Ellie's Concerns I

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I finish the last of my shooting drills, and that means I'm pretty much done. I can invite some people to the park if I wanted and play some pick-up basketball. My teammates are either at home or exercising themselves. I feel my phone go off in my sweat pants. I pull it out and see that it's Ellie. I open the text and read it. She's worried since I haven't checked in yet. It's 6 pm. I sometimes forget to check in when I'm having fun with my drills. There is no better feeling than when a shot hits the bottom of the net.

I text her back that I'm okay and could use a ride home if she's free. She sends back a thumbs up. I inform her I'm at my usual park, and I put away my phone after that. I grab my water bottle from out my backpack and take a few long swigs. The cold September keeps the water cold, which is nice. I decide to have some fun and throw down some dunks until Ellie gets here. I've got this year of high school and then an entire year of college before playing in the NBA.

That's 2 whole years and some change to continue improving my game, and while I can say I'm the best in high school and better than any college player. The NBA is a different monster. I'm positive I'd be able to beat anyone guy, but I'm going to be drafted to the worst team currently in the NBA. Basketball is a team game, and I can't beat an entire NBA team on my own yet. If I continue to improve at the rate I have, I might be able to most nights. I'd need at least one other all-star on my team if we win the title my first year.

My dreams are that big and that ambitious. "All your gifts make you the most prized young talent in the world right now. I'm surprised that you aren't making the scouts run around fulfilling every demand that you have." I hear the voice of another notable scout for a school interested in me. Duke was one of the first teams to approach me. This scouts name is Kelly Dean. She is a top talent finder for Duke and is very savvy when it comes to people. She can make you feel like the most special person in the world.

While that works for other people and potential assets, it doesn't work on me. I know better than to let someone with that type of approach try and convince me of anything. "Really depends on the person Kelly. I thought Ellie said she didn't want you or anyone from Duke trying to recruit me. Not after you screwed her when she was just starting college." Kelly has answers for a lot of things, but that isn't one of them. It's one of the few things I can actually bring up, and she doesn't try and flip it.

She is wearing a nice suit for ladies and is holding a purse. We'll be heading to colleges around the country every weekend starting this Saturday. I have a date with Hannah this Friday night, but it's going to be one of the only days I have free, and that's not including game days and scrimmage days on Friday. "I understand that you don't want to go to Duke to upset your aunt, but Duke was run by different people then. It's not the same place it used to be." I scoff and shoot another shot. She pulls a checkbook out of her purse and starts to write.

As she does this, I see Ellie pull up in our old Toyota, I see her face from here, and she isn't happy. Not at me, though, at Kelly. She gets out of the car and slams the door shut. Getting Kelly's attention. She sighs and has that oh shit look. "Step away from my son!" Ellie only says that when she is serious or being overprotective. I don't mind being called son. She has been the mother I needed after my parents died. She humorously stands in front of me. I'm 7'0 tall with these shoes on, and she is 5'3.

Kelly rips the check out of her checkbook and holds it out to Ellie. "This is the money that Duke took from you. I want you to know that Duke is a different place now, and I hope that this helps in any way it can." She stuffs the checkbook back in her purse and looks at me. "Please chose your school carefully, Ulysses. You will bring a championship to wherever you play." She turns around and leaves the park to one of the black cars in the parking lot.

This isn't bribery money, at least not technically. So she can give Ellie that check, it had to have been authorized by Duke. "Let's go home, Ulysses. I don't like them watching you all the time." I listen to her and follow her to the car. We enter and she starts it up.