FANNY HELD UP A HIGH five and grinned. “I’d say you fit right in with the rest of us weirdos.”
Everyone laughed, and they began to call out Fanny’s name in a way Jalen knew was an old routine.
“That’s my Fanny!” someone called.
“No, that’s my Fanny!”
“Keep your hands off my Fanny!”
“That’s one freckled Fanny!”
“Everyone loves a red-haired Fanny!”
Laughter finally drowned out the shouts, and the bus arrived.
On their way across the parking lot to the bus, Jalen whispered, “I was worried for a minute there with that choking thing. It was like we were back with the Rockets.”
“The Rockets are rotten,” Daniel said. “I knew he was kidding. This is what a team is supposed to be, laughing and joking.”
“You knew?” Jalen shook his head. “You mean that wasn’t the beginning of a flying-crane stance you were in?”
“What would you know about a flying crane?”
“Only what you tell me.” Jalen tossed his gear into the belly of the bus.
“Kung fu can’t be contained,” Daniel said. “I wasn’t concerned, but my kung fu sometimes takes over so that I’m always prepared.”
“Oh, I get it.” Jalen bit back a smile, and they piled onto the bus.
The long ride was filled with laughs and joking. At some point, Daniel moved to sit with Fanny, and Jalen wound up with Gertz.
They were getting along great. Still, Jalen was surprised when Gertz nudged him and said, “Hey, Jalen. How about you and me room together in Boston? I know you and Daniel are best friends, but he can room with Fanny, and that way you guys can learn the ropes.”
“Yeah, that sounds great. Let me just make sure with Daniel, okay?”
Daniel was busy watching Fanny show him how to fold a handbill into a streamlined paper airplane, and Jalen couldn’t catch his attention.
“If he’s not cool with it, that’s okay too,” Gertz said. “I was just thinking it’d help you guys feel like part of the team more, since the rest of us have been playing together for a couple years already.”
When Jalen was sitting with Daniel again, he got to ask the question.
Daniel laughed. “That’s funny. I was going to ask you the same thing. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings, but Fanny said he could help me get the lay of the land so I didn’t feel like a rookie. Jalen? Who are these guys?”
Jalen sighed. “I don’t know, but I’m glad we found them.”
“Well, technically they found you.”
“You think most teams are like this?” Jalen asked. “Ice cream and laughing and friendly, or like the Rockets?”
Daniel said, “I think this is exactly what a team is supposed to be like.”
They rode for a few moments just looking at each other, until Jalen asked, “You thinking what I’m thinking?”
“How good it’ll be if we play the Rockets at this tournament?” Daniel said.
“Not just play them,” Jalen said. “How about if we beat their pants off?”