by Jake Maddox
“Can you believe the food at lunch today?” Bree said as they all hung out in the living room. Everyone except Autumn had showered and changed. Bree wrinkled her nose. “It was like leftover leftovers!”
Ashti and Coral giggled.
Autumn didn’t say anything. Her carry-out lunch from the dining hall had seemed fine.
Bree continued, “Let’s order in pizza tonight— then we won’t have to abuse our stomachs before practice tomorrow.”
“Great idea!” Ashti grabbed her phone. “My family always orders from Perfect Pi. Everyone in?”
Coral nodded eagerly. “Greek style is my favorite.”
Autumn thought about the spending money Marmee had given her the previous night. It had to last her two weeks.
“I’ll stick to the dining hall tonight,” she finally said. “But thanks anyway.”
Autumn headed to the dining hall alone, telling herself she didn’t really mind not getting pizza. The ride across campus was beautiful. The afternoon sun shone like fire on the stone buildings, and the paths were smooth beneath her wheels.
As she zipped across a grassy, tree-lined clearing, Autumn watched a group of college students playing Frisbee on the lawn. Watching them dive for the Frisbee made her eager to get onto the court tomorrow.
Inside the dining hall, Autumn wheeled into line. She smiled at the cashier who scanned her meal card. “Thank you, ma’am,” she said. “Have a great evening.”
The woman smiled back. “You too, hon.” Her name tag said Keoko.
Autumn balanced the tray on her lap and looked for a place at a table. She finally spotted an empty space at one of them, and a girl with a long, black ponytail adjusted her wheelchair to make room. “Hi,” she said cheerfully. “I’m Amira.”
“Hi. I’m Autumn.” Autumn put her tray on the table and pulled up beside Amira. She looked around the table, crowded with laughing, chatting girls.
“Wow,” Autumn said quietly. “This is a first.”
“You mean not having the only set of wheels in the room?” Amira grinned. “Nice, huh?”
Autumn grinned back. “It sure is!”
CHAPTER 4
NEW WHEELS
The next morning, Autumn and her roommates went to breakfast together before practice.
“It’s still gross,” Bree muttered, looking at the food selections.
Autumn, who was in front of Bree, cringed. She glanced around, hoping none of the staff had heard Bree’s complaints. Didn’t she care about their feelings?
“I like it,” Autumn said.
Bree shrugged. “Guess we all like different things,” she said in a slightly twangy voice.
Autumn frowned. Was she imagining it, or had Bree just imitated the way she talked?
She thought about how Bree had raised her eyebrows last night when Autumn told them that her grandmother worked as the receptionist for a pestcontrol company.
“That’s … nice,” Bree had said.
Rolling up to the counter, Ashti grabbed some fruit and yogurt. “It’s not so bad,” she said. “My parents and I eat here a lot during the school year.”
When she got to the cashier, Autumn grinned. “Hi, Keoko!” she said, recognizing a familiar face. “Nice to see you again.” It really was, Autumn realized as Keoko smiled back. Autumn almost felt relieved to see her. She glanced around the cafeteria, hoping to see Amira but didn’t.
The girls finished quickly and headed to practice. In the gym, Carlos and Tara were already warmed up.
“Autumn!” Carlos called. “Come on, I’ve got your wheels!”
Her heart pounding, Autumn followed Carlos over to a blue sports wheelchair.
“It’s not perfect,” Carlos cautioned as Autumn locked the brakes on her own chair and got ready to swing herself over. “But the maintenance folks said it should hold up fine.”
“It looks great!” Autumn exclaimed.
She could hardly keep the chair still as Carlos helped her tighten the safety belts low on her hips and ankles. The chair was more streamlined than hers, and Autumn couldn’t wait to let it loose on the court.
“Always keep the belts on when you’re on the court, so you won’t go flying when you take a tumble,” Carlos said.
His warning made Autumn even more excited. Back home, her teachers were always telling her not to take chances. But here at Blazing Hoops, they seemed to expect that she would. Just like any other athlete.
Tara rolled into the gym and blew her whistle. “Circle up!” she called.
The girls moved their wheelchairs into a large circle, and Tara and Carlos led them through some passing drills. Autumn was thrilled as she bounced and caught the ball with the others. She discovered that her passing skills were as good as most of the other girls’.
Tara moved around the circle, offering pointers. “You can lean over a little farther,” she suggested after watching Autumn pass a few times. “These sports chairs have a much wider base of support than everyday ones.”
Autumn followed her instructions and was rewarded with an extra-hard pass to Ashti.
“Good one, Autumn!” Ashti said, catching it.
Next, they broke into groups to practice shooting drills. Autumn and Bree were in the same group. Autumn had to admit Bree was a good player. Her sports chair was a sleek, shiny green, and she was incredibly fast.
Tara blew her whistle. “First drill, Twenty-One Up! Line up at the free-throw line, ladies!”
“Heads-up, cowgirl!” Bree called, throwing a hard pass at Autumn.
Autumn quickly snagged the ball and launched it toward the net.
Swish!
There was a letter in the mail holder when the girls got back to their room. Bree pulled it out.
“It’s for Autumn,” she said, flipping it over. “Who’s Marmee? That’s a funny name.”
“My grandmomma,” Autumn replied.
Bree snorted. “‘Grandmomma’?” she echoed. This time there was no mistaking the intentional twanginess in her voice.
Coral giggled. Ashti looked down at the floor.
Autumn bristled. “Yeah,” she said, grabbing the letter. “And her name isn’t funny.” She rolled to her room, suddenly wanting to be alone.
A minute later, Ashti knocked. “Can I come in?”
Autumn took a deep breath. “Of course.” It was Ashti’s room too, after all.
“Don’t mind Bree,” Ashti said. “She clearly doesn’t know that ‘Marmee’ is from Little Women. Pretty cool nickname,” she added.
Autumn tried to smile. “Thanks.”
But secretly, she wondered if she could trust any of these girls—even Ashti.
Maybe, Autumn thought sadly, I’m just too different to fit in here.
CHAPTER 5
MISS FIX-IT
Thunk! Thunk! The ball slapped hard against Autumn’s palm as she dribbled. Her borrowed blue sports chair shot up the court like a rocket.
“Autumn!” Amira yelled from inside their team’s baseline. “I’m open!”
It was the next afternoon, and Autumn felt a little better about things. Reading Marmee’s letter had helped. Thoughtful as ever, Marmee had mailed it two days before camp started so Autumn would have it right away.
I’m so proud of you, the letter had said. And this is just the first step, I promise. We’re going to find a way to get you into this world.
Marmee’s faith in her made Autumn determined to stop worrying about the small stuff. Who cared if she didn’t fit in with her roommates? It wouldn’t stop her. She had to focus on what really mattered. Getting the scholarship to Blazing Hoops had been the opportunity of a lifetime. Now it was up to her to make something of it—to figure out how to get more seriously involved in wheelchair ball.
Suddenly, Autumn saw a flash of bright green on her left. Bree was closing in.
I don’t think so, Autumn thought to herself.
She and Bree had been butting heads all morning. Battling fiercely for the ball after almost e
very tip-off. Cutting each other off, wheels clipping dangerously close to each other.
Now, Autumn poured on the speed and battled her way up the court. The scrimmage was almost over—less than a minute on the clock—and her team was down by two points. Autumn’s shoulder and arm muscles burned as her gloved hands skillfully moved the ball and her wheelchair close enough to pass to Amira.
Crash! Autumn’s chair jolted as the front of Bree’s chair clipped her from the side.
“Hey!” Autumn yelled. She darted a glance at the sidelines, but Carlos hadn’t seen Bree sideswipe her. If he had, he would have definitely called the foul.
Bree smiled slyly. “Sorry,” she said. Her eyes were bright blue against her sweaty skin. And they didn’t look sorry.
Autumn gritted her teeth and ignored Bree. She zeroed in on Amira, still waiting below the basket. Lightning-fast, Autumn cut a path through the tangle of players. She bounced the ball once, twice, then spun her chair to a halt.
She launched the ball into the air just as Bree lunged to block her.
Autumn smiled in satisfaction as the ball flew just beyond Bree’s outstretched fingers. It sailed through the air, straight to Amira, who caught it and launched a perfect shot.
Bzzzzzz! The buzzer sounded as the clock ran out.
A split second later, the ball swished through the net. The girls on Autumn’s team erupted in cheers.
Carlos blew his whistle. “Great job, girls,” he said. “Let’s call it a day. The gym will be open from seven to nine this evening for anyone who wants extra practice.”
“Great pass,” Amira told Autumn as they headed to the locker rooms.
“Thanks,” Autumn answered, feeling proud. “Piece of cake. And nice basket!” she added.
She ignored the dirty look Bree gave her.
After they changed, Autumn headed to the dorm with her roommates.
“Darn!” Coral said when they were halfway across campus. “My footrest is loose.” She leaned over and peered at the footplate of her silver sports chair.
The girls all looked over. Autumn saw the problem. “Looks like a screw’s about to fall out.”
Coral groaned. “Probably loosened up when I wiped out before halftime.”
Autumn thought it looked like an easy fix. And she had plenty of spare hardware in her toolkit.
“You want help with that when we get back to the dorm?” Autumn asked.
Coral looked surprised. “We usually take my chair to my seating guy for repairs,” she said. “His office is just ten minutes from our house.”
Ashti nodded. “Oh, yeah. We practically have my ATP on speed dial, especially during playing season. Her office is pretty close to campus,” she added, looking at Coral. “You want her number?”
Autumn thought about the hour-long drive to visit her own assistive technology professional. She saw her ATP every year for a wheelchair checkup and adjustments. She and Marmee could handle most minor repairs on their own—Autumn had loved helping her uncle Gary take apart and fix stuff on his farm since she was little.
“Seriously,” Autumn told Coral, “this is an easy fix.” She was surprised at how little her roommates seemed to know about maintaining their own equipment. Maybe it was because they were used to just dropping it off to be repaired?
Coral looked doubtful. But back in the dorm, she swung out of her chair and onto the common-room sofa. Autumn went to get her toolkit.
Rejoining the other girls, Autumn locked her brakes and tossed her toolkit to the floor. Then she carefully slid herself down the front of her wheelchair and onto the floor beside Coral’s now-empty sports chair. Ashti put on a movie, while Bree went to take a shower.
Autumn tilted Coral’s wheelchair onto its side to work on the footplate. As she pulled tools from her kit and started to work, Autumn felt a surge of calm fill her. She always felt at home when she did anything mechanical.
She worked steadily, unscrewing the footplate and pulling it free. The screw was stripped, so she rummaged in her repair kit for a matching screw and easily re-attached it. When she was done, she flipped the chair upright again. Still sitting on the floor, Autumn gave the footplate an experimental tug to make sure it was nice and tight.
“Wow!” Coral glanced up from the movie and grinned. “That’s amazing, Autumn. Thank you!”
“Can you show me how to do that?” Ashti asked. “I never thought about learning to do repairs myself,” she admitted. “But you’re a regular Miss Fix-It!”
Autumn blushed. All three of them can probably just buy brand-new chairs instead of making repairs, she thought. She brushed the thought away. Feeling jealous wouldn’t solve anything.
Bree wheeled out of the bathroom, toweling off her blond hair. She was wearing a purple hoodie with the Blazing Hoops logo on the front.
“Nice shirt,” Coral said. “Where’d you get it?”
“Campus store,” Bree replied. “I’m going back tomorrow for a few more things.”
Autumn had to admit Bree’s hoodie was nice. She wondered how much it cost, but she was pretty sure she knew the answer: way more than I have.
CHAPTER 6
NOT ONE OF THEM
As the days passed, Autumn pushed herself harder than ever. The girls had both morning and afternoon practices each day, with optional extra playing time in the evenings.
“I’m open!” she shouted, hands poised to catch. It was almost eight p.m., and just a small group of girls had stayed for the late session.
Autumn never missed a chance to play. She was determined to take advantage of every minute of court time. Who knew when she’d get another chance?
Plus, the scholarship she’d been awarded to attend Blazing Hoops this summer was for a first-time experience only. She wouldn’t be able to afford full price to come again next year. She was going to have to earn a way to return—somehow. Because now that she’d gotten a taste of what it was really like to play ball, she never wanted it to end.
A girl named Laquiana, playing forward, flew up the court, ponytail whipping and wheels a blur. She was strong and fast, and Autumn was glad they were playing on the same side tonight. Laquiana spun her chair, stopped, and flung the ball in a perfect arc toward Autumn.
But Bree snatched it from the air a second before Autumn could reach it.
Argh! How could she have missed Bree behind her?
Autumn raced after Bree, but it was too late. Bree darted through a tiny gap in the crowded court, leaving Autumn to battle through a web of defensive players.
Bree reached the key and took the shot. It bounced off the rim, but Amira, who was playing on her side today, rebounded it.
Swish!
“Yes!” Amira cheered. The girls on her team whooped in triumph.
Autumn blew out a hard breath. It’s just practice, she reminded herself. They weren’t even starting real games until the second week. The big game would be the final night of camp.
When practice let out, Autumn wiped her sweaty face on a towel and gulped down a bottle of water.
“You coming back to the dorm, Autumn?” Ashti called from the gym doorway.
“I’ll catch up!” Autumn called back. She gathered her stuff from the sidelines while the other girls trickled out. She noticed a few stray balls on the court and started to collect them in the metal rack.
“Thanks, Autumn.” Tara brought the last ball over to the rack. “This isn’t the first time you’ve picked up after practice,” she added. “Carlos and I appreciate it. It shows character,” Tara said.
Tara gathered up her gym bag, and she and Autumn rolled to the doors. Autumn waited while Tara turned off the lights and locked up. Then they headed outside together. It was growing dark, and the campus was softly lit by street lamps along the narrow paths.
“You’ve got talent, Autumn,” Tara said as they cruised along the paved paths toward the dorms. “Did you ever play back home?”
Autumn shook her head. “Not too many wheelchair ball teams out wh
ere I live,” she said. “Actually none. I’m the only one on wheels in my whole school.”
She almost told Tara how Marmee used to bring a rolling desk chair to the driveway so she and Autumn could play together. But she stopped herself. Autumn got the impression the other girls—Bree, at least— thought where she lived sounded strange. What if Tara thought so too? But Tara nodded knowingly.
“That’s too bad,” she said. “I really wish there were more teams out there. You’re from a small town?”
Autumn laughed. “Not even!” She told Tara about Sandy Pines and the little house she and Marmee lived in down a long, dirt road. “We only go into the nearest big city a few times a year,” she added. “I love where I live, but there are a couple things I wouldn’t mind having a little closer.”
Tara didn’t laugh. “I get it,” she said. “I grew up in a small town too. Maybe a little bigger than Sandy Pines,” she added with a smile, “but not much.”
“How did you get into basketball, then?” Autumn asked eagerly.
“After high school, I came here for college,” Tara explained. “I found the wheelchair basketball team pretty much by accident. And I just never left!”
“That’s great,” Autumn said, but Tara’s words made her feel glum. Even if she and Marmee found a way to pay for it, it would be years before she was old enough for college. She’d practically be ancient by then.
They were halfway along the path that cut through the grassy area in the middle of campus. Tara suddenly stopped, shoved her hands backward on her rims, and flipped her chair into a perfect wheelie.
Not do be outdone, Autumn did one too. Wheelies were easy once you found your balance point.
“Nice one,” Tara told Autumn after they’d both held the wheelie for more than a minute. “You really do have natural talent,” she said again, gracefully setting her front wheels back onto the path. “You should think about getting a sports chair of your own—a good one.”
Autumn thought about her borrowed blue chair. It rattled a little when she really got going during practice. But it still felt amazing to her—like going from a pony to a Thoroughbred.
