by Jake Maddox
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Chapter 1: Nothing but Net
Chapter 2: Blazing Hoops
Chapter 3: Roommates
Chapter 4: New Wheels
Chapter 5: Miss Fix-It
Chapter 6: Not One of Them
Chapter 7: Benched!
Chapter 8: Just This Once
Chapter 9: Shiny on the Outside
Chapter 10: Game Night!
About the Author
Glossary
Discussion Questions
Writing Prompts
More About the Sport
Explore More
Copyright
Back Cover
Cover
Title Page
Table of Contents
Start of Content
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back cover
CHAPTER 1
NOTHING BUT NET
Swish!
“Yeah!” Autumn cheered as the basketball swished through the net in front of her house. Five in a row!
She leaned forward and spun the smooth push rims of her wheelchair. She hurtled after the ball, determined to catch the rebound. She was a second too late. Instead of landing in her hands, the ball hit her footrest, flew past her outstretched fingers, and bounced away.
Autumn rolled her eyes and chased after the ball. She reached the edge of the driveway and eased her wheelchair off the smooth blacktop and onto the uneven grass. She moved carefully so her wheels wouldn’t get stuck and then fished the ball from where it had landed in a flower bed.
The front door opened. “Autumn Grace Holloway, are you tearing up my daisies?”
Autumn laughed. “Not on purpose, Marmee,” she called, spinning the ball between her hands. “Just getting in some practice before I leave for camp tomorrow.”
Her grandmother grinned back. “Well, leave my flowers out of it!” she said. “Supper’s almost ready. And don’t be tracking any mess onto my floor!” She glanced at the grass caught in the wheels of Autumn’s chair. “I’ll get the hose for you.”
“I’ll be right in,” Autumn promised.
Marmee unwound the hose, turned on the spigot, and went inside. Autumn pushed her chair back onto the driveway. She glanced at the door, then at the ball in her lap.
“Just a few more shots,” she whispered.
The next morning, she would be headed to Blazing Hoops, a youth wheelchair basketball camp where she’d earned a scholarship. She’d never been away from home for so long before—two whole weeks! She’d never been to a university campus either. Especially one three hours away from Sandy Pines, Georgia, where she and Marmee lived.
The sun was setting. Autumn dribbled a few times beside her wheelchair and narrowed her eyes at the basket. Thump. Thump. Thump.
She took aim. Swishhhhh! Nothing but net.
“Autumn Grace!” Marmee yelled. “If you’re not inside in two minutes, your supper goes to the chickens!”
Autumn wiped her sweaty forehead and grinned. I’m totally ready, she thought as she headed to the hose to clean her wheels.
Marmee had made Autumn’s favorites for dinner. Baked chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and plenty of sides.
“Can’t send you off on an empty stomach,” she said, loading Autumn’s plate with more tomato pie. “Who knows what they’ll feed you at camp.”
Autumn gulped her milk and grabbed another biscuit. “I better eat up now, then,” she said with a laugh. “What time we leaving?”
Marmee picked up the packet from Blazing Hoops. “Registration runs from nine until noon,” she said. “We’d best be on the road by seven a.m.”
Autumn groaned good-naturedly. “Guess I can manage that,” she joked. She’d probably be too excited to sleep anyway.
Marmee sighed. “I can’t believe you’re leaving me for two weeks,” she said. “Going off to a place where you don’t know a soul. You nervous?”
Autumn shook her head. “Nope!” she declared. “I can’t wait!”
After they cleaned up, Autumn went to finish packing. She organized her things, making sure to include the small toolkit she used for minor wheelchair repairs. She carefully zipped the spending money Marmee had given her into a small purse and tucked it into an inside pocket of her suitcase.
When she was done, Autumn went to tell Marmee good night. Then she brushed her teeth, got into bed, and closed her eyes.
But she was wide awake.
Finally, Autumn gave up on sleep and swung herself back into her wheelchair. She grabbed her hand-me-down tablet off her desk and pulled up the basketball videos she’d saved from last year’s Paralympics. She watched the players fly across the court. Spinning, passing, dribbling, moving their wheelchairs in a graceful dance. The ball flew around the court like a meteor. When a chair spun out and skidded onto its side, the players used their powerful arms to push themselves back upright. Sometimes another player reached down to help.
It was amazing. And exactly what Autumn wanted to do. She watched until her eyelids finally grew heavy, then got back into bed.
Why can’t it be morning already? she thought impatiently.
Blazing Hoops would mean so many firsts for Autumn. For the first time in her life, she was going to get to play basketball. Actual basketball, not just dribbling and shooting baskets in her driveway. A real basketball camp, where she’d learn to play from real college coaches. She’d finally get to play with other people who used wheels like she did. She messed around with her friends at school, of course, playing HORSE and shooting baskets during open gym. But it wasn’t quite the same.
She knew other people who had wheelchairs. But they were mostly Marmee’s age—or even older. Sandy Pines was a small town, and there were no other kids at Autumn’s school who used a wheelchair.
For the first time ever, Autumn was going to fit right in. That was maybe the most exciting thing of all.
CHAPTER 2
BLAZING HOOP
S
Early the next morning, Marmee loaded Autumn’s suitcase and duffel bag into their old sedan. Then Autumn transferred into the passenger seat while Marmee folded up her wheelchair and slid it into the backseat.
As they drove the back roads toward the highway, Autumn wondered if she’d forgotten anything. “You get your medicine refilled?” she asked.
Marmee patted Autumn’s knee. “Last Monday.” She glanced at Autumn. “You worried about me or you?”
Autumn grinned. “Little of both, I guess. But I’m mostly excited.”
Marmee grinned back. “That’s my girl!” she said. “You just worry about having the best time of your life. Sandy Pines will be right here waiting for you.”
Halfway there, Autumn sniffed the air. “You smell something hot?” she asked.
Marmee was already pulling over. “Dollars to doughnuts, it’s that radiator again.” She popped the hood and got out.
Even from inside, Autumn could hear the hissing sound the car was making. “Oh, no,” she groaned.
Marmee was right. The radiator had overheated. They called Autumn’s uncle Gary to drive out with some coolant. It was an easy fix, but it was more than an hour until they were back on the road. After that. Marmee had to drive slowly so the car wouldn’t overheat again, which lost them even more time.
Autumn flipped stations on the radio and tried not to feel impatient. They couldn’t risk tearing up their only car—Marmee needed it to get to work. Still, Autumn glanced at the time. They were going to be late for registration.
It doesn’t matter, she told herself sternly.
They pulled through the gates of Candler College at twenty minutes after twelve.
“There!” Autumn pointed out the window toward a sign that read: BLAZING HOOPS WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL CAMP REGISTRATION INSIDE.
“Thank goodness this old thing made it,” Marmee joked, patting the dashboard. She drove past big, leafy trees; beautiful stone buildings; and a few parking lots full of shiny, new cars.
Finally, they reached the registration building. Marmee pulled up in front and unloaded Autumn’s wheelchair. Autumn slid from the passenger seat into her chair and rolled toward the entrance. Not wanting to be another minute late, she pressed the button to open the door and went in. Marmee will catch up, she thought and hurried inside.
Inside, the building was glossy and fancylooking, with high ceilings and lots of wood and glass everywhere.
Like something straight out of a movie, Autumn thought, taking it all in.
Long tables were set up along the back of the room, with “Welcome Campers!” signs taped to them. But there was nobody in the room. Then a young man wearing workout clothes came through a side door.
“Can I help you?” he asked. “I’m Carlos.” He reached out and shook Autumn’s hand.
“I’m here for Blazing Hoops,” Autumn said. “Sorry, I know I’m a little late.”
Carlos nodded. “You must be Autumn Holloway,” he said. “We thought maybe you weren’t coming.”
His smile and voice were friendly, but Autumn still flushed. “We got held up on the way.” Why can’t our car be reliable when it matters?
“Not a problem,” Carlos assured her. “We’ll get you settled in.”
Marmee came in carrying Autumn’s duffel bag and suitcase. “I’m Margaret Holloway,” she said, reaching to shake Carlos’s hand. “Autumn’s grandmomma.”
“Nice to meet you,” Carlos said politely. “Let’s get Autumn signed in and over to her dorm. The other girls will be headed to lunch, but we’ll get her caught up.”
He handed Marmee some forms to fill out and then gave them directions to a building called Richardson Hall. The dormitory would be “home” for the next two weeks.
“Someone will meet you there soon,” Carlos said.
“Should I stay until she’s settled in?” Marmee asked quickly. Autumn could tell that Marmee was more nervous than Autumn was.
“I’ll be okay,” Autumn assured her, thinking of the long drive home. She didn’t want Marmee driving after dark in case the car acted up again. “Once we get my stuff dropped off, you can head out.”
Richardson Hall was made of rough, gray stone and looked a bit like a tiny castle, except for the automatic door at one side. They found Autumn’s room on the first floor. Autumn punched in the combination she’d been given to open the door.
Inside was a common living room and kitchenette, a double bedroom off to each side, and a large, accessible bathroom. Three of the four beds had people’s things on them. Marmee put Autumn’s luggage on the one empty bed.
Autumn felt like she was missing out already. It looked like everyone else had arrived hours ago.
Hope it’s not too late to make friends, Autumn thought. She tried to brush the sudden, insecure thought away.
“Want to unpack?” Marmee asked.
“No time,” came a crisp voice from behind them.
Autumn spun her chair. A woman wearing black sweats and a whistle was in the doorway. Her wheelchair was beautiful—sleek, black, and streamlined.
“I’m Tara,” she said. “One of the coaches and counselors.” She smiled at Autumn. “There’ll be plenty of time to unpack later. Let’s grab you some lunch and get to the gym. First practice session starts soon.”
Suddenly, Autumn was hugging Marmee goodbye and waving as her grandmother drove away. The churning in Autumn’s stomach felt like excitement and fear mixed together.
Tara pulled up beside Autumn. “Did you drop your sports wheelchair at the gym already?”
Autumn froze. “I … don’t have a sports chair.”
CHAPTER 3
ROOMMATES
Tara frowned. “You didn’t get the packing list?” Her tone wasn’t unkind, but the question flooded Autumn with discomfort. “It was e-mailed to all the campers.”
Autumn rolled her chair back and forth. Sandy Pines didn’t have good Wi-Fi coverage. Autumn only got online once or twice a week when Marmee drove her to the library, and she hadn’t been able to read the packing list until a few days ago. By the time Autumn had discovered that campers were supposed to bring a sports chair, it had been too late to do anything about it. She’d slipped that page out of the information she’d printed before giving it to Marmee.
Besides, even if she’d told Marmee, where would they borrow a sports chair last-minute? Just getting to the city for Autumn’s yearly wheelchair check took an hour each way.
Autumn had decided there was no point in worrying Marmee with something she couldn’t do anything about.
Now, Autumn gathered her courage and forced herself to look Tara in the eye. “Are there any loaner chairs here?”
Tara’s forehead furrowed in thought. “A few,” she said. “But I think they’ve all been lent out already.” Then she smiled. “No worries. Let’s get your lunch, and we’ll figure something out, okay?”
“Thanks,” Autumn replied. She was hungry and eager to meet everyone at last.
Tara led Autumn across a smooth, paved path that crossed campus to the dining hall. She got Autumn a carry-out lunch from a smiling woman behind a counter, and then they rolled over to the big athletic center.
As they went through the automatic doors, Autumn’s heart beat faster. Finally, she was here!
“The girls are already practicing,” Tara said as they headed to the basketball courts.
Autumn tried to look everywhere at once, from the shiny fitness equipment to the huge swimming pool to the indoor track. But the steady thunk-thunking from the bouncing balls and the squeak of the wheels on the court was what really thrilled her.
Carlos met them at the door to the courts. “Where’s your gym chair, Autumn?” he asked cheerfully, glancing at his clipboard.
“Bit of a mix-up,” Tara said smoothly. “Do we still have anything in the loaner closet?”
Carlos tapped his chin. “I think there might be one left,” he said. “But it’s missing a couple parts. I can take it over
to maintenance later and see what they can do.”
“That’s great,” Autumn said quickly. “I’ll just use my regular chair until then.”
Behind Carlos, she glimpsed a blur of wheels and bodies zipping all over the court. She tapped her fingers on her rims, eager to get in there and play.
But Carlos shook his head. “Sorry, Autumn. I can’t let you on the court on those wheels.”
Autumn bit back a protest. “Is something wrong with my chair?” she asked. Back home, she always played ball in her regular chair.
Carlos smiled. “Nothing at all. But it’s not built for the court.” He stepped out of the doorway and pointed at the players. “See what I mean?”
Autumn stared in amazement at the speed and agility of the girls warming up on the basketball court. Their chairs were custom fitted with low-profile backrests, tucked away footrests, and extra caster wheels in the rear to keep them from falling backward. The wheels were slanted, allowing for tight turns and swift maneuvering.
Autumn sighed. She’d seen chairs like this, just never in person. But she’d looked them up online at the library enough times to know how much they cost—way too much.
“Hey, don’t worry!” Carlos said. “Tara, how about you take over practice while I find that chair and get it to maintenance right away?”
Tara nodded. Then she rolled onto the court and blew her whistle.
“We’ll get you on the court by tomorrow, Autumn,” Carlos added. “Promise.”
Autumn rolled to the sidelines, mesmerized by the action. About twenty girls, all close to her age, zipped around the court in sports chairs. They weaved and darted, blocking for each other, using incredible ball-handling skills, and effortlessly taking shots.
Tara and the other counselor-coaches led the girls through some drills. They practiced ball handling under pressure, passing, and shooting while being guarded.
“Remember!” Tara shouted. “You can only wheel twice without dribbling or it’s a traveling violation!”
Autumn’s excitement bubbled. She rolled back and forth in place, impatiently. I can’t wait to get out there!
Practice finished, and her chair still wasn’t ready. The girls broke into groups and headed to the dorms to relax until dinner. Autumn followed them and met the other three who shared her dorm suite— Coral Ramos, Bree Harrington, and Ashti Singh.
Coral lived in Atlanta, and her moms were both engineers. Bree’s father was a heart surgeon in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ashti’s parents were professors at Candler College.
