Chapter 5
Sarit stopped outside the door of the gym. “Mom, I told you, I don’t want to go,” she said for the hundredth time that day.
Her mother put her hands on her hips. “Sarit, I’ve told you over and over. It’s the first game of the season. We are going to watch,” she said. She opened one of the big gym doors. “If you don’t want to play on the team, the least you can do is support your sister.”
Two weeks had passed since Sarit had run out of practice. Without basketball practice to keep her occupied, her days felt long and boring. Once, she’d turned on a basketball game after school, but had turned it right back off. She couldn’t bring herself to watch, let alone play.
Her conversations with her father had only gotten more and more awkward. He kept asking her how practice was, and she kept lying. She’d never felt so terrible in her whole life.
Sarit followed her mother through the crowded gym. Mom found them a place to sit on an upper bleacher and they took their seats. Soon, the Cowboys ran onto the court. Everyone looked excited and ready to play. The opposing team, the Eagles, followed quickly behind.
Sarit saw Allie bouncing up and down on her toes and stretching as she waited for the game to start. Glancing up at the stands, Allie spotted them and waved excitedly. Mom waved back, but Sarit glared at her sister.
How can she be so heartless? Sarit thought angrily. She acts like Dad is still standing on the sidelines coaching instead of Coach Ritz.
Down on the court, the two opposing centers shook hands and faced off for the tip-off. The referee put her whistle to her lips. Fweet!
Both of the players leaped for the ball. The Cowboys’ center tipped the ball to Allie, and the Cowboys took possession. Allie dribbled past a defender and headed for the basket.
Allie leaped into the air and took her shot. Air ball. The Cowboys’ point guard was ready and jumped for the rebound right away. She shot and made the basket. Two points for the Cowboys.
Sarit thought about all the times her dad had made their team practice rebounding. Looks like it paid off, she thought.
The Eagles forward grabbed the ball and dribbled up the court. She passed to her team’s center, who immediately passed it back. Sarit could see the Eagles forward looking around for someone to pass the ball to. But no one was open, and several of the Cowboys were bearing down on her.
The Eagles player jumped for the shot and missed. As she landed, she lost her balance and fell, but there was no foul.
Play continued. Allie had possession. She dribbled it up the court. Sarit couldn’t help admiring her sister’s fast, elegant moves. She easily evaded a defender. The audience cheered as Allie headed for the basket.
“Come on, Allie!” Mom shouted. She clapped her hands.
Allie shot the ball — a perfect swoosh! The players on the Cowboys bench cheered and high-fived. Sarit looked down at her own hands. No one remembered she was gone. No one missed her.
The Cowboys were leading 26-13 at halftime. When the buzzer sounded, Mom let out a happy sigh. “Well, this’ll be an easy win,” she said. “I’m going to get something to drink. You want anything, honey?”
Sarit shook her head. “No, thanks,” she said. She watched as her mom made her way toward the snack counter. Down below, the Cowboys were all resting on the bench as Coach Ritz talked to the team.
Sarit felt a wave of loneliness wash over her. It was weird to be sitting in the bleachers by herself instead of on the bench with the rest of the team.
On the bench, all the players laughed at something Coach Ritz said. Allie was laughing too. I can’t believe her, Sarit thought angrily. She acts like she doesn’t care about Dad at all. She just cares about playing.
Sarit wanted to believe that, but she knew it wasn’t true. They both cared.
So why am I the only one who feels so bad? she wondered.