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Post by Sofia Davis on Apr 10, 2008 21:34:31 GMT -5
September 11th, about 11am[/u]
There was a comfort in the smell of an empty gym. It was a mixture of old sweat, used rubber from the equpiment, and cleaning products. Then there was the essence of the gym itself. The polished wax giving off an almost eerie glow in the florescent lighting, the nets swaying ever so slightly in the cool air conditioning induced wind, and the ever present squeak from any sort of shoe contact.
This was the kind of place where Sofia felt more at home than in the most plush furnitures of her large New York penthouse, or even in the dorm she was inhabiting for the second year. There were no questions here, only expectations and hard work. There was no real drama, only a power play of passion and technique. People did not come here to vote on popularity contests. When it came to the court it was all about honed skills and hard won muscle.
The athletic girl smiled as the orange sports ball she recently held swished through the net. This was more than a sport to Sofia Davis, basketball was a life blood that helped her survive stress and hard times. The grin still easily resting on her face, she jogged over to pick up the old worn WNBA regulation ball and returned to the 3-point ring. If she wanted to have a chance at captain, or really even to start this season, she needed to be a sure shot everywhere on the court. Serious blue eyes locked on the basket, three dribbles echoed through the empty space, a slender arm lined up, and then a shot was fired.
"Arggggggg!" Angry noises were accompanied by a furious stamp of the foot at the missed shot. The ball bounced desolately toward the bleachers lining the side of the practice area. A frustrated sigh and a head shake were the only other responses as the girl went to retrieve the ball and return to the same spot for the same shot.
This time the orange rocket crashed against the glass backboard, causing the loud noise from both collision and student. "Mi Dios! Why can't I get this shot?!" This time Sofia did not move to gather her ball, rather she stayed locked in place in a stare down with the accursed basket.
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Post by Arianna Porter on Apr 12, 2008 21:40:02 GMT -5
Arianna Kaitlyn Louise Porter From down the hallway came the very loud clicking of heels on tile floor, white Chanel stilletto heeled boots to be exact. These were not a pair of boots lost on their way to the courtyard. These were boots on a mission, or rather their owner was on a mission. What was the mission, you ask? Maybe if someone would answer their phone they'd know. As she stopped in the doorway to the basketball gym, Ari Porter had worked herself up into a small tantrum. She stood with her hands on her small hips and glared into the room. She knew she looked out of place in her Chanel boots and bag, but they matched perfectly with the long white cowl necked top she was wearing over her black leggings. She had not planned on having to walk all the way across the campus to talk to her best friend. The very best friend who was now shooting baskets like she had done nothing wrong. She was about to stomp into the room when she remembered the LAST time she had come strolling across the floor in the "devil shoes". She had gotten a three minute lecture on what heels to to a waxed floor, especially a WOOD waxed floor. By the time the lecture was finished she had forgotten her annoyance and half of the facts she had learned in World History. Deciding to take a safer route, Ari stood up on her toes and entered the court with small slow steps. There was no way she was taking off her shoes where sweaty, gross guys had fallen on the floor. She might ruin her pedicure. The thought of sweat brought on the smell and the absolutely dirty feeling Ari got when she was in a gymnasium. She tried her hardest not to gag as she stood directly infront of Sofia. By now the five foot five inch female was snnoyed beyond reason. She could feel her hair curling from the reaking smell. Her solid brown eyes glared up at the athlete as her small fists rested on her hips again. A few strands of brunette bangs fell into her eyes from the half curled up-do. "Sofia Davis, I have been trying to reach you all morning!" she huffed annoyed. She paused, holding her hand to her mouth, feeling sick. "WHY do you insist on using the campus gym when there are far cleaner one in town and an ever better facility at 24Hour Fitness?" Not waiting for her to answer, Ari continued talking about everything she wanted to tell Sofia earlier. It wasn't until she realized she was tapping her foot into the ground that she realized she had gone off on a tangent. "Okay so what I needed to say was they moved your Intro to Ciminal Law Exam up two days."
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Post by Sofia Davis on Apr 12, 2008 22:10:41 GMT -5
When Sofia saw the white clad person standing in front of her she almost had a heart attack. For one it was a rare occasion her best friend would actually hunt her down and then enter a "place like this." The highest contributing factor to the heart-stopping feeling was that it didn't take a rocket scientist to know that Arianna Porter was wearing shoes that would be detrimental to the impecible gym floor. There had been countless lectures given to the shorter friend over the past two years, especially when Ari was around when Sofia would lace up her reliable and broken in tennis shoes for practice. Miss Fashionita did not understand why Miss Athlete insisted on the ratty old things.
The angry reptetitive words died on her lips as an explosion came forth in a tyranical tone of voice. The critical words dominated and rained down over Sofia, the only words she was able to edge in were "What is wrong with this gym? It is the same as the one at 24hour." Seeing as that comment went unanswered the New Yorker settled into a series of nods and slightly annoyed "umhms."
Ari came to the point of her intruding on Sofia's practice, something as trivial as a moved up Crim Law exam. "Ari. Really?" Sofia took her eyes of the offending net that wouldn't admit her shot and sighed in the direction of the polar opposite friend. "Is that your reason you came? The test isn't for a month." Sofia walked over to her basketball and stuck it under her arm, throwing a sharp "Don't you dare put the heels of those devil shoes down Porter!" over her shoulder.
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Post by Arianna Porter on Apr 12, 2008 22:37:58 GMT -5
Being blown off about this critical information caused Ari to purse her lips. Her teeth sank into her lips to keep a million mean things from bursting forth. Some days people found it really hard to believe the two were best friends. In fact most people would never peg the two as remotely possible friends. Ari was anything but athletic, by choice. She had won her fair share of swimming and volleyball trophies over the years, indoor of course. There was no way the sun was going to ruin her complection for a competition.
Tip-toeing back to the door, she stopped about five feet and turned around. "Answer your damn phone, FRANCINE." She then turned back around and purposefully sat her heels down. She took extra joy in the sound of her heels on the floor. She'd feel bad later for her mean thoughts and messing up the floor, but right now, it felt sooo good.
With a smug smile and her chin held high, she strode to the locker room to change into her pale pink tracksuit and matching shoes. Since she had come all this way she figured she might as well get in a jog around the indoor soccer field. That and if Sofia came looking for her, she'd expect Ari to have gone back to the doom. It just bought her a little time to cool down.
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Post by Sofia Davis on Apr 12, 2008 22:57:02 GMT -5
Sofia could not see Ari's face or actions, but the minute the soft tapping of her toes stopped it was obvious what was going to happen. Irritation and anger started to heat the basketball players skin. 'I swear to God she better not put those devil shoes flat...'
Now a spine stiffened at the forbidden word that tumbled out of her best friend's mouth. This was the girl Sofia had sleepovers with and stayed with when she was in England. This was the darling fashionista who picked out her entire wardrobe and tried to make sure Sof knew about formal events. Ari Porter was the one who yelled at the dumb senior last year for tripping Sofia Davis in the Student Union, and sent to poor boy back to his friends with a tail between his legs. She was also the only person outside of family that knew of the cursed Davis name.
A hissing hot breath escaped as Sofia spun around, eyes burning holes in the spot Arianna formally kept. "Check yours! I left you a message this morning about being here you stuck up British bitch." It was hard to think of these two being friends when they obviously resided at opposite poles of the magnet.
Not wanting to even survey the damage the white Chanel heels did to the waxed floor much less look the shorter dark eyed girl in the face at the moment, Sofia's blue eyes turned all the bad mojo back to the hoop. She purposefully strode back over to the three-point ring and began throwing up shot after shot. The noise level was heightened at the constant attack on the basket.
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Post by Arianna Porter on Apr 12, 2008 23:29:19 GMT -5
The "British bitch" kept walking, pretending she didn't hear. It took almost all of her control to keep from yelling back. "Be the bigger person, Ari." she told herself, completely disregarding the fact that she had started the name calling and all around malicious conversation. She chanted this under her breath until she made it into the locker room and was changing. Fifteen minutes later she was stretching at the edge of the indoor practice building. Deciding it was a little warmer than she originally planned, though that may have been her temper, she opted for white soffe shorts, rolled once and a white tank top. Of course, she had the tennis shoes to match that as well. Pure white and always kept that way. She had pulled her long hair up into a high ponytail that was spilling over her shoulder as she pressed her nose to her knee. Feeling rather nimble she bounced up and started her jog going counter clockwise around the track. She always ran opposite to the way the track was painted. After so many rules and restrictions placed on her in the private academies, she felt it her duty to break as many harmless rules as possible. It was halfway through her first lap that Sofia's words began to sink in. The anger flared again. She wasn't even British! She was from New York just like that basketball behemoth. And she wasn't stuck up, she just owned nice things. She didn't make fun of people less fortunate than her; she didn't flaunt her money. After two laps Ari decided the "bitch" part was hitting the nail on the head. She had been childish and rude when she walked across the court in her heels. She knew better. After another lap she was feeling terrible. She had used her best friend's secret against her. Something Sofia had trusted her with. How could she face her? It took another five laps before the girl worked up the nerve to go find Sofia.
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Post by Sofia Davis on Apr 13, 2008 1:17:45 GMT -5
Sofia stewed and muttered to herself as she tried to work the anger from her system. She was making more shots now, but knowing where the heat and sudden intensity came from gave her an uneasy feel in the pit of her stomach. It was one thing when she and Anna, the name only Sof got away with, bickered over a shirt choice or even their current crush. It was a whole other monster when the two actually down and out yelled and then battled for dominance in the relationship. Granted, Sofia did not always appreciated the borderline insulting fashion advice but Arianna was there for every single athletic event - no matter how smelly or hot. Her Anna also joined a gym just so Sof could have a weights partner.
The was not the "stuck-up British bitch" of moments before because nine times out of ten Arianna Porter was actually the best friend Sofia Davis could ever ask for. Needless to say by the fifth missed shot and forced suicide run in self punishment Sof was less angry at the insulting middle name calling and shoe incident than she was at herself for needlessly lashing out. It seemed this was the cycle the two went through. Stress meant yelling and then feeling bad.
The real question was why did Ari hunt Sofia down? What actually made her come down here to the practice gym, a place the careful lady had never been before, and use the common knowledge that a test had been moved to get in. Why had she been dialing a phone that had not been answered for over an hour, and on top of that, ignore a voice mail left earlier in the morning? What was going on?
By the time all those thoughts processed in Sofia's athletically drained brain she was no longer angry but simply curious as to what Ari was holding back and had caused her to explode.
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Post by Ian Roberts on Apr 13, 2008 22:28:53 GMT -5
Blue pair of Airforce ones? Check. Dark blue basketball shorts? Check. No shirt? Check. Everything was ready to go for Ian. He grabbed his basketball and white wife beater and headed out the boys locker room. He threw the shirt over his left shoulder swiftly. His shoes squeeked softly on the linoleum tile in the hallway. His left hand ran threw his soft sandy blonde hair. Nothing like a good workout, yeah?
Ian wasn't exactly the sporty type, but he enjoyed keeping up with his appearence. He had to keep this body for the ladies some how, right? Basketball was just the easiest thing to keep his arms nice and strong.
The ball bounced casually up and down. His right hand smacking the top, the sound echoing threw out the hall. He turned the corner and opened the gymnasium door. Ian's hands snatched tightly onto either side of the ball as he saw another in the gym. The corners of his soft lips curled up into a sexy smile, once he noticed it was a girl.
The ball bounced softly next to him and he glided over to her. He licked his lips and spoke, "Hey beautiful, how's the shots going?" He looked her up and down slyly, searching her with his gorgeous eyes.
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Post by Sofia Davis on Apr 13, 2008 22:43:05 GMT -5
Still muttering to herself softly and all consciousness locked on the basket ahead of her, Sofia did not register a door opening and another pair of shoes squeaking across the gym floor. Dribbling she took a deep breath and bent her knees slightly. The orange ball was raised to face level and another moment of intense concentration followed. Her body unlocked like a spring going off and the ball hit the edge of the rim - centimeters from making a swish.
Her arm swung as she muttered a sharp Spanish curse and unexpectedly impacted with something solid. Something solid that was not there moments before. This realization caused Sofia to spin in a tight half circle and lock eyes with a taller and wonderful looking boy standing shirtless in her personal area. Unnerving. Very unnerving. "Oh, sorry. I didn't realize you were here."
The next thing the slightly sweaty athlete noticed was the way his intensely colored deep eyes were cataloging her body like it was a shelve of books in the library. Now she wasn't sure whether she should be insulted or flattered, but something was telling her this was a well honed move used on many a lady. "The shots are alright. Working on my three before season starts." Just because the beautiful stranger gave the impression of being a womanizer did not mean he was one, right? "I'm Sofia." She offered a soft smile and studied the man right back with an intense cataloging stare of her own.
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Post by Ian Roberts on Apr 13, 2008 23:03:51 GMT -5
A soft smirk played across Ian's face. He dribbled the ball a bit, his muscles flexing accordingly. He took his eyes off of her just long enough to make a shot towards the basket. It hit the backboard and swung around the rim a few times before falling in. His eyes widened slightly at the site. He never made baskets, ever. He smirked, the girl must bring luck or something.
Ian's eyes moved back towards her, catching her's quickly. "You're on the basketball team, yeah? Pretty sweet." He licked his lips softly and grinned. "Sofia," he repeated casually. "I'm Ian. Pleasure to meet you."
He swiftly walked over to where the two balls were and picked them up. He threw his white wife beater to the side and bounced his ball softly. He gently tossed Sofia her ball while walking back to her side. "Have you been playing long?" He spoke, attempting to make small talk.
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Post by Sofia Davis on Apr 13, 2008 23:30:59 GMT -5
'Bad form.' That was the first thought that quickly danced through Sofia's head as she meticulously studied the movement of muscle and limb from the attractive boy. He obviously wasn't a player. Maybe pick up games.
Realizing the stranger spoke to her and finally identified himself, Sofia gave her head a slight shake in an effort to clear it. "Yeah, I am on the school's team. This is my second year. My goal is to start this season." The uneasy feeling that came with meeting a stranger slowly melted away, and with it Sofia's nervous muscles eased and she slipped into a comfortable smile. This was her gym, her territory. "Ian." Now the girl shifted her weight from hip to hip as the name rolled around in her head and mouth. "It is nice to meet you too, Ian."
It seemed as if the guy before her had the same thought she did as he picked up both their balls and began to walk back towards her. He had left his shirt at the wall, and Sofia knew enough not to complain. "I have been playing since I was eight. My dad is a huge Knicks fan so he started me in the camps as soon as I was old enough." A simple shrug accented her thoughts as she took the ball back, "Do you play much?"
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Post by Ian Roberts on Apr 13, 2008 23:56:38 GMT -5
Ian's ball bounced mechanically next to him. His eyes traveled up and down Sofia again. It was habit for him. He had to know exactly what he was dealing with. He wasn't to sure as to whether she was easily toyed with or not. He concluded on just keeping it quick and simple at the moment.
He switched arms and walked around a bit, making sure to check out Sofia's backside. He nodded and licked his lips, agreeing that it was a nice one. He ran around her and slam dunked the ball into the basket. That was one thing he was actually good at, surprisingly. He turned to her and smirked quite sexily. "You must be an excellent player. Your dad must be proud." He winked at her playfully, before grabbing his ball, dribbling it. "I don't play at all actually. I mean, I'll shoot hoops and screw around. But that's about it."
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Post by Sofia Davis on Apr 14, 2008 0:39:40 GMT -5
There was something about Ian's stare that was almost calculated and predatory. It was borderline unnerving. It was like there were points being earned and lost based on what was presented before him, and Sofia Davis was not a project to be evaluated. She could feel her temper rising again. This time it was not in anger, it was not in frustration and heckling. This time this temper was in the spirit of competition and showing Ian she was not some little girlie to be toyed with.
Her own blues eyes trailed him all the way to the basket and watched with a bemused smirk as he dunked the ball in typical alpha male fashion. Just like you se in the NBA when the players want to knock someone down a notch or two because of shitty defense. "Showoff." The word slipped out in a voice Sof recognized as her own before her brain registered what was processing. "My dad is proud, more because I continued on my own than because I did what he wanted. I am a Celtics fan." It was an old joke in her family, and the chances that Ian would understand were slim. Sofia liked talking to new people though, the spirit and excitement of possible friendships.
"You seem pretty good for just screw around games." The competitive streak was starting to show as Sofia lined up her shot and easily made a solid three. "Do you have time for some one-on-one?"
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Post by Ian Roberts on Apr 14, 2008 1:47:03 GMT -5
Ian smirked casually. He could feel her eyes on him which made his smirk even wider. If he wasn't curious before, he was curious now. Ian dribbled the ball threw his legs and chuckled, "Me? Showing off? Now why would I do that?" He walked back over to her and spun the ball on his middle finger. It was a little trick his father taught him when he was younger. Ian found it entertaining and did it often.
Ian's brow furrowed slightly. Knicks? Celtics? They are definitely basketball teams, but it didn't make the slightest sence in his mind. Maybe they were rivalries? He didn't know, nor did he much care. He wasn't one to watch basketball. It just seemed pointless to him. He would much rather be drinking and flirting than anything. He chewed on his bottom lip gently, attempting to piece the two together, however, he gave up after a good second. He shrugged it off with a good, "Ah, okay."
The ball bounced softly out from under his hand. Had Sofia really asked him for a one-on-one? He smirked sexily and winked. "Of course I have time for a one-on-one, but I really don't want to look like a fool in front of such a gorgeous women." His voice was soft and silky. The tone that flew into your mind, that you didn't want to let go of.
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Post by Sofia Davis on Apr 14, 2008 20:10:49 GMT -5
A carefully manicured eyebrow arched amusedly, "I don't know. Maybe being a show-off just comes naturally to some people." She moved easily across the court with a confidence that came from years of playing and training in this domain. She picked up her ball from the floor and held it in both hands as she moved back towards him, unexpectedly bumping his spinning ball off his finger. It was a child's trick, something people did to capture attention. Sofia was not impressed with spinning balls.
There was almost a moment of sighing laughter as Sofia noted the blank look inhabiting Ian's baby blues at the mention of two dominant NBA East teams. It was a disappointment to see that a guy obviously intent on impressing some part of her for some reason or another would just blow off some topic that she had brought into conversation more than once. Maybe he was the type subtle hints did not work on. Maybe he was the type that answered to rivalry and competition. Sofia was about to find out.
Eyes twinkling with sexy michief, a move Ari had taught her, Sofia cocked her head slightly and rested on hand on her hip while her other arm wrapped the well worn basketball to her side. "Well, your attempts to impress me thus far have failed, so I don't think you have much to lose with a little pick up game Ian." The girl's voice rang with coy playfulness.
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