Welcome To Carlsonton Academy

Chapter VI

The finals game was on the coming Saturday, and the whole school was ecstatic about it. We'd been in the finals before, but we'd never won. This year, everyone was optimistic and believed we'd bag our first title.

Saturday couldn't come fast enough, and when it finally did, the whole school was in frenzy. The match was being played at Torrington High, so our players had to be there a day earlier. The others left, leaving behind James, Mikaela, and I. We went along with the other students on Saturday morning. Torrington was quite far away, so by the time we reached, it was already five in the evening.

The first thing we did was meet the boys and wish them luck. Isaac was busy being calmed down by April, while Shane and Ryan were stretching their limbs. Phoebe and Peyton and the rest of the cheer squad were going over their routine.

The match started at sharp seven, which was a few minutes after we had taken our seats. I could see Denise sitting a few seats away. I was kind of disappointed she wasn't in front of me. Now, I wouldn't get the chance to accidentally spill my drink on her.

This game, I actually managed to focus on everyone except Shane, though I did sneak a look here and there. The first half of the game exceptionally uneventful, with neither side scoring any baskets. I could see the annoyance on Isaac's face, and when the team returned to the locker room during the half-time, I knew they'd get one hell of a scolding.

Once the team returned, they looked pumped up and ready to go. The rest of the team mirrored Isaac's determined look, and I knew they weren't going to go down without a fight.

I had no idea what pep talk Isaac had given in the locker room, but boy had his magic worked. The team was on fire. They scored basket after basket. It was crazy. The rival team was starting to get worried and you could see it on their faces.

Things were looking really good for us until the Tornadoes coach called for a timeout. He said something to his team which made them all nod in agreement. On returning to the court, they revealed their hidden talent. They we shooting baskets and stealing the ball like pros. The tables had really turned on us.
The Tornadoes had started playing roughly too. One of the members knocked over Will, an important member of the Cougars' team.

"That was clearly a foul!" yelled James, turning heads in our direction. Will had to be benched because his ankle had twisted, and this dealt a massive blow to our chances of winning. By the end of the game, both the teams had the same number of points. The only way we'd win was if we scored in the penalty rounds. The Tornadoes missed their penalty, which was a good thing for us.

When Isaac stepped in front of the basket, the crowd fell quiet. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, anxiously waiting for the outcome. Time seemed to slow down. Isaac positioned himself and aimed for the basket. The ball soared through the air and fell straight through the hoop.

The crowd erupted into cheers. Confetti fell from the ceiling. Loud victory music started playing in the background. The Tornadoes looked do disheartened and silently slunk away to their locker rooms. The Carlsonton students flooded the court.

The first thing that happened after Isaac scored the winning basket was April throwing down her pom-poms and running and planting a kiss on Isaac's lips. He was then ambushed by his team mates who carried him and their trophy. We were in that crowd and congratulated the team. I ran to Ryan but was beaten by Mikaela who threw her arms around her first. He looked slightly surprised and his cheeks turned bright red. I gave him a broad smile and turned towards Isaac, who was still being ambushed by others. I turned my attention to Shane, and that's when my smile turned upside down.

Shane's arms were wrapped around Denise's waist and their mouths were fused together. It was so gross that my heart shattered. I wanted to run away and cry, but I didn't. Instead I fought back the tears that were threatening to flow and waited patiently for them to finish. Shane sensed my presence and pulled away. He gave me a broad grin. I pushed Denise out of the way and him in for a hug.