While playing basketball in gym class, Eddie Ball’s teacher makes him the designated shooter—the person who will try to make a basket while the opposing team tries to stop him. Although Eddie usually has fantastic aim, he always freezes under pressure. As a result, he misses, and one of the children on the other team says, “From now on we oughta call you Air Ball” (2).

The only person who can shoot better than Eddie is his best friend, Annie Stokely, whom he calls “Annie Oakley” after the famous sharpshooter. The two met when Annie moved to the trailer park where Eddie lives with his mom. On that day, they played a game of HORSE, a basketball game in which the players must match each other shot for shot. Although Annie said that she was not very good at the game, she soon proved to be an amazing shot, and Eddie nervously told himself not to try too hard “because when you try too hard, that’s when you miss” (8). The two were tied until Eddie missed a shot and Annie made the shot with her eyes closed. Eddie spent time with Annie for the rest of the summer and drifted away from the boys he used to play with.