Page 34 of A Surefire Love
Blaze wanted to ask why she’d turned so thoughtful, but they weren’t that good of friends. She checked the time, then rose to get back on stage. “I’m sure you two will have a wonderful anniversary. Congrats.”
13
“Can’t avoid me forever, Carter.” Anson clapped his hands and held them up, requesting the basketball.
Carter and Dylan had skipped Branching Out on Sunday after Eric’s visit to his office. However, Anson knew Carter’s passion for basketball would bring him to the community center’s courts eventually, so Anson stopped by daily. Finally, on Saturday morning, one week after the canoe trip, Anson’s repeated trips to check for him paid off.
Carter turned his back to Anson and lined up a shot. “I’m all set for the basketball season.” The ball swished through the hoop. “Or I will be, before November.”
Anson rebounded the ball and dribbled out past the three-point line. “What does that mean?”
“I joined the crew for the fall theater production with Dylan. Six weeks of working on the set will replace the suspension.” Carter guarded him lazily.
Anson scored. “School administration approved that?”
Carter claimed the ball. “Yeah.”
Anson followed him to the three-point line. Carter’s plan would be time-consuming, but less punishing for him than a basketball suspension.
“Are you mad?” Carter dribbled once.
“Nope. Not about the compromise, anyway.”
“Then what are you upset about?”
“That you were drinking at all.”
“You never drank in high school?” Carter attempted a misdirection.
If Anson hadn’t taught him the move in the first place, it might have worked. “Nope.”
“Not even once?” Carter took his shot.
Anson tipped it away from the basket. “Nope. Own it before it owns you.”
“Let me guess. Another Coach Voss quote?”
“Yup.”
“Nothing owns me.”
“Being benched could’ve been detrimental to scholarship offers. Letting alcohol affect your dreams gives it an awful lot of control.” When Carter had made the varsity team as a freshman, his dad started boasting that Carter would play for a Division I team. Anson warned them of the steep odds, but it’d still been hard to watch time pass without an offer. At this point, if Carter wanted to play college ball, they needed to focus on a broader range of basketball programs.
“We’ve got some promising leads.”
Promising to Eric, maybe. Anson held the ball outside the three-point line, suspending the game. “If you keep drinking, you’re going to run into this problem again, only the consequences will be harsher. Then you’ll have feweroptions. If something goes wrong, it could impact the rest of your life, not just a basketball season.”
Carter motioned him to get going.
Anson spun around him for a layup. They focused on the game until Anson gained a six-point lead. “What’s the draw?”
Carter dribbled near the free-throw line. “Playing.”
“Not that. What’s the draw of drinking?”
Carter took the shot. Missed.
Anson rebounded. “Behavior like yours suggests you wanted to get caught. Is something going on that you need help with?”
