Love and Basketball Page #8

Monica nods, accepting the challenge.

EXT. TRACK - EARLY MORNING

It's cold, it's dark. It's six a.m.

The team pounds down the track, pushing through a two-mile

run. Monica and her freshman teammate/roommate SHAYLA, 18,

breathe heavily from the back of the pack.

From the sideline.

COACH MILLER:

Let's go, freshmen, you're getting

spanked!

Monica sucks it up, runs faster. She reaches the middle of

the pack, then runs out of gas. She drops back to the rear.

COACH MILLER (cont'd)

Monica, I'm putting you on my Wizard of

Oz team. No brains, no courage and no

heart!

INT. CAMPUS GYM - MORNING

Defensive drills. One by one, players crouch low and move

backwards down the sideline. ZVETTE, a junior guard, hustles

through the drill.

COACH MILLER:

Way to work, Zvette.

Monica starts the drill.

COACH MILLER (cont'd)

Get lower, Monica, move your feet.

Monica grimaces as she squats lower.

COACH MILLER (cont'd)

I said lower!

Coach Miller stops her, squats down low beside her.

COACH MILLER (cont'd)

This is low, got it? Offense sells

tickets, defense wins games!

Monica starts again.

INT. CAMPUS GYM - MORNING

The team stands along the baseline. Monica stands right

below the free throw line.

TONI, 6'4", 200 pound senior, drives the lane. Monica steps

in front of her, and is slammed to the floor. She lays still

for a moment, stunned by the impact. Laughter from the

baseline.

SIDRA:

Dag, you took her out, T.

Teammates SANDRA and LISA crack up.

SANDRA:

I think she just said "Mommy."

LISA:

No, she said "mammary."

COACH MILLER:

Monica, you trying to tell me you can't

take a little challenge?

Monica crawls to her feet.

MONICA:

I can take it.

COACH MILLER:

This time get your feet set.

Monica moves back into position. Toni drives at her again.

Monica steps in front of her, braces herself. Toni slams

into her and she hits the floor. Monica blinks back the pain

as she pops back up.

COACH MILLER (cont'd)

Next!

Monica wobbles back to the sideline.

INT. WEIGHT ROOM - LATE DAY

The team is spread out, lifting weights. Monica lies on a

weight bench, her arms shaking as she struggles to bench

press fifty-pounds. Sidra stands behind her, spotting.

SIDRA:

You got it, c'mon, lift!

Monica lifts it with Sidra's help.

SIDRA (cont'd)

That's it.

MONICA:

Coach hates me, doesn't she?

SIDRA:

She hates all freshmen.

Monica scowls, discouraged.

MONICA:

What's up with that?

SIDRA:

Hey, don't take it personal. And don't

think just cause we play the same

position we have to compete with each

other. We're teammates, okay?

MONICA:

Thanks, Sidra.

SIDRA:

Besides. I've been starting point the

last two years. Ain't no way some dumb-

ass freshman is taking my spot.

Sidra walks off, leaving Monica with the bar on her chest.

Finally, she has to drop the weight to the floor.

EXT. USC CAMPUS - LATE MORNING

Monica and Quincy walk to class, his arm draped casually

across her shoulders. Quincy gets looks and smiles. Monica

just looks exhausted.

MONICA:

You finish the reading for E-con?

QUINCY:

Yeah.

MONICA:

What'd it say?

QUINCY:

Basically broke down how I'm gonna make

mad loot in the NBA, me being such a

limited commodity and all.

MONICA:

Whatever, big head.

Quincy laughs. TWO GIRLS pass by, smile.

GIRL #1

Hey, Q-man, you gonna take us to the

Final Four?

QUINCY:

We'll see.

GIRL #2

We'll be watching.

The girls continue on. Monica looks at Quincy.

QUINCY:

What?

MONICA:

You do see me standing here, right?

QUINCY:

I can't be nice to a fan?

MONICA:

Fine, Quincy.

QUINCY:

I can't help girls coming up to me.

MONICA:

I said fine.

Quincy looks at her sulking. He suddenly pulls her down onto

the nearby lawn, and cradles her.

QUINCY:

It's okay, little baby.

MONICA:

(struggling)

Quit.

Quincy grips her tighter, rocks her. Students pass by,

laugh.

QUINCY:

Shhh. Daddy's here.

Monica finally cracks up.

MONICA:

You're such a punk.

He gives her a kiss.

QUINCY:

All these girls...you're the only one I

know who's for real.

Monica smiles, kisses him back.

MONICA:

Always.

INT. CAMPUS GYM - MORNING

A heated scrimmage between the women's "A" team (the starting

five) and "B" team (five who want to be starting). Monica

runs point for the "B" team, playing opposite Sidra.

Sidra is all over Monica, slipping in cheap shots, but Monica

starts to come on. She does a quick cross-over and loses

Sidra. She dishes off to Shayla, who scores.

COACH MILLER:

Sidra! You feel like playing any "D"?

Sidra scowls as she runs down court. She gets a pass in the

corner, tires to make a move but Monica slaps the ball loose.

Monica grabs it, drives to the three-point line, puts up the

shot. SWISH! Monica stays posed, with her arm up.

Sidra takes advantage, sprints back down court. She get the

long pass, lays it up. Coach Miller blows her whistle.

COACH MILLER (cont'd)

Monica! Get over here.

Monica jogs over, sheepish.

COACH MILLER (cont'd)

While you're so busy posing, your man

just scored!

Monica drops her head.

COACH MILLER (cont'd)

Show me again.

MONICA:

What?

COACH MILLER:

You love to pose so much, let's see it

again.

Beat, then Monica holds up her arm like she just shot the

ball. Snickers from her teammates.

COACH MILLER (cont'd)

I want you to stand like that for the

rest of practice.

MONICA:

Coach...

COACH MILLER:

I want you to stand like that until

you're sick of it because I don't ever

want to see it again, you hear me?

(then)

Dora, take her spot.

DORA, freshman, jogs onto the court. Coach Miller blows her

whistle and the scrimmage resumes.

Monica stands alone on the sideline, posing, and feeling like

an a**hole.

INT. LOCKER ROOM - LATE MORNING

Monica sits on the bench in front of her locker, dressing

after the shower. Shayla sits next to her.

Nearby, Lisa and Sandra apply make-up in the mirror. Zvette

passes by, already dressed. Lisa turns.

LISA:

Z, I know you're gonna shower first.

ZVETTE:

I don't smell bad.

SANDRA:

And you wonder why your ass sits alone on

the bus.

Cree glances over from another sink, as she snaps the chain

on her CROSS NECKLACE.

CREE:

You guys curse too much.

SANDRA:

Since when is "ass" a curse?

MAEYEN walks past.

MAEYEN:

Whoa, it's as big as yours.

They crack up. Cree just shakes her head. Two TEAMMATES

pass by Monica with their arms raised, mimicking her pose.

Monica shakes her head.

Sidra glances at Monica from her spot on the bench.

SIDRA:

That's what you get for trying to show

out, freshman.

MONICA:

I was just playing ball.

SIDRA:

You were trying to make me look bad.

MONICA:

Didn't have to try very hard.

Ears prick up around the locker room. Sidra stands.

SIDRA:

Girl, don't you know you're just sloppy

seconds?

Monica rises.

MONICA:

What?

Toni tries to step in.

TONI:

Sidra, let it go.

SIDRA:

Only reason you're here is cause Tonya

Randall got pregnant and decided not to

come. They were done recruiting.

KELLI, senior forward, shakes her head.

KELLI:

That's cold, Sid.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes