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Description
Alyssa sat in the front yard later that day with a basketball in her hands. She’d been staring at the orange sphere for almost 20 minutes; trying to decide what to do with it. It wasn’t like she actually knew how to play this stupid game and she wasn’t even sure how to use the ball. Kick it or throw it? Hold it or pass it? There certainly were a lot of questions swirling through her mind, but all of them went unanswered as Alyssa continued her staring contest with the ball.
“You do know that it isn’t going bite you, right?”
Jo-Jo stood behind her with his hands shoved into his pockets and a rather amused expression upon his face. How long had been standing there for? Instead of asking, Alyssa stuck her tongue out at her brother. It was bad enough that she didn’t know how to play the game and she didn’t need him making fun of her. “Hey, I don’t see you giving me any tips,” she snapped before crossing her arms and letting the basketball roll away. Jo-Jo gave a small laugh and picked it up; tossing it up into the air and catching it over and over again.
Alyssa watched out of the corner of her eye before getting aggravated and standing up to try and snatch it away. To her dismay, Jo-Jo had more skill than she thought. He moved to one side quickly while dribbling it in a rather professional manner and continued to avoid her every attempt to stop him. It was easy to say that his sister was far from happy about it. “Give me the ball Jo-Jo!” He shook his head and smiled at her in a taunting way which seemed to rile her up a bit. Alyssa moved to steal the ball once again and finally managed to knock it away long enough to snatch it up and hold it close.
The two took a moment to catch their breath and Jo-Jo nodded as if some unheard question had been answered. “Now that’s how you play defense.” he stated. Alyssa looked confused for a moment and then realized what he had meant. He’d just taught her a piece of basketball without her even noticing.
“Hey kids! Throwing around the old orange there? Let me try!” The Mayor had been watching them from the front steps the entire time; smiling away as the two struggled for control. Apparently he felt left out because within seconds he had the ball out of Alyssa’s grip and was dribbling it around the front yard with ease. Both Jo-Jo and Alyssa watched him in amazement as he began looping the ball and rolling it down his shoulders like he was a pro.
They were both frozen and he stopped to smile at the two. “What?” he asked innocently. Alyssa stuttered to speak, but the Mayor caught what she was trying to tell him. “Don’t you worry Al. Me and Jo-Jo are going to help you put together a team and then we’re going to teach you how to kick those boys to the curb!” he stated. Jo-Jo nodded a bit as if to show he supported what the Mayor had said and Alyssa’s lips curved into a broad smile.

As the daylight began to dim against the coming night sky, the family sat down for dinner with a rather unnatural silence about them. Even when they had their 12 seconds (which Alyssa once again said nothing for) they all seemed to be rather quiet about things. Perhaps it was just that kind of day for everyone. Alyssa, however, did have one thing to say to her sister Daisy. “So Daisy….you play sports?” Alyssa watched her sister nod as she chewed her food and bit her lower lip a bit before continuing. “You play basketball?”
Daisy nodded again and took a drink; apparently not in a talkative mood.
“Would you….consider…umm uh….” Alyssa cleared her throat to force the words out while she still had Daisy’s attention and tried to ignore the somewhat confused look she was giving her. “Joining my team…to beat these boys at the park?” She expected rejection and possibly for Daisy to roll her eyes. Alyssa expected to be left without a second player to help her out, but that didn’t happen. Daisy smiled brightly and gave a much more energetic nod to her.
“Sounds like fun! When do we start?”

Description
Alyssa sat in the front yard later that day with a basketball in her hands. She’d been staring at the orange sphere for almost 20 minutes; trying to decide what to do with it. It wasn’t like she actually knew how to play this stupid game and she wasn’t even sure how to use the ball. Kick it or throw it? Hold it or pass it? There certainly were a lot of questions swirling through her mind, but all of them went unanswered as Alyssa continued her staring contest with the ball.
“You do know that it isn’t going bite you, right?”
Jo-Jo stood behind her with his hands shoved into his pockets and a rather amused expression upon his face. How long had been standing there for? Instead of asking, Alyssa stuck her tongue out at her brother. It was bad enough that she didn’t know how to play the game and she didn’t need him making fun of her. “Hey, I don’t see you giving me any tips,” she snapped before crossing her arms and letting the basketball roll away. Jo-Jo gave a small laugh and picked it up; tossing it up into the air and catching it over and over again.
Alyssa watched out of the corner of her eye before getting aggravated and standing up to try and snatch it away. To her dismay, Jo-Jo had more skill than she thought. He moved to one side quickly while dribbling it in a rather professional manner and continued to avoid her every attempt to stop him. It was easy to say that his sister was far from happy about it. “Give me the ball Jo-Jo!” He shook his head and smiled at her in a taunting way which seemed to rile her up a bit. Alyssa moved to steal the ball once again and finally managed to knock it away long enough to snatch it up and hold it close.
The two took a moment to catch their breath and Jo-Jo nodded as if some unheard question had been answered. “Now that’s how you play defense.” he stated. Alyssa looked confused for a moment and then realized what he had meant. He’d just taught her a piece of basketball without her even noticing.
“Hey kids! Throwing around the old orange there? Let me try!” The Mayor had been watching them from the front steps the entire time; smiling away as the two struggled for control. Apparently he felt left out because within seconds he had the ball out of Alyssa’s grip and was dribbling it around the front yard with ease. Both Jo-Jo and Alyssa watched him in amazement as he began looping the ball and rolling it down his shoulders like he was a pro.
They were both frozen and he stopped to smile at the two. “What?” he asked innocently. Alyssa stuttered to speak, but the Mayor caught what she was trying to tell him. “Don’t you worry Al. Me and Jo-Jo are going to help you put together a team and then we’re going to teach you how to kick those boys to the curb!” he stated. Jo-Jo nodded a bit as if to show he supported what the Mayor had said and Alyssa’s lips curved into a broad smile.

As the daylight began to dim against the coming night sky, the family sat down for dinner with a rather unnatural silence about them. Even when they had their 12 seconds (which Alyssa once again said nothing for) they all seemed to be rather quiet about things. Perhaps it was just that kind of day for everyone. Alyssa, however, did have one thing to say to her sister Daisy. “So Daisy….you play sports?” Alyssa watched her sister nod as she chewed her food and bit her lower lip a bit before continuing. “You play basketball?”
Daisy nodded again and took a drink; apparently not in a talkative mood.
“Would you….consider…umm uh….” Alyssa cleared her throat to force the words out while she still had Daisy’s attention and tried to ignore the somewhat confused look she was giving her. “Joining my team…to beat these boys at the park?” She expected rejection and possibly for Daisy to roll her eyes. Alyssa expected to be left without a second player to help her out, but that didn’t happen. Daisy smiled brightly and gave a much more energetic nod to her.
“Sounds like fun! When do we start?”