Backcourt Battle: An Up2U Character Education Adventure - Up2U Adventures Set 3 Read online

  UP2U

  A d v e n t u r e s

  C H A R A C T E R

  E D U C A T I O N

  Back

  Bac co

  k u

  co rutr Bat

  Ba tltel

  by Rich Wallace illustrated by Chris King

  Backcourt Battle

  A n U p2 U C h ar ac t e r E d u c at io n Adv e n t u r e by Rich Wal ace

  illustrated by Chris King

  An Imprint of Magic Wagon

  abdopublishing.com

  For Hector and Jameyre. –RW

  abdopublishing.com

  Published by Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO, PO Box 398166, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439. Copyright © 2018 by Abdo Consulting Group, Inc. International copyrights reserved in all countries. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Calico™ is a trademark and logo of Magic Wagon.

  Printed in the United States of America, North Mankato, Minnesota.

  052017

  092017

  Written by Rich Wallace

  Illustrated by Chris King

  Edited by Bridget O’Brien

  Design Contributors: Christina Doffing and Laura Mitchell Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Wallace, Rich, author. | King, Chris, illustrator.

  Title: Backcourt battle: an Up2U character education adventure / by Rich Wallace ; illustrated by Chris King.

  Other titles: An Up2U character education adventure

  Description: Minneapolis, MN : Magic Wagon, 2018. | Series: Up2U

  adventures

  Summary: After the starting point guard sprains his ankle, Jamere steps in until his rival teammate returns for the championship, but with both boys expecting to be starters, Coach asks Jamere to decide who will play and it’s up to the reader to choose the solution.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2017930881 | ISBN 9781532130281 (lib. bdg.) |

  ISBN 9781614798651 (ebook) | ISBN 9781614798705 (Read-to-me ebook)

  Subjects: LCSH: Plot-your-own stories. | Basketball--Juvenile fiction.

  Classification: DDC [Fic]--dc23

  LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2017930881

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Ignore the Noise .......................................................................4

  Bye-Bye? ............................................................................................12

  On Fire .................................................................................................19

  A Rough Start .........................................................................26

  Winning Streak .........................................................................32

  Kyle’s Return ...............................................................................39

  Loud and Rowdy ..................................................................48

  Ending 1: Facing His Fear ............................................58

  Ending 2: Best for the Team? .............................66

  Ending 3: Teamwork ...........................................................73

  Write Your Own Ending ................................................80

  Chapter

  1

  Ignore the Noise

  Jamere leaned forward. He hadn’t played at

  all, but his hands were sweating. His team clung

  to a narrow lead.

  The fans cheered as Jamere’s teammate Kyle

  tossed in a three-point shot. Fairfield led by five

  with two minutes left.

  Hector nudged Jamere. “We’re going to win!”

  Jamere forced a smile. Kyle was playing a great

  game, but it was hard for Jamere to be happy. I

  should be out there, he thought.

  Jamere and Kyle had been rivals for a long

  time. They’d pitched against each other in Little

  4

  League. They’d also battled in YMCA soccer games. When Coach Sanchez named Kyle the

  starting point guard, Jamere almost dropped off

  the team. But Jamere wasn’t a quitter. He kept

  working hard in practice.

  Kyle nailed another three-pointer.

  “Wow!” yelled Hector, leaping to his feet.

  The upset looked certain.

  Jamere stood, too. The Westwood point

  guard raced up the court. Kyle stayed close.

  As the guard dribbled into the lane, the

  Westwood center stepped up and set a hard

  screen. Kyle smashed into him. The shot went

  in as Kyle fell to the floor. He grabbed his ankle,

  letting out a yelp.

  Kyle lay on the floor until Coach Sanchez

  helped him to his feet. He hobbled to the bench

  and sneered.

  “Jamere,” Coach said.

  Jamere gave Coach a puzzled look.

  5

  “Get in there,” Coach growled.

  Jamere reported to the scorer’s table. “I’m in

  for Kyle,” he said.

  Jamere nodded to the Westwood point

  guard, Trey Freeman. He was the best player

  in the league. Freeman stared him down. The

  scoreboard read FAIRFIELD 53. VISITORS 45.

  1:27. 4Q.

  You wanted this chance, Jamere thought. Tight game. An undefeated opponent. Talk about

  pressure!

  6

  Jamere scrambled to get open, but Freeman

  stayed on him. Derek bounced the ball Jamere’s

  way. Jamere turned and dribbled with Freeman

  in his face.

  Jamere reached the sideline. Freeman had

  him trapped. He stopped dribbling. Don’t do

  that, he scolded himself.

  Derek waved his arms. Jamere threw the ball,

  but Freeman tipped it back. They ran to the ball.

  Freeman got there first, taking it in stride and

  swooping toward the basket.

  7

  Freeman leaped for a lay-up. Jamere hacked his shoulder. The whistle blew as the ball fell

  through the net.

  “Number two,” said the ref, indicating a foul

  on Jamere.

  Freeman made the foul shot. 53–48.

  Coach called a time-out. “Settle down,

  Jamere,” he said.

  Jamere saw Kyle staring at him. “Don’t waste

  that lead,” Kyle said sternly.

  “Shut it, Kyle,” Coach said. “Relax, Jamere.

  And Derek, give him some help bringing up the

  ball.”

  “Because Freeman will eat him alive,” Kyle

  said.

  Coach glared at Kyle.

  “I shut Freeman down all day,” Kyle said.

  “Now Jamere goes in there and chokes.”

  Hector gave Jamere a light punch on the

  shoulder. “Ignore the noise,” he said.

  8

  Jamere made the inbounds pass this time, bouncing the ball to Derek. Freeman stayed

  close as Jamere ran up the court. Get away from

  this guy, Jamere thought. Shake him.

  Jamere cut to the corner. Then he ran along

  the baseline under the basket. Freeman mirrored

  every step.

  Derek was in trouble, with two Westwood

  p
layers hounding him. Jamere looped around

  behind Derek and yelled for the ball.

  Derek ducked low and bounced the ball.

  Jamere grabbed it.

  The whistle blew again.

  “Back court,” said the ref, reaching for

  the basketball. Jamere had stepped over the

  midcourt line.

  “Wake up!” Kyle yelled from the bench.

  Jamere gulped and looked at the clock. 0:46.

  Where was Freeman? Jamere darted toward

  him. No open shots, he thought.

  9

  Freeman was quick, and he knew how to get clear. Jamere shadowed him. Freeman dodged

  left and stepped to the right. He took a quick

  pass before Jamere could recover.

  The three-point shot rippled through the net.

  Fairfield’s lead was only two points.

  And now Jamere had to bring the ball up

  again.

  Derek passed. Jamere pivoted. Freeman

  poked the ball away.

  Jamere recovered the ball and elbowed

  Freeman. Step up and do something good, he told himself. He dribbled hard. Passed to Derek.

  Slipped away from Freeman and took a return

  pass.

  Jamere passed to one of the forwards. The

  shot glanced off the rim. Westwood grabbed the

  rebound and called a time-out.

  “Tight defense,” Coach said as the team

  gathered around him. “They’ll be looking for

  10

  Freeman.” He pointed to Jamere. “Don’t. Leave.

  Him. Alone.”

  Sixteen seconds. A basket would force

  overtime. A three-pointer meant a loss.

  Jamere chased Freeman. The same play

  unfolded that knocked Kyle to the floor. Bam!

  Jamere stumbled backward as he ran into

  the Westwood center. He watched in horror

  as Freeman unleashed a jumper from behind

  the arc.

  The ball bounced off the rim and fell to the

  side. Jamere let out a sigh of relief.

  The horn blew. Game over.

  Why didn’t it feel like a win?

  11

  Chapter

  2

  Bye-Bye?

  Jamere walked slowly toward the locker

  room. His teammates celebrated around him.

  “That was tough,” Hector said. He fell into

  step next to Jamere. “Coming in ice-cold off the

  bench in a tight game.”

  Jamere shook his head. “Freeman made me

  look bad.”

  Hector shrugged. “We won. You made a

  difference.”

  “Not much,” Jamere replied. He sat on the

  bench in front of his locker. He took off his jersey.

  “Barely even sweaty,” he said, folding the shirt.

  12

  Coach Sanchez gave his usual postgame speech. “We hung on. We beat a good team. But

  we have a lot of work to do.”

  “Always work to do,” Hector whispered.

  Jamere looked around. “Where’s Kyle?”

  “His parents took him to get an X-ray,” Derek

  said. “That ankle was really swollen.”

  He might be out of action, Jamere thought.

  Does that make me the point guard?

  Coach answered that question before Jamere

  could ask it. “Expect to start in Thursday’s game,”

  he told Jamere. “You did all right tonight. But

  you need to think more. Be aware.”

  Hector joked around on the walk home.

  Jamere stayed quiet.

  “We’re tied for first. Today’s win did it,”

  Hector said, trying to cheer up his friend. “Maybe

  I’ll play if Kyle is out,” Hector continued. “You’ve

  been saying all season that you should be starting.

  Now you can prove it.”

  13

  Jamere agreed, but he didn’t feel confident.

  He hated to admit it. Kyle had done a great job

  guarding Freeman. Jamere hadn’t.

  “See you,” Jamere said as they reached his

  street.

  Hector ran off. “I need to burn some energy,”

  he called. “Sitting on the bench doesn’t exactly

  tire me out!”

  “Come over later!” Jamere called back.

  “Can’t. Social studies test tomorrow!”

  Jamere wasn’t worried about the test. He’d

  review the material after dinner. He was starving.

  Jamere’s older brother, Micah, was in the

  kitchen, looking into the refrigerator. “What’s

  up, little brother?” Micah asked.

  “We won,” Jamere replied. “Where’s Mom?”

  “She’s working late.” Micah took out a carton

  of eggs. “I’m making dinner.”

  “Eggs again? I had one for breakfast.”

  “They’re easy. Do you have a better idea?”

  14

  Jamere swung open the refrigerator door.

  “There’s a carton of leftover rice back here,” he

  said. “We could fry it with something.”

  “Like eggs,” Micah said.

  “I guess.” Jamere slid open the produce

  drawer. “Here’s some mushrooms.”

  Micah poured some olive oil into a pan.

  “We’ll make fried-egg sandwiches. My specialty.”

  “I need them. Tough game today.”

  “Did you play?” Micah asked.

  Jamere nodded. “Important minutes, too.”

  Well, one important minute, he thought. “Kyle got hurt.”

  Micah pointed to the mushrooms. “You want

  to chop them, or should I?”

  “Let me get rid of my stuff,” Jamere said. He

  carried his backpack toward the room he shared

  with Micah. The apartment was small but cozy,

  with two bedrooms. Jamere, his mother, and his

  brother had lived there for three years.

  15

  Jamere sat on the bottom bunk and pulled off his sneakers. Trophies lined the two desks.

  Micah’s were mostly for high school basketball

  and track. Jamere had soccer, basketball, and

  baseball trophies from the town youth leagues.

  This season was different. Jamere was

  representing the middle school. And he was

  playing against teams from other towns for the

  first time.

  Micah skipped basketball this year. He’d

  decided to put all of his efforts into track. With

  his height and his springy legs, he was one of the

  best hurdlers in the county.

  A note on Jamere’s desk caught his eye.

  Hi Sweetie. Can’t wait to hear about the game. Micah

  will make dinner. You clean up!

  Love, Mom

  The game. Make it sound good, he told himself.

  So what if Freeman scored six points in about six seconds!

  16

  Jamere picked up one of Micah’s basketball

  trophies.

  Jamere wanted one just like that. He wanted

  to earn it for playing, not by sitting on the bench.

  “Come here, Jamere!” Micah called.

  Jamere smiled. Micah had been calling

  him that all his life: “Come here,

  Jamere.” They both

  loved it.

  “How bad is Kyle hurt?” Micah asked.

  “He turned his ankle, so I’m starting on

  Thursday. That’s all I know.”

  “Ankles take a while,” Micah said. “At least

  a week to recover from a sprain. If
it’s broken,

  then bye-bye season. I’ve been through that,

  remember?”

  “Ouch,” Jamere said. Micah’s basketball

  season was cut short the year before by a sprain.

  Jamere took a bite of his sandwich. He shut

  his eyes and enjoyed the taste.

  “That’s why I’m not playing this year,” Micah

  said. “Didn’t want to risk another setback. Once

  you twist an ankle, it’s easy to do it again.”

  Jamere set down his sandwich. He didn’t like

  Kyle much. But he didn’t want an injury to keep

  him off the court. I just want to beat him fair and square. But I’ll take any advantage I can get.

  18

  Chapter

  3

  On Fire

  At lunch the next day, Jamere noticed Kyle

  was on crutches. His ankle was wrapped in a

  brown bandage.

  “Sprained,” Hector said. “It’ll be a week

  before he can run.”

  “How do you know?” Jamere asked.

  “I know things.” Hector balled up his sandwich

  wrapper. He shot it toward a trash basket. It fell

  short.

  Jamere crunched up his own wrapper. Then

  he shot the paper in a high arc. It fell neatly into

  the basket.

  19

  “That’s how it’s done,” Jamere said. “Did you talk to Kyle or what?”

  Hector shook his head. “Coach told me. He

  said I should be ready to work in practice. Looks

  like I’ll move into your backup role.”

  “Maybe we’ll go head-to-head when we

  scrimmage.” Jamere liked that idea. Usually he

  covered Kyle in practice. That was no fun at all.

  Too many elbows and too much trash talk.

  Jamere kept looking at Kyle. He sat with some

  of their teammates at a table. Kyle was laughing.

  He didn’t seem upset about his ankle.

  Laugh now, Kyle, Jamere thought. You won’t have the starting job when you come back. It’s mine.

  At practice, Coach Sanchez told the starters

  to take the court. “New lineup, obviously,” he

  said. “Jamere’s playing the point. Full speed.

  Smart passes. Same as if Kyle was out there.”

  Coach sent five others onto the court,

  including Hector.

  20

  “Amateur hour!” Kyle called from the bleachers. “Better go easy on Jamere. He’s the

  weak link.”

  Coach glared at Kyle. “Try to be supportive,