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

Kyle,” he said. “That’s what being a team is about.”

  “Just don’t mess up too bad, Jamere,” Kyle

  said. He held up three fingers. “Keep my job

  warm for three games. Then I’ll be back.”

  Jamere looked away. He’s all talk, he thought.

  Show him.

  Hector took a defensive stance. His hands

  were up and his eyes on Jamere’s waist. They

  played one-on-one constantly in driveways and at

  playgrounds. They knew each other’s strengths

  and weaknesses.

  Jamere dribbled through his legs and cut

  right. Hector wasn’t fooled. He knocked the ball

  loose. Jamere recovered it.

  “Protect that ball,” Coach said.

  Jamere passed it to a teammate.

  21

  Then Hector stole the ball and brought it up the court. Jamere guarded him closely. But

  Hector made a nice pass. He burst into the lane

  for a give-and-go. He easily banked the ball off

  the backboard for a lay-up.

  “Nice play,” Jamere mumbled. Bad start. Settle down. He knew Hector would get his points.

  There wasn’t much difference between them.

  Jamere passed the ball, then cut to the corner.

  Hector followed the ball. When the center fired

  it back to Jamere, he was wide open. He drained

  the three-pointer.

  That was the play he needed. He immediately

  felt better. Get in a rhythm, he told himself.

  Jamere soon forgot about the burden of being

  a starter. He made good passes. Played tight

  defense. And he hit his next three shots, too.

  “You’re on fire.” Hector shook his head. Then

  he raced up the court with the ball. He ran a

  give-and-go again, popping in another lay-up.

  22

  Back and forth. The starters dominated the action. Hector played well and kept Jamere on

  his toes. But Jamere kept shooting the lights out.

  He made seven of his nine shots.

  Coach blew his whistle and clapped. “Ten

  free throws apiece. Good practice.”

  Jamere took a long drink of water. He wiped

  his hands on his shirt and caught his breath. He

  headed for the foul line.

  Coach stood behind him while he shot.

  Jamere hit the first three. Then he missed two

  in a row. Concentrate, he thought. He made his next five.

  “Great work, Jamere,” Coach said. “We won’t

  miss a beat if you play like that tomorrow.”

  “I will,” Jamere said. He strutted off the court.

  In the locker room, Jamere rubbed his hair

  with a towel. This time his shirt was very sweaty.

  “Big game tomorrow,” Hector said. “And don’t

  worry. If you get tired, I’ll take your place.”

  23

  Jamere grinned. “I can run all day. You know

  that. But yeah, you should get some minutes,

  too. You showed a lot today.”

  Other players shuffled into the locker room,

  yanking open their lockers. Jamere pulled on a

  dry T-shirt. He tried to ignore Kyle, who was

  heading toward him, supporting himself with

  his crutches.

  “Nice job out there,” Kyle said.

  Jamere raised his eyebrows. “You serious?”

  Kyle let out a pfft sound with his lips.

  “Seriously joking,” he said. “You were playing

  against the third string.”

  “He still did good,” Hector said. “Those shots

  didn’t go in by themselves.”

  Jamere pointed to Hector. “That’s a pretty

  good third-stringer,” he said to Kyle.

  Kyle hobbled away. “Enjoy it while you can,

  Jamere.”

  “I will. Why don’t you stop being such an

  annoying jerk?”

  Kyle laughed. “I’ll be back,” he said, “stronger

  than ever.”

  Jamere turned to Hector. “Maybe,” he

  whispered. “But he has to get past me first. I’ll

  be playing so well that Coach will have no choice

  but to keep Kyle on the bench.”

  25

  Chapter

  4

  A Rough Start

  On Thursday afternoon, Jamere could hardly

  sit still on the bus ride to Emerson.

  “We’ll run them off the court,” he said to

  Hector.

  “Play smart,” Hector said. “You know what

  Coach says. Good passes lead to good shots.”

  Jamere was out of control early in the game.

  He drove straight for the basket as soon as he

  got the ball. He didn’t even look to pass. The

  Emerson center blocked his shot.

  On the next possession, Jamere tried to make

  up for it. He dribbled to the corner and sent up a

  26

  shot. It banged off the rim. Emerson grabbed the rebound and raced up the court for a fast-break

  lay-up.

  Jamere frowned at the scoreboard. He passed

  the ball to Derek, but immediately called for

  it back. Time for a three, he told himself. He launched a long shot, which barely grazed the

  rim. The ball rolled out-of-bounds.

  “Jamere!”

  He turned to see Hector running onto the

  court. Hector pointed to him. “You’re out.”

  “Really?” The game had barely started.

  Coach nodded to the spot next to him on the

  bench. Jamere sat down hard.

  “Ever heard of passing the ball?” Kyle asked.

  He was sitting a few seats over.

  Jamere stared straight ahead. “I was just trying

  to get us going,” he said. “Put up some points.”

  “You’re the weak link in the chain,” Kyle said.

  Ignore him, Jamere thought.

  27

  Coach leaned toward Jamere. “Count our guys on the floor,” he said. “Five of them, right?

  We’re not a one-man team.”

  Jamere blushed. “I know,” he mumbled.

  “Sorry.”

  “Okay. Let’s see how Hector does. Stay ready.”

  Jamere leaned back. What if Hector played

  great? Would Jamere’s chance be over? Can’t

  believe I hogged the ball like that, he thought.

  That’s not me.

  Fairfield trailed, 15–7, at the end of the first

  quarter. Jamere hadn’t budged from the bench.

  “Starting five again,” Coach said.

  Jamere bumped his fist against Hector’s.

  “Good job,” he said.

  Hector tapped his own forehead. “Think,” he

  said. “Don’t just react.”

  Jamere didn’t try to shoot in the second

  quarter. He concentrated on playing defense.

  He passed the ball to his teammates. He made a

  28

  couple of steals, and Fairfield trimmed the lead.

  By halftime, they were down by a single point.

  “Much better,” Coach said. “The point guard

  runs the show. Take the shots if you’re open. But

  you don’t need to force them.”

  Kyle didn’t say anything to Jamere in the

  locker room. Jamere knew he was the main

  reason they were back in the game.

  Jamere kept passing the ball, working it

  outside to Derek or inside to Lonnie, the center.

  Fairfield built a lead. Two points. Four.

  Jamere took a pass at the
top of the key. He

  didn’t have to think this time. He smoothly shot

  the ball, and it rippled through the net.

  “Three-pointer!” shouted Hector. “We’re

  rolling!”

  Emerson called a time-out. Jamere ran to the

  huddle.

  “Keep up that pressure,” Coach said. “Let’s

  put this game out of reach.”

  29

  Jamere scored two more baskets before

  Hector replaced him late in the fourth quarter.

  He’d led Fairfield to a 15-point lead with his

  pinpoint passing.

  His teammates cheered as Jamere walked off

  the court. Except for Kyle, who stayed quiet.

  Lonnie and Derek came out of the game at

  the next whistle, sitting on either side of Jamere.

  “Great comeback,” Lonnie said.

  “You just needed to get into the flow,” Derek

  said. He patted Jamere on the back. “You shook

  off those nerves.”

  Jamere was much more relaxed on the bus ride

  home. He looked back to see where Kyle was

  sitting. Kyle was four rows behind by

  himself. He was looking out the

  window. Everybody else

  was celebrating

  the win.

  30

  “I think we’re better with you at the point,”

  Hector whispered. “Kyle’s good, but you keep

  everybody involved.” He laughed. “At least, you

  did for most of the game. I don’t know what that

  first minute was about.”

  “Tension,” Jamere said. “I wanted to start

  with a blast. Turned out to be a dud.”

  “Gave me a chance to show my stuff,” Hector

  said. “So, feel free to mess up next time, too. I’ll

  be glad to bail you out of trouble again.”

  Jamere shook his head. “Next time will be

  just like this time. Without the bad beginning.”

  Chapter

  5

  Winning Streak

  Jamere kept gaining confidence, and Fairfield

  kept winning. He scored fifteen points in a big

  victory over Essex. Then he popped in seventeen

  as Fairfield routed Memorial.

  “First place,” Hector said as they walked home

  after the Memorial game. “All alone on the top of

  the league. Of course, that depends on winning

  the next game.”

  There was only one game left on the schedule.

  A rematch with Westwood. And Trey Freeman.

  Fairfield’s record was 12–1. Westwood’s was

  11–2. They’d be tied for first if Westwood won.

  32

  “We’ll win,” Jamere mumbled. “We’re playing great.”

  “Kyle says he can start practicing tomorrow,”

  Hector said.

  That was news to Jamere. “So what?” he said.

  “It’s my job now.” He’d led the team to three

  wins. Jamere was sure Coach Sanchez wouldn’t

  bench him. Would he?

  “Kyle says he’s as good as new,” Hector

  continued.

  “And I’m better than ever.” Jamere walked

  faster. He was hungry and didn’t feel like

  worrying about Kyle’s return. “It’s my job now,”

  he said sharply.

  “You said that already.”

  “So don’t forget it.” Jamere headed down his

  street.

  Micah was in the kitchen when Jamere

  entered. He was stirring a pot of pasta.

  “Mom working late again?” Jamere asked.

  33

  “No, she’s here,” Micah said. He smiled.

  “Don’t you like my cooking?”

  “It’s fine.” Jamere set his backpack on the

  table. “We won again.”

  “Good.” Micah pointed to the bag. “We’re

  eating there. Clear your stuff and set the table.”

  “And congratulations,” Micah called as Jamere

  left the room. “Can’t wait to hear about the win.”

  But Jamere was quiet during dinner. He kept

  thinking about how Kyle had outplayed him in

  practice for most of the season. Kyle was the one

  who had shut down Trey Freeman. With the

  league title on the line, wouldn’t Coach want his

  best point guard on the court?

  “You must be tired,” Mom said. “Usually

  you’re yacking away after a game.”

  “I guess I am tired,” Jamere replied.

  “You’re balancing basketball and books,”

  Mom said. “And doing very well at both. I can

  understand why you’re worn out.”

  34

  That evening, Jamere’s mind kept drifting to the basketball court.

  “You all right?” Micah asked.

  Jamere shrugged. “Kyle’s back tomorrow.”

  Micah picked up a basketball in the corner of

  their room. “Let’s go shoot some hoops.”

  Jamere rolled off of his bed and grabbed his

  Knicks T-shirt. He followed Micah out of the

  apartment.

  The evening was cool and damp, but there

  was no wind. They headed to the playground two

  blocks away. The lights from nearby buildings

  made it just bright enough to see.

  Micah always seemed to know when Jamere

  was upset. Shooting baskets usually changed his

  mood for the better.

  Micah took a jump shot. The metal-chain net

  rattled as the ball fell through.

  “Sounds like you’ve shown you belong in the

  starting lineup,” Micah said.

  35

  “I’ve earned it,” Jamere said. He chased after the ball and sent a swift pass to his brother.

  “Coach Sanchez is fair,” Micah said. “He

  benched me a couple of times when I deserved

  it. For mouthing off or being lazy. But as long as

  I played hard, he was on my side.”

  “I always play hard,” Jamere said.

  “So you have nothing to worry about.” Micah

  bounced the ball to him.

  Jamere tossed in a reverse lay-up. “Do you

  think he’d give the job back to Kyle?”

  Micah rebounded the ball. “He’ll do what’s

  best for the team. Kyle’s coming off an injury.

  He may be ready to play, but he may be limited.

  And if I was the coach, I wouldn’t mess with a

  good thing. You’ve been leading the team. And

  winning.”

  Jamere had no idea what Coach would do.

  But he did feel better. Micah always managed to

  do that for him.

  36

  “You know, having two good point guards is a nice problem for a coach.” Micah grinned at him.

  “Maybe,” Jamere said. “But it’s a bad problem

  for the one who sits on the bench.”

  “There are lots of minutes to go around.”

  Jamere knew that. But he didn’t want to play

  half a game. Especially if he had to share time

  with Kyle.

  Jamere took a long shot at the basket. The

  ball rolled around the rim, then fell in.

  “Welcome back, Kyle,” Jamere said. “You’re

  in for a battle tomorrow.”

  38

  Chapter

  6

  Kyle’s Return

  Jamere was pleased when Coach sent him

  onto the court with the starters for the next

  day’s scrimmage. He was
surprised when Hector

  joined the second team.

  “Guess Kyle’s third string now,” Jamere

  whispered. “Right where he belongs.”

  “Don’t be too sure,” Hector replied. “Just

  ignore him and play the game.”

  Jamere glanced at Kyle. He sat on the bottom

  row of the bleachers. His ankle was wrapped

  in a thinner bandage that fit snugly into his

  sneaker.

  39

  After starting three games, Jamere knew his

  teammates’ moves. He could sense when Derek

  would break into the corner for an open jumper.

  Or if Lonnie was about to set a screen.

  Hector kept up the pressure, guarding Jamere

  tight. But Jamere was at ease. The starters

  dominated.

  Then Coach waved Kyle onto the court.

  Hector took a seat.

  40

  “Just like old times,” Kyle said, standing

  face-to-face with Jamere.

  “Not exactly,” Jamere said. He tapped his

  own chest with a finger. “I’m the starter.”

  “For now,” Kyle replied with a hard glare.

  Coach blew his whistle. “Put the ball in play.”

  Jamere passed to Derek, then raced to the

  corner. Let’s test that ankle, he thought.

  Even after ten days off, Kyle had no trouble keeping up. He guarded Jamere more tightly

  than anyone had in the games. He hadn’t lost his

  shooting touch either. Jamere played well, but

  the second team outplayed the starters. Kyle was

  the reason why.

  “Little break,” Coach called. “Get some

  water.”

  Coach called Jamere over. “Kyle needs some

  work with the first team,” Coach said. “You’ve

  earned a rest, so we’ll put Hector back in to

  cover him.”

  Make him look bad, Hector, Jamere thought.

  Kyle does not deserve my starting job.

  Kyle was two inches taller than Hector and

  had more muscle. He had little trouble scoring.

  Kyle was just as fast as before and could cut and

  spin like always.

  Coach stood next to Jamere. “Next basket, go

  in for Derek,” he said.

  42

  “Not at point guard?”

  “Kyle needs the minutes,” Coach said. “Let’s

  see how you two play together.”

  After Hector made a nice lay-up, Coach

  stopped the scrimmage. Jamere grabbed the ball.

  “My ball,” Kyle said, reaching out.

  Jamere bounced it to Kyle and ran up the

  court. “I’m open,” he said as Kyle crossed