Scoring Baskets

[Sam Prince]

Sam had made a promise to himself that over the summer he would keep fit and active. He always kept his promises no matter what. So far, so good, he had been doing a lot of running and playing some muggles sports; Soccer and Basketball mostly. He figured that by him being excellant at Quidditch wasn't improving his stamina and after being defeated by Toni running around last year, he was even more determined.

He wore a blue baggy t-shirt and a pair of shorts. He left his house quite early, this 'getting fit' thing had another plus. He was away from Ava who was really getting on his nerves. She was continuing to brag about her getting into Slytherin and how he lt down the family. But he just ignored her and decided not to let it get to him. He walked up the path which led to the basketball court just outside Brightstone Village. He was dribbling his basketball with one hand and had a bottle of water in the other.

Once he got there he was glad to see it wasn't being used. He hated when other people were in the court. Sam put his bottle of water by the fence and began to dribble it up and down the court. Shooting baskets everytime he reached either end of the court- he got them in most time.

After about an hour of playing, Sam started to feel the heat wash over him. He wasn't going to stop though, he took a drink from his bottle and took off his t-shirt, which left him bare-chested. He shot a small squirt of water on his face to further cool himself down then he returned to the middle of the court where his basketball lay. He began to do all sorts of tricks with the ball before continuing his practice.

 

[Imogen Day]

Immy was sitting a little away from a basket ball court. She was reading a book, in the shade of some trees. She looked up when a boy, slightly older than her entered the court. Immy smiled before turning back to her book. She continued reading, hearing the distant basket ball hit the hard ground of the court. It was a little distracting for Immy as she tried her hardest to completely ignore it and concentrate on the words of her book. After about an hour Immy had finished her book. She placed it down beside her and looked back over to the court. The boy was still playing. Immy didn't want to distract him but she didn't want him to look up at some point and see her looking. Immy stood up and walked to one of the sides of the courts, leaving the book where she'd been sitting. Immy watched the boy as he practised.

"Basketball doesn't build character it reveals it." Immy said, she wondered if in all this intense practising he'd even heard what Immy had said, she almost hoped he had so that she didn't look so strange by just standing at the edge of the court leaning on the railings.

 

[Sam Prince]

Sam continued to dribble the ball, his arms were aching with pain, but he insisted he'd continue for another while. He wouldn't give up because he was tired, that wouldn't bring him anywhere. Running up the court at quick speed Sam shot a basket from quite a distance and scored it. Yes! He thought gleefully and ran up to get the ball which was bouncing on its on accord, when he heard a voice. A girl's voice. He turned to see who was there. He didn't recognise her. "Excuse me?" He asked her slightly confused at what she had said. Not that he didn't understand what she said, he just didn't know why she had said it.

 

[Imogen Day]

Immy was almost certain that the boy would be confused. Though Immy was a fan of using quotations, it did often mean that people didn't understand. For 11, Immy had read a lot from many different corners of everyday life. From sport to fashion and from music to art. It was what Immy did during the day back home in Wales. She gave the boy a small smile. How to explain.

"It's a quote, from a book about this man, who loved sport, basketball especially. He played because in his mind he thought that as he played he would build as a person but found out that it hadn't built him as a person it had merely opened his eyes to who he was. I'm not saying that you play to build character but if you were, its a good quote to keep in mind." Immy said "I'm sorry to have interrupted, go back to playing, I'll just admire the talent you have at playing."

 

[Arianna Tipley]

Arianna had come into Brightstone with her mother. Her mother had gone off to get some potion ingredients, leaving Ari to her own devices. She wandered through the village, but stopped when she heard a familiar voice.
She jogged a couple of metres, until she saw Sam talking to what looked like a first year.
Grinning, she climbed the fence, and walked over to them.
"Hey stranger" she said playfully to Sam "Haven't seen you in a while"
Ari then turned to the other girl "Hi, I'm Ari" she said with a friendly smile.

 

[Sam Prince]

Sam listened to the girl explain, "Oh.." He siad though he was still a little confused, he dribbled the ball slowly on the spot as he saw Ari come up to him. "Hey!" he called. "Yeah I know." He said almost sadly, he had made very good friends with Ari coming towards the end of term, they hung out on most days once they got close. It was weird not having her around.
"Yeah. I'm Sam." He said to the girl, realising that he hadn't introduced himself. "So how have you been?" he asked Ari and stopped dribbling the ball, he simply placed it under his foot.

 

[Imogen Day]

Immy smiled politely as girl arrived. She looked around the same age as the boy with the basketball. There was something that gave Immy a smile at slightly confusing the boy in front of her. Immy looked from the boy to the girl, Sam and Ari. They seemed to know each other. Immy felt a little awkward at that.

"Imogen or Immy" Immy said introducing herself to the two. "Are you both in the same year?" Immy asked politely not sure whether to walk away or continue making conversation with these two people.

 

[Arianna Tipley]

"We'll have to keep playing together next year" Arianna said with a smile, referring to the times they had sat and played their guitars together.
"Hi Immy" Ari said in a friendly way "Cool name" she added.
"Yeah, Sam and I are both Hufflepuff second years now" she said with a smile.
"Which house are you in?" she asked, looking at the girl, and trying to guess. She thought Hufflepuff or Gryffindor.

 

[Imogen Day]

Immy smiled politely at the two. She thanked Ari for the compliment about her name before taking a small step back from the fence. She thought that the two would be in Hufflepuff.

"Gryffindor. Couldn't be more happy about it. Now," Immy said taking a further step back. "I have out stayed my welcome and am as busy as a bee. I came to relax but basketball is all I see. Bye, Ari. Sam." Immy flashed a final smile before turning back to where her book was and going back towards the book store to buy another book that wouldn't leave her having finished it in a mere day.

 

[Sam Prince]

"Oh yeah definitely." Sam smiled to Ari, then the girl - Immy - annouced she was leaving. He hoped that he hadn't made her feel unwelcome. But she seemed to have her mind made up, "Okay then. Cya around the school." He gave her a friendly smile and a wave. Sam turned to Ari and smiled then bounced the ball with his foot and caught it with his hand. He dribbled it up the court and shot a basket, then asked, "Hows your summer been so far?"

 

[Arianna Tipley]

Arianna bit her lip, hoping that her arrival hadn't caused Immy to leave.
"I have out stayed my welcome and am as busy as a bee. I came to relax but basketball is all I see" Ari repeated, frowning slightly "What's that supposed to mean?" she wondered.
Shrugging, she watched Sam bounce the ball, she walked over to lean against the hoop's post.
"My summer... Nothing. Absolutely and completely boring" she said "What have you been doing?" she asked.

 

[Sam Prince]

Sam shrugged, "Shes been speaking like that the whole time. Quotes from somewhere...I think.." He said as the first thing she said was a quote. He thought it was kinda cool, unique. But still awfully confusing. Sam caught the ball which was bouncing under the net. "This basically. I have also started to do some running and soccer" He added. Sam's appearance had changed slightly from last year. His shoulders were broader and his chest filled out slightly, his facial features had sharpened and his hair was also gelled up in a 'cool' manner. Though the main thing that had not changed were his eyes, which were still the same calm blue. "Keeping myself occupied. Y'know?" he said and shot another basket.

 

[Arianna Tipley]

Arianna smiled slightly "Confusing, yeah" she said. She wasn't the person to remember meaningful quotes, but she thought Immy's way with it was nice.
"Sports, cool" Ari said simply "You should come around some time" she added. Ari hadn't had a single friend over. Viv had disapeared off to France, and she hadn't kept in touch with anyone else.

 

[Sam Prince]

[Sorry!]

"Yeah, I'd like that." Sam said catching the ball which fell from the basket. Instead of dribbling it or shooting another basket he stood there with the ball in his hand. A charming and playful smile spread across his face. "Do you play?" he asked her, spinning the ball on the tip of his forefinger. "Well you don't have a choice. Think-fast!" he called quickly and threw the basketball to her.