Free A Game Worth Watching by Samantha Gudger Page A

her hand when they high-fived her, standing firm when
their bodies slammed into hers, hearing their laughter and shouts when they
teased her. But here and now, in the solitude of a secondhand gym, no guy
impeded her movements. Here and now, with swift feet and a perfect shot, she
felt graceful.
    She
took one final shot from the three-point line. Her wrist, snapped in
follow-through, hung in the air as she watched her shot drop. Nothing but net.
    Emma
didn’t sprint after her ball. She didn’t pluck it from the ground and plop it
on the rack in haste. Instead, she scooped it from the floor, smoothed the worn
leather with her hands and smiled at it like it was an old friend.
    Trusting
the ball would be there for her tomorrow, she set it on the rack. She turned to
walk across the gym and retrieve her bag from the bleachers, hoping to relish
in her newfound peace for at least five more minutes, but movement caught her
eye. Perched at the top of the bleachers was Ashley, her beady eyes fixated on
Emma. Emma’s smile vanished. Her peace? Gone.
    This
is so not
happening.
    The
little sneak! She’d been there the entire time, tucked into a corner of the
wooden bleachers, watching Emma act like an obsessed basketball loser. So much
for privacy. The kid better not be here under the delusion they were friends.
Aside from saving the freshman from Lauren’s wrath, Emma had given no
indication they should be friends, and she wasn’t about to start now. Deciding
it was best to ignore her unwanted gawker, Emma continued on her path across
the gym to the bottom bleacher where she pulled on a sweatshirt with super
speed.
    The
kid scooted down the bleachers one at a time, inching her way toward Emma.
Emma’s skin crawled as Ashley continued to gawk at her.
    Despite
a week of practices and Coach’s increased efforts, the freshman was still the
worst basketball player Emma had ever seen, but it wasn’t due to lack of
trying. Some people just had the talent, and some people didn’t. Ashley didn’t.
    “You’re
an amazing basketball player,” Ashley said.
    “If
you say so.”
    “How
did you get to be so good?”
    Unnecessary
awe radiated from Ashley’s voice, irritating Emma further. “It’s called
practice.” She zipped her bag and slung it over her shoulder. The faster she
could escape, the better.
    Ashley
scurried down the remaining bleachers and hopped onto the floor, where she
tripped and fell in front of Emma. Emma shook her head and stepped over
Ashley’s sprawled body, heading for the door. She didn’t make it. The kid
jumped in front of her, blocking her exit route.
    “Wait,”
Ashley gasped.
    Emma
could pulverize the freshman with one swipe of her hand, but she refrained, not
wanting to have a mess to clean afterward.
    “I
know I’m not very good at basketball,” Ashley said quickly, brushing strands of
hair away from her face. “Compared to you I’m probably the worst player in the
world. You make everything look so easy. I would give anything to have an ounce
of your talent. I watch you every day at practice and try to copy you, but I
always mess everything up. You’re way better than Lauren or any of the other
girls on the team, but I think we have a good shot at going all the way this
year with you on the team, and—”
    Emma
rolled her eyes to the ceiling. She had a feeling this kid could and would go
on for hours. “Do you have a point to all this or are you just wasting my
time?”
    Ashley
looked Emma in the eye, and with as much courage as her little body could
muster, she took a deep breath and said, “I want you to coach me.”
    Well,
that was unexpected. Emma laughed. “I don’t think so.”
    “Why
not?”
    “Because
I don’t know anything about coaching, that’s why.”
    Ashley
plunged ahead, not caring about Emma’s lack of coaching credentials. “You don’t
have to teach me much, just a few things, so I’m not a complete failure in case
I ever get to play in a real game. I know, I know,