gently for while before kissing the top of his head.
"Something on your mind Sweetpea?" she asked.
"Mmhmm" he replied against her chest.
"Well I'm listening".
Audrey perked up his head to face hers with an uneasy expression on his face, she smiled and caressed his cheeks gently.
"Well...it's about the game"
"What of it?"
"I...I know I agreed to it...and I got my friends to play with me already...but... I don't... uhm"
"You're not the type to back down on a fight, now let's try it again, what's wrong?" Donna said and twirled his soft hair around her finger. He glanced over at his hands, then at her face again, she still held her comforting smile towards him.
"Every time I think about the game, my chest feels all squishy and tight, like something is going to go wrong or something bad is going to happen... but it's just a school game, even if the people at school knows someone there is linked to Black diamond, will they actually attack a school full of kids? but I don't really feel it's about the gang-"
"Your guts telling you something bad is gonna happen to You isn't it"
"Uhm, yeah... and it makes me feel sick"
"Then trust your gut" She said matter-of-factly.
"Uh-what?"
"Trust your gut. If you feel this strongly about it then something will definitely go wrong-"
"Oh"
"- But! you still have me, uncle Alex, Kim, Jill and the Twins, those crazy bitches aren't the only things we're able to fend off yunno, aaaand you're my most important person in the whole world, I'll never let anything happen to you... you know that, don't you?" she asked then kissed his head again.
Audrey broke in to a childish smile and moved up till he was hovering over her head, leaning in he planted a quick kiss on her head and hugged her face. "Thank you Doughnut!" he whisper-yelled grinning from ear to ear.
"Hey! I can hear you smiling! I wanna see!" She whined as she struggled against his iron grip on her face.
"You can't hear smiles silly".
"Then please let me see your smile?".
"Nope...not till I see you at the game! Then I'll have the biggest widest smile than everybody there!".
"Oh really? sounds tempting...fine then" she said as she finally pulled him off her face and lowered him to her eye level, "But I have a request, I wanna see your victory dance after the game on the court",
"Depends, will you do it with me?"
"Aren't you worried the guys will make fun of you for dancing silly with a grown up?"
"I honestly don't see you as a grown up and trust me, they'll be too busy admiring you to think about that"
"Awwwww"
"Please don't, watcha reading?" Audrey said and reached for the book Donna had set down earlier. He picked it up and lifted it above his face, Donna snuggled him in her arms and the pair lost themselves in the book and the warmth of the gentle breeze.