Chapter 8
Keira
Keira shoved a forkful of scorching hot instant noodles into her mouth while she loaded a game and started a video call to Sonia. She was still huffing and breathing around the noodles when Sonia picked up.
“You alright there, Morgan?” Sonia’s tinny voiced laughed at her through her headset. Keira coughed and took a sip of water from her bedside bottle before answering. Sonia chuckled.
“All good,” she rasped.
“How’re you feeling about the game today?” Sonia asked, looking quizzical through her phone screen.
“Alright,” she said, focusing on setting up their game. “It’s a good team, with good coaches, and Amelia is a good captain — “
“But not as good as me, right?” Sonia interjected.
“Obviously.” Keira laughed. “Though, she’d have to transfer to another team in a couple of years to really live up to your name.”
“Ouch.” Sonia mockingly put her hand on her heart.
“But, yeah, she really cares about the players. She’s always cheering us on. She works damn hard and pushes us harder, but she knows how to have a laugh. She’s helped me work on a few things —”
“I bet she has.” Sonia wiggled her eyebrows.
“Not like that.” Keira’s cheeks heated.
“Oh, you do like her.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to. Your face said it for you.”
Trust Sonia to go straight for the jugular.
“If I liked her, it wouldn’t matter, anyway. She has made it very clear she doesn’t date teammates.” Keira ignored the pang of regret that flashed in her stomach. “Plus, I’ve got a bit too much going on right now to even think about dating.“ Keira looked pointedly at the phone’s camera.
“You’re right, you’re right. I’m sorry,” Sonia said. “But seriously, Keira, how’re you feeling about your first game?”
She sighed. She was feeling so many things it was hard to tease the individual feelings apart. If she concentrated, she could make out the strongest feeling: dread. It throbbed in the back of her mind like a nefarious pulse.
“Okay, fine. I’m nervous. What if I play badly and they bench me? What if there’s no chemistry?”
What if they revoke my contract and I can’t look after Dad?
“What if a meteor crashes and wipes out the court?” Sonia chuckled. “There is no point in worrying about things you can’t control. You’ve put the work in. You’ve got this. You’re ready.”
Keira took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, then nodded. Sonia was right. Dwelling on the negative possibilities would only make them more likely to come true. “Thanks. Now are you ready…” She started the game with no warning, catching Sonia off guard, “to get your ass handed to you?”
“Oh, you’re on, Morgan.” Sonia laughed.
The pair played video games for a couple of hours, until it was time for Keira to start getting ready.
Sonia wished Keira good luck, and Keira shut down the console.
She stared at the now blank screen where Sonia’s face had been; what she wouldn’t give for a hug right now.
As always, she’d laid out her kit and charged her headphones the night before.
Before she knew it, her jelly-like legs carried her downstairs.
She walked into the living room, immediately clocking her dad’s empty lunch plate. The slight adjustment in his treatment seemed to have the added benefit of making him less tired and nauseous.
Credits rolled on the television screen, and her dad began trying to navigate to one of the other apps.
“I can never work this bloody thing.” He huffed. “I’m trying to make sure I can get to the livestream of your game.”
A warm, golden light filled her, helping turn her legs back into muscle.
Her dad had always been her biggest fan.
He’d attended as many of her college games as he could in person, and watched the rest from home, even when it involved very late nights or early starts.
His unwavering support meant the world to her.
She took the remote, quickly navigated to the right page, and found the livestream.
“Thanks, love,” he said and picked up a book before settling back into his chair. The screen counted down to the start of the broadcast.
“Do you have everything you need?” she asked, scanning the room to check he had blankets, drinks, and snacks in reach.
“Yes, thank you. I’m all set.” He lowered his book and smiled fondly.
“Right, I’m off then.” Keira leant down to kiss him on the head. He reached up and pulled her further down into a hug. She may not have been able to get a hug from Sonia, but a hug from her dad was even better medicine.
“I’m so proud of you, kiddo,” he said against her ear, then kissed her cheek before releasing her and returning to reading.
Keira straightened and watched him for a moment, further reminded that moving home had been the right decision. It also reminded her how important it was for her to keep her place on the team by playing well today. She took a deep breath, grabbed her things, and headed out the door.
Their training baskets had been folded up to the ceiling and the courts’ dividing curtains were gone.
Instead, temporary baskets and court markings spanned the space, and pull-out seating bordered the long sides of the court.
A short scaffold carried television cameras at one end.
Around two hundred people littered the stands.
The attendance paled in comparison to the more established teams, but it was still an improvement on previous seasons, if the club’s social media was reporting correctly.
They were six minutes into a surprisingly competitive game, even if the lopsided scoreline didn’t reflect the Blizzards’ skill and hard work. Amelia, Lucy, and Evie had managed to get shots up under immense pressure, but only a few had gone in.
Keira sat on the bench, tapping her feet, her limbs filled with a static energy that seemed to be growing stronger the longer she absorbed the atmosphere of the game.
Someone in the lower seats had brought a drum and was leading the chants; her heart rate sped up with every thud.
Staying laser-focused on the game, she tried to identify weaknesses in the armour of the opposition.
Their point guard excelled at ball distribution in offence, already racking up several assists.
She squinted a little as the point guard adjusted her footing, then faked a pass one way, then sent it flying another.
That was interesting.
After a run of baskets by the Bristol Ballers, Coach Grant called a timeout. The players huddled together. Those fresh off the court were breathing hard; those from the sub bench were fidgety and restless.
“Okay, everybody, take a breath. We knew this was going to be a tough game, but we’re still going to play our way.” Everyone in the circle nodded.
“Keira, you’re in for Asha, but at three,” Coach Grant said.
Keira nodded back, acknowledging the coach’s show of faith.
“Amelia, you’re going to switch to two,” Coach added.
Keira’s every muscle fibre tensed in anticipation of her debut. She forced herself to focus on the tactical instructions and took some deep breaths to calm her nervous stomach. You’ve got this. Sonia’s words echoing around her head: You’re ready.
The referee blew her whistle and called them back onto the court.
Amelia stuck her hand into the centre of the circle, the rest of the team following suit. Keira was one of the last to add her hand, the unity dampening the remainder of her nerves. The other team shouted their chant from near their bench.
“We can do better than that, right, everyone?” Amelia made eye contact with each member of the circle.
When her gaze landed on Keira, she paused for half a second.
Anxious energy crept back in until the corner of Amelia’s mouth twitched, and she winked at Keira.
She had to stop herself laughing, and her nerves dissipated completely.
“Blizzards on three!” Amelia shouted proudly, “one, two, three!”
“Blizzards!” the circle shouted in unison.
The substitutes returned to their seats, while the five players jogged back out onto the court.
The Bristol Ballers had the ball, and in-bounded from the sideline.
They passed the ball around so rapidly it was enough to make anyone’s head spin.
Except Keira. She tracked the ball with precision, continuing to jostle for position with the Bristol centre, wearing number seven, that she was marking.
She saw the Bristol point guard adjust the placement of her non-pivot foot, bringing it slightly closer to her body, while she looked towards one of her teammates on the other side of the key.
It felt like time slowed down. The point guard faked the pass towards that far side of the key, then quickly changed direction and sent the ball flying towards the player Keira was marking.
But Keira was ready. And Keira was faster.
She stepped forward and stretched out her hand.
Her fingertips just got to the ball, knocking it away from the Bristol centre.
Keira sprinted after the loose ball and got a quick handle on it, aware of the centre breathing down her neck.
She quickly scanned the court and spotted Amelia, who was further up the court and completely unmarked.
Keira gathered the ball and used a two-handed pass to send the ball whizzing the full width and nearly half the length of the court—straight into Amelia’s hands.
Amelia dribbled twice and took an easy layup.
The nearest player chasing her down was not even close enough to attempt a block.
“The Blizzards have caused a whiteout! Because there was nothing the Ballers could have done to stop that!” the commentator shouted.
Time sped up again as the friendly cheers helped Keira float back to defence. Amelia gave her a thumbs up from the other side of the key. Keira grinned back and refocused on the game.