Fearsome Five

MADELINE

I can’t wait to step back onto that court. It’s been a long while. The doctors told me not to, only to take precautions but I can’t stay away. Holding a basketball was the only thing keeping me sane. Keeping me alive. I know that’s a bit drastic but it’s true. I haven’t been able to set foot on a basketball court in almost two years. It was agony. But now today is the day I set back to what had been keeping me alive all these years.

Today I start my first day back at Barrow High School and I’m having a bittersweet feeling. I had left without as much as a goodbye to anyone. Elena, Kyrie, Faith and Rhody, what would they think of me when I step into that building and they see me for the first time in almost two years? They had been my best friends since 1st grade. Since we were on the same team in Little Dribblers going onto High School. We dominated in every tournament we played in. We even played against High Schoolers while we were still in middle school. Throughout the years, other teams have been afraid to play us, we even been given a name for out little group, the Fearsome Five.

Throughout the years I was away I would keep track of where they were as a team. And by the looks of the 1st place trophies in the showcase in the front office of the school, they only had gotten better and better. Sometimes I would imagine myself with them, receiving those trophies. State championship games would be broadcasted throughout Alaska and I would be damned if I ever missed it.

“Madeline Evers? Is that really you?” I turned to see my freshman year English teacher, Mrs. Bowman. She was the teacher that took my writing seriously. She would ask me to write different kinds of stories to challenge me. She would come up with the description and I would have to come up with the actual story. She pushed my writing to its limits. And that was all in my freshman year.

“Hi Mrs. Bowman! Yeah, I’m back.” I say as she gives me a hug. She pulls back but keeps her hands on my arms as she looks at me like she’s trying to figure out what changed.

“Oh, my dear girly, what have you done to your beautiful hair?” She says lifting her hand to my now short hair that goes only past my ears. Before leaving here, my hair was long, so long people started calling me Repunzel. To say I didn’t cry when I had to get it cut is an understatement.

“Yeah, I got tired of it getting in the way, so I chopped it off.” I lie, hoping she would take it. I don’t want to have to explain the real reason it was short.

“Well, I think it’s beautiful. The haircut accentuates your facial features just perfect.”

“Well, thank you!” Feeling my cheeks getting a bit pink. I’m not good with people giving me compliments.

“You’re welcome! I hope I see you in class today. I’m now the Senior and Junior english teacher.” Well I guess a lot has changed in the two years I’ve been gone.

“Really? That’s amazing. I was just headed to the office to grab my schedule.” I say pointing to the main office that is just right in front of me. Barrow High School is not that big, so the main office is right there when you walk in.

“Awesome. Okay, I hope you enjoy your first day. And welcome back to Barrow High!” She says as she walks off to I’m guessing her classroom. It’s still early in the morning so the school is pretty empty. Classes don’t start till 9:10am and right now it’s about 8:10am. So I have a bit of time to look for my classes so I know where I’m gonna be going all day.

Making my way through the doors of the main office, the only person here is the schools receptionist and it looks as if she is busy, but I’m pretty sure she’s just chatting with some friend on Facebook. She is the same receptionist from my freshman year she barely pad attention to anything happening in this small office space.

“Excuse me? I need my schedule.” I say as she looks up to me. School started a couple weeks ago and I’m pretty sure she wasn’t expecting some new getting their schedule. But I’m not new. I’ve lived here all my life, well, except those two years I’ve been away.

“Name?” the receptionist asked as she typed away on the computer. She looks as if she really didn’t want this job but got stuck with it because it was the only option.

“Madeline Evers.” I tell the receptionist my name not hearing the doors open.

“Maddie?” I hear from in back of me. Turning around I come face to face with none other than Elena Ross, and my, has she changed since freshman year. Gone is the little boy body and in comes the Victoria Secrets model.

“Elena?!” I exclaimed as I got in for a bone crushing hug. I have always been close with Elena and Rhody throughout the years and have no doubt Elena will have no problem with not knowing where I have been for the last two years. Rhody on the other hand, is a different story.

“Where have you been? Have you been home long? Why did you leave in the first place?” And in comes the questions that I want to avoid for as long as possible. I think quickly of what to say. Should I tell her the truth? Does she need to know the truth? Of course she needs to know the truth, she’s one of my best friends.

“I’m good Lena. How are you?” I say sarcastically trying to direct our conversation to her so I don’t have to say why I left.

“Excuse me, I have your schedule.” The receptionist says. I turn around and grab it from her saying a quiet ‘Thank You’ in the process and quickly bringing back my attention to Elena. Her fiery red hair is shorter as well. Her body filling out to an hour glass shape, probably torturing all the guys here with that figure. Her green eyes has the same sparkle since the first the first time I met her in 1st grade.

“I’m serious Maddie. Do you have any idea how crazy we went when we found out that you had moved? Without a word too?” She says as we make our way out of the office to find my locker. I really don’t want to say anything but I know the questions will keep coming.

“I know and I’m sorry, okay? It was just a sudden thing. But now I’m back, and that’s it. I really don’t want to talk about it, please.” I say hoping that she will just accept that I’m not talking anytime soon.

“Fine. Okay. But you will tell me one day. And I’m not taking no for an answer.” Elena has always been the firecracker of our group. We all thought that she had a severe case of AHDH, turns out, it was just her personality. Always so energetic and straight forward. She will always tell you what’s on her mind, not matter how much it can hurt, she wouldn’t care. Even on the basketball court, she can run run run for hours at a time and still have more energy than the energizing bunny.

“Fine.” I say still walking and trying to find where my damn locker is. Somehow our arms link together and we were just walking through the halls. “So how are the rest of the girls?” I found myself asking when it fell quiet between us. She became thoughtful for a second but answered hesitantly.

“They’re good. Kyrie is still competitive as ever. Rhody took it pretty hard when you left though. She stopped talking to us for a while.” I could feel my throat closing up. I was the closest with Rhody than the other girls. We told each other everything, and I would understand that she would’ve felt hurt when she saw that I was gone. I would too. Elena continued.

“Faith has had it pretty hard since you left. Her mom passed away a few months after you left.” That got me to stop dead in my tracks.

“What?” I looked towards her with a hurt look on my face. I loved Mrs. Samuels, we all would go to Faith’s house after every game and her mom would make a bunch of food for us. Sometimes it would only be fore lunch. I just can’t believe she’s gone. “What happened?”

“Cancer.” I froze. I could feel my chest tighten and my heart beating louder and louder. That could’ve been me. That was repeating in my head. “Maddie?”

I didn’t notice that we were on the other side of the school near the gym. Elena was talking but I didn’t remember what she was talking about.

“Yeah?” I say looking at her with a confused expression.

“You are still the same Maddie, always in your own little world, coming up with the best stories.” I wish I was thinking about my stories. “Are you still writing?”

“Yeah, I’ve been writing. I’ve actually been uploading my stories on this website called Wattpad. You can check them out if you want.” I trail off finally realizing that we are by the gym. Last year I heard that they remodeled the floors. I let go of Elena and walk straight through the gym doors, and came to a complete stop.

From what I remembered the floor wasn’t this shiny. The blue pops out, and there’s a new Whaler logo in the middle. I was kind of scared to walk on it. Like I haven’t earned my privileges to play on this court. Soon I feel someone stop beside me and I know it’s Elena.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” All I can do is no. “Conditioning is in two months. You’re coming right? The Fearsome Five back together?” I turn my head to look at her. And I’m at a lost for what I’m going to answer. And I trying out? Can I try out? I mean I’ve been in remission for about five months. My mom has been really cautious as to what I’m doing. But I’ve already made my decision, and nothing can keep me away from playing basketball, not even my mother. I will take one step at a time going back onto the court.

As for now?

I’m looking for my damn locker.