A/N: OK so this is my first time writing fanfiction (man I sound so clichéd) so if there's anything wrong tell me. Additionally there are a few things I'd like to get straight:

This will be a series of one-shots of the relationship between modern!AU Spot Conlon and my OC, Ellie Carr.

I will be taking requests/suggestions as to what situations I should write about.

I do not swear, so there will be no bad language in these stories. I would also appreciate it if you would not use bad words in any comments. (Good replacements are 'dang', 'crap', etc.)

I will be switching between points of view, sorry. I know it's annoying but since this isn't official or anything and I can't figure out a way to tell the story properly without it, deal.

Also I'm not one of those writers "5 comments or I won't continue" or anything. But comments are appreciated, if only to tell me what I got wrong.

With these things in place, on with the story!

Ellie's POV:

I sat in my assigned seat, gazing around me curiously. The classroom seemed standard, especially for a small town. A whiteboard hung in the front of the room, and the desks were arranged in 4 rows of 5 each, facing the teacher's desk at the front. A musty smell of erasers and pencil shavings hung heavily in the air. Bookshelves lined the back of the room. 313 read backwards on the door in white vinyl decal. Mrs. Meyer's homeroom. A few more students straggled in, taking their seats around the room. There were 13 kids in the room—wait, no. 17 now. Four more boys had just entered in a group, joking and talking with each other loudly.

Mrs. Meyer, seated at her desk, said without looking up, "Higgins. Out."

One of the boys, Italian looking with dark hair and eyes, stopped, his hand flying to his chest in melodramatic shock. "Mrs. Meyer, I am offended!" He said. Actually, because of his heavy New York accent, it sounded more like 'Ah am offended.' Strange. I hadn't expected to hear a New York accent in the middle of Kansas…

"Youse think Ah don't know whea my own homeroom is?" the boy continued, shooting his friends a wink.

"You know perfectly well. It's not here." Mrs. Meyer said firmly. "Next door please."

The boy sighed and left the room. The other three sat in their respective places. The seating was alphabetical, and one of the boys ended up right in front of me. I studied him curiously from behind. He had brownish blond hair and tanned skin. His grey T-shirt was a little on the tight side, but it wasn't like he didn't have any muscles underneath to show off. The opposite, actually. Oh, Mrs. Meyers was starting class.

"Alright. All of you know the deal by now." She began, before catching my eye. "Oh. Wait. There are 3 new students coming into 8th grade this year."

A wave of surprise rolled over the class. In such a tiny school, with only two 8th grade homerooms, new students were apparently a big deal. At least I wasn't the only one.

"Ellie Carr and Tyson James?" Mrs. Meyer said. I stood up, and a boy on the other side of the room did as well. Almost all the class twisted to look at us. Except the boy in front of me. He had slumped forward onto his desk.

Oh no. Was she going to make us 'introduce ourselves'?

"Welcome to the class."

Thankfully not.

"Now to proceed with the morning…"

The rest of the class passed in a blur. Standard stuff, class schedules, et cetera. After homeroom I had science. Pretty similar to my old school. Just smaller. A lot smaller. And everyone knew each other. Nothing happened much really, not until lunch.

Spot's POV:

So Meyer caught Race. Not like dat was much of a surprise, anyways. 'Parently after last yea' dey decided ta split us up. Dat was a good yea'. Anyways. New kids, big whoop. Dat one boy, Tyson—he could maybe be useful. Not too tall though. It ain't like Ah can really talk though. Anyways. Just gotta get ta lunch. Da foist day is always a half day. But at lunch somthin' happened. One o' my boids—younga kids, dey tell me wha's goin' on an' Ah pay 'em, usually in candy—told me somebody said dey could soak me. Like ta see 'em try. But still. It's da reputation, ya know? So I'se told da boid ta tell 'em to meet me afta' school on da courts behind school. Prolly da whole school'll show up. Bet it was one a da newbies. Tyson, maybe, but he didn't strike me as da type. Oh well. Ah'll see soon enough.

Ellie's POV:

At lunch I looked around, not sure where to sit. That first time was always the worst. What table do you pick, who will be the ones who actually are fine with you being there, and who were the ones who would be 'nice' to you. Before I could pick though, someone grabbed my elbow and pulled me to a table. It was a girl, an inch or so shorter than me with short hair dyed bright pink.

"I'm May." She said.

"Um, hi. I'm Ellie." I replied.

She regarded me carefully for a second or so. "I like your hair." She said, nodding, before sitting down.

I self-consciously touched the blue streak that wove through my otherwise boring brown hair. "Thanks?"

May nodded again. I sat. We ate in silence for a few minutes. For some reason, my eyes kept drifting to the table a little ways from ours. The four boys from earlier were seated there, along with a couple others.

"Whatcha looking at?" May asked, twisting to see. "Oh."

"Who are they?" I asked.

"That's Spot Conlon and his brothers. Mush-the one with the brown curly hair-, Blink-the one with the eye patch- and Race-the one with the black hair." May raised an eyebrow to mimic mine, which had lifted in response to the names. "Nicknames." She explained.

"Brothers?" I asked.

"Yeah. They're all orphans, live with Mr. Kloppman their foster father. I think there's like 20 of 'em."

"Oh." I said.

May nodded. "It's OK, you didn't know. They're the… jocks, I guess? Except the school's too small for sports teams, so it's unofficial."

"What do they play?" I asked, interested.

"Basketball, mainly. Spot's really good." May took a bite of her sandwich.

"I bet I could take him." I said.
May began choking. A couple seconds later she looked up. "Have you ever played before?" she said.

"No, I've never touched a basketball before. I figured I'd just pick one up and see how it goes. You're supposed to get the ball into the hoop, right?" I said sarcastically, folding my arms.

May looked at me blankly for a second, then her lips curved into a slight smile. "I like you." She said. "And so, I'm going to do something for you. HEY PETE!" she shrieked randomly. The rest of the lunchroom continued its usual buzz, but a small boy who looked like May materialized next to her elbow.

"Yeah?" he said.

May whispered something in his ear. Pete's eyes nearly popped out of his head, but he nodded and disappeared again.

"Huh?" I said.

"Pete's one of Spot's spies. I told him someone challenged Spot. Let's see if you can take him." May said, pleased with herself.

Suddenly Pete was back. "He says after school on the courts."

"And you didn't say who it was?" May double-checked. Pete shook his head. "Perfect. See ya later, kid." And then Pete was gone.

"Why would it be important if he knew who it was?" I asked.

"First off, Spot might not take you on if he knew you were a girl." May began. "He avoids girls like the plague. Second, this is more fun." She grinned wickedly.

Spot's POV:

Afta lunch Ah axed around a little bit, seems like da only ones fool enough ta challenge were da newbies. Dey'll learn soon enough. And ya never know, mebbe he'll be good enough ta add ta the team. Afta Math—who decided ta put Math right afta' lunch anyways? It's child abuse, dat's what it is, even if Ah's good at it- me an' Blink an' Race an' Mush headed out ta the courts behind da school. Didn't rush right out dea or anythin', stopped by the gym ta get a ball from Mr. Edmond, messed around a little in da hallways, got stuck talkin' ta a bunch a goils. Delia, Talia, and someone else Ah don't remember da name foa'. Bet it ended in 'ia' though. See, dis is why Ah ignore 'em. Can't keep 'em straight foa one. Second, none of 'em care 'bout anythin' cept gossip. Da boys say dat only these ones do dat, but Ah don't wanna risk it.

My main reason, though, is if Ah get a goil Ah might go soft. An' nobody wants that. 'Specially not me. So Ah ignore 'em. Easy as dat. 'Cept when it ain't dat easy.

"Who challenged you Spot?" The one goil axed. Delia?

"Ah don't know. Some newbie."

"Well, be careful. I don't want you to get hurt." Delia put her hand on my arm.

"Yeah. Shoa." Ah muttered and kept goin'. Da otha boys followed me. Once we were out of the hearin' of da goils Ah burst out. "Whatza matta wit her? Hoit? In basketball?"

"Aw, she jus' worried 'bout ya Spot." Race teased. "Ya know, ya could jam yer baby finger."

Ah shoved Race an' he staggered back inta Blink.

"Hey!" Blink shoved him off an' he pinwheeled inta Mush. "Such a drama queen."

"Drama queen? I'm da King o' New York!" Race declared loudly.

"Yeah well we ain't in New York anymore!" Blink said.

Each o' us along with a few more who were eitha' olda oa' younga' den us was from New York. And we was all orphans. I's been livin' hea for foa yeahs now, with Kloppman, our foster fadda. Jack—he's da oldest an' in charge—says we bruddas. Don't wanna sound sappy, but it's true. Like me an' Race an' Blink an' Mush, we like, whaddayacallem, twins but wit 4.

"Aw, knock it off ya two." Mush said.

"A'right, fine." Race said. "Any of ya wanna bet on da match?"

"Yeah, like I'mma bet against Spot." Blink said, punchin' Race's arm. "He'd kill me!"

"Mebbe ya can convince a newbie oa' two." Ah said befoa pushin' open da doors at da back o' da school.

Neahly da whole 8th grade was gathered around da court.

Ellie's POV:

The boy who sat in front of me, Spot Conlon, the one I would be challenging, pushed open the doors at the back of the school and sauntered out. His cold blue eyes swept over the crowd. His friends—brothers? —came out behind him and stood in the pack as Spot pushed his way onto the court. A few kids came up to the black haired boy—Race—and started talking with him.

"How good are you?" May looked at me.

"Um, pretty good. I think I can take him." I said, a little nervously. This was not what I had imagined.

"Good. Don't let me down. Be right back." May said, disappearing from my side. I saw her pop up on the other side of the court next to Race. I turned back to Spot. He was looking around the crowd.

"All da newbies step up." He commanded in a strong Brooklyn accent. Two boys were pushed onto the court, and suddenly May was back at my side.

"Go on!" she whispered, shoving me forward onto the court. A couple people chuckled.

"Which o' ya challenged me?" Spot asked, ignoring me and looking only at the two boys. Something in me bridled a little.

"I did." I said, as firmly as I could. He turned to look at me. "I challenged you." And for a second there, Spot's stoic expression cracked, and sheer surprise swept over his face. Then the second was over and he was solid again.

"This'll be easier den Ah thought den." He said with a smirk, spinning the ball on his pointer finger.

I didn't say anything.

After we both stood quietly for a second, Spot broke the silence. "Standahd rules foa pickup. 1's and 2's. Foist to 5 wins. Make it, keep it." he looked at me for a second. "Fouls?"

"No fouls." I shook my head. This didn't need to get any more complicated than it already was.

"Yoah choice." He shrugged. "You can staht." Spot threw the ball to me hard. I caught it and made my way to the top of the key.

"Ready?" I said. Spot nodded from where he was in the middle of the Paint. I took one step in, just above the free throw line, and shot. Swish.

"1-0!" May yelled from the sidelines. I checked the ball to Spot, and he closed up on me, coming in fast. I dribbled to the right, keeping my left arm up to block him from stealing the ball. I tried to drop step around him, but he was too quick, stealing the ball as it went past him. He dribbled out to the top of the key and shot a perfect 3-pointer. Or 2-pointer I guess, since we were playing 1's and 2's.

"2-1!" Race yelled from the opposite side of the court then May. May gave him a stink-eye and he grinned. Spot checked to me, and then I was on the move, getting right up in his face. I think I startled him because his dribble faltered for a second. But a second was all I needed.

Spot's POV:

When the goil had stepped onta da court Ah had noticed, shoa. When she tucked her blue stripe of hair behind her ear and announced dat she had challenged me… Ah nearly lost it.

But Ah recovered. "This'll be esiah den Ah thought den," Ah said with a smirk. An' Ah believed it too. Dat was my foist mistake. Once she sunk da foist shot, Ah could tell she'd done this befoa. Ah stole the ball back an' made a shot, but den she got it back. She was at least as good as Blink. Didn't mean anythin' though. Ah's still better den Blink. But as Ah played defense against her, Ah got distracted. Last time Ah got distracted in a game was when me neighbor Les ran his bike into da hoop outside Kloppman's house. As Ah was shootin'. But dis goil made me distracted. Da way she bit her lip as she played, da way she handled da ball… distractin', Ah tell ya.

Mebbe da boys were right. Mebbe not all da goils were like Delia. Dis one wasn't, Ah could already tell.

"4-3!" Race yelled afta a few minutes of intense playin'. Ah was winnin', but it was a lot closer den I woulda liked. An' den it happened.

Ellie's POV:

I did it. I swiped the ball right out of his hands and took it up past the 3-point line, turned, and shot. And it went in. The ball went in. I had won. The court was deathly silent. The crowd as well. Avoiding eye contact with anyone, I looked down at my feet and noticed my shoe was untied. I dropped down to one knee and knotted the laces quickly. When I looked up from my shoe there was a hand extended down to me. Spot's. I took it and he pulled me to my feet. I looked into his eyes and felt a couple butterflies in my stomach. No, no, no, I am not getting a crush on this cocky boy. Besides, May said he avoided girls like the plague. I realized I was still holding his hand and pulled mine away. I could feel my cheeks heating up a little.

"Good game, Stripe." He said. My face must've shown my confusion, because he said, "Yoah hair." Reaching out, Spot Conlon tucked my blue stripe of hair behind my ear.

"Good game." I replied, a tiny smile on my face and my cheeks pink. He noticed and smirked.

"Youse new? Where'd ya move in?"

"Arbor road." I said.

"Ah know the place." He said, nodding. Suddenly May ran up behind me and seized me in a tight hug.

"Whoa!" I said. She scooted around to face me and beamed.

"You won me $10 Ellie. Thanks! See you tomorrow!" with that she marched off towards Race, who was standing shellshocked with Spot's two other brothers. "RACETRACK HIGGINS YOU OWE ME $10!" She yelled.

Spot chuckled a little as the bright haired girl left. "Ellie? Hm… Ah think Ah like Stripe." He regarded me with that smirk again.

"Okay…" I said, not sure how to respond or get myself to stop blushing.

"So, Stripe." Spot said. "Hows about Ah walk ya home?"