SmartGirl Internette presents...

 

    Lana was late for school. She panicked as she rushed around her room, frantically searching for her gym kit. She tore the room apart, even checking in her cat's basket before she at last pulled it from under her bed and hastily scraped her blonde hair back into a messy ponytail. Flying down the stairs, she called goodbye to her mum and flung open the door, running for the bus.

    Lana, was not the kind of girl who was normally in a rush to get to school. In fact, every day, she sauntered in just when the bell for first period rang. This was because, quite frankly, she loathed school. What was there to like, anyway? Soggy school dinners, boring lessons, catty girls and early mornings weren't exactly enough to make you bounce out of bed with a smile on your face.

    But today was different. Lana was looking forward to arriving at Evergreen High. Why? Today was basketball tryouts. Don't get me wrong, Lana was not a sporty girl. She and her friends could normally be found making up some lame excuse to get out of PE. They insisted they had asthma when it came to swimming, suddenly developed a splitting headache for Games and as for getting up at seven every Saturday morning for hockey practice? Puh-lease.

But basketball was different. Lana was not bad at basketball. In fact she might even be better than the 'popular' girls who made up most of the team. She didn't have a clue how she was going to persuade them to let her play - all she knew was that she had to try. What was the worst that could happen??

Even so, as the school bus pulled into the driveway she couldn't help feeling her stomach lurch. What was she thinking?? In the food chain at Evergreen, she was pretty much at the bottom. No one payed attention to her, especially not boys, and the populars were always giggling at her inferior hair and clothes. There was no way they were ever going to let her on the team, and even if they did, would she be as good as them?

These doubts swirled around in her head as she sat down next to her best friend, Nadine, in registration and she was only jerked out of her reverie when Nadine waved her hand in front of her face. "Lana! Hello??"
    "Oh, hi!" replied Lana, trying her best to force a smile onto her face. Nadine rolled her eyes.
    "Are you trying out for basketball at lunchtime?" blurted Lana. Nadine's eyebrows nearly disappeared into her curly brown hair.
    "Are you serious?? With Katie and Ella on the team?" Lana stole a glance to where the two girls were sitting, chatting to their huge crowd of friends. Katie draped over her plastic chair and was plaiting her waist length blonde hair, and Ella was staring at her reflection in a compact mirror and slicking on some lipgloss.
    "I was just wondering---"
    "I hope you're not thinking of going! I mean, you have absolutely no chance, you know that, right?"
    Lana was about to retort but before she could open her mouth, their teacher started taking the rollcall. When she had finished, Nadine bounced out of her seat and slung her Hello Kitty tote over her shoulders. "Come on! Math's, next!" she called over her shoulder as everyone started to file out of the classroom, gossiping with their friends. Feeling downheartend, Lana picked up her own pink Jansport and followed.
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    By the time lunch arrived, Lana was having very serious doubts. She absent-mindely picked at her salad and watched the clock mounted on the wall of the cafeteria. When at last half past twelve arrived she sprang up.
    "I've got a lunch time detention" she lied, making it up on the spur of the moment. Nadine just rolled her eyes and Lana waved goodbye to her friends hastily as she rushed to get her gym kit and change.
    As she was standing over the bench, stuffing her legs into the regulation green shorts, she heard loud laughter as the popular girls on the team filed into the changing room.
    Lana was just about to slip into the gym hall, unnoticed, when Katie Atkinson called out, "Lana? is that you?" Everyone stopped talking at once and they all turned to stare at Lana. She could feel herself growing red. "Your'e not trying out, are you?" Ella scoffed, tossing her shiny red hair over her shoulders.
    "I am, actually," Lana said, trying to sound confident. But her voice came out like a pathetic mouse squeak.
    "Oh, well...good luck," said Ella, in a voice that told Lana she wished her anything but.
    "I hope you're good, Lana, because Jenny, Rachael, Summer and Fiona are all trying out as well. They were on the team last year," added Ella. She flashed her another fake smile and turned back to her friends.

    Lana slipped out of the changing room and in to the gym hall. The two basketball hoops were on either side of the hall and space had been cleared for three desks that were pushed together to form a long judging table.

    At last the other girls came in to the changing hall. Katie sat in the middle of the table, clipboard in hand, and two of her best friends, girls in the year above Lana didnt know, sat on either side of her and looked Lana up and down.
    She sat down on the benches with Ella and everyone else who was trying out. She couldn't help noticing that they were all very athletic. Girls who were already on the hockey and lacrosse teams.
    "Hello girls!" said Katie, winking jokingly at them. "As you know, I'm captain of the junior school girl's basketball team, and Tina and Rebekah are two of our best players. We're going to ask you all to just show us what you can do. Some dribbling and shooting goals, whatever you're comfy with."

    The first girl to try out was Meena, a small girl with a nervous looking face, who Lana didn't know all that well. She took one look at the ball in her hands, dropped it and screamed. "I CAN'T DO THIS!" Then, she ran out of the hall, in tears. Katie made a huge 'X' on her clipboard.

    Ella was next. She dribbled perfectly, shot a few goals without missing once, and even spun the ball round on her index finger. She took a bow when she had finished and blew a jokey kiss at Katie and the others before walking out.

    The other girls were good, but certainly not as good as Lana. Everyone seemed sure they would make the team, even though Lana knew only five girls would be chosen. At last there was only one person left to try out, and that was Lana.
    "Come on then," called Katie, looking at her watch. She folded her arms and raised her eyebrows as Lana stood there, looking dumb.
Finally she took a deep breath and picked up the basketball. It was time to show them just exactly what she could do.