Full Court Press (3 page)

“So how did you like practice?” Kendall asked her.

“Good, I liked it a lot. I was a little lost with the plays and stuff and my teamwork leaves a lot to be desired but Coach talked to me, and I’m going to work on it. I’m really excited to play with you guys.”

Alli said, “So he’s putting you on varsity then?”

“For now, he said, but if I don’t improve he’s gonna swing me down to JV for playing time.”

Alli nodded and shrugged. “You’re pretty good from what I saw, just the teamwork thing like you said. I almost cracked your skull with a pass, I remember.” She was speaking to Carmondy but her eyes were still on the boys.

“Yeah, I’m gonna enroll in his PE class and he said something about Sunday shoot-arounds.”

Torie nodded. “Yeah, a lot of varsity players enroll in that PE class once the quarter gets rolling. If we have to take an elective, it might as well be PE, right?”

“For sure.”

“And the Sunday shoot-arounds are real casual,” Torie continued. “We come in, the guys too, and just hang out, shoot some baskets, maybe get a couple half-court games going.”

“You’re like...hella fast though!” Alli exclaimed out of the blue.

“Yeah.” Car nodded slowly while the other girls laughed. “Yeah, I’m pretty fast.”

“Like...what’s your mile time?” Alli prodded.

“Five minutes and 25 seconds.”

“That’s awesome!”

Torie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, awesome.” She looked at Carmondy. “I know she sounds like a ditz but she’s really not, just really...excited and says ‘like’ a lot. She’s one of the best posts in the league.”

“Good to know.”

“So, I saw you talking to Anderson Davies earlier, right?” Torie said nonchalantly.

“Possibly, I’ve talked to him a couple times today.”

The girls all looked at her.

“What?” Carmondy asked.

Sydney shrugged. “It’s nothing, just…I mean, it’s Anderson Davies.”

“Uh, yeah, you say his name like he’s a god or something.”

“Well, he sort of is. I mean, not to us because we’re b-ball players, we play it cool, but to everyone else in the school...can you say sex god?”

Torie leaned toward her excitedly. “So, is he, like, interested in you?”

“I think. He’s a guy...and I’m a girl. Is this a problem or something?” She looked around.

“No, not at all, just...” They all looked at Kendall, who rolled her eyes.

“Chill, guys, I don’t care.” Kendall looked at Car. “Me and Andy dated last year, but it didn’t work out. We’re not compatible, but we’re still friends. You can go after him if you want, seriously.”

A huge tension seemed to release from the air.

“Oh, no. Anderson is cool and everything but...no. I’m not into him like that.”

“You sure? Cause I think he’s into you,” Kendall said.

“Or maybe he’s just into the new girl,” Carmondy pointed out.

“Very possible,” Kendall agreed. “Well, either way, he’s free game, even if you’re just lookin’ for some fun. I really want to see someone play him.”

They all laughed.

“What’s the deal with...?” She almost said ‘Beck’ but decided she didn’t want to use his name. Instead, she looked down at the court and found his jersey number. “Number 21? He’s very...I don’t know what.”

“Yeah, that’s Beck Nicholson. He’s something. He does a lot of girls but he usually limits himself to those whose IQs are below 25. He doesn’t say much at all, except for when he’s on the court. Then he’s very vocal. You like him or something?” Sydney asked.

“No. No way, I was just wondering because I saw him a couple times today and I have yet to see him smile. Is he mean or just extremely stoic?”

“Oh, he’s an asshole all right, an asshole with a dirty mouth. But he and Andy are best friends. Who knows why? I don’t think Beck is a bad person. He wouldn’t kill a puppy for fun or anything, but he’s definitely not nice. Super-hot though, huh?” Kendall said.

Carmondy nodded slowly, watching him move across the court gracefully, even for his large size. “Yeah...his hair...I just want to...”

“Yeah, yeah, we know.” Sydney laughed. “I’m sure he’d have sex with you if you wanted. He’d do anyone with a nice pair of legs. But if you’re looking for the morning-after cuddle...well, don’t hold your breath. He isn’t the kind to stick around afterwards.”

“Get in. Get out. Get gone,” Carmondy said automatically.

“Pretty much, but if that’s what you’re looking for, he’s perfect.” Sydney shrugged.

“Nah, I’m not really looking for anything right now,” Carmondy assured them. “Especially not a jerk.”

All the girls nodded knowingly.

They watched the rest of the boys’ practice together, and Carmondy soon realized what they meant about Beck being vocal on the court. He still looked stoic but he communicated. You had to in basketball. He called for the ball, called out plays, called ‘help’ when he was helping in the key and even encouraged his teammates during scrimmage and sprints. He was a completely different guy than she had seen during school. She wanted to know
this
guy, be his friend and get some posting tips from him, but off the court he was not approachable at all.

Once the boys’ practice ended, the girls started to disperse. They didn’t hang around for the coach’s talk.

Carmondy gathered her stuff from the locker room and left through the back door that opened directly into the parking lot. Since the last time she’d been outside, half a foot of snow had accumulated, and it continued to come down.

She scurried to her Jeep, trying to keep as dry as possible. She heard a goodbye and turned to wave at Torie before unlocking her car door and getting in.

She drove through town toward her house, figuring her driveway wouldn’t be too bad. The six inches of snow wasn’t going to bother her Jeep that much. She could always put her chains on if she needed to.

She passed a couple of snowplows going in the other direction and when she arrived at the bottom of her driveway, she groaned. The snowplows had piled all the snow they had scraped off the road right in front of her driveway. She eyed the snow bank and hit the gas, hoping to make it through. She got a few feet in but the snow mound stretched a good fifteen feet up her driveway. She backed out and tried again, getting a few more inches but that was it. There was no way she was getting through that bank.

Why the hell did the plows pile all the snow there?

She drove into the snow bank again to get off the road and grabbed her cell phone off the seat. She dialed her dad’s cell number and told him her predicament. Neither he nor her mother was at home, so nobody could come down and get her. Since it was so late, and she had to be back at school so early, he told her to get a room in town for the night. She started calling hotels, but found there was a convention in town. There were no vacancies anywhere.

Frustrated, she went to Subway and ordered herself a sandwich

She parked her Jeep and began to eat. She didn’t want to drive two hours to get back home the long way, so she didn’t know what she was going to do. She couldn’t sleep in her car. She would freeze. If she were back home, she would just crash on a friend’s couch but she didn’t have any friends here. The girls on the team weren’t really in the friend-zone yet and even if they were, she didn’t know where any of them lived.

She did have one number but she really didn’t want to consider that option. She finished her sandwich and sighed, trying to decide between a two-hour drive or a phone call and hopefully a couch to sleep on? Why not? She didn’t have anything against Anderson and a couch wasn’t a big deal. The worst that could happen would be that he said no and she would have to make the drive. She picked up her cell phone and found his number near the top of her contact list.

Anderson answered quickly. “Ha! I knew it would only be a matter of time, baby. Did you enjoy our practice?”

“Uh huh, yeah, your practice was great.”

“I know. So what can I do for you?”

“Actually, I have a big favor to ask.”

“Well, we just met today but I guess I’m up for it, pun intended. Your place or mine?” His tone was amused.

“Yeah, that’s the thing, I can’t get to my place. The snowplows blocked me out.”

“Ah, so my place then?”

“I know it’s like totally weird to call you but I don’t know anyone here and every hotel is full. I just need a couch to crash on for the night.”

“Right, it’s fine, sweetheart. You don’t need to make up an excuse to get me into bed, really.”

“Anderson, I’m just looking for an empty couch. Is it a yes or no?”

“Yeah, yeah, okay, try to hide your passion. Yes, I have a couch and yes, you can sleep on it. Do you know where I live?”

How would she know that? “No.”

She could hear him laugh quietly through the phone. “Okay, where are you now?”

“Subway parking lot.”

“Okay, I’m on my way home from the store. Pull onto Main from where you’re at and head north. I should run into you pretty quick. I’m in a Dodge Charger. Follow me.”

“Dodge Charger as in the new girlie cars, or Dodge Charger as in General Lee?”

“General Lee, except blue and minus the Confederate flag.”

“Got it.” She started her Jeep and pulled out onto Main Street. Almost immediately, a blue Charger pulled out from another street behind her. She hung up the phone as the Charger revved up its engine and pulled into the next lane to pass her.

Anderson waved and she followed him the rest of the way. He drove to the edge of town, a nice neighborhood with modest houses. He pulled up to a beige house, and she parked beside him. There was also a silver BMW X5 parked in the large driveway.

She got out of her Jeep and grabbed her duffel bag with the spare clothes in it, thankful her dad had persuaded her to pack them. Anderson hopped out of his car. They were both still dressed in their practice clothes.

“Hey! Fancy meeting you here,” he said brightly.

“Uh, yeah.” She adjusted the bag on her shoulder.

“This is pretty hilarious, actually.” He ducked back into his car and came out with a few grocery bags. “Help me with this stuff.”

She picked up a gallon of milk and a couple bags and waited for him to grab his stuff. “That’s a really nice car.” She waved the gallon of milk at the BMW. “Your dad’s?”

“Nah, no dad. I’ve got a single mom. That’s not hers, either. She’s at work.” He slung his bag over his shoulder and grabbed the remainder of the groceries. “She works 8:00pm to 8:00am in the ER at the hospital.”

“Wow, long hours.”

He shrugged and kicked his door shut. “She wouldn’t have it any other way. She loves the ER. ER nurses are real-life superheroes, you know.”

She smiled at the admiration he had for his mother. “Very true. They save lives on a regular basis.”

“Yep.” He headed for his front door.

“So whose is it then?”

“The Beemer? Beck’s.”

“Oh...what’s he doing here?” she asked, suddenly apprehensive.

“How should I know? He’s here all the flippin’ time. Kid needs to get a life.”

He was just joking. She could tell by his tone.

She followed him into the house. He led the way into the kitchen. Beck was sitting on a stool at the breakfast bar, looking at some sort of medical file he held in both hands.

“Hey, what’s up?” Anderson dumped the groceries on the counter loudly, bringing Beck out of his reverie.

Beck looked up and noticed her. His eyes immediately narrowed. “What’s she doing here?”

“Oh, you know, I’m banging the new girl.” Anderson shrugged casually and took the groceries from her, putting the milk in the fridge.

Carmondy rolled her eyes. “Right.”

Anderson glanced at the file in Beck’s hands. “My mom’s not here.”

“I noticed. Why not? It’s her day off.”

“She picked up a shift for a friend, I think. You can leave it here for her though. I can put it in her room.” Anderson reached for the file.

Beck still had his eyes on Carmondy, but he pulled the file out of reach and stood up. “No, I’ll try again tomorrow.”

Carmondy was starting to get uncomfortable under his gaze. “I’m sorry, do you have a problem or something?”

He didn’t answer her but looked her body up and down pointedly and then glanced at Anderson. “Let me know how she is, maybe I’ll take her for a ride.”

Carmondy’s jaw dropped. “Excuse me?”

“You’re excused. Why don’t you go strip and wait in his bedroom like a good little tramp?”

“Fuck off,” she said quickly.

“Blow me,” he said harshly, pinning her with a scary look.

She scoffed and said sarcastically, “Oh, can I? Pretty please?”

“Well, since you begged for it. Get on your knees and open wide.” He casually took hold of his belt buckle and waited.

Anderson seemed to be ignoring the whole conversation while he put the groceries away.

“Make it quick, I got places to be,” Beck said, still looking at her with a deadly stare.

Carmondy couldn’t believe how crude he was being. She just stared with her mouth open as he stood there, hand on the front of his pants.

“All right, you got the ‘open wide’ part down. Next?”

“You’re a pig,” she said, disgusted.

He made a noise that sounded like a laugh but there was no humor in his face,

“What’s that you got there?” She pointed to the file still in his hands. “Your STD record or some shit? Looking for a nurse to give you some tips on medication?”

His mouth remained in a firm line but a muscle in his jaw tensed. “Yeah, that’s it. You want one? What do you prefer? Gonorrhea? Chlamydia? Syphilis?”

“None, thanks.”

He made a move toward her, and she leapt back, bumping into the counter.

Beck did the sort-of-laughing thing again. “Afraid of me?”

“You wish.” Of course she was afraid of him. He looked like he wanted to kill her.

He brushed past her and left the kitchen, and she caught a glimpse of the last name on the file: NICHOLSON. The front door slammed and soon after, a car started up and squealed tires out of the driveway. So the file was his, or at least someone with his last name.

She looked across the kitchen to where Anderson was staring intently at boxes of easy-mac and no-bake cheesecake.