Read Online The Queen Bee of Bridgeton by Leslie DuBois - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Leslie DuBois
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I couldn't help but grin. Sasha noticed it too.
"Aren't you glad you came?" she said into my ear.
I really didn't understand a lot of the game, but I did understand that Will was really good. He was really, really good. I mean almost every time he shot the ball, it went in. And he shot it from really far away. And the people on the other team must have realized it too because they kept knocking him over and hitting him and stuff. Will just picked himself up with a smile and took his free shots which also always went in. I could see how happy playing basketball made him.
One time, however, they knocked him down and he didn't get up with a smile. The score was Bridgeton 77, other guys 72 in the fourth quarter with three minutes to go. Will stepped under the basket trying to get the ball when this obnoxious thug purposely elbowed him in the nose. Will went down with a thud and rolled around on his back clutching his face. I bolted out of my seat along with most of the audience trying to see if he was alright.
"Hey, that's not fair," I yelled. "Sasha, are they gonna just let that guy get away with that?"
"No, that's a flagrant foul. He'll get ejected," she said. I wanted to ask her to explain a flagrant foul, but I was too busy watching Will writhe in pain. He held his nose with both hands as blood seeped through his fingers. I felt my face flush with anger at his attacker and I felt the pain of his possibly broken nose. I blinked my tears away.
One of the other Bridgeton players lunged at the barbarian who attacked Will and within seconds, several players exchanged blows. Referees and coaches stormed the court trying to separate the boys. The crowd went insane.
It took twenty minutes to calm the boys down enough to resume the game. Six players were ejected and sent to the locker room. Even though Will didn't throw any punches, he also went to the locker room because the bleeding wouldn't stop.
Time ticked on and Will didn't emerge from the locker room. I worried not only about his well being, but also about the score. With two minutes left, Bridgeton was down by two points. The team needed him. The crowd chanted his last name. Maddox, Maddox, Maddox. But still he didn't come out. I thought we were doomed. Bridgeton was down by five points with 57 seconds left. Finally, when the clock read 39 seconds Will emerged from the locker room and immediately joined his floundering team on the court. I thought there was no way Bridgeton could possible come back with only 39 seconds, but, then again, I had never been to a basketball game before.
Will reminded me of Vaslov Lopokova of the Russian Ballet the way he covered the court with style, grace, and expertise. I never knew basketball could be so beautiful. When the other team had the ball, Will waved his arms in their face trying to steal it. Then suddenly, he snatched the ball away from an opposing player and made a mad dash in the other direction. He stopped short, shot the ball and it went in. Three points. Then the other team had the ball again.
"Why are they taking so long? Why are they moving so slowly?" I asked Sasha.
"They're trying to run out the clock," she said, enthralled with the action and annoyed with my ignorance. The clock continued to click, five seconds, four seconds, three seconds. And that annoying team just kept passing the ball back and forth, back and forth. Then, with two seconds left, Will came out of nowhere and snatched the ball out of the air as someone on the other team tried to pass it. The crowd went insane. Will barely dribbled once before he flung the ball nearly from half court as the buzzer rang. I think my heart stopped as the ball slammed against the backboard then bounced on the rim. But it started up again as soon as the ball fell in. Three points. Bridgeton won its first state championship in 18
"Aren't you glad you came?" she said into my ear.
I really didn't understand a lot of the game, but I did understand that Will was really good. He was really, really good. I mean almost every time he shot the ball, it went in. And he shot it from really far away. And the people on the other team must have realized it too because they kept knocking him over and hitting him and stuff. Will just picked himself up with a smile and took his free shots which also always went in. I could see how happy playing basketball made him.
One time, however, they knocked him down and he didn't get up with a smile. The score was Bridgeton 77, other guys 72 in the fourth quarter with three minutes to go. Will stepped under the basket trying to get the ball when this obnoxious thug purposely elbowed him in the nose. Will went down with a thud and rolled around on his back clutching his face. I bolted out of my seat along with most of the audience trying to see if he was alright.
"Hey, that's not fair," I yelled. "Sasha, are they gonna just let that guy get away with that?"
"No, that's a flagrant foul. He'll get ejected," she said. I wanted to ask her to explain a flagrant foul, but I was too busy watching Will writhe in pain. He held his nose with both hands as blood seeped through his fingers. I felt my face flush with anger at his attacker and I felt the pain of his possibly broken nose. I blinked my tears away.
One of the other Bridgeton players lunged at the barbarian who attacked Will and within seconds, several players exchanged blows. Referees and coaches stormed the court trying to separate the boys. The crowd went insane.
It took twenty minutes to calm the boys down enough to resume the game. Six players were ejected and sent to the locker room. Even though Will didn't throw any punches, he also went to the locker room because the bleeding wouldn't stop.
Time ticked on and Will didn't emerge from the locker room. I worried not only about his well being, but also about the score. With two minutes left, Bridgeton was down by two points. The team needed him. The crowd chanted his last name. Maddox, Maddox, Maddox. But still he didn't come out. I thought we were doomed. Bridgeton was down by five points with 57 seconds left. Finally, when the clock read 39 seconds Will emerged from the locker room and immediately joined his floundering team on the court. I thought there was no way Bridgeton could possible come back with only 39 seconds, but, then again, I had never been to a basketball game before.
Will reminded me of Vaslov Lopokova of the Russian Ballet the way he covered the court with style, grace, and expertise. I never knew basketball could be so beautiful. When the other team had the ball, Will waved his arms in their face trying to steal it. Then suddenly, he snatched the ball away from an opposing player and made a mad dash in the other direction. He stopped short, shot the ball and it went in. Three points. Then the other team had the ball again.
"Why are they taking so long? Why are they moving so slowly?" I asked Sasha.
"They're trying to run out the clock," she said, enthralled with the action and annoyed with my ignorance. The clock continued to click, five seconds, four seconds, three seconds. And that annoying team just kept passing the ball back and forth, back and forth. Then, with two seconds left, Will came out of nowhere and snatched the ball out of the air as someone on the other team tried to pass it. The crowd went insane. Will barely dribbled once before he flung the ball nearly from half court as the buzzer rang. I think my heart stopped as the ball slammed against the backboard then bounced on the rim. But it started up again as soon as the ball fell in. Three points. Bridgeton won its first state championship in 18
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