April 29, 2018

Kayla’s Varsity Upset

By: Jean Boonstra

Emma Ward was not excited about her first day at Discovery Mountain Academy. Walking through the halls she wondered what the students in this small, remote school could teach her—the Governor’s daughter. Emma glanced at her class schedule. PE was next. Emma walked to the school gym and hung her varsity basketball jacket over the back of the locker.

“This is my class to shine,” she thought to herself smugly.

“Hey, Emma over here,” Madison called to her from across the gym. “Yeah, come and join our team,” added Kayla with a big smile.

Emma ran over to join Madison and Kayla. She held the basketball comfortably on one hip.

“I noticed your varsity jacket,” said Madison with a smile.

“Yes,” Emma explained. “Have you already held varsity tryouts here at Discovery Mountain Academy?”

Kayla giggled. “Not exactly,” she answered.

Emma nodded knowingly. “Oh, you don’t have a varsity team do you?”

“No, we don’t have a girl’s basketball team at all,” Kayla said.  “Yeah,” Madison added, “we play intramurals at lunchtime and after school though!”

Emma tried to hide her surprise. “Oh, well I suppose that’s fun,” she said.

Kayla smiled brightly. “Emma, will you play one-on-one with me? I would love to pick up some pointers from you!”

Emma thought about turning away but reluctantly agreed. “OK. Here Kayla you can have the ball first.”

Kayla dribbled the ball and easily breezed past Emma and with a “swoosh” made the first basket. Emma was surprised!

“Nice job,” Emma said. “Your ball again.”

Again, Kayla easily outmaneuvered her and made another basket. “Feel the swosh!” Kayla called out with a grin.

“Go Kayla,” Madison called out. “Oh, and go Emma, too.”

Emma started to sweat. For the next 4 and a half minutes Kayla made one basket after the other. Finally the game was over and Emma bent over trying to catch her breath.

“Kayla, you’re really good!” Emma admitted still struggling to catch her breath.

Kayla shrugged. “Thanks, I love to play with my Dad.”  Madison added, “Emma, Kayla learned all her moves from her cousin.”

Emma looked up quizzically. “Her cousin?”

“Yeah,” Madison explained. “She plays professional basketball.”

“No she doesn’t,” Kayla said correcting her friend.

“Well,” Emma said with a smirk. “It’d be surprising if she played professional basketball.”

“Yeah, no she doesn’t,” Kayla added with a shrug. “She plays for the U.S. Olympics Women’s basketball team now.”

Emma felt the basketball drop from her hands. “Oh,” she said with an embarrassed sigh. Emma watched Madison and Kayla run across the gym. She sighed. “Discovery Mountain Academy is nothing like I expected. At all.”

Listen to the rest of Emma Ward’s adventure in Discovery Mountain Season 5, “Family Matters.”