Roswell Fanatics

It was a determined West Roswell High team that came out onto the floor for the third quarter.

They were down 38 to 42 against the girls from Farmington, handicapped by shots that just would not fall, and the relative inexperience of their center, Rita Gonzalez. It wasn't that Rita was bad, she was in fact almost as good as Obansky, but she had not had much playing time...and very little with the starting guards, Joey and Andrea, because they had usually been on the bench in the blowout games she'd been playing. And worse yet, thought Rita, was that stitch in her right side was back. It had been annoying her since the warmup, and was now hurting with every step, every deep breath. This really wasn't fair, she thought. If anyone should have a gut ache, it ought to be Guerin or Lopez, with that stupid jalapeno game. She'd opted out after the first nacho....and her gut was still killing her. It wasn't fair.

Thirty minutes later the radio announcer was saying,
"It's the end of the third quarter and the West Roswell Team has pushed up into a tie with second-seeded Farmington at 59-59, powered in large part by the outside shooting of Andrea Lopez and the turnovers caused by Joey Guerin and the fast break opportunities they led to. And it's a good thing for Roswell that the three pointers from the outside have been falling, because the Farmington center has been dominating the boards, and rejecting anything that comes into the paint. I don't know if the Roswell center Gonzalez is getting tired or what, but she appears a step slower than she was in the first half, and not rebounding nearly as well......but if the Roswell guard can keep playing that aggressively...it may not make any difference."

Rita was struggling trying to get back on defense after the girl she'd been guarding had pulled down the rebound and cleared it to a Farmington guard. She'd been unable to keep up with the Farmington center because of the pain, and only a steal by Joey had kept the Farmington team from being able to exploit their three on two situation as the Roswell Forwards tried to cover for her. But as she reversed course to go back on offense,..as she saw Joey feed Andrea for a quick break lay-up, the world seemed to explode in Rita's abdomen and she felt herself going toward the floor. When she woke back up, she was in the locker room, looking up at the ceiling above the trainer's table and hearing the trainer's voice.
"This really doesn't look like a pulled muscle or anything, Coach, I think she's probably got an appendicitis...."

As the fourth quarter drew to a close an aggressive Roswell defense went into a full court press, resulting in several turnovers that denied Farmington a chance to use their front court advantage to pull back into the lead. As the final buzzer went off sending Roswell into the finals, the scoreboard read Roswell 82, Farminton 77. The happiest girl on the court actually was one who hadn't played a single second, Annie Gruber. The coach had looked at her briefly when Rita had collapsed...then moved one of the forwards to play center, and put in a backup forward. Roswell hadn't matched Farmington's front court, but Andrea and Joey had been more than enough to offset that. Annie wasn't upset....not a bit. The team had won, and she hadn't blown their chance. It didn't get any better than that. What worried her was that she knew the Roswell forwards weren't big enough to handle the Central center, and if Central High won against Santa Fe an hour from now....she would have to play...and she'd be playing against the best girls center in the whole mountain region. She said a little prayer for a Santa Fe victory, as she saw the crowd start to arrive for the later game.

"Listen up, everybody," said the coach. "Rita's out of surgery. It was her appendix but it hadn't burst. She'll be fine. The doctor says we can all see her about 8PM."

Once again she hadn't gotten to see Andrew after dinner. The coach had taken them all to see Rita who was actually looking quite good, considering she'd just had surgery. Joey wasn't sure if it would have been considered cheating or not if she'd just healed either of their two bunged-up centers, but since their injuries were already known, and Obansky was still in a cast in any event, it really wasn't that much of an option. She knew Annie a little. They were in English class together. A kind of shy girl who looked petrified tonight. It was easy to understand why.

But as she lay there in the dark, her mind was mostly on Andrew. She wanted to be with him on the beach...no, she needed to be with him on the beach tonight. But it would have to be...well, pretty low-key tonight. It wasn't just that she didn't want to have Andrea kidding her if she talked in her sleep, it was...well she had been thinking all day about what Andrea had said last night.

Why hadn't she just....pulled him into bed with her? Oh, not the night they got engaged, that was a misunderstanding,...but since then they'd had the opportunity...if they'd wanted to take it. They could make the opportunity....if they wanted to take it.

Andrea had been right. She'd awakened in this bed all by herself this morning....hadn't even had the comfort of a dreamwalk with Andrew. Would it somehow have been a more lonely bed if she'd been with him last night? Or would she have wakened still warmed by the memory of him...by the memory of the two of them together?

It wasn't like there was any real doubt about the two of them. They had inadvertently connected a couple of times when they were ...well... making out. It wasn't just the passion, though feeling his passion as well as her own was like.....well Aunt Liz had once described it as 'squaring the fun' and that kind of fit she decided, her passion stoking his, his stoking hers....they had almost lost themselves in that passion before they had both pulled back...knowing where it would take them if they just let themselves go...let themselves be overwhelmed by it.

But the connection was more than that. She'd seen into his soul and he into hers.....it wasn't just about passion or love or lust...it wasn't even just about biological wants and needs. Something had ...fused them...in this process. It was like her DNA was now somehow keyed to his....she not only wanted him.....she really couldn't picture herself remotely atttracted to any other guy. And it was the same with him...she'd seen that. They were, at this time, destined to be together. Sure...things could happen. But unless one of them died.....they were going to be together. She was going to have him...have his children...spend her life with him. Of that there was no reasonable doubt.

So why were they holding back? Their parents? The expectations of society? She knew that the age of sexual consent in New Mexico was 17 but what was that?....probably a third of the kids in the freshman class were sexually active, most of the seniors were. Nobody ever got prosecuted...at least, not unless it was some old guy hitting on some young girl. And it wasn't like she or Andrew were interested in being...promiscuous. Neither of them wanted anything but the other.

It wasn't like society had to protect her from....Drew. Hell, she was a part of him, he was a part of her, whatever society thought. With their parents consent they could even get married at 16....how dumb was that? 'I can be his wife at 16 and then sex with him is OK....if my parents think it's a good idea? But I can have sex with him at 17 and it's legal ....but we can't get married until we are 18 if my parents don't think it's a good idea....and New Mexico is OK with this? What insanity!'

Joey decided she really didn't care about the legal business.....this didn't involve the state of New Mexico, it didn't even really involve her parents or family, much as she loved them. It involved her and Drew.

It didn't need to be settled tonight...but they needed to talk about this soon. She needed to know how he felt about this really....because...two and a half years was beginning to seem like an eternity.

So why hadn't she just pulled him into bed with her? She wasn't sure. But she knew damn well that she was going to be with him on that beach tonight. They could at least have that...even if he wasn't there when she woke up in the morning.

As she closed her eyes she drifted off, searching for his dream orb.


Andrew's heart quickened when he saw her materialize on the beach near him. He'd missed her last night. He'd had to actually work at not connecting with her during the game, so he wouldn't distract her. He wasn't really sure about that. They'd always been able to connect easily but several times he had thought that he'd been the one connecting to her, rather than her to him, so he'd tried it and..it worked. He wasn't sure she realized that he'd done it rather than her, and didn't want to bring it up now....she had the state championship game tomorrow after all. But he did wonder. Was this something that happened to the.....mates of aliens? Or had she somehow changed him? Not that he'd mind either way.

'... mate...' he thought, feeling kind of warm and fluttery as he thought it. After years of wanting her without really knowing her at all....knowing nothing of the alien stuff that really was so much a part of her....he really believed....really knew that she was his. And she was so much more than even his best dreams about her had ever been. And she was his. Somehow he knew it down into his core, into every fiber of his being. Her love filled him.....there was no room for doubt in the connection....or out.

She looked at him with a funny kind of smile tonight, he noticed. More possessive than usual. 'I feel it too,' he told himself. 'Is this what unconditional love feels like? If so, it felt.....wonderful.' He wondered what his own face looked like briefly...but then she was there. He opened his arms and she came into them, her face looking up at his as his right hand combed through her hair to cup the back of her head.

"I've sure missed you," he said.

Her lips took his softly, saying nothing, a gentle kiss that was nonetheless suffused with a quiet undemanding passion. 'Me too,' she thought. 'My whole life I've missed you, Andrew. But I have you now. You are mine...and I'll never let anything change that.'

As they broke the kiss he put his right arm around her and pulled her close to him, her head finding his shoulder as they started a slow walk down the beach. He liked this, she knew. She did too.

She wanted more, she decided, as they walked along.. but ...not now...not on the beach. Maybe it was time to do the things they did on the beach in the physical world and if they couldn't control it...if the connection formed and took them over....well, would that really be so bad?

He looked over at her as they walked along, the waves splashing at their ankles. He felt protective of her....silly he knew. She didn't need him to be safe....she could probably hold her own against an armored tank...but he still liked to feel her nestle softly against him.

'When I'm cuddled up to him,' she thought, 'I feel there's nothing in the world we couldn't do together.' She leaned into him...felt his warmth.....somehow drew even more strength from his nearness. For right now she was content. She knew where this was going...if she hadn't been sure...it would be even harder than it was. '..and my God it's getting hard to let go and walk away from him.' But she wasn't letting go of him right now.....sure, she'd wake up in that empty bed tomorrow with Andrea as a roomate ....but tonight she could feel the promise of the future in every step they took........

A surprising number of Roswell fans had actually driven to Santa Fe to watch their team play number one seeded Central, but many of those at home only heard the radio announcer's play by play and commentary, and at the start of the third quarter even the home announcer was sounding a little discouraged.

"It's 42-32 in favor of Central at the start of the third period. With the starting and back-up centers out due to medical issues, Roswell tried going to a three forward set up, but the Roswell forwards lacked the height to effectively deal with the Central All-state center Janice Jacobs. After trying pretty ineffectively for two periods, and getting one of their forwards fouled out without really effectively stopping Jacobs, it now looks like they are putting in the second backup center, Annie Gruber. The young freshman certainly has her work cut out for her, neither as tall nor as strong as the highly experienced senior, Roswell apparently hopes she will have enough height to deny Ms. Jacobs at least some of the easy baskets she's been putting in during the first two periods. So as the third quarter starts, Central will have the ball and be moving from left to right. Their point guard inbounds the ball to Reynolds who is guarded by Lopez. Reynolds passes back to Alexander who is guarded by Guerin...."

Annie was fronting the Central center, and already taking a beating. The girl was big and quick and...had pretty sharp elbows too. Jacobs was moving and Annie was surprised when the Central forward set the screen, colliding heavily with her. The whistle blew immediately sending the Central forward to the line.

'Great,' thought Annie Gruber. 'With 14 seconds gone by in the quarter, I've got my first foul.'
But at least the forward missed her free throw, and Annie was able to tip the ball outside, where Joey Guerin met it already at a dead run to score an uncontested layup off the fast break. 'Well, at least my teamates have some moves,' she thought. 'Maybe we've got a chance.'

Central broke through a loose full court press by the Roswell guards to go to a set play. Once more, Annie felt herself be scraped off by a screen set by a Central forward. This time she was able to avoid the foul, but Jacobs was suddenly unguarded and a quick loft to her by a Central guard over the head of the Roswell forward gave her the ball for an uncontested layup and an easy two points.

'Well,' thought Annie, '...maybe not...'

At the end of the third period the radio commentator sounded only slightly more hopeful for the Roswell team.

It's 61 to 54 in favor of the Central High Lady Spartans. Roswell has struggled back to close the gap a little, with their guards putting constant pressure on the Central guards anywhere on the court. This has lead to a number of turnovers and Roswell has converted most of these into quick layups before the Central frontcourt players could get down to defend. It's altogether different when Roswell has run set plays. Jacobs has absolutely dominated in the paint, virtually stopping scoring by the Roswell frontcourt. And on offense...well, if the Central guards do manage to get Jacobs the ball, she's nearly unstoppable. Gruber, the Roswell Center has managed to front her and deny her a few of those passes, but other than that has been totally ineffective. Even so, the favored Lady Spartans haven't been able to put Roswell away, and as we go into the fourth and final period, Roswell remains within striking distance.

Andrea was sticking like glue to the Central guard, trying to deny her the inbounds pass. Seeing time about to run out, a Central forward ran back up court to try to give the girl Joey was guarding an inbounding target. She should have bouncepassed under Joey but as she tried to loft it to the forward Joey anticipated the move, just managing to deflect the pass upward slowing its progress to the girl. The Roswell forward catching up to the play was there to contest possession when the pass got there and managed to knock the ball back toward the Roswell guards. She scooped it up on the run, her own defender behind her. She and Joey split as they approached the guard forcing her to make the choice. Andrea smiled as the guard went to cover her, a quick no-look pass to Joey allowing her to score an unopposed layup.


'That's two more....' thought Andrea. She had never been this tired in her entire life, the short break between period having done almost nothing to rest her. Even Joey, the endurance workout queen, looked like she was beat. Andrea had no idea how either one of them was going to survive another 11 minutes of play.....not at this pace.

Coach Bobbi O'Malley was sitting on the sidelines watching one of the most amazing games she had ever seen played. She knew that Central actually had the better team, what with Obansky sidelined. They had the size, they had the experience, and they had the skill. But nonetheless, the intensity of her two guards was slowly eroding Central's lead. She knew that neither of the girls could continue at this pace.....but nothing else had worked. She was certain they would eventually wear down and felt like when that happened, the dam would break and Central would overwhelm them. But right now.....right now at least, they were holding their own....thanks to Joey and Andrea, more than holding their own. She just doubted they could do it much longer....certain that they would crack under the pressure any moment now.

When they closed to within five points at 70-65, Central called time-out and Andrea looked over at Joey. Andrea's ribs were hurting with every breath, and her feet felt like they were encased in leaden boots. Joey looked a little better than Andrea felt....but not much. If she'd had the breath to talk, Andrea would have kidded her about whether or not the 2 mile run with Andrew Douglas this morning was really necessary. Andrea knew she couldn't keep this up much longer personally and, in fact, would be collapsing right now if not for the timeout.

The Central coach did not have kind things to say to her guards. "Look you two, this is embarassing. You two are not even getting the ball into our backcourt half the time when we inbound it. Jacobs is doing fine when you get her the ball....but you are just letting the Roswell guards pick your pockets. You are supposed to be experienced seniors...those two...especially that one young Roswell freshman guard ....they are just kicking your butts. "

Maria was going wild in the stands. Michael hadn't really been sure she even understood basketball prior to this year, but she'd picked it up fast and had been rooting Joey on for most of the year. In the finals she had gone completely berserk, and he was holding her hand in part to calm her, in part to be able to communicate with her over the crowd noise.
*Omigawd Michael did you see all those thefts?*
*That's steals, Maria. Yeah I did, but I'm not sure that even Joey can maintain this pace.*
*I think she's just doing it on pure determination. Have you ever seen anything like this?*
*Not since she almost powerblasted me when I asked her for that engagement ring...THAT was determination.*
*Oh look, they are starting again...*

The Central point guard was still smarting from the words of the coach. She was a senior and she had been all-state last year. She knew there were college scouts in the audience....mostly looking at Jacobs to be sure, but she had thought that she might attract a little attention herself. But her last two times down the court, that damn Roswell point guard had gotten steals off of her. She inbounded the ball to a forward who'd stayed back to help break the full court press, then took it back on the run. As she crossed the centerline Andrea slid off the guard she was covering and she suddenly found herself trapped between the two Roswell guards. She tried desperately to get a pass off, but had no clear lane. As the referee started to countdown for a five second closely guarded penalty she tried to call a timeout, but as her hands left the ball to make the gesture it was poked free. She chased after it a stride behind the Roswell point guard and jumped into her as she took the shot. The ball went in anyway, but Joey was knocked off balance, landing heavily with the Central guard crashing down on top of her.

Andrew was sitting with his parents when Joey went crashing to the floor, and both saw the immediate look of concern on his face. Without any conscious thought or effort on his part he connected to Joey.
*Joey are you OK?*
*Drew..? Where are you?*
*Still in the stands with my folks...but never mind that...are you OK?* Even as he thought the question, Andrew could feel her fatigue...feel the bruising already starting in the muscles she had fallen on.
*Yeah...I'm OK...I think*
*Want to skip the run tomorrow?*
*You got that right....*
Joey broke the connection as Andrea pulled her to her feet to go to the freethrow line.

The Roswell crowd was obviously angry when an intentional foul was not called. Joey felt woozy when she went to the free throw line, still not really recovered from the foul. She missed the shot and the rebound was snagged by the Central center. She cleared to the Central point guard who was instantly closely guarded by Joey who poked the ball away. Andrea came up with it and passed quickly to a Roswell forward whose shot was blocked by the Central center who was dominating the paint. The ball was picked up again by Joey who passed to Andrea in the corner who made a long three point shot before her opponent could get back to her. The score was suddenly tied and Central again called time out as the Roswell fans went wild. Central called another time out.

The Central coach told everyone to quiet down and listen. "Look, their strength is in their two guards. We aren't beating them playing those guards our strength against their strength. We need to play them where they are weaker...their substitute center. The three of you," she said, pointing to the center and two forwards, "need to get on her...to trap her in the key for three second violations, to get her to foul you. Every three second violation we get on her is as good as a steal. She's young...she hasn't played much...she's never started....not even this game. go after her..."

Annie Gruber looked up at the clock on the scoreboard to see that two and a half minutes were left in the game....the game that she personally was losing for Roswell.
She knew as she looked at the score, 78-72 in favor of Central, that it was her fault. The center for Central was bigger, stronger, and far more experienced. The Central forwards had set picks on her several times, and she'd been too concerned with defending Jacobs to notice until she'd slammed into them, drawing fouls. And on offense she'd managed to get herself stuck in the paint too long a couple of times for turnovers....turnovers that Central had managed to convert to points. And she'd been stupid to make that last foul. Jacobs had gotten by her when the Central forward had set another pick and she had rushed to catch up. Jacobs had actually held the ball momentarily, knowing she had position, knowing Annie couldn't stop, to draw the shooting foul as she made the basket. 'Just that quick, half a quarter's work by Joey and Andrea to catch up is wiped out.....all because of me.' Annie Gruber just wanted this game to be over....wanted to be able to go hide somewhere .....somewhere where 4,000 people weren't watching her make a fool of herself. Then she remembbered that the game was being televised. 'Oh, that REALLY sucks....'

As the Central point guard brought the ball down the court her eyes were on Joey Guerin. She was real cautious now, because the game was almost in the bag. Ideally, she wanted to run all the time she could off the clockand then get it to Jacobs who was having no trouble at all with the Roswell center. Her eyes never left Joey's eyes as she counted down the seconds in her mind. With seven seconds left to shoot her eyes went briefly to Jacobs to plan the pass before coming instantly back to Joey's eyes....only the perspective had changed in that split second as she saw Joey coming forward the Roswell guard's hand reaching for the ball that had just left her hand in the dribble.

Joey had waited patiently for her chance, knowing the guard would have to pass off with six or seven seconds remaining on the shot clock, counting down those seconds in her mind. The girl had a tell......she seemed to let the ball come a little higher in the dribble, and to dribble it just a little slower when she was looking for a pass. Joey had exploited this a couple of times during the game, and they needed a steal now. At seven seconds she saw the hand come slightly higher in the dribble and even before the ball started its downward pass she was telling her leg muscles to lunge and her hand to go to where the ball would have to rebound.......

Joey had poked the ball free, but it had taken her a second to control it and in that time the Central point guard had caught up with her and was running stride for stride, Joey slowed by having to dribble the ball. The guard was embarassed and angry and launched herself at Joey just as as she was about to take the shot. The ball sailed away as the two girls skidded to a stop on the floor, Joey underneath. It was finally too much for the referees....they called a flagrant foul and ejected the Central point guard. Joey made her two shots, and Roswell was given possession. This time Roswell called timeout with 1 minute and fifty-six seconds left in the game.

With the score now 78-74 in favor of Central, Andrea inbounded the ball to Joey. Alongside the key one of the Roswell forwards moved to set a screen for the other forward, scraping off the Central forward guarding her and leaving her momentarily uncovered. As she took the shot the Central center seemed to come out of nowhere, leaping up to block the shot. The ball was picked up by a Central guard who got it across the timeline guarded by Andrea, then slowed up to use up more clock and allow the rest of the team to get down court for a set play. The clock was down to 1 minute 40 seconds.

As Annie came downcourt she knew she'd again blown it. All she had to do was to keep between the Central center and her own forward on that play, and the forward would have had an open shot. She'd been so worried about being trapped again in the key and causing another turnover that she hadn't done her job, which had resulted in a blocked shot and a turnover anyway. She felt like she was disappointing the whole team. 'I shoulda stuck to volleyball, I guess....'

As the shotclock ticked down to six seconds the new point guard for Central nodded her head and a Central forward came out in front trying to set a screen. It slowed Joey only momentarily but it was enough for the girl to get off a shot from beyond the three point line. It was hurried...not a high percentage shot...but she really wasn't that worried about it going in, just hitting the rim and restarting the shot clock. And it didn't go in.

Annie knew she was blocked out...that she had no chance for a rebound. The bigger more experienced Central center was giving her a clinic on how to dominate in the paint. But on this occasion the ball hit the lip of the rim at an odd angle, and rebounded over the waiting Ms Jacobs into the corner where it was fought over by a Roswell and a Central forward briefly before bouncing back to Annie. She grabbed it quickly and turned toward the basket for the shot. As she took it her world filled with Central center whose block knocked the ball back toward her. She grabbed it again and was looking again at the Central center. She was temporarily saved from further embarassment when the left Central forward fouled her trying to get the ball away. The whistle blew and the ball was walked down to the Roswell end for a one and one. As Annie looked up at the clock, there were now 65 seconds remaining in the game.

As Annie missed the first penalty shot and Jacobs grabbed the rebound, she shook her head. She knew Roswell was going to lose...and knew it was her fault. But she'd give it her best for the next 62 seconds as she hurried down the court to get on defense.

Andrew noticed it first. He could still feel Joey's presence on the floor, even from where he sat, but it was ....different, somehow. He didn't try to connect, not wanting to distract her, but he was suddenly unsure that he could connect, even if he tried. It was like a wall was there....he knew something was behind it but couldn't tell what it was. For weeks he'd felt that he could get little glimpses of her mood, even without the connection. Now he could feel her in his mind, but it was like feeling a concrete wall, cold and unmoving. She seemed OK but it was somehow...troubling, like a piece of himself was missing.

Michael noticed it next, even before Maria.
He had seen it exactly twice before, the first time when one of her older cousins, Kyle and Ava's second child Kevin had been embarassed by being outdone by Joey practicing powerblasting. Joey had only been six at the time, Kevin eight. All of the alien hybrid youngsters were taught personal defense, a residue of the days that their parents had been running from the FBI Special Unit, their lives at risk every day. Kevin had challenged her to a Judo match...one full point, and Joey had accepted. He'd been 20# heavier, and six inches taller, and he made the first waza-ari almost immediately, and almost a second. But he'd made a number of Shido's, fouls while getting the points, and Joey had become angrier with each one. It was like she'd gone into a trance stalking Kevin like a cat, then using his own strength against him, throwing him and pinning him for a full Ipon to win the match.
The second time was in Junior Motocross, when a boy had ridden her off into a hay bale at the first corner. She should have known immediately that it was impossible for her to catch up with the boy...but she hadn't. She'd pulled the bike back up, pushed it back onto the course, and was off in hot pursuit. She'd never let up on the throttle that race, and barely touched the brake. She had taken ridiculous chances...flinging the motorcycle around the curves and streaking past other riders on the curves. She'd caught that boy...nipped him by half a wheel at the finish line to take the checkered flag...and with Maria near meltdown, ruined any chance of ever getting a bigger and faster bike. Joey-in-the-zone, Michael had called it. Maria had called it her last race.

The Central point guard came down the court carefully, not getting too close to her fellow guard, because with a step or two by the other Roswell guard she might then be trapped in a double team...but not too far away either...because then a pass to her would likely be intercepted by the girl guarding her. They had all the points they needed, what they needed now was to take time off the clock. They were under a minute...she knew without looking up. She could run another 15 seconds or so off, then take the shot...any kind of shot, so long as it hit the rim and restarted the shot clock. They had a four point lead...good enough even if Roswell got the ball back, got a three point shot. She was starting to relax....starting to feel they had this game in the bag...until she saw her eyes.....

It seemed like the basketball court had expanded to become the entire world to Joey. No, she felt Andrew's presence, somewhere outside that world, but that was all. Her perceptions were otherwise entirely within the court. She didn't hear the crowd screaming, didn't hear the shouted advice of the coaches, didn't hear the cheerleaders urging each side on. Her world was one of slow motion and perceptions. She could see every player on the floor. She could see the ball in the dribble, count the individual pebbles on its surface, read the tradename and watch the rotation of the ball as it went toward the floor. The entire world was moving in slow motion and so was Joey but she knew...knew deep down to her core, that her slow motion was faster than theirs. She waited until she saw the girl's hand start to push the ball down into the dribble again, the wait itself seeming like an eternity, then she moved.

The Roswell guard's eyes were ....vacant.....like they saw nothing...or everything. She couldn't get any sort of a read...couldn't even guess what she was going to do next. She slowed her forward progress, just trying to buy time...suddenly thinking it would probably be a good time to pass to the other guard. But when the ball should have come up....it was gone.

The Central guard covering Andrea took off for the basket as soon as she saw the ball poked free of her teamate. She thought she had the angle on the blonde haired point guard, and thought that Joey would be slowed enough by dribbling the ball that she might get back in time to prevent an unopposed lay up. It wasn't to be, as the Roswell point guard pulled slowly away all the way to the basket for a quick layup. As the Roswell crowd went wild the scoreboard went to Central 78 to Roswell 76 with 38 seconds left in regulation time.

Andrea was at the baseline, jumping up and down trying to make it difficult for the Central guard to inbound the ball. Joey was tightly guarding the other Central guard. Just as it appeared that the five seconds allowed to inbound the ball was about to expire the Central Center broke past Annie Gruber and the guard tossed her a high lofting pass which she caught at the top of its arc. Joey was speeding downcourt but Jacobs quickly passed the ball to a Central forward, blew by Annie Gruber going toward the basket, took the ball back on a quick pass from the forward, and laid the ball in to give Central a lead of 80 to 76 with twenty seconds left in the game. Roswell immediately called timeout.

Coach O'Malley started to call a play but was startled by the look on Joey's face. The girl looked up at her and said, "Just get me the ball...." O'Malley had never seen that intensity in any of her players, it was almost....frightening. She looked at Andrea. "You inbound the ball....we don't have much time so this is what we'll do."

Joey was only five feet from Andrea, but closely guarded by her Central opponent when the referee handed the ball to Andrea. Without even looking, Joey took off like a shot toward the basket as Andrea led her with a high loft pass. Somehow she didn't even break stride and as the ball rebounded from the floor was already in her dribble. Both central guards were hot on her heels as the Central center came out to block her access to the key. Joey tossed the ball to the Roswell forward on the right who instantly sent it back to Andrea who was trailing the play. Too late to turn around and defend, the Central guards watched helplessly as Andrea pulled up just outside the three-point line for an unopposed shot that rattled through the hoop. The score was now 80 to 79 in favor of Central, with eight seconds left in the game. Central had five seconds to inbound or lose possession. The entire Roswell team stayed in the back court to try to deny Central an inbound pass. The Central guard could find no one open and as the referee counted to four the Central guard called timeout.

The Central coach explained it carefully. "We need to get the ball in...we do not need to score. Just dribble the ball if you can, pass it only if you must. If it gets down to three seconds, throw the damn thing in the air...time will expire before it comes down. What we can't do is have a turnover, especially not in our own backcourt. If we can, get the ball in to Jacobs...then she passes to whichever guard can get free. In the meantime, hold it high and don't let anyone get a held ball on you because it's their turn to inbound. If they foul you, that's OK. That'll take more time and we'll get the free throws."

The tall Central center broke away from Annie into the clear. Annie tried to get there in time, but was unable to keep her from getting the inbounds pass. She tried her best to get a held ball, but the Center turned away from her and held the ball out in front of her, shielding it from Annie with her body, waiting for a Central guard to get free. She quickly spotted the guard that Joey had been covering....wide open. Perhaps that should have given her the hint...but it didn't. As she started the pass to that guard Joey knifed in and swatted the ball, deflecting it only slightly...but it was enough. The ball sailed into the legs of the Central guard and bounced out of bounds with four seconds on the clock. Possession went to Roswell. Central immediately called their last timeout.

"They'll give it to their point guard," said the Central coach. I want the Forwards and center to front their players, so she can't pass. You," she said to the guard covering Andrea, "need to make sure that the other guard is covered.....she might pass back to her. You," she said to the guard covering Joey, "defend her hard...but don't foul her. She'll use up a few seconds getting past you, then Jacobs comes out as she blows by the guard, and just smother her...get in position, make sure you don't foul her...by the time she gets around you, the time should be up." "What about my player?" asked the center. "She hasn't shown us much yet.....I doubt she is somehow going to get skillful in the next four seconds..."

Joey saw the guard was playing her loosely, expecting her to get the inbounds pass but prepared to close quickly if she attempted a shot. Actually, Joey saw the entire halfcourt. She heard the noise made by the ball as the referee handed it to Andrea. She saw the Central forwards and center fronting their opponents. She knew it would be her against the guard, and she was ready. As Andrea inbounded the ball Joey grabbed it FOUR and blew past the girl guarding her. She was surprised to see the center come out and looked quickly to the forwards only to see them both tightly covered. Her eyes next went quickly to Andrea, also covered. THREE The large center loomed over her, already stopped at the head of the key, blocking her access to the basket. She knew she could go around, but not in the time she had. There was only one possibility.

Annie was surprised when the Center moved away from her, leaving her largely undefended, But then she understood why as the girl choked off any chance Joey had of getting a shot off in the time remaining. She was even more surprised though when the ball bounced through the legs of the opposing center and hit her in the hands, TWO bouncing into the air. She looked up at it as it descended back toward her, knowing that time was running out, knowing that there was precisely no chance for her to control the ball, turn, and get off a shot in the little time remaining. ONE

As the ball came back down she did the only thing she could do, the only way she could possibly get the ball out of her hands before the clock expired. She put her hands together and treated it like a volleyball, bumping it back over her head toward the basket, like setting a volleyball for someone to spike. It had barely left her hands when the buzzer came on ZERO and the light went on over the basket, the ball barely started on its trajectory.

An Albuquerque newspaper sportswriter the next day described it in his column as the ugliest basketball shot he'd ever seen. And it was. It hit first on the front rim, bounced up into the cylinder, came down back on the rim, and hung tantalizing everyone for long seconds while the ball seemed as if it was undecided on whether to go through the hoop or not.

Of course, the sportswriter was from Albuquerque, rooting for Central, and however ugly the shot was, when it went through the hoop it scored the same two points it would have scored had it been a classic shot, a thing of beauty, ...nothing but net. The 'ugly shot' made the score 81 to 80 and the West Roswell team the New Mexico State champions.

Even before the ball had stopped bouncing from the final bucket the West Roswell High team was mobbing Annie Gruber, her four teamates on the floor being quickly followed by those on the bench, Obansky hobbled by her cast. Although the Central supporters sat in stunned silence the Roswell crowd was cheering loudly, and quickly flowed from the stands to join the celebration going on below.

As the final shot went through the basket, it was like a switch was clicked, and Andrew found himself connected with Joey....a wild delirious Joey, laughing and crying and hugging her teamates. Through the connection he realized how much things had changed for Joey...how much it had changed for both of them. They'd been prisoners most of their lives, her a prisoner of the secret of her origin, him a prisoner of his shyness. But in a few months, everything had changed for both of them. He too loved the time they shared with Joey's teamates and their boyfriends... especially Andrea and Enriquez. She'd never had friends before really....relatives certainly, who shared her secret, but never just friends. He hadn't either until they had gotten together, until wanting to be with her had been more important than worrying about his shyness. And they had each other....friends, but much more than friends. Picking his way through the crowd, he hurried to find her.

Joey had never been as tired in her entire life as she was right now, but as she felt his approach through the connection she was even happier. Her life had changed so much, she was so much happier than she'd ever been...and he was why that was.

The coach had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach when she saw the young man approach Joey Guerin, amidst the strobe lights of photographers and with the television cameras almost certainly still rolling. This might be a major embarassment for West Roswell High. But Obansky hobbled up between them before they quite got to each other and said, "Careful you two. This sports event is PG rated. You can get the room later." Everyone laughed and Andrew contented himself with a quick kiss, then hugged her to his side as he congratulated everyone. When he came to Annie he said, "Awesome shot, Annie. Just the way I would have done it." Everyone laughed, Annie blushed and said, "Hey it was a great game. I played enough to letter...."

O'Malley watched as the two sets of parents came up to the couple, the resemblance of Andrew to his father as obvious as the resemblance of Joey to her mother. She wondered if they knew about the ring...and if so, what they thought of it. She was pleased to see that both sets of parents seemed to be comfortable with the young couple. She knew the plans that Joey had, her fiance the football coach had told her that. She'd been coaching girls sports for enough years that she'd seen lots of girls think they were in love with lots of boys...and helped many of them cope with their tears when they broke up. But she'd never seen a young couple that seemed so determined, or so devoted to each other. 'Who knows...?' she thought. 'Perhaps sometimes love really does triumph after all.' But if it had been her parents....they'd have freaked. She had no real doubt about that. Heck, she hadn't told them that she was engaged yet....

"Joey you were outstanding," said Barbara Douglas. Joey looked beat, Barbara thought to herself. She was hot, her hair hanging in damp strings, the white Jersey damp and clinging to her body...'Well so is Andrew, for that matter,' Barbara thought. Four months ago she'd thought that her sons life had ended. Even seven weeks ago she'd been terrified of Joey. Now she loved her like a daughter. She hugged her tearfully. "I'm sorry we can't come to the awards dinner. We'll try not to keep Andrew too long, so he can get back in time. If they don't make you the MVP of the tournament the voting is rigged.."
Joey Guerin smiled at Barbara. 'Have fun in St. Louis." Her eyes seemed to twinkle as she said, "I'll take good care of Drew..."
Barbara thought back suddenly to the terrible night in the Emergency Room, and the loving face that had come to her in her dream to reassure her that her kidnapped son would be alright. She smiled back as she said, "I know you will dear. You seem rather good at that. "

Maria walked quickly up to the young couple her mouth already in gear. "Joey that was SOOO great when you made that theft and then you hit the ball off that Central player and then you made that pass and did you see that shot that Annie made that bounced WAY up in the air and it bounced and bounced on the rim and I didn't think it'd ever fall and it was SO neat and you look dead on your feet and you are getting sweat all over Andrew...although he doesn't seem to mind and I wish we were going to that awards ceremony and if you don't get that VMP thingy there just isn't any justice and this whole year has been SO much fun I don't know why your brother didn't do varsity sports because I told him it would be fun but did he listen to his mother...? No, he just...."
"Maria, you're starting to babble," said Michael Guerin.
"Well Michael I'm entitled to babble....our daughter's team is the best basketball team in all of New Mexico. This is so neat..."
As Maria looked at the two of them surrounded by Joey's happy teamates and all the Roswell supporters, she thought to herself, 'God he has been good for her. Fifteen years of never really having a friend, never being willing to get close to anyone...always being afraid. I love that boy so much for what he's given her.....I can't believe how much happier she is. And they are so cute together. It's hard to believe that we were stupid enough to try to break them up.'

Michael Guerin looked at the two teenagers. He'd certainly had his doubts about them but...he'd never seen his daughter this happy, even on her first trip to Disneyland in the second grade. He looked at Andrew Douglas and said, "I wish Maria and I could be at the awards dinner but since Joey could only get the one ticket it was obvious who ought to be there with her. If she gets the MVP award, give her a kiss for us in celebration. If she doesn't, give her one anyway in condolences. We are going to be heading back to Roswell now."

"Well, I'll be heading south on 285 myself after the dinner. I'll meet Joey at the school tomorrow morning when the bus gets there. There's going to be a celebration for the state champions. I'll bring her home if you aren't there to pick her up. And.....don't worry about the kisses. One way or another....I think I'll manage."

Michael smiled as he said, "I'm sure you will, Andrew. I'm sure you will." He didn't have many doubts left about the boy. They were still too young to be engaged but.....he could see the boy loved her. Looking at his daughter....so happy, holding on to Andrew.....'Oh hell, they're good kids, Michael,' he told himself. 'You are such a lucky guy.' Speaking of which, with Joey in a hotel in Santa Fe, he and Maria would have the house to themselves tonight...if they survived a three and a half hour drive.

As he saw the two teenagers clinging tightly to each other he briefly thought to himself that he hoped the two of them didn't have any similar ideas, a hope that would haunt him for a number of hours during the coming morning.....

There was barely controlled chaos in the West Roswell locker room. Corks were popping as Joey entered and the trainer handed her and Andrea plastic champagne glasses full of bubbly amber liquid as she entered the locker area. “Uh…I can’t have champagne…uh, allergy.”

The girl looked at her like she was insane. “And I can’t have Coach O’Malley kick my butt around the block either, Joey. It’s sparkling cider. You can’t honestly think the coach would let us have alcohol in here?”

“Uh…sorry Barb…wasn’t thinking.” She swallowed it in one quick gulp.

Andrea grabbed her glass and took a deep drink. “Hey, go easy on the girl, Barb. She worked her butt off out there, and she’s dehydrated and pooped. Just pour her another glass. She earned it.”

Joey swallowed the cider in one quick gulp, then got a refill. In the meantime Obansky had gotten a full bottle and had shaken it up and sprayed Coach O’Malley as she came through the doors. This started a firefight involving any open bottle that could be found. In the end everyone was wet…sticky…and very happy. They were, after all, the state champs.

Ninety minutes later a showered and changed Joey Guerin was sitting among her teammates at the awards dinner, saving the place next to her for Andrew. As the waiters brought out chilled plates full of salads she looked around, to see him, then shook her head at her own foolishness. She would have sensed him if he was really anywhere close. He must still be returning from taking his parents to the airport. Two days of maximum effort on the court had left her mentally as well as physically exhausted. And ravenous too, she thought as she grabbed a breadstick from the basket in front of her.

As she reached forward she saw the tall woman across from her looking at her with a slight smile. She checked the front of her sweater, wondering if she’d missed a button or something, and then looked back at the now laughing woman. “You look exhausted,” she said. “And little wonder. That was quite a performance you put on out there. Congratulations on the team title.”

“Everybody on our team worked hard. We were also real lucky. The competition was awfully good.”

The woman couldn’t help but smile again when she heard the girl. Point guards were known to be brash, in-your-face types, rather than team players. The girl had clearly outclassed all but a few of the players in the tournament…and was clearly the best point guard. Thank goodness she wasn’t following the ego-tripping Gary Payton style of point guard psyche…one of those who had tremendous natural ability, but little willingness to work as part of a team or to accept coaching. Some college would be lucky to get her in a few years……, maybe hers.

“I want you to know that I think you should have gotten MVP.”

Joey looked at the woman strangely. “Well, there are a lot of good athletes here…especially that center from Central…Jacobs. But…did I miss the announcement or something? I thought that came later?”

“I’m sorry Miss Guerin. I should have identified myself. I’m a college scout….deciding who my school should recruit. I was one of the people doing the voting for MVP…..voted for you by the way…but you just missed to Ms. Jacobs. Not even that you weren’t better, really, but a number of those voting thought it should go to the senior rather than a freshman…that you’d have three more years to get the award and that your team would likely be back. You’ll lose a couple of good seniors but it looks like their backups are quite capable….I think we’ll likely see you again here next year.”

“Well I hope you are right. Everybody worked real hard. But personally, I’m only going to be playing two more years, then I’ll graduate.”

“But I thought you were a freshman?”

“Well, I am but I’m taking extra courses….I’ll be a junior next year, not a sophomore.”

“So… have you decided to attend a certain college when you graduate?”

“Yeah. What ever one my boyfriend gets a scholarship to. He’s a football player, a real good football player.”

The woman smiled. Joey Guerin was cute, talented, and apparently pretty smart if she was skipping her sophomore year. She probably could have her choice of boyfriends. The likelihood that she’d have the same one two and a half years from now, probably wasn’t worth mentioning. Even so, she was a damn good point guard. She’d need to watch the teenager the next two years. Based on her play the last two days alone, she’d be worth a basketball scholarship. “Sorry, I only do basketball players…female ones at that.” ‘Even those naïve enough to think they’ve found their soulmate when they aren’t yet sixteen,’ she thought.

Joey turned toward the door as she felt his presence, and it wasn’t long until she saw him walk through it.

As the college scout looked back towards Joey she saw the smile form on the tired girl’s face. Just that quick, the fatigue seemed gone and her face seemed…radiant. She followed the girl’s eyes and saw him…the lanky teenager who moved with the same athletic grace Joey did, at least she did when she wasn’t totally exhausted. ‘So that’s her beau….? Well, he looked like he was in good enough shape.’ “So what position does he play,” she asked the smiling girl.
Without turning her head away from the young man Joey responded, “Tailback last year….but he’s going to be the starting quarterback next year.”

The scout watched the boy go to Joey and give her a quick kiss on the cheek before sitting next to her. The fingers of their hands intertwined as if of their own volition. “Drew, this is….pardon me, I didn’t get your name.”

“Jamie Davis…. I’m the assistant woman’s basketball coach at Colorado.”

“Uh…pleased to meet you Ms. Davis.”

And as she looked at him, she figured it wasn’t really a lie. It wasn’t like he was at all displeased to see her, but he certainly had eyes only for the Guerin girl. The two of them simply radiated care for each other and looked like they would have been totally happy if they were the only two in the room…or possibly on earth. ‘Well hell, I may be a hopeless romantic,’ thought Jamie, '...but it’d be tough to bet against those two living happily ever after…whatever the teen romance statistics say.' “So Drew…ever considered going to the University of Colorado? If you’d like, I’ll mention you to the assistant football coach. We’re pretty close…..well, almost engaged.” That somehow struck the two as funny, she decided, as they both smiled and looked at each other. Somehow she thought that what was going on between them was far more permanent than she’d originally thought. ‘Nope, I don’t think I’d bet against them at all.’

Joey ate everything on her plate…she was famished from all the calories she’d burned in the last game. She offered to bet Andrea her desert based on who could drink the most Tabasco sauce. Andrea gave her a fool me once, shame-on-you, fool me twice, shame-on-me look, and quickly refused. Andrew gave her his desert …claiming he wasn’t really hungry.

There were a few grumbles from the area of the Roswell team when Jacobs beat Joey out for MVP, 23 votes to 20. But after the trophy was presented to the West Roswell team, Joey stopped by the Central table and congratulated Jacobs. The girl hugged her and whispered in her ear…”I think I’m going to go to Colorado. You might want to consider it in a few years. It’d be fun to play on the same team.” Joey looked back toward her table to see Jamie Davis beaming at the two of them.

As she returned to the table Joey looked down at Andrew, smiling despite her fatigue. The team is going to have a quick party to celebrate in the coach’s suite…just a half hour or so. If you can do it…you’re invited. I know you have a long drive ahead of yourself tonight and you need to be wide awake …but if you can come..?”

“Joey, I wouldn’t miss it for anything. I’d love to come.”

There was an old tradition in playoff tournaments, that you took the tournament one game at a time. You never looked ahead, never tempted fate by assuming you were going to get by one opponent until that game was actually behind you. Barbara Roosevelt had broken that tradition.

Barbara was the eternal optimist on the team. The Roswell forward had been convinced they were going to beat Clovis in the first game, even before Joey had been put into the game…and they had. She had been convinced they were going to win regionals….even before they’d played their first game…and they had. And four days ago when she’d been a bridesmaid at her sisters wedding, well….she’d already convinced herself that West Roswell was going to win the state championship. Barbara was only a junior, and did not drink alcohol…usually. In fact, it was probably only the two glasses of champagne that she’d had during the toasting of the bride and groom that had convinced her it was a good idea to swipe one of the half-dozen or so bottles of champagne left over from the reception and put it in her suitcase to bring to Santa Fe for the team celebration after their inevitable victory.

As she pulled the bottle out from under her coat and looked at it without the benefit of two glasses of champagne in her, Barbara wondered if this were such a good idea after all. O’Malley would skin them alive if she caught them drinking. But they’d come so far, against such odds…..she looked again at the state championship trophy sitting on the front table. The one bottle would be split among 14 girls ….no one would get much. It wasn’t like any of them would be driving or anything, heck, they’d be in bed in an hour and on the bus for almost four hours first thing tomorrow morning….and as she looked at the refreshment table….well, the champagne would look just like the sparkling cider and sparkling grape juice that Jim Greer, the football coach had sprung for………and O’Malley looked more than a little distracted by Coach Greer……

Summing up the pros and cons, Barbara decided, ‘What the hell…’. She quickly wrapped the champagne bottle in a towel from the refreshment table. As the corks started popping at the refreshment table, she opened the champagne bottle and poured a glass. As she looked up she saw Joey coming in the door dragging a cheerful Andrew by the hand. If anyone deserved a drink to celebrate, it was clearly Joey.

As she entered the room, Joey couldn’t help but think how great her life was now. She’d never really believed a real life would be possible for her, expect in the limited confines of the alien community. She’d never really believed she could be this happy…surrounded by friends, liked, respected, and as she felt his hand in hers….knowing that she was loved….truly loved, not just by your parents or family who she figured pretty much HAD to love you, but by…..Andrew, the guy she had never really believed could ever be hers, no matter how much she might want him.

Tonight she was not only at the top of her game….this was the best moment in her life. As O’Malley announced the toast, those people who didn’t yet have drinks scurried to pick one up at the reception table. When the Coach said, ‘To the West Roswell High Girl’s basketball team……the New Mexico State Champions,’ she smiled as she clicked her glass against Andrew’s glass, and downed the contents in one quick drink.

It wasn’t the best sparkling grape juice she’d ever had she decided immediately, but the camaraderie and air of celebration more than made up for a little sour grape juice. A warm glow seemed to spread throughout her whole body…this was great…she had friends….and she had Andrew. HER Andrew.

She pulled him to her and started to giggle. “You’re mine,’ she whispered into his ear. “I kidnapped you fair and square…..and I’m keeping you too.” And she was too, she decided as the room seemed to suddenly fill with a warm fog. She pushed him down into an empty seat and sat on his lap, amusing herself by playing with the buttons on his shirt and nibbling on his left ear.

It was a fairly private corner of the room, and Andrew at first thought it was just a joke when Joey acted like she was trying to attack him. His first inkling of real trouble was that he couldn’t connect with Joey…even with her sitting in his lap. The next clue was that she actually seemed to be trying to unbutton his shirt…and was too uncoordinated to do it. Something was definitely wrong here. She seemed confused…frustrated...bewildered... by the mechanics of….a button.

But when he saw the gold glow from her finger…and the dissolving of the top button eliciting a satisfied smile from Joey…..Andrew knew that they were in deep deep trouble. Joey was acting like….well…like she was drunk. As his second button became dust, he whispered in her ear…. "Joey….come on. I’ve got to get you out of here….”

Andrea had been surprised when she’d swallowed champagne at the toast…and had looked back toward Barbara Roosevelt and smiled while shaking her head. ‘She’d better lose that bottle,’ she thought. ‘O’Malley will have her ass if she finds out about this.’ Andrea refilled her glass with sparkling grape juice and swished it around, then downed it quickly. She’d at least hide her part of the evidence. She noticed most of the other girls on the team were doing the same thing except…Joey. She looked like she was about to do a reprise of the kiss in the key with Andrew, she seemed to have trouble keeping her hands off the boy. Suddenly he stood up and seemed to half-drag her toward the door, her giggling all the way.

At first Andrea was a little concerned but then she thought, 'Heck….they’re engaged. They know what they are doing. I just wish Enriquez would take the hint.'

Looking back toward the center of the room, she saw Janet Obansky hobbling toward her, a big smile on her face. “Andrea, come on to the next room. We’re giving Annie grief about her shooting form….and congratulating her.”

She looked back at the closing door where her roommate had just left, making a mental note to knock loudly before she entered their room. Looked like Joey might be entertaining a guest....

“Okay, Janet. I thought Gruber was going to pee her shorts when that shot actually fell.” ‘I know I damned near peed mine….’

Soaking in the happiness and fellowship, Andrea Lopez went in to the next room, her roommate and Andrew no longer on her mind.