Saturday, December 1

Vera La Tiérra (Red Vixen, PG, WIL) pretended to post up and pushed off a crisp, clean jump shot. The ball snapped the twine with a pleasing swish.

It was business as usual in the Roots Garden practice facilities for the Minutemen. For the most part, the team was doing all right. They suffered two close losses in a row, but they weren't ready to panic. They were prepared for each game and defended well enough. They just couldn't stop some key plays.

The vixen brushed past Jarrod Frola (Cat, SF, WIL), who was posing as a big body defender, and laid the basketball hard off the glass on an angle. Jarrod grinned and complimented her, patting the vixen on the shoulder. Vera's smirk was very brief, he noticed and she continued by shooting three pointers, as Kelsey Hampshire (Red Fox, Assistant Coach) recommended.

The chatter among the team was casual, but one subject seemed as prevalent as all the others. William Handon (Panther, F/C, WIL) pulled down a rebound and looked back at Vera. He shook his head. Otto Okkonen (Dragon, F/C, WIL) stopped his wall-passing drill to look over at Vera's performance, dumbfounded. He poked Leonard Mack (Fox, PF, WIL) on the shoulder, whispered something and spread out his arms. The big fox just shook his head with a shrug.

Vera's form was just fine, her long-range shots going down well. She took a bouncing ball after it had just made its way through the twine. The vixen gingerly bounced the ball a couple of times, then cradled the ball in her paws.

Coach Roosevelt (Raccoon, Coach) was just about to blow his whistle, but he was interrupted by a loud, long yell from the other side of the court. A basketball hurtled through the air, narrowly missing Nick Nwabudike's (Elephant, C, WIL) head. La Tiérra stomped off the court and into the locker rooms, to the protest of both coaches. The vixen shut the doors the large locker room behind her.

* * *

La Tiérra whipped off her navy practice jersey over her head and flung it onto the wooden bench. She did it so violently that the jersey settled face-up. The white "C" on the upper left section of the jersey was displayed proudly for anyone to see. It made memories of the season flow through the vixen's mind, not a single one positive.

Fans on the road booed loudly whenever she touched the ball.

Countless shots clanged off the rim or rebounded harmlessly off the glass.

Wendy Brown (Saber-Toothed Tiger, PG, BGR) grinning like she scored a big victory as Vera was ushered to the locker room after being ejected.

Valencia Zeraus (Lioness, PG, NWK) shoved her aside like a rag doll as she pulled down a rebound.

Shane Rufus (Red Wolf, PG, MON) smiled at her wryly.

"Y'know, they only gave you a ring to make you feel like you helped," he sneered.

Tears streamed down Vera's cheeks as her ears flattened and her shoulders heaved with each heavy sob.

She was a terrible captain, she thought. Captains don't do the things she had done. Captains don't fail so spectacularly.

No one could help her, she thought. Not even Leonard.

In the locker room and on the team, Vera felt alone.