Chapter 6: Jack Raises His Game

Jack on the b-ball court.

    One of the benefits of having a basketball court across from where you live is that you don't have to travel far to play a game. You can change at home and just walk across the street, without having to change, get into your car, and drive 15-20 minutes to get to a gym. The downside of that is if you're a fair to mediocre baller and your team mate makes you look like the second coming of Jordan. When you combine that with playing two guys that are better than you and your partner and you tend to be on the side of some embarrassing beatings.
    "Ok, so now it's 20-2 right?"
    Jack glared at Rob. "Yeh, after that lay up I made." He wiped sweat from his brow and looked back at Mike and Carl. Both men were not paying the least bit of attention to the parlay that Jack and Rob were holding.
    "Good, I think we have them as I had planned it," Rob said with satisfaction. "I think I'm really finding my stroke."
    Jack stared at his friend. He didn't think scoring a lay up when one of the guys you played was on his cell truly counted as finding one's stroke. "Yeh, I think you have found it," he said sarcastically.
    Rob blew on his hands as if they were on fire. "I'm feeling it man. Speaking of feeling it, is that the green eyed girl you ran into during Idolgate?"
    Jack turned and looked across the street and his eyes caught the eyes of the girl he had met the other night. She was standing with a group of other girls and watching them. Jack put a hand over his face.
    "Please tell me she hasn't been watching the entire time. Tell me that at least, Rob." Jack hoped she had only been around long enough to see his lay up. Going by his luck with women, he had a sinking feeling she had witnessed the five to ten times he'd had the ball swatted or stolen away.
    "Not the whole time," Rob said with a pat on Jack's back. "She was here when you got the ball swatted back to back against the side of your head though. I wasn't sure she was the girl you had talked about at first. She was laughing and pointing and shaking her head a lot, so it was hard to tell."
    "Oh, great. You're a real confidence booster for me," Jack said. "Ok, let's finish this loss and get out of here."
    "Well I don't think we'll lose too bad this time, if it helps," Rob said. "I think we'll make it to ten. Carl has to go pick up his wife. We'll make it to ten before Mike beats us both."
    Jack groaned and checked the ball.

Author's Note

Constructive criticism is always welcome.