Chapter 3
The cheers of the crowd faded into the background when the team stepped in the locker room, but Darius didn’t join in with the celebratory cries of the others as he slumped down on a bench. For once he didn’t experience a buzz at playing a starring role in another positive victory for his college and his gaze dropped to the floor. A hand clamped on his shoulder as someone sat next to him, but he barely reacted to it.
“Fuck me,” Anton joked. “That’s the look of someone who just played like shit and lost a game. What’s with you?”
Darius put a smile on his face.
“It’s all good,” he replied as he glanced up.
“And said with such enthusiasm,” Anton went on and laughed as he got to his feet to start taking his basketball uniform off.
Darius swiveled around to open his locker and pulled out a towel then used it to wipe the sweat from his face. He’d knuckled down to concentrate his efforts on the game when it got underway and managed to play to his usual high standard even though it was something else he couldn’t get off his mind.
It was now two weeks since he first asked about the exhibition game, but he was no further forward in knowing if he would actually play in it. As agreed, he’d gone to see Coach Wilson the day after they first chatted about the game to be told it was possible for his name to be put forward. That was now done, but it was no guarantee of anything happening and only meant that he was in the frame with an opportunity.
The frustration of waiting to hear some news made him irritable and it didn’t go unnoticed. Gemini mentioned his apparent bad mood the day before, but he just brushed her off as imagining it and tried to carry on as normal. He was desperate to hear something, though, with the date of the exhibition game now only around three weeks away. The longer it went without any contact, the more likely it was that he wouldn’t be picked to play, and that was getting to him.
He sat for around five minutes or so just watching the scene around him in the locker room before hauling himself to his feet to strip off his uniform. He then grabbed his towel and headed for the door in the corner of the room. Some of his teammates were already coming out of the shower area when he walked in, and a few minutes later he was the only one in the place. He was in no hurry, so he just closed his eyes and leaned a hand on the wall in front of him as he stayed under the jets of water to wash away the sweat and weariness of the game he just played.
The locker room was already starting to empty of others when he returned to it, but he still didn’t hurry and sat for a while to let himself cool down fully before he started putting his clothes on. He was bending down to tie his laces when the sound of a voice caught his attention.
“Darnell.”
He glanced towards the door and saw one of the lecturers from his course standing there. Mr. Andrews was popular with the students he taught and it was no secret that he enjoyed the basketball games, but it was unusual for him to come in the locker room afterwards.
“What is it, sir?” Darius asked.
“Good game tonight,” Mr. Andrews went on and smirked. “Has the NBA come sniffing around yet?”
Darius let out a humorless laugh as he shook his head.
“I’m still waiting on that phone call,” he replied.
“I was asked to pass on a message to you,” Mr. Andrews went on.
Darius got to his feet and picked up his bag as he spoke.
“What’s that, sir?” he asked.
“I just came from Coach Wilson’s office,” Mr. Andrews carried on. “He wants you to go along and see him.”
“About what?” Darius asked immediately.
The lecturer shrugged his shoulders.
“He didn’t go as far as telling me that,” he said. “He just said he wanted to see you right now, so get your ass along to his office.”
“Yes sir,” Darius said.
Mr. Andrews disappeared from view as he walked out the door and Darius quickened his pace to follow the teacher out of the room. His heart was suddenly racing, but he tried to keep himself calm as he hurried along the hallway. For all he knew, Coach Wilson just wanted to talk about the game that just finished. It would be unusual if he did, however, as he normally waited for the next training session to speak to the whole team.
Darius could only think that the meeting would be about the exhibition game, but that didn’t particularly mean it would be good news, and he tried to damp down his rising enthusiasm as he got to the door of the office. The last thing he needed was to get all worked up only to have his hopes shot down in flames. He let out a slow breath as he adjusted the bag on his shoulder then knocked on the door and walked inside. It was to the sight of two people rather than the one he’d been expecting and he was sure the slight surprise as he stopped in his tracks didn’t go unnoticed.
“Come on in,” Coach Wilson said. “And close the door.”
Darius did as he was told then stepped across to the free seat next to the desk. He was aware of the sharp suit and gold jewelry of the tall, muscular man he sat next to, but said nothing and just looked at the coach.
“This is Noah Adams,” Coach Wilson said as a way of introduction.
The man held out his hand and Darius shook it.
“You played a hell of a game out there tonight, son,” Noah said.
“Thanks,” Darius replied.
“Noah works for Kent Carmichael,” Coach Wilson went on. “Kent is the promoter of the exhibition game.”
Darius nodded his head, but was unsure of what to say and just remained quiet to let the others carry on talking. It was Noah that did.
“I was asked to come along and watch you in tonight’s game, and I have to say I was impressed by your performance. You know your way around a basketball court.”
“Thanks,” Darius repeated.
“Your coach says that tonight is a typical performance from you and that you’re the star man on the team.”
“I try my best,” Darius said.
“Oh, don’t be modest,” Noah went on. “You were head and shoulders above the opposition and your teammates out there. That was easy for anyone that knows a bit about basketball to see.”
Darius was suddenly glad that he didn’t let his frustrations of not hearing any news interfere with his play that evening. He glanced between the two men and couldn’t hold in the question that was on the tip of his tongue.
“So… what does that mean in terms of the exhibition game?”
“There are a few of us contracted by Mr. Carmichael to go and watch the candidates put forward for the game,” Noah went on. “I can honestly say that you’re the best I’ve seen at college level so far… and I’ll be recommending that you get the nod to play in the game.”
Darius was unable to contain the spontaneous outburst of emotion.
“Yes!” he let out in a loud voice as he got to his feet and pumped his fist.
He suddenly realized that both men were staring at him and he sat down with a wide grin on his face.
“I wouldn’t let your exuberance overwhelm you quite yet,” Noah cautioned. “Mr. Carmichael is the man that makes the final decision and all I can do is put in my recommendations like the others.”
“But Darius has a good chance?” Coach Wilson asked.
“If it was up to me, he would be playing,” Noah said. “But like I say the final decision comes down to Mr. Carmichael. He’s the man with the real power to say yes or no. All the games we attended are being filmed and he’ll be watching the footage then looking at our recommendations to narrow the field down to the fourteen that will be playing. From what I’ve been told, the letters to the successful young men will be going out in the next week or so, and that means you won’t have long to wait. In answer to your question, I’d say that Darius has an excellent chance of making the cut.”
The conversation went on for a few more minutes before Noah finally said his goodbyes and left the room.
“Why didn’t you tell me he was coming?”
Darius asked straight away.
“I guess they like to turn up unannounced,” Coach Wilson replied. “I didn’t know he was here either until he knocked on my door after the game. It was just as well you put in your usual shift on the court this evening.”
“Yeah,” Darius agreed. “It sounds like I’m really in with a chance of making it.”
“You heard the man,” Coach Wilson went on. “We should know soon, so I’ll let you know if anything arrives.”
Darius nodded his head as he got to his feet. He suspected the following few days were going to be an even more frustrating wait and he wasn’t particularly looking forward to it. The opportunity was so close he could almost touch it, but the concern that it still might come to nothing was there when he walked across to the door of the office.
“Keep this to yourself for the moment,” Coach Wilson said.
Darius spun round and nodded his head. He hadn’t told anyone yet about the opportunity and wasn’t planning to.
“Sure,” he replied then opened the door to leave.
It was to the sight of Phaedra hanging around outside in the hallway and he tried to stop his gaze roaming over her cute figure. The tight jeans she was wearing clung to her legs like a second skin and there was no doubt she was aware of the fact he liked what he was looking at. The wide smile on her pretty face was evidence of that when his gaze lifted to hers, as were her words.
“I don’t think your girlfriend would appreciate the thoughts running through your head,” she teased him.
“What?” he protested. “I wasn’t thinking anyth…”
“Yeah right,” she interrupted him. “I know when a guy is interested in what he sees. He can protest all he wants, but it shows in his eyes.”
Darius averted his gaze right away. Despite his denials, he did like the sight of Phaedra’s curvy figure in the tight jeans and top she was wearing and his thoughts weren’t exactly pure. The slight guilt of it welled up.
“What do you want anyway?” he asked.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Phaedra said with a smirk. “I didn’t even know you were in there. It’s the coach I want to see.”
“Coach Wilson,” Darius let out. “Why do you want…”
“None of your business,” she said and walked across to the door to knock then stepped inside the room.
Darius didn’t get a chance to say any more and just watched as the door closed. He could think of no reason why Phaedra would want to see Coach Wilson, but it really was none of his business and he wasn’t going to waste any effort thinking about it. There was no sign of Gemini when he got to the door of the main college building, but it didn’t surprise him. She’d told him earlier in the day that she was due to take a class test the following morning and would probably just head home to study after the game finished.
It meant he walked home alone and his mind was on the exhibition game all the way there. The opportunity it presented was one he didn’t want to miss out on and his imagination began to run riot as to what it would mean for him. Before he even stepped inside his home, he was starring at the top of the game and shooting the baskets that carried his team to the NBA Championship.
“How was the game?” his mother asked when he walked in through the kitchen door.
“We won,” Darius said.
“Isn’t Gemini with you tonight?”
“She needed to go home to study right after the game,” he told her.
“You should take note of her commitment to her studies,” his mother went on. “You can’t just concentrate on basketball if you want to get on in life.”
“Yeah, I know,” he said in a slightly aggrieved voice.
He was quick to leave the kitchen before he got another lecture about the importance of college and studying. It wasn’t what he wanted to hear and all that was on his mind was the exhibition game. It was the same for the next few days and he was on tenterhooks as he waited for the news he wanted. Time dragged past without him hearing anything, however, and when it got to a week before the game, he was starting to fear the worst. It meant he wasn’t sure what to think when he got the message that Coach Wilson wanted to see him.
The expression on the older man’s face told a story and Darius knew the answer was yes the second he walked in the room. Coach Wilson held out the letter and he quickly moved across the room to take it. He dropped down on the seat at the desk as he read and the smile was wide on his face when he looked up.
“This is fucking brilliant,” he let out without thinking then realized he’d cursed. “Sorry,” he went on.
“No need for apologies,” Coach Wilson said and laughed. “I thought pretty much the same thing when I read the letter. It’s a real opportunity to put your skills on display in front of some influential people.”
“I need to leave around midday to get to the stadium,” Darius said after glancing through the letter again. “That means taking an afternoon off college.”
“Just let me know what classes you have that day and I’ll smooth things over with the lecturers and let them know you won’t be here.”
“Will you tell anyone else?” Darius asked.
“Why?” Coach Wilson said.
“I’d prefer to keep it quiet,” Darius went on. “I don’t want the fuss of being constantly congratulated by well wishers for the next week. I’d rather keep it low key, so I can just focus my attention on the game without any distractions.”
“OK,” Coach Wilson agreed. “I don’t have a problem with that. Get yourself a copy of the letter then give the original to me and I’ll get in touch with Kent Carmichael to let him know you’ll be there.”
“Sure,” Darius agreed and got to his feet. “Thanks for this coach.”
“Just give it your best shot.”
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that,” he assured him. “I’m going to make sure that Darius Darnell is the only name on the lips of those NBA scouts by the end of the night.”
He walked to the door of the office to leave then made his way to the college library to use the photocopier. Afterwards, he returned to Coach Wilson’s office to hand over the original letter then made his way to his next class. He was a few minutes late getting there, so he needed to sneak in and just sit at the first empty seat he came to at the rear of the large lecture hall. His mind really wasn’t focused on studies though, and he barely listened to the words of the teacher.
It was the same in his next class and when it got to the last one of the day, he couldn’t take any more and decided to pass on it. Going home wasn’t an option because his mother would be there and she would want to know why he was early, so he just went and sat in the park for an hour. He was reading the letter again and making plans for the following week when his phone rang. The screen showed Gemini’s name when he checked and he answered the call.
“I just finished for the day,” she said. “Do you want to meet up for the walk home?”
“Oh… my last lecture was cancelled,” Darius lied. “So I’ve already left college.”
“No problem,” she said. “Do you want me to come around?”
Darius really wanted to practice and his mind was set on shooting hoops in his parents’ yard when he got home.
“There’s no need to, if you don’t want,” he said and hoped it would put her off.
“Oh… OK,” Gemini said. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
Darius felt slightly guilty at the sound of disappointment in her voice, but his mind was made up.
“Sure,” he agreed. “Come around early and we can walk to college together.”
“I’ll see you then,” Gemini said.
Darius hung up the call and it set the tone for the next week. He knew that if he missed college classes it would be noticed, so he decided that was a bad idea. However, every evening he was at home shooting hoops either on his own or having drafted in a friend to help him practice. It generally meant putting off Gemini coming over, but he reasoned it was only for a
few days and he could make it up to her afterwards.
When it got to the night before the exhibition game, he knew he was ready for it. A week of committed practice every evening didn’t go unnoticed by his parents, but he passed it off as just keeping himself in shape for the college games. He was also sure to go to his room with the pretense at studying, but he’d barely opened a book or taken any notice in lectures for the previous week. His mind was focused on one thing and one thing only, and that was even more the case as he got ready for bed.
He wanted to get a good night’s sleep to make sure he was properly rested, so when his phone rang just as he was getting under the covers he was of a mind to ignore it. A check of the screen showed that it was his girlfriend calling and he wavered for a few seconds more before deciding to answer it.
“Hey stranger,” she teased him straight away.
“I saw you at college today,” he replied.
“Yeah,” she conceded. “But I don’t see much of you away from there just now. Are you sure you don’t have a secret girlfriend you’re not telling me about?”
“Hush your mouth,” he said. “You know there’s only one girl in the world I love with all my heart… but seeing as Rihanna isn’t interested, I’ll just have to put up with you.”
“That’s not funny,” Gemini complained.
“OK… OK, it’s you I love,” Darius went on.
“Enough to come around to my house tomorrow night for a study session?” she asked.
The sweat prickled on Darius’s brow as he sat up on his bed.
“What?” he asked.
“A study session,” Gemini went on. “A few others are coming around to my house and it will do you good to be involved in it. You’ve no plans for tomorrow night, have you?”
The flare of panic gripped Darius and he couldn’t get his thoughts straight as he tried to come up with a suitable excuse. He failed miserably to do it and the words blurted out of his mouth before he could stop them.
“No… no, I’m not doing anything.”
“Great,” Gemini went on. “If I don’t see you at college at the end of the day, just come around to my home at six-thirty.”
“Oh yeah… sure,” he agreed and closed his eyes tightly as he screwed up his face.
He was talking himself into trouble and knew that he should come clean, but Gemini said goodbye and hung up the call before he got the chance to.
“Fuck,” Darius cursed as he stared at his phone.
He lifted a hand to his forehead to wipe the sweat away and considered what he should do. His girlfriend would be severely pissed off when he was a no-show for the study session he just agreed to attend and he debated calling her to tell her he couldn’t actually make it. That would mean confessing the reason why, though, and he decided he wasn’t going to do that. The exhibition game was much too important for him to end up in an argument about it the night before it took place.
“Good going, Darius,” he berated himself as he threw his head down on the pillow and closed his eyes.
He lay there wishing he’d stuck with his first instinct and not answered the call, but it was too late for that now. He would just need to deal with the fallout of missing the study session and try his best to make things up with Gemini afterwards.
Hoop Dreams Page 3
