"Are you kidding me?!" Cory spat in disgust.

She stood at the key, blowing a bubble with her gum and spinning the basketball on her fingertip.

"Don't be mad, brah. Can't win them all." She said, her Jersey accent thick.

He paced the distance to her, reaching for the ball, whiffing as she spun the ball behind her back and tossed it briefly, passing to her off hand, landing the ball against her hip.

The teen scoffed. He could feel the stares from the other kids around the court. He'd never live it down at school the next day. He was still catching hell for the loss the previous week. Scouts had been tracking his progress for months, and now, here he was, losing.

To a girl, no less. He winced at the thought.

"Rematch?" The girl said, ball still against her hip as she looked at the teen, nearly a foot taller than her. Her gum snapped again, annoying his already addled brain.

He turned to face her, having been walking away. A last second reaction stopped the ball from nearly plastering into his face as she tossed it to him. He clumsily recovered the ball and bounced it once, firing an angry glare at the girl.

"Fine. Loser buys dinner." He wagered.

"I love eating for free." She replied, awaiting his first move.