Chapter 27

EVERYONE SLEPT IN on Saturday. The Angelines would play at 4:45. The Salter Crusaders would play at 7:00. Unfortunately, there would not be time for the crew to get to Salter after they finished their game in the Well. At 1:30, there was no more thought about any other game but the championship game against the Cyclones, as they boarded the bus for Des Moines.

The huge venue was only about half filled, but the Bartley fans tried to make it sound full as they gathered behind their team’s bench. The girls went out and warmed up, spending as much time on their exercises as they did on the drills.

“The red line confuses me,” Amy said when she came off the floor.

“You can forget about it,” Dennis said. “That’s the three-point line for the pros. You’re good, but you don’t need to play on their court. And remember, there’s more room between the circles. Don’t back up too much. We play a close game.”

“I miss the lines on our court,” Natalie said. “I always judged the spot I’m most comfortable with by where the volleyball lines intersected the three-point line.”

“Yeah. They don’t play volleyball here,” Tori said.

Dennis was pleased to hear their inane gripes about the court. He was more concerned about the effect of an extra ten feet in court length, compared to what they were used to. In the course of a game, that could add a mile to the distance the girls ran. So far it hadn’t played a role, but this was a game just a day after playing a hard game in the semifinals. He was glad everyone reported a good night’s sleep before the game.

The opening ceremonies were much longer than most games, as well. It seemed everyone had to be introduced, but it was good to get the whole team introduced. They started with the non-starters on each team and included their team managers and assistant coaches. Then they rotated back and forth between the teams to introduce the starters and the coaches. After all the introductions, the anthem was played and the teams got their final huddle.

“What is this game?” Dennis demanded.

“The Championship Game!”

“What are we going to do?”

“Beat ‘em!”

“How do we do it?”

“Run, run, run!”

“Who are we?”

The entire crowd behind the Angelines’ bench was waiting for that moment and shouted out, “Angelines!”

Diane took the center position for the tipoff against a Cyclone player who was two inches taller than she was. The Cyclones got the tip and the game was underway. As the lower seed, Bartley was once again in its maroon away uniforms. The Cyclones got off to a fast start, showing that they, too, ran a full-court press and played a zone defense. They scored twice from inside before the tall center ran into a planted wall of Diane and Janice as she drove for the basket. Her shot was ruled no good and an offensive charging foul was called.

The Cyclones’ coach rose to protest the call, but the ref shook his head and quickly said the defenders’ feet were planted clearly outside the restricted zone.

The Angelines came back quickly from a ten-two deficit with two three-pointers by Natalie and Tori in rapid succession. Then there was an exchange of baskets that left the Angelines trailing 14-16 at the end of the quarter.

“What did you learn?” Dennis asked as the seven players who had entered the game so far put their heads together in the huddle.

“They think they can push us around because they are big,” Diane said. “We need to make sure we are planted and let them charge us.”

“The same is true on offense,” Natalie said. “Make sure you are planted and unmoving when you set a pick. They’ve called two fouls for an illegal block.”

“What about blocking shots?” Janice asked. “I can’t block with my feet on the ground.” She already had four solid blocks and a steal. Her rebounding was equal to anyone on the Cyclone team.

“You just need to make sure the only thing making contact is your hand on the ball. If you make contact with the shooter, they’ll get the foul,” Dennis said. “You should also go ahead and take the open threes. Their zone isn’t pressing the outside; show them we’re a threat out there. Ready?”

“Ready!”

The Cyclones got the ball on the alternate possession rule and Janice blocked the inbound pass, knocking it back out of bounds with her foot. The block moved the ball farther into the back court for the next inbound. This time, Amy knocked the ball away from the receiver and Natalie picked it up for a layup to tie the game.

The outcome was never certain. The Angelines led by two at the half, but the Cyclones had picked the lead back up after three quarters.

The standard procedure of fouling in order to stop the clock and get possession of the ball worked against the Cyclones, because the Angelines made nineteen out of twenty free throws. They were nearing the buzzer and the Angelines took possession with a one-point lead and ten seconds on the clock. Natalie drove straight at the basket and her defender fell back to block a layup attempt. Natalie pulled up short at her favorite spot on the right wing and put the ball up for a three-pointer at the buzzer. The Angelines won 72-68.

The ceremony after the championship game was jubilant for the Angelines and sorrowful for the Cyclones. It was tough to lose the championship. The Angelines knew that from the previous year and went to greet the Cyclones and tell them what a great game they played. It was all too easy for a champion team to ignore the other team while they celebrated, but the girls disciplined themselves to congratulate the other team on a game well-played.

“Um ... Thanks for coming by,” the tall center said to Natalie. “Why did you pull up and shoot a three at the buzzer?”

“Oh. Sorry about that. It was our coach. He told us the only way to be sure we won was to lead by more than three at the buzzer. We only had a one-point lead. I had to throw it up,” Natalie said.

“Maybe next year we’ll get a student to coach our team,” the center laughed. It was mixed with her tears. “Congratulations.” The two girls hugged and there was a huge cheer from both sides of the stands.

With 27 points, Natalie was given the MVP award for the tournament. Then the trophy was presented and Tori was selected to put their name in the winner’s box on the bracket card.

In a tourney like this, the old tradition of cutting down the nets was no longer followed. There was still the Class 1A championship game to be played that night at 7:00. The rotation of which class played championship games in what order was changed each year so that every class got a chance at the prime time.

They led the caravan of fan buses and cars home and found the gym open for a celebration with all the fans when they got to Bartley. The Boosters had ordered pizza for everyone and the party went on for over an hour.

By that time, the Salter Crusaders had defeated the Warriors and were celebrating their move into the Sweet Sixteen to play the next weekend. As the top seeded team in their bracket, it looked like they would host the next weekend’s games, so the crew could be there for all of them. The Rams, the Seagulls, and the Tigers advanced to the sweet sixteen with Crusaders for their pod.

Tori hung around the party until it was clear everyone was leaving. No Brandon. She was dejected and fought off tears as she went to her car and drove home. She wanted to celebrate their championship game with her lover and he didn’t show up! Damn it! She’d been so sure of him. She pulled up to the barn and went inside without bothering to go see her parents.

The first thing she noticed was music coming from her room. It didn’t sound like her playlist and, of course, she had her phone in her pocket. She pushed open the door to her room and was met by flickering candlelight from all directions. There were flowers all over her bed. Brandon stepped out of the bathroom in a robe and slippers.

“What a fantastic game!” he said. “I almost...”

He was silenced by Tori slamming into him and pressing her lips against his.

“I thought you abandoned me!” she gasped. “You weren’t there for the celebration.”

“I had to prepare this celebration, sweet love. I hope it will be so much better.”

“Don’t do that again!” she cried. “I should hate you for that. But I don’t. Kiss me. Make love to me.”

Brandon kissed her and began undressing his lover. When she was naked, she pushed the robe off his shoulders and he swept her up in his arms. He carried her from her bedroom to the old shower stall, where she found he’d brought in a big watering tank and filled it with hot water. They tested it to make sure the temperature was okay and then crawled over the side. Unlike a bathtub, this had straight sides and a flat bottom, but Brandon had thought to put some plastic furniture in it so he could sit and hold Tori in his lap. There in the tub, they continued to pet and make out, eventually managing to couple underwater, even though it washed away some of her lubrication. She had plenty flowing. Once they were joined together, they did a good job of sloshing water over the sides as they drove each other to an orgasm.

Brandon helped her out over the side and rushed to grab towels—not the old threadbare towels she’d equipped the shower stall with months ago, but big fluffy bath sheets that they wrapped each other in—and went to her room. She sat on the bed while he massaged her feet and then knelt in front of her.

“Tori, you’re the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me. I love you with all my heart.” He grabbed his robe on the floor and reached in the pocket. He pulled out a box with a diamond ring in it and held it out to her. “I can’t wait any longer. Baby, will you marry me?”

“Brandon! Now?”

“Well, after we graduate and before we enlist. I love you and I want this for the rest of my life.”