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10

Jade

I shake my body out to help ease my nerves. Tonight is the first game of the season and the first night that Cliff will be watching me as my “boyfriend.” The only thing that is keeping me calm is being surrounded by my teammates. Every single one of us is quiet and in our own heads getting ready for whatever comes at us. Each of us have our own ritual to help us get through until it is time to play. Mine is to jump in place and shake out each and every part of my body.

“Ready, ladies?” Coach Jackson asks us as she walks into the locker room.

“Yes, Coach,” we all say in unison.

“Listen up. Tonight is the first game of the season, and we need to show everyone that we’re not just a one hit wonder,” she says, trying to motivate us. We were National Champions last year for the WNBA, the first time for the Los Angeles Stars. Since then, there has been a lot of people saying shit like we won’t be able to recreate it. These articles and commotion are why I think the general manager called Cliff about my “reputation.” He just kept reading all the crap that was being said about me.

It's all based off of jealousy. Nothing more, nothing less.

What they don’t seem to realize is that I’m going to prove them wrong. This year, not only will we go back to the playoffs, but we will win.

“It’s time. Stars on three,” I hear the coach say and it seems I’ve missed whatever speech she was giving. We all place are hands together, and the coach says, “One, two, three,” then we all throw our hands up and shout, “Stars.”

The music starts and we head out onto the court when I hear the announcer shout, “Welcome to the court…the Los Angeles Stars.”

All the starters stand in a group, ready for them to call each of us out. We wait patiently while the announcer calls, “Here is the line up for the opposing team, the New York Meteors.”

I block out the announcer calling the other team, because it doesn’t matter who the opposing team is, I’m going to play my best no matter what. Instead, I search the arena for the one man that I know is here to support me. When I catch sight of him, I can’t help but smile, because Cliff is sitting courtside next to our bench looking so handsome in a Los Angeles Stars jersey with the number seventeen on the front. My number. The one that I’m currently wearing. His eyes connect with mine and he waves at me with a small smile. I wave back at him.

The lights go off with the music and the excitement of the crowd turns up. You can literally feel the electricity in the air, and it feels as if it’s entering my body right at this moment. This is what I love. This feeling carries me through the game, fires me up.

Spotlights begin to dance around the court and then land on all of us. “Put your hands together for the starting lineup of the Los Angeles Stars.”

The crowd goes crazy with noise. And I wait in anticipation for them to call my name.

“Welcome to the court, number four, Diana Hayes. Number eleven, Jessica Chen. Next up is number two, Leanna Reyes. Number twenty-three, Elsie Wood. And last but not least, last year’s MVP, number seventeen, Jade Gonzalez.”

I run onto the court, high fiving my teammates. Once I’m in the center of the court, I throw my hand up and wave to the crowd. Of course they don’t disappoint, the cheers are so loud. It takes a moment for the announcer and the game officials to get the crowd calmed down in order to start the game.

The moment the referee holds up the ball, both teams ready themselves. Once the whistle blows, the game begins and I forget everything around me.