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just that everybody was bigger, and when a big body and a little body came together, the little body was most often the one that got hurt. Maybe Mr. Roberts had been right about us not being on the team. I couldn’t expect anybody from other schools to be any nicer.
    â€œSo do you think we did enough?” Kia asked.
    â€œWe did all we could. You did well today.”
    â€œYeah, I did,” Kia agreed.
    She’d made her shots from the outside and pulled down some rebounds.
    â€œHow do you think I did today?” I asked.
    â€œYou were… okay.”
    â€œOkay? Was it
okay
the way I stole the ball from you during the scrimmage?”
    Kia didn’t answer.
    I had taken away a couple of balls, aswell as scored six points, pulled down four boards, and assisted on three other baskets. I think that qualified as much better than just
okay
.
    â€œI was wondering what it would be like if only one of us made the team,” Kia said.
    â€œI hadn’t even thought about that. I just figured it would be both of us or neither of us,” I admitted.
    â€œI’ve thought about it since the morning when my mother mentioned it to
me
over breakfast. I think most of the spots are already taken.”
    â€œMr. Roberts said that?” I asked.
    â€œNo, I’ve just been trying to figure it out myself.”
    â€œWe don’t need many spots. Just two,” I said.
    â€œI just don’t know if there are still two spots left,” Kia said. “I’ve been making a mental list.”
    â€œAnd who’s on your list?”
    â€œThere are the obvious ones.”
    â€œLike Marcus, Kingsly, Dean, Bojan and Mohammed,” I suggested.
    â€œThose five are a lock,” she agreed.
    â€œProbably the five starters. Who else ison your list?”
    â€œScott and Kyle.”
    â€œMaybe… probably,” I agreed.
    â€œAnd Rajinder and Roy would have a —”
    â€œRoy!” I exclaimed.
    â€œYeah, Roy. If you haven’t noticed, he’s not that bad a player.”
    â€œHe’s a jerk!” I snapped.
    â€œI’m not arguing that, but we’re talking about his basketball skills. He’s good under the hoop, can rebound, is rough and has an attitude.”
    â€œOf course he has an attitude — a bad attitude,” I said.
    â€œThat depends. He doesn’t like losing and if he’s on your side you might think that’s a good attitude to have. And if I’m right, then that only leaves one spot on the roster,” Kia said.
    â€œI don’t like that. I just thought it would be the two of us together, like always.”
    â€œMe too.”
    We walked along in silence as the thought of us being separately sunk in. What would it like to be on the team without Kia? Who would I talk to? Who would I walk home with after practice?
    â€œI hate walking home from school without you,” Kia said, practically reading my mind.
    â€œI can’t even remember the last time we didn’t come home together.”
    â€œI can. Last May. You were sick.”
    â€œBut we won’t be able to any time there’s a practice or game,” I said. “And Mr. Roberts said they’d be one or the other almost every night for the whole season.”
    â€œI’d still come over to your place. It would just be later after the practices, and because I’ll be later then I’ll be hungrier.”
    â€œYou might even want to drop into your place for a snack before you come to my place,” I suggested.
    â€œWhy would I do that? It would take me even longer to practice, go home and then go to your place.”
    â€œSo you think you’ll be the one who makes the team and I won’t?” I asked in shock.
    â€œI could be wrong,” Kia said with a shrug. “Maybe I won’t make the team either.”
    â€œOr maybe I’ll be the only one who’s selected.”
    â€œI guess that could happen,”