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Episode 1: Court
EXT. BASKETBALL COURT - EARLY NIGHT
The sound of rubber hitting against concrete echos in the dead of night. A lone figure, illuminated by the harsh white light of street lamps, dribbles a basket ball along the court.
She's running down to the basket, it more shrouded in darkness but still largely visible.
The feline stops close, and in a split second crouches down, before springing upwards in one powerful launch. Casting the ball in a short and steep arc.
Time slows.
The ball follows the intended arc, lifting high, before reaching it's apex and descending down.
Above the basket.
Descending.
Further.
Faster.
The feline watches, a single bit a sweat drips from her head.
Beat...
The ball goes in.
The feline let's out a small breathe, and grins slightly.
She goes to pick up the ball as a whistle blows out from behind her.
She picks up the ball, turning to look behind her.
EMILY
"Wow, you know I could almost say I'm impressed."
The feline lets out a more exhausted breath when looking at the taller, more muscular rabbit across from her, dressed in shorts and a hoodie.
ALINA
"Well, coming from you, I'm going to take that as a well earned reward."
The rabbit makes her way towards Alina, wearing a cocky grin.
EMILY
"Well better get used to it, because it's as much as your going to get."
She grins, taking the ball from Alina's paws, who's response is raise on eyebrow and cross her arms. Watching as Emily tosses the ball into the air, aiming for the hoop.
It hits the edge and bounces off, landing onto the concrete and bouncing away.
EMILY
"Ah well, anyways. What are you doing being out this late?"
Alina just shrugs.
ALINA
"Don't know really. Couldn't sleep so I just, came out here to shoot some hoops."
Emily looks down at the feline.
EMILY
"Seriously? At this hour"
Alina shrugs again.
ALINA
"I mean it's not to far from my house, and besides it's not that late. Better question is, what are you doing out here?"
EMILY
"What do you mean?"
ALINA
"Well, you don't exactly live on this side of the city."
Emily looks away slightly. Not looking directly at Alina anymore, slightly uncomfortable.
EMILY
"I don't know just... needed to get out you know. Go for a stroll. I mean I've not done much today. Weekends been slow."
Alina looks at the rabbit skeptically, but decides to not push further.
ALINA
"Well, in that case. Wanna play a few rounds with me?"
Emily shrugs now.
EMILY
"Sure, why not."
Alina still notices a bit of oddness in her tone, like the rabbit is hiding something, but she decides still, not to push on it.
TIME SKIP
EXT. BASKETBALL COURT - NIGHT
The two stood across from each other. Emily on defence, Alina on offence. Emily now in a sports bra and shorts.
The two stare each other down, Alina bouncing the ball between her paws and the ground.
An invisible, timer ticks down.
10.
They keep staring.
9.
The ball bounces once again.
8.
Emily grins a bit more.
7.
Alina scrunches her face in determination.
6.
A fly buzzes past.
5.
One of the street lights flickers slightly.
4.
Alina lets put a small breath.
3.
Emily bends her knees down slightly.
2.
Alina smirks.
1.
AND ALINA MOVES! She dashes forward, dribbling the ball. Emily moves slightly, left to right as Alina does a little zig-zag down the court.
Alina stops in front of Emily, the rabbit towering over her.
She holds the ball.
She shifts to the right. Emily follows suit.
She shifts all the way to the left. Emily follows.
The do this song a dance a few times over. It's quick, snappy movements.
Alina, focused on the basket behind Emily. Aware of the rabbits movements to block her.
She narrows her eyes. Leans to the right slightly, readies herself and then springs upwards.
Momentum carries her and the ball upwards, it launching from her paws.
Emily reaches upwards, on paw moving to block the ball.
She smacks it down. To the left.
She moves around Alina, catching the ball as she does so, dribbling it as she moves past the feline.
EMILY
"Better luck next time squirt."
Alina huffs as she spins around to chase after Emily. She can't help but have a small smile spread across her face.
TIME SKIP
EXT. BASKETBALL COURT - NIGHT
After several rounds of back and fourth. Scoring shots and stealing the ball. The two girls sat themselves down on one of two benches. Tired and sweating.
Emily took a swig of water from a plastic bottle. Staring up into the night sky.
Alina panted, leaning forward slightly.
Emily was the first to speak.
EMILY
"Not bad, not bad."
Alina looked up at the other girl.
ALINA
"Another compliment? Damn I must be dreaming."
EMILY
"Ha, you're just lucky it's that type of night."
Alina raises an eyebrow, slightly confused.
ALINA
"What do you mean by that? You usually chiller at night?"
Emily snorts.
EMILY
"Nah, you're just lucky, like I've said. Weekends been slow, not much to do..."
She let that last bit trail off. Alina picking up on it, but again doesn't push further. Yet she can tell there's more going on here.
ALINA
"Yeah, that's alright. Though, if you don't mind me asking, why come all the way out here?"
A moment of silence. Crickets chirp peacefully in the background.
EMILY
(Taking a short but deep breath)
"Well, it's..."
She glances at Alina quickly before looking back.
EMILY
"It's just my section of town, it's not bad just, old. The type of old you wanna get way from. Nothing really to do there, just rows of houses from like the 50's or somethin."
She takes a deeper breath, longer this time.
EMILY
"And it's not like anyone from the team lives down that end, and my friends that do live down there work night shifts mostly."
Alina gives a small gentle smile.
ALINA
"So you hopped on a bus or the train and came to this side of town I guess? Right?"
EMILY
"Yeah, just-"
She glanced down at Alina again, nervous about something.
EMILY
"Just needed to get out, do something you know."
ALINA
"I get that."
A silence fell over the two. Steady, peaceful, relaxing almost. A cool early summer breeze drifted lazily by, cooling the two girls down further.
Crickets chirped lazily somewhere hidden.
The roar of cars was faint and soft. Barely audible.
In every sense of the world, it was peaceful.
Yet Alina could feel something was up with Emily. She noticed it in the rabbit's posture, a bit to stiff, alert. On edge.
ALINA
"You alright?"
EMILY
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"
She said it a bit too quickly, a bit to forced.
ALINA
"You sure?"
EMILY
"Yeah. I am sure."
Alina raised an eyebrow, not convinced, but she didn't push on it. Instead, she went a different route.
ALINA
"Why did you come to me?"
EMILY
"Hm?"
ALINA
"Me. Why me specifically? I mean I know you're the farthest away from everyone but it's not the rest of us live super close to each other. You kind of have to be deliberate when getting on the bus or train.
So, why me?"
Emily didn't look at the feline. She just kept staring ahead.
ALINA
"You ok?"
She moved her paw to reach out. Lightly touching the rabbit's bicep for a second before the rabbit sprung upwards.
EMILY
"It's a- It's a getting late. You should probably a... get going home."
Now Alina was suspicious, but she debated among herself if it was the right idea to push further.
In that time, Emily and begun making her way to the gate, which Alina immediately took note of and sprung up after her.
ALINA
"Hey wait a sec! I'm sorry I didn't mean to pry so much."
Emily stopped. Taking in a deep breathe.
EMILY
"It's a- It's alright. Just, need to get going, it is late."
Alina frowned. While Emily was right, something bothered the feline. This wasn't normal behaviour for the rabbit.
ALINA
"Hey!"
She dashed to catch up the rabbit.
ALINA
"It's alright, you don't have to tell me what's wrong just, if you have something to tell me. I'm all ears.
I mean, I know we've never gotten along that well but you're my teammate, and teammates look out for each other."
Emily didn't respond, just stood there silently.
Alina again reaches gently with her paw. Placing it softly on the other girls arm, and this time Emily didn't bolt.
Emily sighed. Alina's ears perked up.
A moment passes.
EMILY
"I like you."
Alina tilted her head. Slightly confused.
ALINA
"You, like me?"
EMILY
"Yeah."
ALINA
"Oookaay then... In what way?"
The rabbit girl just sighed and crouched down to Alina's level. Staring the feline straight in the eyes.
Another moment passes.
ALINA
"I uhh-"
She doesn't get to finish as Emily pulls her forward, eyes closed. Planting a small kiss on the cat girls lips.
Alina stood there in shock as Emily stood back up.
EMILY
"Like that."
The rabbit smirked slightly. Still nervous. She turned and began to walk away from the court.
Alina stood there in shock for a few more moments before shaking her head.
She looked to see Emily walking away, and shouted.
ALINA
"Hey wait!"
Emily pauses.
ALINA
"Same time next week?"
Beat.
EMILY
"Uhh, yeah. Same time next week."
Alina smiles, turning back into the court to get her things as Emily kept walking away. Pausing as what she just said dawned upon her.
ALINA
"Oh shit... I just asked her to a date..."
"I'm Bi?!"
END