Chapter 19
It took Howie and Christin about twelve minutes to get to Brian’s. She was a bit taken back by the size of the house.
“Damn, the only people I know with houses this big are Tom, Mark, and Travis.”
“You know Blink 182?” Howie asked.
“Duh. I was only their manager for almost all my college years. That was about a year and a half.” Christin said as if Howie were stupid.
“You were a manager?” Howie asked stunned.
“What’s with twenty questions?”
”Sorry.”
“Naw, I’m just messin with you.” They were walking into the backyard.
“Bout time y’all got here.” Brian greeted them.
“Yeah whatever.” Christin said. “well, are we going to play are what?” She asked all of a sudden.
“Yeah, but we gotta pick team.” Nick told her.
“Oh, I’ll save you the trouble. Me, Brian, and Howie against you, Kevin, and Alex um…I mean A.J.”
“Christin, Howie? Why Howie? He sucks. Don’t you D?” Brian whined.
“I told her that.”
“I’m the only ballplayer on my team. That’s two and a half vs. one.”
“Two and a half? How’d you get the half.” Christin asked.
“A.J.’s only half of a ballplayer.” Brian explained.
“Oh, I see. But I thought you were the best basketball player. Huh?” Christin teased Brian.
“You're right. I am all that. I can take them.”
“Are we going to play are what?” Kevin asked.
“Yeah cuz.” Brian and Christin and Howie started towards the court.
“Hey Brian.” Christin said.
“What?”
“Where’s your stereo? I wanna put on some music.”
“I’ll show you. Howie practice. You need all you can get.” Brian and Christin walked towards the house.
“Right there.” Brian pointed to the stereo as they walked into the entertainment room. He went to turn it on while Christin browsed though his CDs. She didn’t find anything, so she turned the radio to a station that played alternative music. She turned and walked out the backdoor and towards the court.
“Let’s get the game started.” Kevin shouted.
“Our ball first.” Brian shouted as he snatched the ball out of A.J.’s hand.
“Fine. Christin, do you know how to play?” Nick asked.
“Put the ball in the basket. Right?”
“Yeah. I guess you’ve got the objective of the game.” Nick remarked.
Howie passed the ball to Brian first. Nick was on Brian, A.J. on Howie, and Kevin on Christin.
Brian couldn’t get a shoot off so he did the only thing he could. He passed it to Christin.
Christin caught the ball. Kevin tried to stop her, but she dribbled the ball between his legs and went to the three point line, shot, and swoop went the ball in the net.
“What the fuck? I thought you didn’t know how to play?” Nick asked.
“Lucky shot.” Christin shrugged her shoulders.
They were playing make it, take it. Howie passed the ball to Christin.
Kevin was almost a half of foot taller, than her, so she couldn’t get off a shot. “No fair. You’re like a foot taller than me.” Christin whined.
“So.” Kevin laughed.
“You wanna get smart with me?” Christin asked while she dribbled the ball.
“What you gonna do about it?” Kevin asked.
“This.” Christin faked left, then right, spun around and went left. She dribbled down the court, shot, and scored. “Now, Kevin, every time you fell a need to get smart remember that.”
“That’s more then a lucky shot. That skills.” A.J. said still surprised that Christin made that shot.
“Well maybe a little skill and a lot of luck.” Christin smiled.
“And maybe it’s the other way around. A lot of skill, and way little luck.”
“Maybe.” Christin smiled and started walking towards Brian and Howie.
Howie leaned over to Christin and whispered, “Really, how do you know how to play?”
“Captain of high school varsity team. Made all-state. Had a scholarship to a lot of colleges for basketball. Decided to major in business and use my academic scholarship.”
Nick overheard her and said, “No fair Brian you have a ringer one your team.”
“Ringer? Who?” Brian asked.
“Christin, Captain of her high-school varsity team, all-state.”
“Christin, you were captain of your high-school-” Brian interrupted by Christin.
“Yeah. I was captain, made all state for Cali, Um…Duke, Michigan State, Tennessee, Florida, even Cal U offered me a scholarship to play ball for them. Now can we continue the game.”
They started the game again. This time Kevin on Brian, A.J. on Howie, and Nick on Christin. “Any hands where they ain’t supposed to be and your dead. Okay? Okay.” Christin told Nick.
The game lasted about an hour and a half. The final score 78-36. Brian, Christin, and Howie winning.
“Okay now that we kicked your booties in basketball, who is going to be the oh so unfortunate one to sit down and talk business with me?”
“I will. These guys can’t sit still for five minutes, so I guess it’s up to me.” Kevin joked.
“Okay. Let me run out to my car and grab my briefcase. I’ll meet you inside.” Christin started towards her car, while Kevin went inside. Brian and Nick decided to go upstairs and play a game of Playstation. A.J. and Howie just chilled outside.
“So what up?” A.J. asked Howie.
“Nada. What’s up with you?”
“Nothing. What do you think about The Firm. I think we should sign with them.”
“Why do you say that?” A.J. asked.
“Oh cause Christin is very organized and very professional yet she is fun and nice.” Howie explained.
“Yeah. I see what you mean. I was surprised that she could play ball better the me and you put together though.”
“What surprised me was that she played period. She was a busy college student. Being a manager and playing ball for fun on the side.”
“Manager?” A.J. questioned.
“Yeah. She was Blink-182’s manager for one and a half years while she was I college.”
“Oh. So she’s a manager too. Maybe we can convince her to be our manager. That would be cool. We like her, she’s fun, professional, organized. Everything we are looking for.” A.J. said getting ahead of himself.
“Yeah that’d be cool but first you have to convince her. She’s still a vice president in an office. No longer a manager.”
“Yeah, let’s go right now. We’ll use that as a good excuse to sign or not.”
“No, we are signing. We won’t use that as an excuse. We will let her make up her own mind.” Howie said sternly.
“Yeah alright. Come on.”
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