Full-Court Mess, page 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Chapter 1: New Season, New Captain
Chapter 2: Season Opener
Chapter 3: A Messy End
Chapter 4: Making Do
Chapter 5: An Icy Practice
Chapter 6: Investigating
Chapter 7: The Plan
Chapter 8: The Bait
Chapter 9: The Catch
Chapter 10: Pep Talks
Chapter 11: Cleaning Up
About the Author
Glossary
Discussion Questions
Writing Prompts
Basketball Beginnings
Explore More
Copyright
Back Cover
CHAPTER 1
NEW SEASON, NEW CAPTAIN
Bobbi Klein leaned across the aisle. “Excited?” she whispered.
Lisa Vega, an eighth grader and lifelong basketball lover, grinned. “It’s the first day of practice,” she said. “Are you kidding? Of course I’m excited.”
Lisa thought that even on the best of days, last period U.S. Government class dragged on. But today it seemed to last forever.
Lisa had played basketball in both sixth grade and seventh grade. But this year she’d be a starter, one of the team veterans.
She couldn’t wait to get to practice, see Coach Zelinksy again, and find out who the team captain would be.
The bell finally rang. Lisa and Bobbi practically leapt from their seats. They hurried into the hall just as their friend and fellow basketball player Claire Doogan exited her last class across the hall.
“You two fired up?” Claire asked.
Bobbi gave Claire a high five. “Heck yeah,” she said.
“Hey,” Claire said as the three walked quickly down the hall toward the locker room. “How does this sound? Captain Claire Doogan.”
Bobbi covered her mouth to laugh.
“What?” Claire said. “It could happen!”
“Claire,” Lisa said, “last year you pranked Coach Z like twice a week.”
“Those were pranks of affection!” Claire insisted. “She knows that.”
“Mm-hmm,” Bobbi replied.
“Remember when I replaced all the balls with basketballs full of water?” Claire said. “Each ball weighed fifteen pounds. She was so confused.”
Even Lisa and Bobbi had to laugh. It had been pretty funny.
They reached the locker room and found another veteran player going in too.
“Hi, Lan,” Lisa said. “Excited to start a new season?”
Lan Huynh was the best player on the team. She didn’t have Bobbi’s height, so she wasn’t a huge threat under the basket. But she was agile, quick, and strong, and she had the best outside shot on the team.
Last year, she was the second-leading scorer on the team, losing out only to last year’s captain, Heidi Andersen. Heidi was in high school now.
“Obviously,” Lan answered flatly.
Even though Lisa had known Lan throughout middle school, they weren’t close friends. Lan hung out with a different group of friends, even during basketball season.
Lisa smiled as she opened the door. “After you,” she said, letting all three girls go in before her. “I bet Coach Z will name you captain.”
“Well, yeah,” Lan said, almost laughing. “I’m the best player on the team. If not for Heidi, I probably would have been captain last year.”
“A seventh grader as captain?” Claire asked. Everyone knew Coach Zelinksy always made an eighth grader captain. Being the best player on the team wasn’t everything.
The four girls were soon joined by a dozen more. Everyone got changed into their gym clothes for practice. Coach Zelinksy wouldn’t hand out the uniforms until next week.
“Good afternoon, Dingoes,” Coach Zelinksy said as the girls gathered on the court.
The coach stood on the bottom row of the bleachers. She looked just like a coach should look: sweatpants and sweatshirt in red and gold—school colors—with a whistle around her neck and a clipboard in her hand.
“Welcome to another year of girls’ basketball at Day O’Connor Middle School,” Coach Zelinksy said. She tucked the clipboard under her arm and applauded.
The girls tentatively joined in, but Lisa clapped loudly. “Woo!” she cheered, until the other girls clapped louder too.
Claire and Bobbi even joined her with some hoots and hollers.
“There’s the spirit,” said Coach Zelinksy. “Thanks, Lisa.” She winked at her.
“So, we’ll start off with some stretching, some laps,” the coach went on, “before we get into drills and scrimmage. At that point I’ll make some position assignments and all that. Those of you who played for me last year know the drill.”
“But first … ,” Claire said.
The coach smirked at her. “Thank you, Claire,” she said. “Yes, but first, I have one important announcement.”
“Captain Dooooogann!” Claire shouted, thrusting a fist into the air. “Woo!”
“I’m afraid not, Claire,” the coach said. “But let’s have another round of applause and a big Dingoes cheer for …”
Lan smiled and took a step forward.
“Captain Lisa Vega!” the coach finished. The whole team clapped—except for Lisa and Lan.
Lisa gasped. She looked at Lan, whose mouth hung open in disgusted surprise.
“Oh, I—” Lisa said. “I didn’t—”
“Come on up here,” the coach said to Lisa. “Stand next to me!”
Tentatively, Lisa stepped up on the bleacher next to the coach. “Thanks,” Lisa said quietly.
“Come on, where’s that spirit now?” the coach said. She leaned closer to Lisa. “Surprised, huh?”
Lisa nodded, but looking out over at her friends— new and old—she felt proud. A surge of school spirit flooded her. She finally threw up her hands and shouted, “Go, Dingoes!”
Lan, though, didn’t join the cheering. Instead she stormed out of the gym.
“Um, I’ll be right back,” Lisa said, jumping down from the bleacher. She caught up with Lan outside the bathroom. “Lan, wait a second,” she said. “I didn’t—”
“I’m going to the bathroom, Captain,” Lan said. “Is that allowed?”
“Of course,” Lisa said. “I just thought you were upset.”
“Why would I be upset?” Lan said, spinning to face her, her face red with anger or embarrassment. Lisa couldn’t be sure which.
“Because you wanted to be team captain?” Lisa offered.
“So?” Lan said. “Obviously it doesn’t matter if I played harder all last year and have the best record in the school. And I know Coach Z’s playbook backward and forward. I guess as long as you’re bubbly and cheery and get along with everyone, you get to be captain,” Lan continued. “Well, good for you! Now leave me alone.”
With that, Lan stomped into the girls’ bathroom and slammed the door behind her.
CHAPTER 2
SEASON OPENER
Lisa took to being team captain better than she thought she would. At first, she was worried that the attention and responsibility would be too much for her.
But in the end, it mostly came down to spending more time with Coach Zelinksy and letting her team and school spirit really shine through. She didn’t have any problems with that at all.
After that first day of practice, Lan didn’t seem bothered that she wasn’t captain anymore. She put her heart into every practice. She put up good numbers in scrimmages. If anything, her play actually seemed to improve from the last season.
After the last practice of week one, Claire, Lisa, and Bobbi sat in the locker room after Lan had showered, changed, and left.
“Lan didn’t seem upset to you two today, did she?” Lisa asked.
Claire shrugged. “Not really,” she said. “She seemed fierce, determined, better than me, better than you, better than Coach Z …”
“All right, all right,” Lisa said with a grin. “What do you think, Bobbi?”
“Nope,” Bobbi said as she pulled on her boots. “Seemed like normal Lan to me.”
“She was so mad after the captain announcement the other day,” Lisa said.
“So she got over it,” Claire said. “I mean, it’s just middle school. I’m sure her career as a professional basketball player is still safe.”
“I guess,” Lisa said, and she put Lan’s angry reaction out of her mind.
When the first game—against the Roosevelt Middle School Rebels—rolled around, Lisa was sure the Dingoes would come out on top.
The bus rolled to a stop in front of Roosevelt Middle. Lisa stood at the front of the bus and faced the team.
“Everyone on this bus has shown how amazing they can be,” Lisa said. “In practice after practice, I have seen every single one of you give every ounce of your heart and soul to this team.”
Claire and Bobbi smiled at her. Lan stared back at her, looking strong and determined.
“So when we get off this bus,” Lisa went on, “we’re not just fifteen girls who play basketball. We’re the Day O’Connor Middle School Dingoes, and we’re here to win!”
“Woo!” Bobbi shouted, and everyone on the bus joined in, even Coach Zelinksy.
“Let’s get in there and show them what we’ve got!” Lisa finished, and she charged off the bus. The others followed, fired up and ready to play.
Bobbi won the tip-off with no problem. She knocked the ball backward to Lan, who drove up to the top of the key as her tea
Lisa jogged up with Lan and rolled around to the outside right side. Lan raised three fingers. As point guard, it was Lan’s job to call the play, even though she wasn’t team captain.
Lan found Bobbi under the board and zipped a bounce pass to her. It went under a defender’s outstretched arms. Bobbi grabbed it, jumped, and laid it in for two points.
The bench cheered. “Way to go, Bobbi,” Lisa said, as she clapped and hurried back on defense. “Great pass, Lan.”
Lan ignored her and picked up defending the Rebels point guard, a small girl wearing number eleven. The Rebel raised a fist, rolled to the right, and found the Rebel forward in the corner. She passed the ball, but Lan knocked it away, sending it out-of-bounds.
“Great block, Lan!” Lisa cheered.
The Rebels threw in and went for a layup. Bobbi rejected it, knocking the ball away and to Lan, who drove it hard up the court for another two points, uncontested.
“Woo!” Lisa shouted, clapping for her team. Bobbi gave her a high five.
Lan stayed quiet, her eyes steely with determination.
Near the end of the fourth quarter, the Dingoes were up 62–50. Lisa had made a few two-pointers from outside the key. Bobbi had worked hard under the boards, making tons of rebounds and some layups.
But Lan had been on fire. She’d dropped in two three-pointers, a handful of outside shots, and loads of layups. It was already looking like Lan would have another amazing season and be the top scorer for the Dingoes.
“Great game, girls,” Coach Zelinksy said on the bench during the two-minute time-out. “I love seeing all that team spirit out there.”
“All me,” Lan said under her breath.
Lisa pretended not to hear her. “There are still two minutes left,” she said, “so keep the energy up and we put this one in the books. Great job, everyone.”
They took the court again. The Rebels threw in. Lan picked off the next pass and rushed in for another two points. “Boom!” she said, pumping her fist.
On the next drive, number eleven of the Rebels took an aggressive charge through the key, knocking into Lan.
Lan fell back onto the wood.
The ref blew the whistle and called the charge on the Rebel.
“What?” said number eleven. “She fouled me!”
Lisa ran to Lan’s side to help her up, but Lan knocked her hand away. Lan jumped up and got in number eleven’s face. “Try that again,” she said. “I’ve been in the mood to punch something.”
The ref blew her whistle again and stood between the two girls. “Watch the attitudes, girls, or you’ll end up on the bench,” the ref said. “Dingoes ball.” She pointed up court and blew her whistle to restart play.
Lan took the throw in and brought it up the court fast. She unloaded to Lisa, ran for the lane, and took the pass back for an easy two. The Dingoes lead had grown to sixteen, and that’s where it stayed until the final buzzer.
The teams lined up to shake hands and say, “Good game.” When Lan got to number eleven, though, the Rebel knocked Lan’s hand away and muttered something under her breath.
“What did you say?” Lan asked.
Lisa hurried to her side. Bobbi and Claire both joined her.
“Why don’t you back off?” Bobbi said to number eleven.
“Right,” Claire said. “Good game and all, but you lost fair and square.”
“And I played circles around you,” Lan added.
Lisa put her arm around Lan’s shoulder and smiled at number eleven. “Good game,” Lisa said to both girls. “Let’s call it a day before someone gets suspended from the league.”
Number eleven huffed through her nose like she was really mad. But she turned around and walked away.
“Wow, what a sore loser,” Claire said.
Lan shook Lisa’s arm off. “Don’t help, okay?” she said. “We’re not friends, you and me. Or any of you. Got it?”
With that, Lan stormed off and didn’t say another word the whole bus ride back to Day O’Connor Middle School.
CHAPTER 3
A MESSY END
The Dingoes had a great season. They lost only once, to the Townesville Middle School Tigers, probably the best team in the league.
Lisa worked to keep the team’s spirits high in every game. She knew all of Coach Zelinksy’s plays and even taught herself how best to handle Lan’s hot temper.
Lan, for her part, kept the baskets coming, the scores high, and the records smashed. After the last game of the regular season, which the Dingoes won against the North End Middle School Narwhals, Coach Zelinksy took the team to King Creamery for pizza and ice cream to celebrate.
“We did it!” Lisa said, standing at the head of the table. She held her ice-cream cone up in the air. “We’re in the postseason, a lock to make it to the final game!”
The table cheered. Even Lan seemed happy to be there.
Coach Zelinksy stood next to Lisa. She put an arm around her.
“Can we get three cheers for Captain Lisa Vega, please?” the coach said, beaming.
The table cheered again. This time, Lan didn’t seem quite so happy.
“Without her unyielding team spirit,” the coach went on, “her positive energy, and her belief in everyone at this table, I don’t know if the Dingoes would have had the amazing season we’ve had!”
The table cheered again. Lisa glanced over at Lan. This time, Lan’s smile fell away. She didn’t cheer.
“And hey, three cheers for Lan!” Lisa said. She had to speak up to be heard over the hoorays of her teammates. “She’s broken every single-season record—steals, points, free throws, three-pointers. Without Lan, I know we wouldn’t be looking at a postseason spot. So give it up for Lan!”
The table cheered. Claire even pounded her fists on the table until everyone joined in, chanting, “Lan! Lan! Lan!” until Lan’s cheeks went red and the girl behind the counter had to ask them to quiet down.
On Monday morning, Lisa got off the bus in front of Day O’Connor Middle School and found Bobbi and Claire on the sidewalk out front waiting for her. They looked worried.
“Have you heard?” Bobbi asked.
Lisa shook her head. “Heard what?”
“We thought Coach Zelinksy might have texted you already,” Claire said. “It’s the gym. You have to see.”
“The court?” Lisa asked, following her friends through the main doors and down the front hall.
Ahead of them, trimmed in red and gold paint with a cartoon drawing of a dingo above them, the gym’s double doors stood wide open.
Coach Zelinksy stood just inside the doorway with her back to them.
Lisa handed Bobbi her bag and ran down the hall. “What happened?” Lisa said. “Coach Z, what’s going on?”
She skidded to a stop just inside the gym and gasped.
The baskets at each end of the court had their nets cut, and so did the baskets that hung over each side of the center line for half-court games. A dozen basketballs, all slashed and flattened, littered the wood floor. And the floor had been splattered from one end to the other with black and orange paint. Lisa could still smell it. She bent down and put her finger in a puddle of orange. It was still sticky and fresh.
“What—” Lisa stammered, “what happened here?”
Coach Zelinksy grunted, her fists on her hips, and shook her head. “I wish I knew,” she said. “It looks like over the weekend, our school had an uninvited visitor.”
“That’s putting it nicely,” Claire said.
“Obviously someone wants to ruin the Dingoes chances in the postseason,” Bobbi said.
Lisa’s stomach flipped and her skin felt cold and prickly. “Who would do something like this?” she asked.
Her eyes twitched as tears filled up their corners.
“We’re gonna fix this,” Coach Zelinksy said, putting an arm around Lisa’s shoulder. But for a long and horrible moment, Lisa felt hopeless.
CHAPTER 4
MAKING DO
“Thanks for coming, girls,” Coach Zelinksy said. She stood in the hallway outside the gym with the team around her in a half circle. “I suppose you’ve all heard the bad news already.”
The school day had passed. All gym classes had been moved outside—even though it was February and freezing cold out there. The gym doors had stayed locked since Lisa had seen the destruction for herself. Still, word got around quickly among the middle schoolers, especially bad news that could mean the end of the Dingoes postseason before it even started.
