Boot Camp by Eric Walters Page A

the other, but not both.”
    I realized there was no point in trying to convince him Kia could play. He’d have to see it with his own eyes. Unfortunately with Kia out there without much support there wasn’t a lot she could do. The other team was scoring pretty much at will and every time Kia tried to bring the ball up, they put the press in place and she was facing two or even three people. She couldn’t dribble out of it, and when she threw up a pass, it just squirted through hands or bounced off somebody and was scooped up by the otherteam. This game was getting well out of hand quickly. Even when I did get out there, and even if Jamal would come out and work with us, we were probably already too far behind to pull this game out of the fire.
    A loud whistle blew, signaling the end of the game. I was glad it was over…well, really the game had been over since about the ten-minute mark when it became obvious that we didn’t have a chance to win. We had just lost our sixth game in a row.
    It had been an awful day. The worse things got, the less we played like a team. Most of the guys had given up, Jamal hadn’t made any passes at all, and Kia had gotten stubborn and stupid, not passing to Jamal and really not passing much to any of us.
    This last game had been just plain embarrassing. They hadn’t just beaten us, they had run the score up and made all sorts of comments throughout the game—trash talking and taunting us. There had been some words between Jamal and a couple of their players during the game.
    The two teams met at center court so we couldshake hands. I was getting really tired of being a good sport—or at least pretending to be a good sport. Pretending was the best I could do at this point.
    â€œGood game,” I said as I tapped hands with the first guy and then the second and—there was a commotion from behind me. I turned around. Jamal was in an argument with one of the players from the other side. They were in each other’s faces and then Jamal reached out and gave the kid a big push and he tumbled backward! Two other kids from their team lunged into the action, grabbing Jamal, and suddenly Kia jumped in, grabbing one of the players and shoving him backward and—
    â€œThat’s enough!” Jerome yelled as he came forward, getting in between the two teams.
    Jamal didn’t look like he wanted to be separated. Jerome practically had to pick him up off the ground to get him away from the other guy. Jamal still struggled to get free but he was wrapped up in Jerome’s huge arms and he wasn’t going anywhere. The other coaches all rushed over. Jamal stopped fighting and Jerome loosened his grip.
    â€œBoth teams, come with me, now!” Jerome yelled.
    He walked away, and we dutifully followed. There wasn’t a sound except for our shoes against the floor. I looked up. Every other person in the whole gym was silently staring at us. This was not good.
    Jerome held open the door to one of the change rooms, and we all shuffled through. I was glad to be getting away from everybody else’s prying eyes and ears.
    â€œSit,” Jerome said.
    The other team sat down on the bench on one side of the room, and we all took the other side. Everyone sat in complete silence. I kept my eyes on the floor. I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen, but it wasn’t going to be good.
    â€œNow, somebody tell me what that was all about,” Jerome said quietly.
    Nobody answered. I took a deep breath. Should I answer?
    â€œJamal?” Jerome asked.
    â€œWhy you asking me?” he said defiantly.
    â€œBecause you’re one of the captains, aren’t you?”
    â€œUm…yeah.”
    â€œSo?”
    He shrugged.
    â€œHe started it!” one of the players on the other team yelled before Jamal could say anything, pointing right at Jamal. “He took a swing at me!”
    Jamal jumped to his feet, and I thought he was